The Right to Reap, The Responsibility to Repair

Alexander Truitt Senior Division Individual Web Site

Truitt 2 War is a modern, real, and pressing issue. Throughout my childhood, the United States has fought the War on Terror across the globe and direct conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. War shapes the world, controlling resources, people, policy, alliances, friends, enemies, and economies. As important as war is to history, there is much more to explore and learn than what broad history courses can supply. As a dark spot in American history, I thought the Vietnam War would be an intriguing war to research; I wanted to know why Vietnam was the war of infamy. The cruelty of the Vietnam War seemed to explain why the war is regarded with disdain. Napalm and Agent Orange were two relatively new weapons deployed in Vietnam to devastating effect, creating the hostility towards the war. I began my research by finding documents, pictures and specific encyclopedia entries for both Napalm and Agent Orange. I then read in detail about Napalm in: Napalm An American Biography by Robert Neer. Neer dissected the history of incendiary weapons from their ancient roots, described the weapons fabrication, and detailed the modern deployments of the jelly. After delving into Napalm, I hunted for primary documents, mostly on Agent Orange, to balance the amount of information. After gathering information on the two weapons, I searched for pictures and videos that would represent the nature of each weapon. For Napalm, I looked for large explosions, destruction, and images of people impacted by Napalm on a commemorative source. For Agent Orange I surveyed images of planes spraying the chemical, the effects that the chemicals had on the landscape, and effected people. I also looked at specific web sites for information: the Veterans Association, for recognized illnesses related to Agent Orange, and the Friendship Village, for what has been done to reconcile Agent Orange. I also examined the International Committee of the Red Cross web site, for the Protocol III document, as well as the United Nations site.

Truitt 3 The Vietnam era was visually well documented, many striking images and videos captured the true nature of the war. Such thorough documentation led to awareness and anti-war sentiments in America. I was interested in web sites because they can accommodate both types of media. I highly value the web site mediums organizational aspect: I can arrange data and information in an aesthetic and efficient manner, yet change the format easily without undoing my work to date. Napalm has been in debate since its deployment: should the weapon have even been used? Some argue that no country has the right to use such destructive weapons, other argue that they saved lives, and performed jobs that no other weapon could have. The discussion about Agent Orange often begs the question: what responsibility does the US Government have to the people affected by the defoliant?

Truitt 4 Sources Primary Sources 1. Agent Orange Act, H.R. H.R. 555, 102d Cong. (1991). Accessed February 5, 2014. http://www2.gwu.edu. This act provided for extensive research into the effects of Agent Orange, as well as other herbicides, on humans, and to see what diseases were connected to dioxin. 2. "Agent Orange and Birth Defects Risk." Science News. Accessed January 12, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/. This article was written in 1984 about ten years since American boots departed from Vietnam, leaving time to find and study the effects of Agent Orange. Although the article claims that there is no higher risk of birth defects for children of veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange, the article does supply evidence that certain birth defects are more prevalent in such children. 3. Associated Press. Agent Orange. Photograph. AP Images. December 7, 2004. Accessed January 29, 2014. http://classic.apimages.com. This image, while displaying two separate photos from different locations, shows the stark contrast between healthy areas and areas treated with Agent Orange. 4. . Firebombing Tokyo. Photograph. AP Images. March 4, 2005. Accessed February 2, 2014. http://classic.apimages.com. This picture shows the devastation that Napalm wreaked in Tokyo during WWII 5. Bennett, Susan. "DEADLINE SET FOR AGENT ORANGE CLAIMS." Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, PA), July 6, 1984. Accessed January 28, 2014. http://infoweb.newsbank.com. This source describes the settlement reached by the justice system, the veterans, and the chemical manufactures of Agent Orange. The settlement was a turning point in the fight against Agent Orange. While the companies did not have to claim liability for the diseases they did have to compensate. 6. C-123 aircraft spray defoliants along power lines. Photograph. Denver Post. April 30, 2010. Accessed February 2, 2014. http://blogs.denverpost.com. This captivating image shows planes spraying defoliant over the thick jungle.

Truitt 5 7. Ca Mau mangrove forest destroyed by toxic chemicals in the Vietnam War. Photograph. War Remnants Museum. Accessed February 4, 2014. https://sites.google.com. This image shows the effects of Agent Orange on a close level. 8. Children Fleeing after Napalm Attack, 1972. Photograph. U.S. History in Context. Accessed January 25, 2014. http://ic.galegroup.com. This picture shows civilian casualties due to Napalm. 9. Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas). "Napalm Bombs Prove 'Jellied Hell' to Enemy." Editorial. February 12, 1951. Accessed December 11, 2013. http://infoweb.newsbank.com. This news article, an editorial, provides insight about military sentiment about the weapon.The article was written during the Korean war, but refers to the use of Napalm during the second world war as well. All the officers quoted in the paper, refer to the weapon's effectiveness and power. The article shows how military personnel favor the weapon and are pro-Napalm. 10. Flamethrower: Napalm Flamethrower. Photograph. Britannica School Online. Accessed January 28, 2014. http://school.eb.com. This image shows the versatility of Napalm, and the increased range of the flamethrower. 11. Fuller, Thomas. "4 Decades on, U.S. Starts Cleanup of Agent Orange in Vietnam." New York Times (New York, NY), August 9, 2012. Accessed January 25, 2014. http://www.nytimes.com. This article published in 2012 shows how negligent the US has been in cleanup efforts. This article marks the first large scale US cleanup effort of Agent Orange in Vietnam since the military stopped spraying the chemicals-50 years ago. 12. Gas streams across no-mans-land. Photograph. Citizen Soldier. Accessed February 6, 2014. http://www.nysm.nysed.gov. This image shows gas weapons used in WWI from an aerial view, underscoring their indiscriminancy. 13. German soldiers with gas masks. Photograph. Preparations, Propaganda and Effects of World War I. Accessed February 6, 2014. http://www.swarthmore.edu. This picture displays World War I German soldiers wearing gas masks.

Truitt 6 14. Helicopters and Infantry attack at the treeline. Photograph. Denver Post. April 30, 2010. Accessed March 12, 2014. http://blogs.denverpost.com/. This action shot captures helicopters firing into the forest to cover advancing infantry. Despite such technological advantages, the US still was unable to defeat the Viet Cong. 15. Illustration from the Skylitzes manuscript in Madrid. Photograph. Role of Chemistry in History. 2006. Accessed February 2, 2014. http://itech.dickinson.edu. This image shows that fire was used as a weapon in ancient times. 16. International Committee of the Red Cross. "Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Incendiary Weapons (Protocol III). Geneva, 10 October 1980." International Committee of the Red Cross. Accessed January 29, 2014. http://www.icrc.org. This source contains the two parts of Protocol III, an international agreement pertaining to the use of incendiary weapons in warfare. This decree specifically described what an "incendiary weapon" was, as well as how militaries could define their objectives for such weapons. The second part of Protocol III decried the use of such weapons against civilians. 17. Korean War Rail Attack. Photograph. US Army. Accessed February 2, 2014. http://www.army.mil. This image shows how Napalm was used in the Korean war, mainly as a way to cripple the enemy's infrastructure and their ability to manufacture. 18. Napalm bombs explode on Viet Cong structures south of Saigon in the Republic of Vietnam., 1965. Photograph. National Archives. Accessed December 19, 2013. http://research.archives.gov. This is an authentic image showing the power of a Napalm bomb. 19. New York Time (New York, NY). "U.N. Committee Urges a Ban on Napalm." October 18, 1972. Accessed January 16, 2014. http://search.proquest.com. This article shows how the world, in a sense (the United Nations), reacted to Napalm's use in Vietnam. The article underscores the universal repugnant nature of the weapon. 20. The Quotable Quotes of Dwight D. Eisenhower. http://www.nps.gov. This source had quotes from Eisenhower, one of the predecessors of the Vietnam era. His policies helped lay the groundwork for US foreign policy in the upcoming decades.

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21. Right before the signing agreement that ended the War. Photograph. Denver Post. April 30, 2010. Accessed February 2, 2014. http://blogs.denverpost.com. This image signifies the end of the Vietnam War. 22. Rows of barrels that contained Agent Orange at Da Nang airport. Photograph. Salem News. Accessed February 6, 2014. http://www.salemnews.com/articles/may102012/danang-airport-cp.php. This image shows the storage of the barrels of Agent Orange at Da Nang airport, which has extremely high levels of dioxin in its soil due to leakage from such barrels. 23. A soldier has "War is Hell" written on his helmet. Photograph. Denver Post. April 30, 2010. Accessed February 2, 2014. http://blogs.denverpost.com. This image captures the essence of the Vietnam war; Vietnam was fought by the young, and, as with all war, is awful. 24. Soldiers walk through a thick jungle. Photograph. US Army. Accessed February 2, 2014. http://usarmy.vo.llnwd.net. This photo shows how thick the jungle the soldiers had to fight in was. The jungles made the Vietnam War into a guerilla war. 25. Suzuki, Chitose. A member of the Friendship Village demonstrates some martial arts. Photograph. AP Images. September 7, 2009. Accessed February 4, 2014. http://lassic.apimages.com. This image shows the vibrant life at the Friendship Village. 26. Three U.S. Air Force planes spraying Agent Orange over a field in South Vietnam, 1966. Photograph. 2001. Accessed December 16, 2013. http://ic.galegroup.com. This photograph is a firsthand image of Agent Orange being deployed in Vietnam. The planes are spraying the chemicals over a widespread area in a field in Vietnam. 27. "Tonkin Gulf Resolution (1964)." Our Documents. Accessed February 6, 2014. http://www.ourdocuments.gov. This website provided the transcript for the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, the document that permitted the US to escalate the war in Vietnam.

Truitt 8 28. "Two Documents on Agent Orange." In The Vietnam Era. 3rd ed. Detroit: GALE, 1999. Accessed December 18, 2013. http://ic.galegroup.com. This article includes primary document-a memo from the veterans administrationdescribing the exposure to chemicals, such as Agent Orange, and their risks. Another document in this entry is a fact sheet for the veterans administration from 1997. 29. United Nations. "1925 GENEVA PROTOCOL." United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs. Accessed February 6, 2014. http://www.un.org. The UN site provided the text to their 1925 protocol on chemical weapons. 30. "A U.S. plane drops white phosphorus and napalm on a village during the Vietnam War, 1965." World History: The Modern Era. Video file. Accessed December 19, 2013. http://worldhistory.abc-clio.com. This video shows the destructive power of Napalm, and how awful the weapon is. The video also shows how indiscreet the US was with their targeting, attacking entire villages. 31. Ut, Nick. Grandmother carries her burned grandson. Photograph. The Big Story. Accessed February 4, 2014. http://bigstory.ap.org. This image shows the danger of Napalm. The intended targets for the strike were Viet Cong just outside the village, but the attack hit the village with disastrous results. 32. . Vietnam Napalm 1972. Photograph. AP Images. June 5, 2012. Accessed January 29, 2014. http://classic.apimages.com. This picture shows the village of Trang Bang, as Napalm bombs explode in the civilian town. The Napalm strike was misaimed and wounded civilians and allied soldiers. 33. "Vietnam War: guerrilla warfare." Brittanica Online. .mp4 video, 00:44. Accessed January 27, 2014. http://school.eb.com. This video shows the dense foliage of the forests of Vietnam, and discusses how the war was a Guerilla War. The goal of Agent Orange was to defoliate the jungles so that US troops could properly engage the enemy. The video underscores the reason of why Agent Orange and other herbicides were used. 34. "Visitor Albums." Vietnam Friendship Village. Accessed February 4, 2014. http://www.vietnamfriendship.org/wordpress/.

Truitt 9 The Friendship Village is one project that bridges the gap between those responsible and those affected by Agent Orange. 35. Vogel, Richard. Residents embrace an American visitor. Photograph. AP Images. April 23, 2005. Accessed February 4, 2014. http://lassic.apimages.com. This picture highlights the one of the goals of the village: to come together and move past the war.

Secondary Sources 1. "Agent Orange." In Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence, and Security. Detroit: GALE, 2004. Accessed December 16, 2013. http://ic.galegroup.com. This encyclopedia article gives a brief overview of what Agent Orange is, and it's use and purpose during the Vietnam War. The article also describes why the chemical is so harmful, and begins to go into it's effects. 2. "Agent Orange." In Environmental Encyclopedia. Detroit: GALE, 2003. Accessed January 12, 2014. http://go.galegroup.com. This article goes more in depth about the deployment of Agent Orange in Vietnam, but also in commercial uses. This entry also outlines the health risks, and issues, and the current state of the areas sprayed. 3. "Between Old Saigon and Ho Chi Minh City." DEEP IN THE DELTA: STORIES FROM VIETNAM. Last modified January 2, 2014. Accessed February 4, 2014. http://umvietnamstudy.wordpress.com. This site has a picture of a mangrove forest after Agent Orange treatment; the visual is quite staggering, showing a barren landscape with only tree trunks remaining. 4. "Coming Home: Vietnam Veterans in American Society." In Vietnam War Reference Library. Detroit: GALE, 2001. http://ic.galegroup.com/. This source discusses the reception veterans received when they returned home from Vietnam. Normally, veterans are welcomed home as heroes and are a source of pride; Vietnam was different. This article also has a small overview of Agent Orange. 5. "Dow Chemical and Student Activists." In American Decades. Detroit: GALE, 2001. Accessed December 16, 2013. http://ic.galegroup.com.

Truitt 10 This entry focus on the the public outcry against it's use, protests against Dow chemical, a manufacturer of Napalm, and captures the sentiment of anti-war citizens at the time. Students were a powerful opponent of Napalm, when Dow would come to Universities looking to recruit students, many other students would block the interviewers from their job. 6. Elan, Maika. APTOPIX Vietnam US Agent Orange. Photograph. AP Images. August 9, 2012. Accessed January 29, 2014. http://classic.apimages.com. This pictures shows a sign in the the area around Danang airport in 2012. The sign warns of contamination of dioxin and forbids having livestock, a fishery, or poultry on the land. 7. Flag of the ICRC. Photograph. Accessed February 4, 2014. http://commons.wikimedia.org. This is the flag of the ICRC. 8. Jones, Tim. "Injustice Follows Injury." Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL). Accessed January 16, 2014. http://sks.sirs.com/. This article gives a modern day perspective on the effects of Agent Orange on US veterans. Towards the end of the article, there is a list of diseases associated with Agent Orange. The list shows how devastating the chemical can be, and how long its effects last. 9. Louis Frederick Fieser. Photograph. Michigan State University Department of Chemistry. Accessed January 28, 2014. http://www.chemistry.msu.edu. This photo shows the inventor of Napalm, Louis Fieser. 10. Neer, Robet M. Napalm: An American Biography. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2013. Napalm describes an almost full account of Napalms past. Beginning with ancient fire weapons and ending with modern deployments of the weapon, Napalm discussed how the weapon was made and used as well as its destruction and effect on society. Napalm described the reasons behind using the weapon, as well as opposition to it. 11. Palmer, Michael G. "The Case of Agent Orange." Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS). Accessed January 15, 2014. http://www.jstor.org. This source describes the birth defects and other issues associated with the Agent Orange dioxin. The article is relatively recent, published in 2007, and gives a

Truitt 11 more up-to-date commentary on the issue. The essay adds a global aspect and ties in issue to the political atmosphere. 12. United Nations. "CHEMICAL WEAPONS." United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs. Accessed February 6, 2014. http://www.un.org. The UNODA gives background information on chemical weapons. 13. United States Government. "Veterans' Diseases Associated with Agent Orange." United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Accessed December 17, 2013. http://www.publichealth.va.gov. This source shows the government's acknowledgement that Agent Orange does have long term consequences. Many of the diseases associated with the exposure are very serious, such as prostate cancer. 14. U.S. Government. "Birth Defects in Children of Vietnam and Korea." U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Accessed February 4, 2014. http://www.publichealth.va.gov. This site provides the birth defects recognized by the VA that are caused by Agent Orange.