Operation Ranch Hand and Agent Orange
During the period of 1962 to 1971, the US military undertook “Operation Ranch Hand.” Using Air Force C-123s and C-130s, as well as Army UH-1, the military began to spray herbicides and defoliants on the jungles of Vietnam where the enemy hid, denying them cover and concealment. Later, they began also to spray crops to deny the enemy food. During this nine-year period, the US military sprayed approximately 20,000,000 gallons of herbicides on Vietnam, covering12% (39,000 square miles) of South Vietnam. The average concentration was 13 times the US Department of Agriculture’s recommendation for domestic use.
Most of this herbicide/defoliant was referred to as “Agent Orange,” a mixture of equal parts of two herbicides, 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D. The military told its personnel that the chemical had no effect on humans, only plant life. In 1970, the USDA halted the use of 2,4,5-T on all food crops except rice, and in 1985, the EPA terminated all remaining uses in the US of this herbicide because of adverse health effects.
In 1977, Vietnam veterans began filing with the VA for disability compensation for conditions they believed were caused by exposure to Agent Orange. The VA denied these claims unless the veteran could prove that they served on or near the military bases where the herbicides were tested or stored and their condition began within one year of discharge. By April 1993, of the 39,419 claims received, the VA had approved 486.
As a result of the Agent Orange Act of 1991, this situation has changed. If a veteran set foot on the ground in Vietnam during the period January 9, 1962, through May 7, 1975, he or she is assumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange. Additionally, Agent Orange is presumed to be the cause of the following diseases (except for hypertension and MGUS, the names link to VA pages on the topic):
- AL Amyloidosis – A rare disease caused when an abnormal protein, amyloid, enters tissues or organs
- Bladder Cancer – A type of cancer that affects the bladder where urine is stored before it leaves the body
- Chronic B-cell Leukemias – A type of cancer which affects white blood cells
- Chloracne (or similar acneform disease) – A skin condition that occurs soon after exposure to chemicals and looks like common forms of acne seen in teenagers. Under VA’s rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.
- Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 – A disease characterized by high blood sugar levels resulting from the body’s inability to respond properly to the hormone insulin
- Hypertension
- Hodgkin’s Disease – A malignant lymphoma (cancer) characterized by progressive enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen, and by progressive anemia
- Hypothyroidism – A condition that causes the thyroid gland to not produce enough of certain important hormones
- Ischemic Heart Disease – A disease characterized by a reduced supply of blood to the heart, that leads to chest pain
- Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS) – An irregularity of plasma cells which adversely affects the immune system, sometimes a precursor to Multiple Myeloma
- Multiple Myeloma – A cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell in bone marrow
- Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma – A group of cancers that affect the lymph glands and other lymphatic tissue
- Parkinsonism – Any condition that causes a combination of abnormal movements. These include slow movements, trouble speaking, stiff muscles, or tremors.
- Parkinson’s Disease – A progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects muscle movement
- Peripheral Neuropathy, Early-Onset – A nervous system condition that causes numbness, tingling, and motor weakness. Under VA’s rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of herbicide exposure.
- Porphyria Cutanea Tarda – A disorder characterized by liver dysfunction and by thinning and blistering of the skin in sun-exposed areas. Under VA’s rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.
- Prostate Cancer – Cancer of the prostate; one of the most common cancers among men
- Respiratory Cancers (includes lung cancer) – Cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus
- Soft Tissue Sarcomas (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, or mesothelioma) – A group of different types of cancers in body tissues such as muscle, fat, blood and lymph vessels, and connective tissues
Additionally, Kidney Cancer has been linked to Agent Orange but is not currently listed among the ‘presumptive’ diseases.
Many members of the Snake Platoon have one or more of these diseases. If you are a Vietnam Veteran with one of the listed diseases and have not filed a disability claim with the VA, you need to do so. By law, the VA can NOT consider your age in deciding your claim. The list of presumptive conditions provided above is from https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/index.asp as of 5 January 2023.
Veterans who served at the Korean DMZ, airbases in Thailand, and even US bases where these chemicals were tested and stored are also eligible. It has been suggested that Ft. Devens, MA, may have been one of those bases.
Learn what assistance is available from the VA on our VA Benefits page.
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