Vietnam veterans impacted by effects of Agent Orange given new recognition with Orange Heart medal
According to the federal government, an estimated 300,000 Vietnam veterans have died from the dangers of Agent Orange. The defoliant was heavily used during the conflict.
Now, there is a new recognition for those impacted by Agent Orange called the Orange Heart.
The Orange Heart isn't officially recognized by the Department of Defense, but that doesn't matter because people behind the medal say it's a certain amount of recognition that is richly deserved.
Agent Orange was known as a chemical called dioxin. Approximately 12 million gallons of it were used during the Vietnam War, and it killed any plant it touched.
"There are still places in Vietnam that won't grow anything because the ground is so saturated with it," said Vietnam veteran Jerry Deible. "If you were boots on the ground in Vietnam, you were exposed to Agent Orange, no matter what your job was."
Named for the orange stripes on the barrels it came in, the Veteran's Administration says Agent Orange's effects have killed more than 300,000 veterans since the end of the war.
To put that into perspective, the war itself resulted in roughly 58,000 American casualties.
"The Purple Heart recognized physically wounded combatants; we were physically wounded, but you can't see it," Deible said.
That's where the Orange Heart comes in. It's not officially recognized as a formal decoration, but Deible and many other Vietnam veterans say it should be.
"One of the things they're striving for is to have Agent Orange recognized as a combat injury."
On April 12, at Murrysville Alliance Church, the Orange Heart Medal Foundation will award the decoration to Agent Orange vets or family members who have lost loved ones due to Agent Orange poisoning.
"The community cannot forget. We cannot forget," said Pastor Dan Lawrence of Murrysville Alliance Church.
This little medal may not seem like much, but for veterans like Deible, this Orange Heart comes straight from the heart.
"The old pat on the back and the handshake aren't coming. This is something and there are a lot of guys who appreciate it," Deible said.
For more information about the Orange Heart Medal Foundation, click here.
