Dear President,

Australian War Memorial Agrees to Change Wording on Agent Orange Text Panel
You will know that we had a disagreement with the Australian War Memorial over the wording of the Agent Orange text panel in its recently opened Vietnam War gallery. We are pleased to report that friendly negotiations in the spirit of wanting to ‘get it right’ have resulted in agreed re-wording. Within the text panel’s limit of 120 words, we agreed that the Agent Orange story should be told in historical sequence ending with the present situation of the acceptance of Agent Orange’s cancer causing potential.

Here are the new words:

Both the United States and Australia used defoliants in Vietnam to destroy the jungle which sheltered the Viet Cong. Agent Orange, containing the poisonous substance dioxin, was the most widely used of several herbicides. After the war, numbers of Australian veterans became concerned about mounting evidence of possible health effects of their exposure to these chemicals. Vietnam Veterans’ organisations agitated for government recognition of their case. The Evatt Royal Commission reported in 1985, absolving chemical agents from responsibility for veterans’ health problems. Veterans strongly disagreed and continued to pursue the issue. Subsequent studies found links between exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam and some cancers and other diseases. As a result, veterans have successfully pursued claims for compensation, and continue to do so.

The Vietnam Veterans Federation, on behalf of Vietnam veterans, thanks the Australian War Memorial for agreeing to implement these changes in the coming months.

Tim McCombe
National President
Vietnam Veterans Federation