Agent Orange

MEKONG DELTA, Vietnam
A South Vietnamese Air Force UH-1 helicopter over southeastern Asia.

The Vietnam War was a military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to April 30, 1975.

The war was fought between the communist North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the United States and other member nations of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO).

Vietnam Defoliation Mission - A UH-1D helicopter from the 336th Aviation Co.
Shown here spraying a defoliation agent on a dense jungle area (Mekong delta).

The U.S. military herbicide program in South Vietnam took place between 1962 and 1971, and spraying occurred in all 4 military zones of Vietnam. More than 19 million gallons of various herbicide combinations were used.

Heavy Spray Areas:

· Inland forests near the demarcation zone
· Inland forests at the border junctions of Cambodia, Laos, and South Vietnam
· Inland forests north and northwest of Saigon
· Mangrove forests on the southernmost peninsula of Vietnam
· Mangrove forests along major shipping channels southeast of Saigon

U.S. Military planes crop-dusting in Vietnam during Operation Ranch Hand. Operation Ranch Hand lasted from 1962 to 1971.

The various chemicals were labeled by color-coded stripes on the 55-gallon barrels in which they were stored. It was an arsenal of herbicides known by the colors of the rainbow, including Agent Blue (which contained arsenic), Agent White, Agent Purple, and the lethal combination of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T, Agent Orange.

The name "Agent Orange" came from the orange identifying stripe around the barrel and was the blend that was used the most.

For Operation Ranch Hand, corporations like Dow Chemical Company and Monsanto Company were given the task of developing the following herbicides:

· Agent Orange: 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T; used between January 1965 and April 1970.

· Agent Orange II (Super Orange): 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T; used in 1968 and 1969.

· Agent Purple: 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T; used between January 1962 and 1964.

· Agent Pink: 2,4,5-T; used between 1962 and 1964.

· Agent Green: 2,4,5-T; used between 1962 and 1964.

· Agent Blue: contained cacodylic acid (arsenic).

· Agent White: Picloram and 2,4-D. More info on Agent White