Despite banning the use of chemical warfare was so dreaded after world war wone, that the deadlier and more aggressive chemical agents would be banned during World War II. Yet despite this, Vietnam held onto to no such agreements, driving the US to enact Operation Ranch Hand. The US sprayed more than 20 million gallons of various herbicides over Vietnam throughout the war, and Agent Orange, the deadly chemical dioxin, was the most commonly used herbicide. Its effects would devastate crops and cause severe neurological problems, cancer, birth defects, rashes, and more.
To exacerbate it's already potent impact, it had both immediate and long-term effects. Agent Orange is a highly stable molecule and thus lasts for years in the soil, lakes, rivers, and food chain. Vietnam reported that nearly half a million people were killed due to the effects of American Chemical warfare. Another half a million children ended up being born with serious defects, and another 2 million people fell to serious illness due to the chemical agent.
4 comments:
wow this is a very eye-opening article. It's sad to think that the US knew how deadly this chemical was and still used it openly on the Vietnamese. Also, the fact that it would last in the soil for years is kinda of a symbol of US control over Vietnam, that the US killed so many Vietnamese. Intersting article!
Super cool to read about something I am not familiar with in the context of US History. It's sad to realize the level of brutality that was used in the Vietnam war and how our actions have contributed to relationships now.
The image that you have inserted gave me a very well understanding of how to affected things and you description matches your image.
The use of Agent Orange was probably one of the worst atrocities the United States could possibly have done in Vietnam. It certainly cemented the image of the war as a colossal waste of life.
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