Been doing a lot of research this week on the chemicals that make up Agent Orange. This chemical was used in the Vietnam War to clear out the jungle growth so our troops could see where possible enemy threats were hiding. Like many people that are from my generation and before our fathers either fought in the jungles of Vietnam or know someone that served in one of the United States military branches during the war. There has been many medical issues that our soliders from this war have due to their exposure to this chemical. Also many medical issues that have been found in these soliders children and possible can affect their grand children. Below is a timeline of the usuage of Agent Orange.
A timeline of Agent Orange use:
Early 1940s: During the Second World War, University of Chicago professor Dr.
E.J. Kraus discovers an acid called 2,4-D. Kraus observes it could kill certain
1950s: The U.S. Army successfully experiments with 2,4-D in Panamanian and
Malaysian forests and adds it to their chemical arsenal. Scientists note a mixture
of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-D can cause an immediate negative effect in plants.
1954-57: French colonial army defeated, Vietnam split in two by peace
settlement. North Vietnam attacks South Vietnam. U.S. aids South Vietnam in
fight but denies official involvement until Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964.
1961: Chemical herbicides shipped to Vietnam, including Agent Orange, Agent
Blue and Agent White, among others. They were named so because of the
colour-coded stripes on their barrels.
1962-71: The U.S. military launches Operation Ranch Hand to defoliate the
dense Vietnamese jungle and take cover away from the enemy. Over the next
nine years, over 80 million litres of herbicide was used in southern Vietnam. Most
of this was Agent Orange.
1965: Dow Chemical's scientists express private concerns about Agent Orange's
effect on humans.
1966: The U.S.military douses parts of CFB Gagetown with Agent Orange to test
its effects. Canadian soldiers were on the ground during the aerial spraying.
1969: Bionetics Research Laboratories exposes dioxin, a by-product of the Agent
Orange manufacturing process, as the cause of deaths and stillbirths in
laboratory animals. The Food and Drug Administration releases the report and
the White House ordered a partial scale-back of Agent Orange use in Vietnam.
1971: The U.S. Surgeon General regulates Agent Orange use at home. Agent
Orange use officially ceases in Vietnam.
1973: Vietnam War ends for American troops.
1981: Canadian committee finds no evidence of health problems due to Agent
Orange use at CFB Gagetown. The media are invited to view the sprayed areas.
1984: Seven American chemical companies pay $180-million to settle a class
action suit by U.S. veterans, who claimed the defoliant caused cancer and birth
1990: The Zumwalt report to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs finds some
links between Agent Orange use and thousands of Vietnam veterans who
complained of health problems.
2004: The Canadian Department of Veterans Affairs quietly awards disability
compensation to two former soldiers at CFB Gagetown.
2005: After years of trying to get compensation for its citizens, a U.S. court
throws out a class action lawsuit on behalf of millions of Vietnamese who claim
they were affected by Agent Orange use during the Vietnam war.
May 2005: Canadian officials publicly admit the compensation claims and
subsequent lack of publicity. They also admit not knowing how many people are
affected and urge soldiers who served at CFB Gagetown during the spraying to
I am sure each of you reading this are thinking ok so what does this have to do with me or PsA. Below Is a list of illnesses that are linked to Agent Orange in Veterns and their children.
This is the list of birth defects, illnesses, diseases, mental health issues etc. reported by our members as of June 2010.
This list also includes symptoms reported which remain undiagnosed (many of the children suffer from symptoms which are unexplained or remain untreated.)
We are still working on the list. More information will be added as it becomes available.
Arnold Chiari Malformation
Autonomic Nervous Dysfunction
Chronic Lyhocytic Thyroiditis
Chronic Sleep Deprivation
Cleft Lips & Palate
Compromised immune system
Connective Tissue Disorder
Cornelia de Lange syndrome
Common Variable Immuno Defieciendy
Debilitating muscle spasms
Depression (includes chronic also)
Deformed Fingers (multiple at birth)
Deformed Toes (multiple at birth)
Degenerative Disc Disease
dextrocardia Deviated Septum
Diabetes Type I
Diabetes Type II
Diagonal Earlobe Crease
Fragile X Syndrome
Gall Bladder Disease
Growth Hormone defficiency
Growths of the Skull
Heart Murmur (newborn)
High Blood Pressure
Hip Dysplasia (congential)
Intracranial hypertension (rare disease)
ITP platlete disorder
Joint & Muscle Pain
Loss of Skin
Lupus of the skin
Malformation of both Feet (Severe)
Memory Retention Problems
Mental Health Issues
Mitral Valve Prolapse
Numbness of the Hands (chronic)
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Primitive Neuro-Ectodermal Tumor
Psoriatic Rheumatoid Arthritis
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome
Salpingitis isthmica nodosa (SIN)
Seizures Severe Chronic Neutropenia
Sinus infections & problems (chronic)
Skin Cancer Skin Problems
Skin Rashes (newborn)
Spina Bifida Occulta
Spinal Cord Disease
Urinary Tract Infections
Trust me I am not blaming what I have on this but it does make me wonder why only my father and myself are the only two people in my entire family that have PsA. I either have or had several other issues listed on here besideds the PsA. This is just a little food for thought, however I would really like to hear from anyone that had a parent serve in the Vietnam War or that could have been exposed to Agent Orange. I am just wondering how many of us are out there that have this in common.