Agent Orange is a highly toxic herbicide used by the U.S. military during the
Vietnam War to defoliate hiding places used by the Viet Cong, rice paddies
and fields that provided them with food, and to clear the perimeters of military
bases to give service members a clear line of fire. Although colorless, it is
known as “Agent Orange” because of an orange band painted on the drums
used to store and transport it.
After years of advocacy led by VVA, Congress enacted into law the Agent
Orange Act of 1991. This legislation empowered the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs to declare certain maladies “presumptive” to exposure to Agent Orange/
dioxin and enable Vietnam veterans, as well as some veterans who served along
the demilitarized zone in Korea in the late 1960s, to receive treatment and
compensation for these health conditions. Service-connected benefits, however,
also may be granted for other maladies not recognized as presumptive health
conditions.
John Rowan
National President
Vietnam Veterans of America
Guide Here PDF
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