Honoring Soldiers Killed by Agent Orange

Silver Rose Monument to honor soldiers killed by Agent Orange

Jul 18, 2011 - Matamoras — The Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 623 will dedicate a monument, “The Order of the Silver Rose,” on July 30 at 11:30 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park in Matamoras.

The park is located at the end of 6th Street off Route 6/209.

It is meant to stand as a tribute to soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice because of exposure to “Agent Orange.”
The monument is a duplicate of the marble used for the Vietnam Wall in Washington, D.C. One of the inscriptions reads “They gave their tomorrows for your todays.”

Far from over

Millions of gallons of “Agent Orange,” a herbicide defoliant, were sprayed over Vietnam. At the time, it was never thought that doing this simple act would have long-term effects for service members. Diseases linked to Agent Orange are deemed long and terminal for many people. Now 41 years later, struggles with Agent Orange exposure is still not over.

“The effects of this exposure have now been linked to spinal bifida in our children,” says Tom Ryan, 1st Air Calvary Division, member of the VVA Chapter 623. “It is our belief that more links have yet to be identified and it will continue with our grandchildren and who knows after that.”

Exposure to Agent Orange doesn’t just affect those who were in the specific areas where it was sprayed. There is a good chance for others as well because of overspraying, wind drifts, food and water contamination, plus the high incidence of unrecorded sprayings. Ryan explains that even Vietnamese people are suffering terribly and are still being exposed to Agent Orange.

At the ceremony read more>>>