During the July 8, 2021 Commissioners Meeting, the Board adopted a resolution honoring and recognizing victims of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.
Our nation was conceived by individuals who were willing to sacrifice their personal safety and concerns to ensure our individual and collective freedom. More than eight million citizens of this country honorably served during the Vietnam War, during which time Agent Orange was widely used in Vietnam by the United States Armed Forces as part of the herbicidal warfare program “Operation Ranch Hand” from 1961 to 1971.
Nearly 20 million gallons of the orange mist were sprayed over the land from helicopters or low-flying aircraft, destroying vegetation and crops in order to deprive the enemy guerrillas of food and cover for their activities, thus exposing 2.6 million American soldiers to the herbicide and defoliant chemical. Today, only 600,000 Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange are alive and approximately 557 deaths occur among them every day; and
It is appropriate that we should honor these veterans to the full extent of our ability, as they have made untold and innumerable sacrifices to preserve the liberties we enjoy today and that our progeny will hopefully continue to cherish for generations to come.