Gibbons resolution designates October as ‘Agent Orange Awareness Month’

HARRISBURG, Oct. 24– State Rep. Jaret Gibbons, D- Beaver/Butler/Lawrence, is pleased that the House of Representatives today unanimously adopted his resolution (H.R. 1088) designating October as “Agent Orange Awareness Month” in Pennsylvania.

“Thousands of veterans have died as the result of exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides, and thousands more still suffer from cancer and other health disorders caused by exposure to Agent Orange,” Gibbons said. “Veterans with Agent Orange-related health problems live with the knowledge that genetic damage resulting from exposure to Agent Orange may be handed down through generations.”

Gibbons said the Vietnam War, which many of House members lived through, was the longest armed conflict in American history.

“Our American service people had tremendous courage and determination while enduring some of the most horrific acts of torture ever encountered in the United States military history. These people’s lives were scarred forever while fighting for our safety and freedom. As a legislator, I wanted to do something nice on the floor recognizing their bravery and honor,” Gibbons said.

During the conflict, the government of South Vietnam and its primary ally, the United States, fought against the Communist government of North Vietnam and also the Viet Cong.

Gibbons said close to 500,000 men and women from Pennsylvania served during the Vietnam War and over 170,000 of them directly participated in the war.

The U.S. military developed Agent Orange for use in combat to remove trees and dense tropical foliage that hid the enemy.

The name Agent Orange comes from the orange identifying stripes that were used on the 55-gallon drums in which the herbicide was stored. Approximately 19 million gallons of herbicide were used by the military.

“I believe it is important for us to honor the men and women who bravely served our country and who may have been exposed to Agent Orange and other dangerous herbicides,” Gibbons said.