The movie industry often glorifies or distorts the perception of war, which ultimately perpetuates the cycle of oppression. One culture thrives while the other’s truth is hidden from the world. On the other hand, the media can be used to open people's eyes. The news coverage of Vietnam greatly impacted public perception of the war and contributed to the US withdrawal of military forces.
The U.S. airforce was responsible for spraying herbicides called Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, also called the American War depending on which side you ask. Six million acres of Vietnamese territory were sprayed with 18,000,000 gallons of herbicides. Seventy percent of the herbicides contained Agent Orange. Not only did Agent Orange destroy crops, but it exposed communities to toxins that cause major birth defects, cancers and type 2 diabetes. The cleanup costs of this war have been estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
No, reparations have not been paid to the Vietnamese government to help recover from war crimes committed during combat. Walking the streets of Vietnam, it is obvious the country has not fully recovered from the devastating war that lasted for 19 years.
