The Crazies and Their Poisonings
“The only major Rainbow herbicide used throughout all 10 years of the Vietnam War was Agent Blue. One-third of Agent Blue was transported from Marinette, Wisconsin and Menominee, Michigan (Figures 4-7) via Menominee River, Green Bay, Lake Michigan [2] and the St. Lawrence Seaway to the 551th Ordinance Storage Depot in Da Nang and the other two-thirds went to the 20th Ordinance Storage Depot in Saigon. Agent Blue was used primarily on grain and cereal crops [3] [4]. Agent Blue was aerially sprayed (Figure 8) [5] on rice seedlings and plants to kill the crop and seed in preparation of areas for crop burning [6]. Burning of dried crop residues likely released volatilized toxic As4O6 or as fine particulate material ( 2.5) in smoke into the atmosphere [7]. Thus, the U.S. and Republic of Vietnam military personnel and Vietnamese civilians stationed or living in the Mekong Delta and Central Highlands were exposed to airborne As-containing materials.”