Traveling in Time with Dan: Why We Must Remember the Legacy of Agent Orange at Andover Monument Park
Welcome to the Travel in Time with Dan Show! Today, we’re mixing travel, history, and leadership as we explore the Andover Connecticut Monument Park. This location is incredibly significant because it holds one of the very few Agent Orange Monuments in the whole country.
At Monument Park, you can see the monument, and the nearby Agent Orange Memorial Highway. The existence of this park, and the need to remember this historical event, raises some complex and difficult questions about leadership, responsibility, and the true cost of war.
The History of Operation Ranch Hand
If you’re unfamiliar with Agent Orange, let’s travel back to the Vietnam War. The American forces were having significant trouble with the Vietcong, who utilized guerrilla warfare tactics. They were able to hide in the dense jungle, pop up, and disappear, often using a vast tunnel system. While Americans were far superior when fighting toe-to-toe, the nature of the battle was unconventional.
To counter this, the US initiated Operation Ranch Hand. The goal was to spray the area with Agent Orange (and other agents) to eliminate the foliage, allowing American soldiers to see the enemy they were fighting. Additionally, spraying was intended to destroy crops and food supplies, thereby hurting the Vietcong through their stomachs.
More Than Just “Orange”: The Rainbow Herbicide
While we often refer to all herbicides used during this period as Agent Orange, it was actually part of a larger group known as the “rainbow herbicide”. This included blue agent, white agent, purple agent, yellow agent, and so on.
Why the name “Agent Orange”? Believe it or not, it got its name because the substance was stored in those big 55-gallon drums that had an orange marker on them.
A Local Hero and Grassroots Remembrance
The reason this park exists in Andover, Connecticut—possibly the only one in the state and one of perhaps four or five in the entire country—is thanks to a tremendous grassroots effort.
A gentleman named Gerry Wright returned home to Andover after serving in the Vietnam War, where he was exposed to Agent Orange and suffered the consequences. Mr. Wright spearheaded the fundraising and the community movement necessary to establish this monumental remembrance park. This monument was truly done on the grassroots level, which is a really cool thing.
The Complex Question: Strategic Defoliation or War Crime?
One of the greatest struggles Americans face when discussing Agent Orange is the complicated historical context. The government stated that Agent Orange was strategic defoliation necessary so they could see the enemy and fight toe-to-toe. They knew they could beat the enemy fighting that way.
However, others argue that what was deployed was, in reality, chemical warfare. If it was chemical warfare, that constitutes an international war crime. This distinction puts the United States on “very slippery footing”. If classified as a war crime, it could open the nation up to all sorts of lawsuits, potentially even from the Vietnamese people. It took a long time just to take care of our own soldiers who were suffering. People much smarter than I am are likely still trying to figure out if it was truly strategic defoliation or chemical warfare.
The Enduring Human Cost
This is fundamentally a human story. We have evidence that the suffering extends beyond the soldiers who were exposed. Not only are the children of American and Vietnamese soldiers suffering, but there is also evidence that their grandchildren are suffering in many ways with birth defects as well.
I have a buddy, for example, who has had a rash on his back that has never gone away. When I asked him about it, he said it was because his father was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam. He now has to live with that consequence, perhaps for the rest of his life.
Leadership in Remembrance
The ultimate leadership lesson here touches upon empathy and responsibility. We, as a country, need to be responsible for the spraying of Agent Orange and for what we do today. Today, we do take care of our soldiers by providing them help and medical care.
More broadly, this monument underscores the leadership of remembrance. Even though the questions surrounding Agent Orange are tricky, complicated, and complex, we need to continue the discourse on these difficult subjects and historical events.
Leadership is not about taking the easy route; it’s about taking the route that is right. That path is the one that shows empathy, responsibility, and remembrance, and does not simply forget about complex issues because it is convenient. Leaders must face the tougher questions to move forward and make better decisions for the future.
Uncovering History. Inspiring Leadership. The Travel in Time Show is where travel, history, and leadership intermingle with history teacher, author, and speaker Dan Blanchard
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