Toxic War : The Story of Agent Orange

Few books have made me angry when I read them. Toxic War by Peter Sills made me angry because the very topic is so upsetting. Sills examines Agent Orange, a chemical used heavily in the Vietnam War. He explores its origins, manufacture, and use in warfare. He also details the long term health consequences of the soldiers that served and the people of Vietnam.

I had heard about Agent Orange but I didn't really know all that much about it. Agent Orange or dioxin was a chemical that was produced and used in herbicides prior to Vietnam, but not heavily. There were some reports of employees getting sick who had been exposed to the chemical, but these reports were largely buried. You could say that Dupont and Monsanto both manipulated studies to show the chemical was safe for use. But no one, up to that time, had ever used or applied dioxin in the quantities that were needed in Vietnam.

Vietnam presented a logistical challenge to warfare. The enemy could easily hide in the vegetation and disappear. The danger to soldiers was very high. The solution was to remove the vegetation and the easiest way to do it was to spray dioxin. Dioxin was sprayed around all the bases on a monthly basis. The bases had buildings with open windows, so the spray just drifted in. It was sprayed on top of soldiers and civilians in the field. Soldiers bathed in and drank water that had been contaminated. When people talk about a scorched earth, Vietnam became that place. Dioxin does not break down over time, so it contaminates the soil and plants that grow in it.

Despite the environmental damage and exposure, the US government deflected responsibility. They had been told it was safe, so they ran with that story despite mounting evidence it was not. The most heavily exposed soldiers died within months of returning home from bizarre cancers. Children born to these soldiers had odd birth defects. Then the lesser exposed soldiers started developing aggressive cancers as they aged to retirement. So while the government continues to deny responsibility, they now acknowledge it is possible that some veterans are sick because of Agent Orange. There is an official list of cancers that the VA will cover if a soldier served in Vietnam. Aggressive prostate cancer is now one of them as many Vietnam vets are dying of prostate cancer.

This books is well written and a must read.