I recently became aware of a new organization in the Beehive State created for the purpose of honoring a unique group of Utah Vietnam veterans by constructing a memorial wall. While the organization’s goal might seem somewhat redundant, because there is a replica of the national Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Layton, there is by no means any redundancy involved with this worthwhile endeavor.
The Vietnam veterans who will be memorialized comprise a group that has not received a significant amount of recognition since the war in Vietnam ended some 50 years ago. In order to increase public awareness of this particular group of veterans, the Utah Agent Orange Veterans Foundation was established a year ago.
The Utah Agent Orange Veterans Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with a team of dedicated individuals focused on achieving the foundation’s mission of building “a memorial that will recognize the sacrifice of veterans who were sent to Vietnam and now suffer from Agent Orange exposure.” To accomplish that mission, the organization relies on donated funds and other types of support.
What makes the planned memorial unique is that it will pay tribute to Vietnam veterans who died from exposure to Agent Orange after the war, as opposed to the national Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which honors service members killed in Vietnam during the war.
Agent Orange is a chemical herbicide that was used in Vietnam to remove tree leaves and other foliage that helped conceal enemy forces, which it was quite effective at doing. Unfortunately, Agent Orange turned out to be very harmful to the humans who came into contact with it.
The chemical’s toxicity did not be become widely known for many years. Exposure to Agent Orange, for instance, has been responsible for multiple forms of cancer as well as other serious diseases. The Veterans Administration’s eventual recognition of health issues caused by Agent Orange exposure has been beneficial in providing benefits to veterans who were exposed to the toxic herbicide.
Unfortunately, the harmful effects of Agent Orange exposure are not limited to veterans who came into contact with it in Vietnam. In a number of cases, hazardous effects of Agent Orange exposure have been passed on to subsequent generations, such as their children and grandchildren. One such case of generational transmission is the grandson of Larry Kerr.
Larry Kerr is a Vietnam veteran who served in the United States Air Force and became the chairman of the Utah Agent Orange Veterans Foundation. Larry also happens to be the chairman of another organization called the Utah Cold War Veterans Foundation. Together with a dedicated team of individuals he refers to as “Blue Shirts,” Larry has been conducting pinning ceremonies of the Utah Cold War Victory Medal through the state at no cost to recipients of the medal.
Larry’s latest endeavor is another example of his passion for veteran advocacy. Just like the state’s Cold War Victory Medal, a Utah Agent Orange Veterans Memorial will be a meaningful form of recognition that is well deserved.
U.S. involvement in Vietnam was not predominantly viewed with overwhelming enthusiasm during the war or for quite some time thereafter. Over the years, though, perceptions have evolved in a positive manner.
I was still in high school when the last U.S. helicopter left from the U.S. embassy in Saigon, South Vietnam, now called Ho Chi Minh City. At that time, I was not keenly aware of why U.S. forces were sent to Vietnam. These days, however, I know that U.S. support for South Vietnam helped us win the Cold War. This is because it helped weaken the Soviet Union economically, since the USSR was providing support to North Vietnam.
All Vietnam veterans deserve a huge amount a gratitude from Americans for their service. While they have received a great deal of recognition through the years, albeit somewhat slowly, more is needed. And a memorial wall for Utah Agent Orange Veterans will help satisfy that need tremendously.