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The Headlines on MSN read, Vietnam suffers toxic legacy...and that bothers me.  I read the ariticle and it may be valid, I'm no doctor, but if the Vietnamese people have medical problems associated with Agent Orange, don't our vets?

Personally, due to the war, I am no great lover of the country, although I will admit I am wrong in my thinking.  It is unwise for me to dislike a group, or nation, of folks based on my service in SEA, but I do.  I think the whole country was/is corupt and dishonest, but my view is a personal one and may be wrong.

During the war, Agent Orange was used to kill the forest and jungle, which would prevent the V.C. from having a place to hide, or so the idea was.  ANY chemical, as far as I am concerned, is dangerous to use and I trust them not.  IF the Vietnamese as actually having birth problems, two or three generations removed from the war...what of our vets?  In one case MSN states there is no link between Agent Orange and the medicals problems suffered by Vietnam Vets, but yet runs an article that states the country is now having severe medical problems due to the chemical...get it together folks.  If it affects one group, you know the others are affected.

What Vietnam wants, and you can bet your rice bowl on this, is a chunk of money to clean up the chemical.  Once paid, the money will never see the person on the street (or ricefield if you will) and a few polictical misfits will grow rich.  The governement of Vietnam is simply attempting to make the US look bad and they've been doing it for years.  They did it during the war, but we've yet to learn that the country is great at psychology and the use of the press....wake up America and smell the fish sauce.

As far as I am concerned, LOL, you really don't want to know, but many Vets know my thoughts and I don't even need to speak them.  If our Vets are told there is no medical problems associated with Agent Orange, let's tell the Vietnamese the same thing....or, is there more behind all of this than we know?

WR Benton