Napalm
One of the strategies of Attrition Warfare was to burn down villages that were controlled by the Viet Cong. Napalm was used to make these fires last longer. Napalm was also used as an antipersonnel weapon for explosions to clear vegetation. Napalm is often characterized as “sticky fire” because it is a thickening agent for gasoline and often sticks to things to make them burn longer. When napalm was used as an incendiary weapon and there were napalm attacks in villages, the civilians often suffered severe burns and even death. Napalm produced firestorms with winds up to 70 miles per hour and sometimes produced temperatures upwards of 1500 degrees Fahrenheit.
Agent Orange
The United States often used herbicides and chemical defoliants to clear vegetation to make it easier to see Viet Cong guerrilla fighters who were hiding in the underbrush. One of the main herbicides they used was Agent Orange. Starting in 1962 and ending in 1971, Agent Orange was used in addition to other herbicides as part of the United States chemical warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand. The goal of the operation was to take food and cover away from the North Vietnamese to increase the chances of finding them. It was estimated that the United States sprayed about 20 million gallons of herbicides and defoliants between 1962 and 1971. The Americans usually used helicopters or low flying aircraft to spray the Agent Orange.
The effects of Agent Orange on humans were much more than expected. During the war, it was estimated that 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange. Of these 4.8 million, 400,000 people were killed or maimed and 500,000 children were born with birth defects. It also caused skin diseases, cancer, and other major health issues. The effect on American soldiers was discovered a few years after the war, as many veterans began to develop health issues after being told the chemical was harmless. Studies showed that soldiers who were in South Vietnam had a higher chance of nerve, skin, digestive, and respiratory disorders. It also showed that these soldiers had a higher rate of many different types of cancers.
The effects of Agent Orange on humans were much more than expected. During the war, it was estimated that 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange. Of these 4.8 million, 400,000 people were killed or maimed and 500,000 children were born with birth defects. It also caused skin diseases, cancer, and other major health issues. The effect on American soldiers was discovered a few years after the war, as many veterans began to develop health issues after being told the chemical was harmless. Studies showed that soldiers who were in South Vietnam had a higher chance of nerve, skin, digestive, and respiratory disorders. It also showed that these soldiers had a higher rate of many different types of cancers.