Agent Orange: Contaminating Americans and Vietnamese
Returning Home
Agent Orange impacted millions of soldiers returning from the war, affecting the way they live their lives. They suffered from aggressive forms of cancer and other diseases such as Hodgkin Lymphoma. The dioxin in their body affected their offspring, causing deformities and diseases. Families take care of their adult children, as they cannot function on their own. Returning home had a different outcome than what the veterans expected, changing the lives of millions in America.
Stories In The Newspapers
Family Suffers from Agent Orange, Image Courtesy of The Gazette
Soliders Die From Agent Orange, Image Courtesy of The Gazette
Wife's Husband Dies From Agent Orange, Image Courtesy of The Star Press
Solider Dies From Agent Orange, Image Courtesy of The Gazette
Veteran Complains About Denial, Image Courtesy of Arizona Republic
"Our sons and daughters shall join their mutated and damaged chromosomes with those perfect and pretty little offspring of you who went to law school or into corporate employ instead of Da Nang, An Khe, and Quang Tri, and we shall then be vindicated when our daily existance becomes your greatest nightmare."
~ Wife of a Vietnam Veteran and Mother of a Child with Birth Defects
Their Children
Mike Blackedge, Father of Sick Children Contaminated By Agent Orange, Image Courtesy of Propublica
Mike Ryan, Behind Him is A Memorial for His Dead Daughter A Victim of Agent Orange Image, Courtesy of Propublica
"I probably wouldn't have had kids had I known, that they might be impacted, and that's a tough one and I guess that still has to be proven."
~ Mike Blackedge a Father of Two Contaminated Kids
"She has 22 birth defects, and they want to pay only for spina bifida? Come on, give me a break."
~ Mike Ryan After Being Able To Recieve Compensation for His Kid
“Who are the next warriors of our country? Our sons. And our sons are going to sit back and look and say, ‘Hey, look what the governments done to our fathers. Why should we go fight when we know the sons of . . . are going to do that to us?”
~ Sonny Amos, Vietnam Veteran
Chat Doc Da Cam (Agent Orange In Vietnamese)
The sprayings heavily impacted Vietnam, affecting families and their children. Generations of families are affected with birth deformities, having places such as Da Nang Hospital and Hoa Binh Peace Village holding thousands of deformed children, most abandoned by their parents. Organizations formed to help support the children, raising money for the families who do not have enough money to care for their children. Today, millions of families in Vietnam are impacted by the governments' decisions to spray Agent Orange.
Hospitals In Vietnam
Tran Minh Anh a Agent Orange Victim, Image Courtesy of Vietnam Net
Victim of Agent Orange Diagnosed With Crouzon Syndrome, Image Courtesy of Vietnam Net
Victim of Agent Orange Died a Month After This Picture Was Taken, Image Courtesy of Vietnam Net
Doctors Feeding Children in a Hospital in Vietnam, Image Courtesy of Vietnam Net
Professer Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong with Children affected by Agent Orange, Image Courtesy of All Thats Interesting
Tram, a Victim of Agent Orange, Image Courtesy of Ade Adepitan
Children In The Peace Village In Class, Image Courtesy of MSAVLC
Victim of Agent Orange in Hoa Binh Peace Village, Image Courtesy of MSAVLC
"Here we take care of mainly the children affected by the Agent Orange. About 60% of them have parents directly exposed to Agent Orange during war or after the war. One thing is that the dioxin can be transmitted from mother to the babies."
~ Doctor at Da Nang Hospital
Contaminated Children
Research Facility in Tu Du Hospital, Image Courtesy of Vietnam Net
Unborn Fetuses Kept in Jars, Image Courtesy of Vietnam Net
Mother Of An Victim Of Agent Orange Worrying For Her Son Born with a Heart Disease, Video Courtesy of Unreported World
Conjoined Twins in Vietnam, Image Courtesy of Vietnam Net
Multiple Dead Babies Kept in Jars, Image Courtesy of Vietnam Net
Unborn Fetus Kept in a Jar,
Image Courtesy of Vietnam Net
Fetuses Kept in Jars, Image Courtesy of Vietnam Net
In retrospect, Agent Orange changed millions of lives, affecting Americans and Vietnamese people. It altered the way people view the U.S government and affected their lives after the war. Originally focused on defoliating leaves and food, it ended up claiming millions of lives of innocent people.