Legacy of Agent Orange in Da Nang, Vietnam

Abstract

From 1961 to 1971, the U.S. Army’s tactical herbicides program focused on tropical forests in central and south Vietnam. Da Nang International Airport was a former U.S. base that stored and distributed American-made herbicides during the Vietnam War. This dissertation addresses the long-term effects of improper handling and management of the herbicides during Operation Ranch Hand which caused excessive levels of dioxin contamination in Da Nang and surrounding areas. The Participatory Action Research approach allowed Agent Orange Victims (AOVs) and community members in Da Nang to tell their stories about how Agent Orange and dioxin have affected their lives, psychology, families, and communities. Chapter 1 discusses the researcher’s relationship with the topic and outlines the research procedures. Chapter 2 describes the state of nature before the age of pesticides, and how the governments of both the U.S. and the Vietnam Republic misrepresented the effects of defoliation efforts in Vietnam. Chapter 3 investigates the justifications of the Vietnam Republic and U.S. governments for the deployment of herbicides in Vietnam. Chapter 4 distinguishes Agent Orange from dioxin. Chapter 5 discusses how Agent Orange harms human reproductive functions, and the psychological transformation and social breakthrough that occurred as fathers took responsibility for the disabilities of their children. Chapter 6 reports on recent dioxin levels found in human tissues, soil, and fish samples in and around Da Nang Airport.