Health issues arising from Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War have altered ideas about war wounds and the cause of birth defects, says Professor Leslie Reagan, who specializes in medical history. Her future book on the subject will examine the history of the herbicide’s effects upon human health, as well as the political and cultural movements that arose as a result, in both the U.S. and Vietnam.
She spoke with News Bureau social sciences editor Craig Chamberlain about the legacy of Agent Orange.
"The image of the wounded veteran since World War I has been of a man who lost an arm or a leg. Even this image obscured the truths of brain injuries or psychological wounds. Agent Orange was different though, because the wounds that it caused were not immediately visible, and – especially important – veterans asserted their wartime exposure had caused miscarriages, birth defects and disabilities in their children."
Full story at Illinois News Bureau