Vietnam Veterans and the Agent Orange Controversy.

The efforts by Vietnam veterans to obtain compensation and an admission of responsibility from the U.S. government and its defense contractors for health problems allegedly caused by Agent Orange contamination during the Vietnam War is perhaps the most important veterans' issue of this generation. This article explains the emergence of Agent Orange as a veterans' issue and traces the controversy through the VA, Congress, and the courts. The case study once again demonstrates the moral suasion and political power of American veterans and, therefore, the political difficulty of denying them special welfare benefits. One of the questions raised is whether it makes sense to treat veterans injured "on the job" any different from other citizens, especially for purposes of standing to sue their employer (the federal government) for the kinds of damages that would be available to other members of the society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]