Journeys with my Gun

(25) Rainbow Agents

It wasn't just 'Agent Orange' there were many more deadly agents in variously coloured drums and the contents were not only sprayed from aircraft. All contained dioxins to various levels and all were poisonous.
'Hells Jelly'
Agent Orange? Identified only by  barrels with orange coloured bands.
The defoliant substance was sprayed from American aircraft, (Helicopters and fixed wing aircraft) flying at low altitudes over Vietnam which assisted the mist of defoliants to spread and which was intended to deny cover and food supply for the enemy.
These aircraft were supported by other methods of dispersal including hand and land vehicle spraying. It seems that everything was sprayed in and around bases as well as in the field. Australians sprayed chemicals as well as the Americans much of which appears to have contained DDT.

Large areas were contaminated including the airbases at Da Nang, Phu Cat district and Bien Hoa, overall the strength of the mixture of Agent Orange sprayed in country was 350 + times of the recommended dose and affected most of the areas occupied by allied forces which included the Australian military. The agent was also utilised in Laos and Cambodia.

U.S.A.F. 'Operation Ranch Hand' - Army Chemical Corps

Which was the main unit distributors of this weaponised mist.
Between 1962 and 1967 choppers and C-123 aircraft flew 1700 sorties dropping thousand of gallons over a wide area. Of course it didn't end there..
Other popular drops here and there were from the 55 gallon White, Pink, blue and purple drums containing interesting mixtures but all contained deadly dioxins.

The absolute bottom line today in 2025 Australia as there really is no need to claim injury from chemical warfare specifically (if health problems from whatever cause are approved, the government will pay medical costs) although many are probably affected by the poison, they don't seem to realise that the Australian Government will absolutely not have a bar of it!
However, financial compensation paid to American Servicemen and women (approx 486 persons were paid up to $38,009 each by 1993) and according to written reports, New Zealanders were liable to be paid approx. $40,000 (ex gratia)
If payment actually occurred in NZ then it would be interesting to know.

It must be impressed that each health intervention has to be approved however, DVA look after those whose health is genuinely affected by the Vietnam war.

Before I continue, it remains for me a fair question as to from where/how our maladies occurred, there is absolutely no evidence that Agent Orange or indeed any other of the so called 'Rainbow Herbicides' had no detrimental affect on our health as the country was drenched in that insidious mess.
Anyway, the government refuses to accept herbicide claims.

Well, what is this agent orange stuff. It is one of several herbicides mainly used to destroy natural cover used by the enemy (a defoliant)
Its composition was complicated however, the bottom line was it contained at least 50% 'Dioxin' of which there are many types, the Vietnam version was the worst of the bunch (TCDD)  - 50/50 mix 24-D and 2,4,5, T (Dioxin) and was reported as 419x more toxic than other variants (the more of toxic compounds)
Dioxins accumulate in the food chain and have a half - Life in humans of 11-15 years (to 20 years in circumstances.
In ground surface and river sediments the time extends to over 100 years +

28 Million litres were sprayed over troop occupied Vietnam but not Australians according to Whitlam and Fraser !
Their claims were subsequently retracted in the face of evidence. (the Australian Government told fibs)
A 1985 Australian commission reported no herbicide exposure link to Veteran health but rather seen it as just a 'stress' event'
A 1998 Australian Government study differently reported that Vets were more likely to suffer consequences of exposure.
In 2015 the Australian War Memorial rewrote its official history to acknowledge exposure.

World Reports regarding health consequences from exposure to Dioxin;
(But not limited to)
Multiple Myeloma
Prostate Cancer
Respiratory Cancer
Birth Defects
Lung Cancer
Soft Tissue Sarcoma
Diabetes
Blood Pressure
Hepatitis C
Hearing Loss
Hodgkins Lymphoma.

Other barrels of Joy rarely mentioned which also contained levels of Dioxin are - Pink, Blue, Purple and Green. These defoliants were utilised along railways and rivers or anywhere else as required.
Australians are reported as well for spraying defoliants however, there seems to be little details about that.

Vietnam claims health problems in the country associated with defoliants at 4 million citizens which include the 'Agent Orange Babies' born with mutations so unimaginable in horror to report in detail here.

Dioxins were produced in the U.S. in the 1940's and was first used by the British during the Malaysian emergency between 1948 and 1960 against the Malaysian Communists.

Between the 1950s and 1970s, Holmesburg Prison in Philadelphia intentionally exposed 300 black inmates to several viruses and chemical agents including Dioxin.
The institution was referred to as the 'Terrordome'
The facility was closed down in 1995 and the Mayor of Philadelphia issued an apology in 2022.

An important note for all who may voluntarily follow in our footsteps and that is, when the fog of war dissipates, you really should accept that the consequences of taking the kings shilling is that you will be required to pay it back with fearsome interest.