10/08/2026
🟠 NATIONAL AGENT ORANGE AWARENESS DAY | AUGUST 10 🇺🇸
For many Vietnam veterans, the war did not end when they came home.
Today, on National Agent Orange Awareness Day, we remember a generation of Americans who served their country in Vietnam—and then faced another battle years, even decades, after leaving the battlefield.
During the Vietnam War, the United States sprayed millions of gallons of tactical herbicides across Southeast Asia to remove dense vegetation and deny enemy forces concealment. Agent Orange became the most widely known.
But the consequences followed many veterans home.
Cancer. Heart disease. Parkinson’s disease. Diabetes. Leukemia and lymphoma. And other serious illnesses that, in many cases, did not appear until years after their military service.
For countless families, Agent Orange became another casualty of the Vietnam War—one that could not be seen on a battlefield and did not end with a cease-fire.
And that is days like today matter.
They remind us that the cost of military service is not always paid during the years someone wears the uniform.
Sometimes that bill comes due decades later.
At Taps for Veterans, we have stood at the gravesides of Vietnam veterans. We have sounded those 24 notes for men and women whose service ended more than half a century ago, but whose sacrifices continued long after they came home.
Today, we remember those who died.
We stand beside those who are still fighting.
We honor the spouses, children, caregivers, and families who have carried this burden alongside them.
And to every Vietnam veteran:
We see you.
We honor you.
We remember you.
You answered when your country called.
Your service mattered then.
It still matters today.
🎺 24 Notes. One Final Promise.
🇺🇸 Every Veteran Deserves a Live Sounding of Taps.
Learn more about Agent Orange and its continuing legacy through the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund:
https://www.vvmf.org/topics/Agent-Orange/
Veterans who believe they were exposed to Agent Orange or other tactical herbicides can also learn about health care, disability benefits, presumptive conditions, and the free VA Agent Orange Registry health exam through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Taps Across America 🇺🇸
The American Legion National Headquarters
American Legion Auxiliary National Headquarters
Taps For Veterans Community
Taps for Veterans
VFW Auxiliary-National Organization
Veterans of Foreign Wars VFW
Military Order of the Purple Heart, USA 🇺🇸
Vietnam Veterans of America 🇺🇸
NJ Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial and Museum
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration
Triad Vietnam Veterans Association
