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Dwight D. Eisenhower(https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/dwightdeisenhower)
Declares war on North Vietnam -
Period: to
Agent Orange
Operation Ranch Hand, a defoliation program instituted by the U.S. spraying more than 19 million gallons of toxic chemicals containing dioxin over 4.5 million acres of Vietnam land. Agent Orange, most effective and most widely used had later been a known factor in major health problems such as birth defects, psychological symptoms, tumors, rashes and cancer found in the Vietnamese and in returning U.S. soldiers along with their families(history.com staff, "agent-orange"). -
Period: to
Operation Ranch Hand
U.S. military attempts to destroy jungle and forests used by the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong as cover by spraying herbicides known as Agent Orange. U.S. military also targeted canals, rivers, roads, military bases and crops that may have been used to feed the enemy. Between 11 and 13 million gallons of Agent Orange was sprayed over Vietnam during this time(history.com staff, "agent-orange") -
Lyndon B. Johnson(http://us-presidents.insidegov.com/l/43/Lyndon-Johnson)
U.S. death toll reaches 15,058 and 109,527 wounded(history.com staff, "vietnam-war-history") -
Lyndon B. Johnson(http://us-presidents.insidegov.com/l/43/Lyndon-Johnson)
At the height of U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam war, there were more than 500,000 U.S. men and women fighting against North Vietnam(history.com staff, "vietnam-war-history") -
Robert Nixon(http://us-presidents.insidegov.com/l/7/Richard-Nixon)
Paris Peace Accords - ends U.S. presence in Vietnam(http://us-presidents.insidegov.com/q/7/9699/What-were-President-Richard-Nixon-s-accomplishments) -
Class Action Lawsuit
2.4 million veterans who suffered exposure to Agent Orange due to their involvement in the Vietnam war participated in a class action lawsuit against the companies involved in the manufacturing of the herbicide(history.com staff, "agent-orange") -
Vietnam Veterans Memorial(https://www.nps.gov/vive/index.htm)
Unveiling of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Inscribing 58,200 names of American soldiers killed or missing due to the Vietnam war(history.com staff, "vietnam-war-history") -
Chemical Companies Settle
Seven major chemical companies involved in manufacturing the herbicide known as Agent Orange settle out of court agreeing to pay $180 million in compensation to veterans(history.com staff, "agent-orange") -
Supreme Court confirms settlement
Before the Supreme Court could confirm the 1984 settlement, approxiamately 300 veterans filed addition lawsuits, by 1988 the original settlement of $180 million had grown to $240 million due to interest(history.com staff, "agent-orange") -
George H.W. Bush(https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/georgehwbush)
Agent Orange Act signed into law mandating various diseases linked to defoliants, to include soft tissue sarcomas, non-hodgkin's lymphomas and chloracne be handled due to service in the war. Also helped clarify VA's treatment of veterans with ailments directly related to contact of Agent Orange(history.com staff, "agent-orange") -
Vietnamese file class-action lawsuit
Vietnamese file a class-action lawsuit naming over 30 chemical companies as defendants, encompassing the chemical companies previously sued by U.S. veterans in 1984(history.com staff, "agent-orange"). -
Lawsuit dismissed
Federal judge in Brooklyn, NY dismisses lawsuit filed by the Vietnamese, on the grounds that it was an international law violation(history.com staff, "agent-orange"). -
Final Appeal from Vietnamese
Final appeal regarding case filed by Vietnamese was rejected by the U.S. court(history.com staff, "agent-orange"). -
Closing note
Due to the U.S. defoliation during the Vietnam war, Vietnam calculated roughly 400,000 people will killed or affected due to exposure of Agent Orange. Vietnam also asserts half a million babies born have had grave birth defects. Roughly 2 million people are living with cancer and other debilitating illnesses due to Agent Orange(history.com staff, "agent-orange") -
Additional Closing Notes
After 8 years of war, 3 million Vietnamese were injured, roughly 2 million were killed and 12 million became refugees(history.com staff, "vietnam-war-history")
