What is Agent Orange used for today?

After its use in the 1960s, Agent Orange was banned by the U.S. in 1971 and remaining stocks were taken from Vietnam and the U.S. to Johnston Atoll, a U.S. controlled island about 700 miles SE of Hawaii, where it was destroyed in 1978. There is no 'Agent Orange' in Vietnam or anywhere else today.

What does Agent Orange do to a person?

Agent Orange was a tactical herbicide the U.S. military used to clear leaves and vegetation for military operations mainly during the Vietnam War. Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange may have certain related cancers or other illnesses.

What is the average payout for Agent Orange?

Of the 105,000 claims received by the Payment Program, approximately 52,000 Vietnam Veterans or their survivors received cash payments which averaged about $3,800 each.

What are the 14 diseases associated with Agent Orange?

Does Vietnam still suffer from Agent Orange?

Nearly half a century since the end of the Vietnam War, there remains an urgent need for the United States and Vietnam to address the harmful legacy of Agent Orange, a defoliant sprayed by the U.S. military over parts of southern Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia — an area about the size of Massachusetts — that continues to ...

What Is Agent Orange? | History

What is the lifespan of Agent Orange?

Agent Orange has a short half-life of days and weeks after application to vegetation, and has not been found to persist, after 50 years, in the water or soils of southern Vietnam.

Can Agent Orange be passed from father to child?

There is currently no definitive evidence that a father's exposure to Agent Orange causes birth defects. However, an analysis of Agent Orange registry data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) suggests a link between males' exposure to Agent Orange and having children with certain birth defects.

Can Agent Orange be passed to spouse?

For veterans who have since passed away, their death could now be service connected to Agent Orange exposure, making their surviving spouse or dependents eligible for retroactive DIC benefits.

What benefits do you get after death from Agent Orange?

Survivors' benefits

Surviving spouses, dependent children and dependent parents of Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during service and died as the result of diseases related to the exposure may be eligible for health care, compensation, education, and home loan benefits.

How much money do Vietnam veterans get?

For veterans who received VA's disability payments in addition to their other income, the average annual payment was $18,100. Those disability payments made their income higher than other veterans' income, on average.

Do you get back pay for Agent Orange?

Blue Water Back Pay Errors

VA has been awarding benefits to Vietnam veterans for any conditions related to Agent Orange for decades. When Congress passed new legislation that expanded coverage to the veterans who served on offshore ships, VA did not award retroactive benefits beyond the passage of that law.

How does the VA determine Agent Orange disability?

In order to qualify for benefits, the following conditions must become noticeable to a degree of 10 percent or more within one year of the last date of exposure to Agent Orange: Chloracne. Porphyria cutanea tarda. Early-onset peripheral neuropathy.

What benefits do children get from Agent Orange?

Children of Agent Orange Veterans May Qualify for Disability Compensation. If you are the child of a veteran who came into contact with Agent Orange, and you have serious birth defects, then you may be eligible for several VA benefits such as monthly disability payments, health care benefits, and vocational training.

Can a child of a Vietnam veteran get benefits?

Your child may be eligible for disability benefits if they meet these requirements. One of these must be true: The child's biological mother or father served in the Republic of Vietnam or in Thailand for any length of time between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, or.

Does Agent Orange change your DNA?

The constituents of Agent Orange are capable of producing gene mutations and chromosomal aberrations, at least in some experimental circumstances. TCDD and 2,4,5-T are teratogenic in mice and perhaps in other mammals, but the teratogenicity of these chemicals has not been convincingly demonstrated in humans.

What birth defects did Americans get from Agent Orange?

Spina bifida (except spina bifida occulta), a defect in the developing fetus that results in incomplete closing of the spine, is associated with Veterans' exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during qualifying service in Vietnam or Korea.

How much does the VA pay when a Veteran dies?

VA will pay up to $796 toward burial and funeral expenses for deaths on or after October 1, 2019 (if hospitalized by VA at time of death), or $300 toward burial and funeral expenses (if not hospitalized by VA at time of death), and a $796 plot-interment allowance (if not buried in a national cemetery).

Does the wife of a deceased Veterans get benefits?

A VA Survivors Pension offers monthly payments to qualified surviving spouses and unmarried dependent children of wartime Veterans who meet certain income and net worth limits set by Congress. Find out if you qualify and how to apply.

Was everyone who served in Vietnam exposed to Agent Orange?

For the purposes of VA compensation benefits, Veterans who served anywhere in Vietnam between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975 are presumed to have been exposed to herbicides, as specified in the Agent Orange Act of 1991.

What benefits does a widow of a Vietnam veteran get?

If you are the surviving spouse of a Vietnam veteran and need help with daily living activities like bathing and dressing, you may be eligible for a special Veterans Administration (VA) benefit called Aid and Attendance. The benefit pays up to $1,209 per month ($14,507 per year), tax free, for home or facility care.

Is Agent Orange a 100 disability?

VA Ratings for Agent Orange presumptive conditions range from 0% to 100%, depending on the disability name and its severity of symptoms.

How do I know if I was exposed to Agent Orange?

Unfortunately, there's no medical test or biological feature that can show that someone was exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides, so the health exam cannot confirm that you were (or were not) exposed.

Do you get benefits if your dad was a Veteran?

A Veteran whose parent(s) are dependent upon him or her for financial support may be paid additional benefits. The dependent parent benefit is paid based on need. The parental relationship must be established, and it must be verified that the parents are financially dependent upon the Veteran in order to qualify.

How long does it take for Agent Orange to show up?

Elevated blood TCDD levels, probably related to Agent Orange exposure, can be detected between two and three decades after potential exposure in some American veterans. Original levels were estimated to be 35-1,500-fold greater that that of the general population (4 ppt, lipid) at the time of exposure.

Can Agent Orange cause teeth problems?

It was noted that a review of the most current literature from the National Academy of Sciences on the effects of Agent Orange did not list periodontal disease or other dental conditions among the direct effects of exposure.