Utilizing GIS as a Conceptual Framework for Agent Organge Studies

Christopher R. Rodengen

The war in Vietnam marked the first full scale usage of herbicides in warfare. The United States military developed a very extensive spray system which included aircraft, hand sprayers, trucks, helicopters, and boats which was inspired by tactics used by the British in Malaya. Overall the mass spraying of Agent Orange is considered by many as “ecocide” as a result of the detrimental effect the spraying had on persons involved and Vietnam’s overall environment. Agent Orange’s development came from Dr. Arthur W. Galston, a botanist attempting to find a product to boost plant growth. Galston, after observing the effects that Agent Orange had in Vietnam became one of the foremost campaigners against the usage of Agent Orange. The intention of the United States military’s spraying of herbicides was aimed at the defoliation of forests, and destruction of crops to remove aerial cover and food supplies to the North Vietnamese. Operation Ranch Hand which was the given name of the Air Force Program was enacted in January 1962 when it was approved by United States President John F. Kennedy. The usage of herbicides concluded in 1971 when President Nixon became aware of scientific proof of the adverse health effects associated with Agent Orange and herbicides as whole. Throughout the nine years of aerial spraying Operation Ranch Hand delivered an estimated 19 million gallons of herbicides over between 10 and 20 percent of South Vietnamese landscape. Of the 19 million gallons of herbicides utilized the most preferred mixture was Agent Orange recording about 12 million gallons though there were many different mixtures such as blue, white and purple.

The various herbicide mixtures were nicknamed by the colored identification stripe placed on the 208-liter storage barrels. Roughly 65% of the herbicides contained 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid which was contaminated with varying levels of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD).

The precautions that were taken for those individuals involved with the usage of Agent Orange were consistent with the applied usage of domestic herbicides. This was as a result of the Department of Defense considering herbicide orange to be a relatively low health hazard as it had not been extensively studied at the time of its usage. Commanders that requested herbicide aircraft missions were required to submit an overlay or photograph that depicted the exact area that was to be sprayed. Once an overlay was submitted the request had to pass through the military chain of command to the U.S. Embassy and ultimately to the South Vietnamese government which typically took from 90 to 180 days. Non aircraft sprays or “free spraying” required no formal approval and were carried out through the discretion of individual unit commanders.