Agent Orange's Bitter Harvest

摘要

New findings paint a more sinister picture of the Vietnam War herbicide; scientists are trying to revive an epic study of its effects on U.S. veterans and clarify its legacy in Vietnam. Several children and young adults sit at a table, fiddling with plastic blocks and colored rings with the self-absorption of toddlers. "We teach them small skills. How to wash hands. How to play with toys, distinguish colors," explains Nguyen Thi Oanh, a teacher at Friendship Village, a rehabilitation center in Van Canh, west of Hanoi. The students, 9 to 24 years old but with limited mental development, will spend a few years here and then return to their home villages. During rehab, Oanh says, "some kids get a little bit better." Others do not.