Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange Exposure

Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange Exposure PDF

Author: Institute of Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2011-07-01

Total Pages: 158

ISBN-13: 0309162475

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Over 3 million U.S. military personnel were sent to Southeast Asia to fight in the Vietnam War. Since the end of the Vietnam War, veterans have reported numerous health effects. Herbicides used in Vietnam, in particular Agent Orange have been associated with a variety of cancers and other long term health problems from Parkinson's disease and type 2 diabetes to heart disease. Prior to 1997 laws safeguarded all service men and women deployed to Vietnam including members of the Blue Navy. Since then, the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) has established that Vietnam veterans are automatically eligible for disability benefits should they develop any disease associated with Agent Orange exposure, however, veterans who served on deep sea vessels in Vietnam are not included. These "Blue Water Navy" veterans must prove they were exposed to Agent Orange before they can claim benefits. At the request of the VA, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) examined whether Blue Water Navy veterans had similar exposures to Agent Orange as other Vietnam veterans. Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange Exposure comprehensively examines whether Vietnam veterans in the Blue Water Navy experienced exposures to herbicides and their contaminants by reviewing historical reports, relevant legislation, key personnel insights, and chemical analysis to resolve current debate on this issue.

The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War PDF

Author: 50minutes

Publisher: History

Published: 2018-02-07

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9782808007139

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Keen to learn but short on time? Get to grips with the events of the Vietnam War in next to no time with this concise guide. 50Minutes.com provides a clear and engaging analysis of the Vietnam War, a brutal conflict that spanned two decades and resulted in catastrophic human and material losses. After the end of the First Indochina War in 1954, Vietnam was partitioned into two ideologically opposed states, namely the Communist North Vietnam under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh and the nationalist South Vietnam, which soon allied itself with the USA. This resulted in a lengthy conflict characterised by the use of guerrilla warfare which made a quick victory impossible, the intervention, whether covert or overt, of various foreign powers, and the widespread use of chemical weapons, the effects of which are still felt in Vietnam today. In just 50 minutes you will: - Find out about the background to the Vietnam War, including the First Indochina War and the Geneva Accords - Learn about the key events of the conflict, including the Tet Offensive in 1968 - Understand the human and material costs of the war for American and Vietnamese soldiers and civilians ABOUT 50MINUTES.COM History & Culture 50MINUTES.COM will enable you to quickly understand the main events, people, conflicts and discoveries from world history that have shaped the world we live in today. Our publications present the key information on a wide variety of topics in a quick and accessible way that is guaranteed to save you time on your journey of discovery.

Yellow Rainmakers

Yellow Rainmakers PDF

Author: Grant Evans

Publisher: Verso Books

Published: 2020-05-05

Total Pages: 251

ISBN-13: 1789607515

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In 1979 a new and horrible image of technological barbarism was born. 'Yellow Rain', claimed the US State Department, was devastating the mountain tribes of Laos as the Pathet Lao government battled with the remnants of the 'Secret Army', which the CIA had raised from the Hmong tribe during the Indochinese war. Lethal trichothecene toxins, never before developed for chemical warfare, were identified as the mystery weapon:, the Soviet Union. as the culprit. No physical evidence capable of withstanding scientific scrutiny has ever been produced in support of the us allegations. Grant Evans has carefully sifted the us testimony and compared it with the results of his own first-hand researches among Hmong refugees in Thailand and in Laos itself. He has examined the quality of the medical and physical evidence used to prove that chemical warfare is occurring. Evans also explores the recent history and culture of the Hmong tribe, a primitive people battered and traumatized by war since the early 1960s. The manipulation of their panic and fear, he argues, lies at the centre of the whole controversy. The analysis is set against the political development of Laos since 1975. Grant Evans allows that the Vietnamese and Laotians may be employing riot-control gases, of the type used extensively and dumped by the USA in Indochina. The 'Yellow Rain' stories are quite another matter. Evans argues that unsupported allegations of toxin warfare-from whatever source. and he instances the North Korean allegations in the 1950s - jeopardize international arms control and ultimately contribute to frightening developments in the chemical arms race. The 'Yellow Rain' allegations formed a pretext for the us decision in 1982 to proceed with the manufacture of deadly 'binary' nerve-gas weapons.

Scorched Earth

Scorched Earth PDF

Author: Fred A. Wilcox

Publisher: Seven Stories Press

Published: 2011-09-13

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 1609801385

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Scorched Earth is the first book to chronicle the effects of chemical warfare on the Vietnamese people and their environment, where, even today, more than 3 million people—including 500,000 children—are sick and dying from birth defects, cancer, and other illnesses that can be directly traced to Agent Orange/dioxin exposure. Weaving first-person accounts with original research, Vietnam War scholar Fred A. Wilcox examines long-term consequences for future generations, laying bare the ongoing monumental tragedy in Vietnam, and calls for the United States government to finally admit its role in chemical warfare in Vietnam. Wilcox also warns readers that unless we stop poisoning our air, food, and water supplies, the cancer epidemic in the United States and other countries will only worsen, and he urgently demands the chemical manufacturers of Agent Orange to compensate the victims of their greed and to stop using the Earth’s rivers, lakes, and oceans as toxic waste dumps. Vietnam has chosen August 10—the day that the US began spraying Agent Orange on Vietnam—as Agent Orange Day, to commemorate all its citizens who were affected by the deadly chemical. Scorched Earth will be released upon the third anniversary of this day, in honor of all those whose families have suffered, and continue to suffer, from this tragedy.

Herbicidal Warfare

Herbicidal Warfare PDF

Author: Paul F. Cecil

Publisher: Praeger

Published: 1986

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13:

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In 1961, the United States Air Force began using chemical herbicides as a weapon in South-east Asia. The tactic lasted only ten years, but the controversy it provoked continues to this day. Criticisms range from the charge that the herbicides did irreparable damage to the Asian environment to the recent "Agent Orange" lawsuits claiming that the chemicals have caused U.S. servicemen and their children physical and mental impairments. While much attention has been given to these claims, little light has been cast on the actual history of the herbicidal operation, code-named RANCH HAND. This book is the history of this unique aviation mission, from its conception to its termination. It describes how the operation dispensed over 11 million gallons of chemicals over Southeast Asian jungles and croplands while flying unarmed, obsolescent aircraft at tree-top level. Based on the author's own experiences, hundreds of interviews with RANCH HAND veterans, and careful research of declassified primary sources, this book provides a comprehensive and in-depth view of the men who flew the missions and their role in the events in Southeast Asia. It also reviews the scientific reaction to herbicidal warfare and hoe the controversy that ensued eventually caused the cancellation of the operation. -- from Book Jacket.