Napalm and Agent Orange- 1965-1969
Napalm Bombs were a type of extremely flammable weapon developed in 1942 by the United States and were used particularly in the Vietnam War. These bombs caused extreme amounts of damage to Vietnam and disturbing injuries to its victims. Napalm is a powder-like substance, and mixed with gasoline, it becomes sticky. Therefore the burn lasts and adheres to what it touches, making it an effective weapon for removing an enemy’s territory effectively. The victims of the Napalm burn, however, suffer much more immensely than they would any other burn. Once the substance touches the skin, it continues to burn at a constant heat between 900-1300°C. Victims rarely ever get away with first degree burns, because the substance can continue to burn into the inner skin tissue and even into the muscle and bone. These injuries are most commonly fatal, but those who survive take almost a year to fully recover, and all scar tissue are in the form of keloids. Agent Orange was a type of herbicide used in Vietnam between 1962 and 1971. This was used to destroy any surrounding plant life or debris to sabotage an enemy’s cover. It also killed off livestock, which left the Vietnamese starving. Agent Orange had a devastating effect on Vietnam years after the war, and even today. The herbicide had many long-term effects. Many people developed cancer, and there were many cases of birth deformities. Today, there are over thousands of deformed children in Vietnam because of Agent Orange. Most veterans from Vietnam today also have cancer from Agent Orange.