Summary Of Agent Orange

2064 Words5 Pages

In the article, “A Legacy of Illness: The Healing Process Is Far From Done” by Amanda Spake, the use of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War is shown to be detrimental to Vietnam War veterans’ mental and physical health. The aftermath and effects of the agent did not and still does not receive the acknowledgment it deserves. The depth of the mental and physical distress of Vietnam veterans exposed to the agent is dismissed by the Veteran Administration, Department of Veteran Affairs and the general public. It is from this lack of awareness for the hardships of the veterans of the Vietnam War endangered by Agent Orange that their psychological and physical struggles stem.
The suffering of American veterans of the Vietnam War exposed to the …show more content…

He supports his claim by giving statistical facts of how many veterans exposed to Agent Orange during their time at war requested examinations and counseling by Veteran Affairs. Scott then states that men of all wars, not just the Vietnam War, struggled to gain support in treatment for war related injuries. He thoroughly supports Spake’s claim of psychological distress within his article by stating that when at war claims of distress were low, but once home, mental and physical anguish intensified. Scott’s purpose is to explain, inform, and describe the mental trials of Agent Orange exposed war veterans in order to make readers aware of the hardships the men faced. Scott creates an informative tone for readers of higher education and an interest in psychological disorders and war …show more content…

The authors of each supporting article help prove my claim of neglect by the Department of Veteran Affairs and public for the Vietnam veterans exposed to the herbicide, Agent Orange, as well as the herbicide causing the veterans physical and psychological distress. The credibility of the articles is supported not only by the authors’ credentials but also in the reoccurrence of facts in each article. For example, concerning the disregard by the Department of Veteran Affairs of stated illness by Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange, the authors of “Agent Orange Exposure and Attributes Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans” argue “the DVA assumption is inconsistent with the scientific principles governing determinations of disease causation” (Cecil and Young, 2011). Supporting this claim, the authors of “The Use of Epidemiological Evidence on the Compensation of Veterans” argue regarding the process of Veteran Affairs connecting illnesses to Agent Orange “the current process for making presumptions is regarded by some key stakeholders, particularly the veterans service organizations and the veterans themselves, as flawed; its

Open Document