Was Agent Orange Used in Panama?

The devastating impact of Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War has become clear over the decades.

Many Vietnam veterans now have access to treatment and compensation benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

However, U.S. military personnel who served in locations like the Panama Canal face difficulties.

Proving Agent Orange exposure and its long-term effects on themselves and their families has been frustrating for these veterans.

Veterans have made progress in proving the severe health impacts of Agent Orange.

They have shown that exposure was not limited to Vietnam, Korea, or Thailand in the 1960s and 70s.

The U.S. government now recognizes that Agent Orange also affected personnel near storage and testing facilities worldwide during the Vietnam War.

These sites include facilities in the U.S., Cambodia, Canada, Korea, India, and Thailand.

The PACT Act does not include aid for Panama Canal veterans exposed to Agent Orange.

However, the PACT Act of 2022 requires the VA to extend presumptive herbicide exposure status to previously denied locations like Guam and American Samoa.

There is still no formal recognition for the Panama Canal zone, despite ships carrying Agent Orange passing through. There’s insufficient documentation to confirm off-loading there.

Panama Canal veterans experiencing symptoms related to Agent Orange lack an automatic process to claim VA benefits.

Some veterans claim that Agent Orange was not only stored in the Panama region but also used in defoliation tests.

One U.S. Army veteran reported seeing “hundreds of barrels” of Agent Orange sprayed near Panama City and the canal during the 1960s and 70s.

Documentation from the 1970s shows herbicides were detected in soil and water samples near the Panama Canal zone, containing the same compound found in Agent Orange.

Additional military reports indicate U.S. Army testing to control vegetation in the zone during the 1970s used compounds found in Agent Orange.

Veterans who served in the Panama region during the Vietnam War are still fighting for recognition of Agent Orange exposure in the area.

While the government no longer denies the consequences of exposure, inclusion in the recognized list remains pending.

Agent Orange, designed to kill vegetation hiding enemy soldiers, contained the toxic dioxin TCDD.

Decades after the Vietnam War, veterans and their biological offspring have experienced the effects of TCDD.

The National Academy of Medicine identifies numerous health conditions caused by Agent Orange, affecting those directly exposed and sometimes their children.

Researchers also recognize other birth defects in children of women who served or lived in Vietnam between 1961 and 1975.

However, veterans who served in the Panama Canal Zone during the Vietnam War era currently lack guidelines for proving chronic health problems or birth defects in their children.

Veterans who served in Vietnam, Thailand, the DMZ, or in facilities acknowledged for testing or storing Agent Orange have a clear path for applying for benefits.

Applying for VA benefits related to Agent Orange exposure for those who served in Panama is more complex but not impossible.

These cases are evaluated individually rather than automatically.

Given the time since the Vietnam War, this can be complicated.

Seek professionals experienced in researching and establishing credibility on the topic.

The Panama Paradox

Does PACT Act include Agent Orange benefits for Panama veterans?

Additional Accusations of Agent Orange Use in Panama

The Long-Lasting Impact of Agent Orange

VA Benefits for Confirmed Sites

What Can Veterans Who Served in Panama Do?

Cassandra Crosby, an Accredited Agent and claims advocate for Matthew Hill & Shelly Mark’s teams, reviewed the information provided in this post.