Children of the Agent Orange Wounded
No…this can’t be? Someone must be kidding-Right? Soldiers, relieved to come home from war to work, love, and have a family…and the Agent Orange in their systems affects their children??? Does it affect their spouse???
This is so sad, but true. The research has shown a 30% increase of birth defects for those veterans who had Agent Orange exposure. Birth Defect Research for Children has a website discussing the available research at https://birthdefects.org/agent-orange/, with risks associated with the mother’s service for behavioral disorders, childhood cancers, cleft lip or palate, endocrine problems, heart defects, neural tube defects, and spina bifida associated with either parent’s exposure (Mekdeci, n.d.). The Institute of Medicine (IOM) published a book entitled Veterans and Agent Orange; Update 1996 (IOM, 1996), with one chapter devoted to reproductive effects and birth defects. At present there is no research identifying any spousal damage from Agent Orange - no risk of contamination, however the dioxin contaminants have been identified in blood and seminal fluids/sperm 20 to 30 years after the war (Schecter, et al, 1996).
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has an Agent Orange Registry for veterans (see: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/benefits/registry-exam.asp) with a free veterans health examination. However, family members are not eligible for this exam, which brings up the question if family members are part of a descriptive study to identify conditions among spouses and their children?
Medical images of Spina Bifida
Some of the warfare toxic chemical exposures include asbestos, Agent Orange, mustard gas or lewisite, and radiation-and there may be others that should be added to the list, so please ask our President, our government officials, and the Veterans Administration to identify and provide recognition for combat toxic exposure injuries and death.
The Purple Heart is awarded to members of the military who are injured or died in combat. There is no recognition for the members of the military who were exposed to toxic or hazardous materials during combat that later caused injury, disease, or death. Please recognize all combat injuries. Some of these soldiers helped the obviously bleeding and wounded to safety, who later suffered and died of their hidden wounds. Please review and sign the Purple Heart Petition!
About the Petition
References
Institute of Medicine (US) Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides. Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 1996. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1996. 9, Reproductive Effects. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK232834/
Mekdeci, B. (n.d.). Agent orange and birth defects. Birth Defect Research for Children. https://birthdefects.org/agent-orange/.
Schecter, A., McGee, H., Stanley, J. S., Boggess, K., & Brandt-Rauf, P. (1996). Dioxins and dioxin-like chemicals in blood and semen of American Vietnam veterans from the state of Michigan. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 6, 647-654. https://doi.org/10.1002/(sici)1097-0274(199612)30:6%3C647::aid-ajim1%3E3.0.co;2-o
Created: 11/03/2025
Updated: 11/12/2026