Documentary Recounts Struggle of Agent Orange Veterans

"Agent Orange is an indictment of US foreign policy and corporate greed, as well as being a celebration of love’s ability to face enormous adversity" -Masako Sakata

(DA NANG, Vietnam) - Our friend and fellow activist, Masako Sakata, has made her extraordinary documentary film available via the on-line Russian TV Channel.

Masako explains that it was seven years ago when Greg Davis, her husband of more than 30 years, died at the age of 54.

She said, "The cause was liver cancer, suspected to be brought on by his exposure to the defoliant Agent Orange while he served in the US army in Vietnam."

12% of the soil of South Vietnam was contaminated with 19 million gallons of defoliants, sprayed between 1961 and 1970, 12 million of which were Agent Orange, which contained dioxin - the most toxic chemical invented by man.

"To deal with my sadness and loneliness, and to find out about lingering Agent Orange after-effects, I returned to Vietnam.I found the victims everywhere, so immediate and present," Masako said.

"Children who were not even born then are suffering from all kinds of deformities and illnesses. In spite of such difficulties and poverty, everywhere I found love, caring and warmth. Meeting the victims and their families helped me heal".

The documentary also reveals some of the historical facts that led to unprecedented ecological disaster; a subject we cover frequently at Salem-News.com.

In Masako's words, "Agent Orange -A Personal Requiem" is an indictment, of US foreign policy and corporate greed, as well as being a celebration of love’s ability to face enormous adversity."

According to Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange, resulting in 400,000 deaths and disabilities, and 500,000 children born with birth defects.

From 1962 to 1971, Agent Orange was by far the most widely used of the so-called "Rainbow Herbicides" employed in the herbicidal warfare program. During the production of Agent Orange (as well as Agents Purple, Pink, and Green) dioxins were produced as a contaminant, which have caused numerous health problems for the millions of people who have been exposed. Agents Blue and White were part of the same program but did not contain dioxins.

I am honored to know Masako and her tireless fight against this devastating poison that affected her in such a personal and tragic way.

We must find in favor of all victims and stop the likes of Monsanto, Dow and all of the rest from continuing their greed driven destruction of humanity as well as the ecology of our world.

Chuck Palazzo is a Marine Corps Vietnam Veteran, the Interim Editor for Agent Orange, and a longtime Vietnam Veterans Against the War Member. Chuck Palazzo has spent years since the war studying the impacts and effects of Agent Orange, a defoliant chemical sprayed by the U.S. govt. on the jungles of Vietnam. He says Dioxins have been re-discovered to cause all sorts of damage to humans. These include Heart Disease, Parkinsonism, Diabetes etcetera. Dioxins are already known to produce serious birth defects and a variety of cancers. The chemical is still sold in Third World Countries and causing the same problems.

We at Salem-News.com welcome Chuck aboard and look forward to sharing more of his stories with our readers in the future.

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Richard Brown, USN March 16, 2021 11:20 am (Pacific time)

I was stationed at Sangley Point in the Philippines from December 1969 to May 1971 in the NAVY Aircraft Maintenance Dept. I would like to hear from anyone stationed there during that time, especially if you feel that you were exposed to Agent Orange or any other herbicides there at the base. I would especially like to hear from Joseph Marra USMC.

STEVE NORRIS June 2, 2012 7:06 am (Pacific time)

I was in all of this places,philippines,okinawa, guam and vietnam in 1974- 1977 was agent in all of this places also.

Mikey April 4, 2012 4:21 pm (Pacific time)

the first time the U.S. split up the Veterans of a war !! Divide is to conquer. Our government did us wrong, they know it, we (Vets) need to come together as one and demand all medical help and compensation we are owed..

Joseph Marra USMC March 24, 2012 1:29 pm (Pacific time)

This story is one of many that the Goverment will ignore, I was stationed at Sangley Point Philppines, which had 55 gal. drums white blue and orange, to sray air strip and foilage. while guarding the air strip in a two story wooden tower I became extremely sick. and yes I had Prostate Cancer. I would like to hear from anyone else from Sangley Point since they Closed the base in 1971 many items were shipped out in drums!!! I am in Washington, Michigan please contact me!!! Samper Fi!

Tricia September 21, 2010 2:38 pm (Pacific time)

My husband passed away in 1992 of a massive heart attack in the middle of a work day. He was 42. There was no history of early heart attacks in his family. He served in Okinawa in the early 70's with the air force, and when they added heart disease to the list of agent orange catastrophies I started looking on the internet. It's amazing how many veterans report agent orange in soooo many countries, in such detail, along with their tragic health consequences. I'd like to know if this was the cause of my husband's death at such a young age, but probably never will. Our government would never turn over the necessary records when it would take so much money to EVEN TRY to rectify what they've done to our veterans.

mike edwards September 7, 2010 4:41 pm (Pacific time)

question? were where the bases that were used to load these chemicals. where there any bases located in thailand ?

Mike September 4, 2010 5:52 pm (Pacific time)

appreciate finding this WEB Page..Thank you, I have cancer and I never was incountry..I was with amphibron 7, and also stationed in the Philippine Islands..this is the first time I have seen the Philippine Islands mentioned..appears that (they) want to keep a lot of information secret ! Thank You again, will continue to visit, Mike

jenn June 5, 2010 7:39 pm (Pacific time)

I am looking for anyone in Okinawa in 1957-1958 to help say the government used pesticides.please contact me jenniferedge@optimum.net

Van April 13, 2010 12:44 pm (Pacific time)

Lets call this what it was and is. It was use of chemical weapons. Many of the pesticides used were hazardous to your health and it's anyones guess as to the synergistic effects of these. The military knew the pesticides, herbicides and insecticides, should never be used together but that is what they did on all basecamps and military installations. It wasn't just incountry that these pesticides did there damage but also to bluewater veterans, and veterans stationed throughout the pacific in places like TLC, Guam, Philippines, Okinawa, Hawaii, Johnston Island and many bases within the US. The military industrial complex and chemical companies got off scott free, as did the politicians that did their dirty work. We'll all be dead and no one will be held accountable.

Van April 13, 2010 12:58 pm (Pacific time)

Call this what it is, the use of chemical weapons and someone should have been held accountable. The pesticides used incountry were used and stored all over. Places like TLC, Guam, Philippines, Okinawa, Johnston Island and throughout the Pacific and in the US. And this stuff affected the bluewater navy by way of the drinking water and many pesticides are used on these ships in many ways. Our toxic exposures were all over and everything the military industrial complex and chemical companies could conjure up we were exposed to. Also we were subjected to many needle sticks. You add in all the illegal and immoral experiments and you have a lot of sick veterans. This is why our veterans are sicker than the general population. Not only that, many of us who are still alive have many catastrophic illnesses. Not just one or two, numerous. None of my friends who never did service have these kinds of issues. Our government knows what it has done and will never come clean. This was murder and should be treated as such

Osotan; April 12, 2010 7:22 pm (Pacific time)

yes,the damage is in our faces and will continue till the producers and govt. are held accountable. Samper Fi!

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