VetsFirst recognizes the sacrifices that our veterans and their families make long after the veteran’s military service has been completed. This month, we remember the continuing impact of Agent Orange on Vietnam Veterans, their families, and survivors.
Herbicides, including Agent Orange, were used as a defoliant in Vietnam and other countries in Southeast Asia, including along the DMZ in Korea, to remove the vegetation. (Click here for a list of countries and locations impacted by Agent Orange testing and storage, including locations in the United States.) Although the military sprayed Agent Orange in an attempt to help protect servicemembers from potential harm, Agent Orange is a toxic substance that has since been scientifically linked to certain diseases, including some cancers, diabetes, and ischemic heart disease.
The health of some veterans’ children has also been harmed due to the exposure of their mothers and fathers to Agent Orange. VA benefits are available to children with spina bifida who are born to fathers or mothers who served in Vietnam (or along the DMZ in Korea). Children who were born with other birth defects may also be eligible for VA benefits but only if their mothers served in Vietnam (or along the DMZ in Korea).
VetsFirst encourages you to learn more about the continuing impacts of Agent Orange. Vietnam Veterans of America’s Faces of Agent Orange campaign seeks to ensure that the stories of those impacted by Agent Orange are told. To learn more about the impact Agent Orange can have on the children of Vietnam Veterans, please read the story of Robert Cummings.
If you have questions about applying for benefits related to Agent Orange exposure, “Ask Vetsfirst.”