For the purposes of VA compensation benefits, Veterans who served anywhere in Vietnam between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975 are presumed to have been exposed to herbicides, as specified in the Agent Orange Act of 1991.
Few Australians actually came into contact with Agent Orange, but many were affected by exposure to herbicides and pesticides. In cases where exposure to chemicals in Vietnam has led to ill health, DVA provides medical support and compensation.
Complications from Agent Orange exposure were life-threatening and caused death. Over 300,000 U.S. veterans and over 400,000 Vietnamese people died from exposure to Agent Orange from 1962 to 1971.
Veterans who served before, during, or after Vietnam may have been exposed to radiation from military activities including nuclear weapons testing.
VA has recognized certain cancers and other health problems as presumptive diseases associated with exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service. Veterans and their survivors may be eligible for benefits for these diseases. A type of cancer which affects white blood cells.
There is currently no definitive evidence that a father's exposure to Agent Orange causes birth defects. However, an analysis of Agent Orange registry data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) suggests a link between males' exposure to Agent Orange and having children with certain birth defects.
Many Vietnam veterans claim that most people treated them with indifference and seemed uncomfortable listening to their stories from battle. Some people, however, saw returning soldiers as dangerous, violent symbols of an increasingly futile and terrible war—much like the individual Wowwk encountered.
The Vietnam War divided American society. Those who served were often treated as traitors instead of heroes, and found it difficult to adjust to life back home. Although many Vietnam veterans did have success after returning home, those who did not were often left to deal with their trauma alone.
Vietnam Veterans may have been unknowingly exposed to the same toxins and developed their illnesses or injuries because of that exposure, not Agent Orange. To date, there's no full record of burn pit exposure victims from the Vietnam War.
Spina bifida (except spina bifida occulta), a defect in the developing fetus that results in incomplete closing of the spine, is associated with Veterans' exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during qualifying service in Vietnam or Korea.
During the 11-year campaign, approximately 2.7 million American men and woman served; of those, 58,220 died and 153,000 were wounded. Today, there are fewer than 850,000 living Vietnam War veterans, many of whom who are eligible for VA benefits.
Spina bifida is a spinal cord birth defect. A baby develops spina bifida while still in the womb. In some cases, a parent's past contact with specific chemicals causes this birth defect.
Some 60,000 Australians served in Vietnam between 1962 and 1975. There were 521 Australian deaths and 3,000 wounded in the conflict. But the damage did not stop there.
The Agent Orange Registry health exam is a medical evaluation offered to qualifying veterans for free by VA that can alert you to illnesses commonly associated with Agent Orange and other dangerous herbicides.
Is the spraying of Agent Orange considered a war crime? No. The Environmental Modification Convention, put into effect in after the end of the Vietnam War, prohibits the military to use techniques having widespread, long-lasting or severe effects on the environment.
About 52,000 Australians served in Vietnam, with 521 killed and more than 3,000 wounded. Those who returned to Australia were often given a hostile reception by a public that chose to blame the soldiers (a third of whom were conscripted), rather than the government.
Unlike veterans who fought in previous conflicts, the Vietnam veterans were never welcomed home, so many of them suffered from significant social isolation. Jim's PTSD was a result of his military experience in conflict and social isolation which created a vicious circle.
It all started in 1967, with six Vietnam veterans marching together in a peace demonstration. Now, fifty-six years later, VVAW is still going strong-- continuing its fight for peace, justice, and the rights of all veterans.
Today, Vietnam Veterans range in age from 61 to 103 years old.
In 1973, the United States listed 2,646 Americans as unaccounted for from the entire Vietnam War. By October 2022, 1,582 Americans remained unaccounted for, of which 1,004 were classified as further pursuit, 488 as non-recoverable and 90 as deferred.
"Of the 2,709,918 Americans who served in Vietnam, Less than 850,000 are estimated to be alive today, with the youngest American Vietnam veteran's age approximated to be 60 years old."
The recent Ranch Hand study (Henriksen et al., 1996) also reported a relatively small decrease in testosterone in relation to increased dioxin level. The study found no association with sperm count or percentage of abnormal sperm.
Studying a small number of sperm samples from veterans enrolled in the AFHS, we did not find evidence of significant epigenome-wide alterations associated with exposure to Agent Orange. However, additional analysis showed that the H19 gene region is altered in the sperm of Agent Orange-exposed Ranch Hand veterans.
For sons and daughters of Australian Vietnam veterans accepted into the programme, VVSDP will pay a range of medical costs related to treatment of the condition for which they were accepted. Costs may be paid in relation to: medical and dental assistance. public or private hospital costs.