Chemical security

In Vietnam, the Ghost of Agent Orange Still Looms Large

Between 1961 and 1971, the U.S. Air Force sprayed over 19 million gallons of herbicide combinations across South Vietnam to defoliate thick jungles that provided enemy cover. According to Professor Jeanne Mager Stellman of Columbia University, an expert on health management, as many as 4.8 million people may have been sprayed. Four decades after the war, the dioxin-contaminated areas still pose threat to local communities. The Vietnamese Red Cross further estimates that up to 3 million Vietnamese spanning three generations have medical conditions that have been tied to exposure to Agent Orange, including several types of cancer, heart disease, skin conditions, and birth defects.

One of the reasons Trinh’s husband first became involved with the lawsuit was because he suspected his wife had been exposed to Agent Orange. Trinh was born in 1968 and lived in Saigon until 1975, when she migrated to the United States together with her parents and two sisters.

Since childhood, Trinh has suffered from asthma and a multitude of allergies. “My doctors said, ‘I’ve never seen anybody with these many allergies,’” said Trinh. The rolled up sleeves of her shirt revealed brown patches scarred from severe eczema.