08/12/2026
From 1961 to 1971 the United States military sprayed approximately 19 million gallons of herbicides across Vietnam during Operation Ranch Hand. One of those herbicides was Agent Orange.
Nearly 3 million American soldiers served in Vietnam and may have been exposed. An estimated 300,000 Veterans have since died from Agent Orange related conditions. That is nearly five times the 58,000 Americans who died in combat during the war.
The VA currently recognizes 19 illnesses and diseases associated with Agent Orange exposure including multiple cancers, Parkinson's disease, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease. The 1991 Agent Orange Act and the 2022 PACT Act expanded recognition and benefits for affected Veterans and in some cases their families.
The physical toll is documented. The mental health toll is less often discussed.
Chronic illness and disability are significant risk factors for depression and su***de. Vietnam Veterans carried the invisible wounds of combat home and faced decades of health challenges that compounded those wounds in ways that are still being felt today.
📷 Photo credit: Vietnam Center & Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive
