CT SJ00006

Connecticut General Assembly recognizes Vietnam War veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange and honors their sacrifice to the nation.

Over 8 million U.S. citizens served in Vietnam from 1961-1971 during Operation Ranch Hand, when nearly 20 million gallons of Agent Orange herbicide were sprayed, exposing approximately 2.6 million servicemembers.

Agent Orange is a dioxin and carcinogenic chemical causing serious illnesses including leukemia, lymphoma, ischemic heart disease, soft tissue sarcoma, diabetes, and various cancers, and causes genetic damage in some veterans' children and grandchildren.

Less than 800,000 Agent Orange-exposed Vietnam veterans remain alive today, with approximately 300 deaths occurring daily among this population, yet these veterans are not recognized as war fatalities on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.