While U.S. support for South Vietnam did not prevent communist expansion, it certainly slowed it down and helped contributed to the ultimate collapse of the Soviet Union. 

Veterans who served in Vietnam have received a good deal of recognition over the years for their sacrifices, but its been a relatively slow process and there are some people who feel that more recognition is appropriate. One such person is Larry Kerr. 

I recently spoke with Larry Kerr, a Vietnam veteran dedicated to advocating for increased recognition of service members who have suffered and continue to suffer from exposure to a deadly chemical used during the Vietnam War called Agent Orange. 

Larry considers this a very important issue, because it exemplifies one of the long-term costs of that war. This cost is rather evident from the lingering health issues experienced by Agent Orange veterans as well as their children and grandchildren. In Larry’s case, for example, effects of Agent Orange were passed on to his grandson. 

To address this issue, involving a lack of recognition, Larry and other like-minded individuals formed an organization a year ago called the Utah Agent Orange Veterans Foundation and Larry became its chairman. 

During the Vietnam War, Agent Orange was used by the U.S. military in a multiyear operation called “Operation Ranch Hand.” The chemical was used to remove leaves from trees that helped conceal enemy forces by providing them with a copious amount of cover. Agent Orange was very affective at removing leaves as well as most all foliage, but it also proved to be quite toxic to people who came into contact with it. 

Larry served in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War, supporting bombing missions, and came in contact with a liquid form of Agent Orange that was hand sprayed and sprayed from aircraft. It was contained in 55-gallon drums with an orange stripe on their exterior to distinguish them from other drums containing chemicals. Through his use of the toxin, Larry became exposed to its toxic effects. At that time, he and other service members who came into contact with the  chemical herbicide were not aware of the hazardous health effects associated with its use. These include various forms of cancer as well as other serious diseases.

Years later, those effects would be recognized by the Veterans Administration. By that time, however, it was too late for some Agent Orange veterans to benefit. Larry has been lucky in a sense because he has been able to receive treatment, such as chemotherapy, provided by a Veterans Administration health care facility. 

The Utah Agent Orange Veterans Foundation was established to recognize Vietnam veterans who worked with Agent Orange. The foundation’s goal is to construct a memorial in the form of a wall that will increase public awareness of the adverse health conditions caused by Agent Orange use and memorialize veterans exposed to the toxic herbicide. 

Out of curiosity, I asked Larry to contrast the relationship between the replica of the national Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Layton and the purposed Utah Agent Orange Veterans Memorial, which is planned for construction in Layton. Without hesitation, Larry informed me that “the Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors the more than 58,000 service members who died in Vietnam while the Utah Agent Orange Veterans Memorial will honor service members who died from the effects of Agent Orange exposure after the war.” At the present time, that number is around 300,000. This number is not inclusive. Larry stated that “it does not include children and  grandchildren.” Even without those numbers, 300,000 is still a staggering figure. 

The war in Vietnam ended over 50 years ago, but its effects have not. They continue in the lives of Agent Orange veterans and their children. Through the efforts of the Utah Agent Orange Veterans Foundation, these veterans and their subsequent generations will have a meaningful  form of gratitude for sacrifices made to preserve our way of life. 

The Utah Agent Orange Veterans Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that relies on financial donations and other types of support to accomplish its mission. To learn more about the foundation, please visit its Facebook page or contact Larry Kerr at (801) 776-4230.