An Unfinished War Legacy
Wednesday, November 13
watch the webinar by clicking here
and share this link https://youtu.be/qY98v-ErLN8
The U.S. military used more than 12 million gallons of Agent Orange and 8 million gallons of Agents White, Blue, Purple, Pink and Green in Indochina between 1961 and 1971, an act of ecocide with devastating medical consequences for local populations, American veterans and their children. After years of unconscionable denial, the US government has taken major steps to redress contamination in Viet Nam and to provide assistance to victims there and here. Less is known about and less help provided to affected areas and people in Laos and Cambodia
VPCC offers a front line account by longtime activists and an overview by
an acclaimed journalist plus recognition for the essential role of retired
Senator Patrick Leahy and committee staff member Tim Rieser.
Agent Orange victim in Quang Ngai assisted by the Mennonite Central Committee
Photo by Doug Hostetter
George Black is a British-born author and journalist. His most recent book, The Long Reckoning: A Story of War, Peace, and Redemption in Vietnam (2023) was a New York Times Book Review editors’ choice and was selected by Kirkus Reviews as one of the best books of the year. His previous seven books are on a wide range of international, environmental, and historical topics, including U.S. policy in Central America and the Caribbean, the Chinese democracy movement, the 19th century exploration of the American West and the wars against the Plains Indians, and a travel memoir of a journey down the River Ganges in India and Bangladesh. His award-winning journalism has been published in the New York Times Magazine, the New Yorker, and many other newspapers and magazines, and has taken him to more than two dozen countries in Asia, Latin America, and Europe. He has a master’s degree from Oxford University. He lives in New York City and is married to author and Columbia University scholar Anne Nelson https://george-black.net
Heather Bowser, MSEd, is the daughter of a Vietnam Veteran. Her activism has focused on helping others affected by their parent’s exposure to Agent Orange. Heather was born with multiple birth defects associated with her father’s service in Vietnam.
Jacquelyn (Jacqui) Chagnon Representative for the War Legacies Project, Lao PDR, and Chair of the Board, focused on Lao Agent Orange Survey and Victim Support (2014-current). South East Asia Quaker International Affairs Representative, American Friends Service Committee in S.E. Asia (2005 - 2013). Senior Consultant on Participatory Development, and Strategic Planning in the Lao PDR (1990 - 2005) working with World Bank, European Union, United Nations Development Program, and many non-profit organizations. Field Representative on Post-War Reconciliation and Reconstruction in Viet Nam, Lao and Cambodia for the American Friends Service Committee (1978-1981, 1986-1990).Clergy and Laity Concerned, Washington DC Foreign Policy Office, serving as Senior Congressional Liaison and Co-chair of Coalition for a New Foreign and Military Policy. Keynote US Speaker - Indochina Mobile Education Project “Tell Them We Are People” (1971-1975)
Congressional Liaison, Coalition to Stop Funding the War, Washington DC (1974 - 1975) supported by major religious institutions.
Special guests
Tim Rieser, staff colleague of former Senator Patrick Leahy
Charles Bailey, former Viet Nam country representative of the Ford Foundation
Resources
The Long Reckoning: A Story of War, Peace, and Redemption in Vietnam by George Black (Knopf, 2023) - a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice
From Enemies to Partners: Vietnam, the U.S. and Agent Orange by Le Ke Son and Charles R. Bailey
The Chat
9:42:31 From John McAuliff : Speaker bios https://vnpeacecomm.blogspot.com/2024/11/agent-orange.html
19:44:26 From John McAuliff : Tax deductible contributions https://tinyurl.com/donateFRD
20:27:39 From Susan Hammond, War Legacies Project : Ton That Tung, Dr Le Cao Dai, Dr Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong
20:36:13 From Daniel Dlugose to Hosts and panelists : I hope and ask that sometime in this presentation you talk about the effects on current people in Vietnam, and the ongoing problem of genetic defects due to Agent Orange and related chemicals are transmitted from generation to generation. I’m ashamed of what we did with little continuing relief for the harmed families. There is a German organization that helps some of these people - I think mostly children. Why can’t we do it? I’m willing to help in any way that I can.
20:37:13 From Susan Hammond, War Legacies Project to Daniel Dlugose: yes
20:54:52 From Doug Rawlings : I was at the Friendship Village last year and was struck by how people impacted by AO were living with NVA veterans. Both groups helped each other out....
20:58:17 From Heather Bowser : I’m so thankful they have a community setting with each other at Friendship Village. It is special.
20:59:30 From Paul Cox : For those of us who think there is a benefit in making the case in front of Congress for care of Vietnamese, US vets' kids, and Vietnamese Americans affected by AO, please check out H.R. 9977, just reintroduced on the hill by Congresswoman Barbara Lee: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/118/hr9977
21:02:31 From Daniel Shea : Daniel Shea Veterans For Peace PDX - I am a Viet Nam 1968 Marine Vet exposed to AO and it followed me home and my Son Casey was born with a Congenital Heart disease, Cleft Palate, Prune Belly and had a seizure at birth, though my beautiful boy survived until he was 3 and had to go to heart surgery that went bad and he went into a coma for 7 weeks and he took his last breath while I was rocking him, he died in my arms.
21:02:43 From John McAuliff : contact Susan if you want to find ways to help victims of Agent Orange in Viet Nam shammond@warlegacies.org
21:02:58 From Trude Bennett to Hosts and panelists : Excellent program — so good to see you all. Trude
21:03:03 From Daniel Shea : H.R. 9977: Victims of Agent Orange Relief Act of 2024
Last Update Oct 11, 2024
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/118/hr9977
21:03:20 From Paul Cox : I have another meeting to go to, now. Thanks to Susan, Heather, George, and John for this event.
21:04:38 From Heather Bowser : Yes! Excellent Susan!!!
21:05:22 From Daniel Shea : I have to go also, I have another webinar where I have been asked to speak but thank to all you, looking forward to the recording of this webinar
21:08:00 From Ann Wright-Parsons to Hosts and panelists : Several IVS volunteers serving in VN died of multiple myeloma and other cancers associated with AO. How many private groups in Vietnam should also receive benefits for having been exposed?
21:12:08 From Gene Davison to Hosts and panelists : My wife was a nurse in Vietnam in 1968-69. She miscarried a pregnancy in 1983 and had to have a hysterectomy in 1986. The surgeon took a picture of her uterus that showed multiple large tumors. We’ve always believed it was exposure to AO, but her claim was denied by the VA.
21:12:31 From Susan Hammond, War Legacies Project : Read George Blacks article in the NY Times Magazine on the impact of AO in Laos. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/16/magazine/laos-agent-orange-vietnam-war.html
21:14:42 From Paula Panzarella : Daniel Shea's above link is missing a letter. (has been corrected) https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/118/hr9977
21:14:54 From Charles Bailey : Yesterday in Manila, the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation named Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong as one of its five Awardees for 2024. The award started in 1958 and is considered Asia’s most prestigious recognition of superior achievement. Dr. Phuong is the 3rd Vietnamese to receive it. To understand the Vietnamese public’s view of the Agent Orange legacy, read Dr. Phuong’s acceptance speech. It is a story of her long life as a physician assisting births, as a strong advocate for Agent Orange victims and the need for a fuller US response to the consequences of the spraying. RMAF will post her speech shortly on their website, here:https://rmaward.asia/
21:19:41 From Heather Bowser : Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong the first person to confirm I was a victim of Agent Orange through my Father. It was a moment I will remember for the rest of my life.
21:25:21 From Doug Rawlings : to Paul Reuterschan who died from exposure to Agent Orange AO
21:26:43 From Doug Rawlings : AO It blooms/ it blossoms/it softly implodes/It kneads me like dough/It eats me whole/It killed me in Nam forty years ago
21:28:42 From John McAuliff to Hosts and panelists : Why don't you recognize Charles for a couple of minutes and then close
21:33:04 From Daniel Dlugose to Hosts and panelists : If I don’t get a chance to chat, at least I’ll email Susan Hammond to find out how I should get involved. You have all been so helpful to me!!!
21:34:38 From John McAuliff : We are running long so after Charles Bailey says a few words, we will end. We will try to answer questions directly in the next few days.
21:43:02 From Doug Rawlings : Dr. Tran, Director of the War Remnants Museum: "We forgive, but we do not forget."
21:44:29 From Martha Winnacker : This conversation was well worth taking the extra time. Thank you.
21:46:44 From Pam McElwee to Hosts and panelists : Thanks all!
21:47:09 From Doug Rawlings : THANK YOU!!!!
21:47:27 From Paula Panzarella : Thankyou so much!
21:47:27 From Ian Fletcher : Thank you for this powerful program!
21:47:30 From Susanne Jackson : Thanks Susan Jacqui George Tim Heather and Charles for your work and discussion.
21:47:43 From Mark Pavlick to Hosts and panelists : https://www.warlegacies.org
21:47:43 From Mike Burton : Great program and discussions were right on. Thanks to all
21:47:55 From Ann Wright-Parsons to Hosts and panelists : Thank you for this very informative session. I still can’t believe that our government would have done so much damage to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia with this spraying.
21:48:04 From David Thomas to Hosts and panelists : Thank you
21:48:08 From Daniel Dlugose to Hosts and panelists : Thank you all! You do great work!
21:48:28 From George Black : ghsblack@gmail.com
21:48:45 From George Black : Https://george-black.net
21:49:30 From Gene Davison to Hosts and panelists : Excellent program. Thanks to everyone.
21:52:13 From Gene Davison to Hosts and panelists : While not pertinent to Vietnam, Times Beach Missouri was contaminated with AO that was sprayed on their streets, as were some horse farms and other areas in MO. It was produced at Verona, MO.
The Q & A
Since there are no captions, could the names of the different people Mr. Black talks about be put into the chat. spelled correctly? catherine podojil [Ton That Tung, Dr Le Cao Dai, Dr Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong]
I was at the Friendship Village last year and was struck by how people impacted by AO were living with NVA veterans. Both groups helped each other out.... Doug Rawlings
Did Agent Orange "travel" to soldiers in Bangkok? A veteran friend who was stationed in Thailand 1966-1967 was just diagnosed with an aggressive blood cancer, Myeloproliferative neoplasms. Does MPV have a connection with dioxin? Does the VA recognize it as related? Paula Panzarella
Should have typed MPN. Paula Panzarella
Progress in Laos? Long Teing? Mike Burton
Has the passage of the PACT act helped in efforts to help US Veterans getting assitance Mike Burton
Would showing people pictures of Vietnamese kids who have hydrocephalus due to Agent Orange, help, or repel - and therefore want to forget- get people involved in doing something about it? I saw such a child in Nepal, and I know there are a huge number in Vietnam. Daniel Dlugose
to what extent do you believe that the US governmental response to AO in Vietnam was primarily to clean up two large air bases was because we wanted to facilitate US using those air fields in the future? Doug Hostetter
"I did much E.O.D. clean-up work following Viet Cong sabotaging of the Long Binh ammunition supply depot in 1966-67. Heard John McAuliff speak at Dartmouth College —maybe 1970. Would like to be in touch with him. Could you send me contact info?
Is there a scientific consensus that AO can cause genetic damage to people exposed? How is it explained that people are still being effected 5 decades after the end of the war. Doug Hostetter
It seems deformities caused by AO are different if a male was exposed than if a woman was exposed. Are there lists of the kinds of issues/deformities caused in children by AO have been made? Ann Wright-Parsons
Is there any reason to hope that the new administration will address this issue as well as all the others caused by the wars of the US? catherine podojil
Who is Charles? His name keeps being mentioned. catherine podojil
Charles Bailey, representative of the Ford Foundation in Viet Nam
In 1973 I lived in Hawaii and did data entry for a couple of anthropologist who had worked in Vietnam on an NSF grant to study the effects of Agent Orange on Vietnamese. They traveled to many areas of Vietnam. I know I was horrified by reading their reports and learning that villagers were using the empty barrels to hold water for people and animals. Then the farm animals were dying and people were getting sick. I think I understood that the results of that study were buried. In other words, kept quiet. Do any of you know of that study? Ann Wright-Parsons
I have been unsuccessful in working with the US ambassador to Laos in getting the classified materials from the war released. Mike Burton
Thank you! Paula Panzarella
One way to keep the question alive is to mobilize the Veterans who have been affected by AO as advocates for assistance in Vietnam and in Laos Mike Burton
