Interview with Mr. Deinhardt - Vietnam War Veteran
Q: What type of reaction did Agent Orange have to the forest?
A: Where it was sprayed it had a devastating affect on the forest. The chemicals killed all life and nothing would grow for as long as I could remember, nothing has grown since probably.
Q: Do you know anyone who was affected by the chemicals used in the war? If you do, who were they and what were they affected by?
A: Yes, there were friends that were affected and they were affected by diabetes a bit and cancer and birth deffect to their children.
Q: What was your job during the Vietnamese War?
A: I was in an army unit and I drove a tank.
Q: Were you affected by the chemicals during the war?
A: Yes, I developed type-two diabetes
Q: What were your first reactions to the environment?
A: It was very hot! It was probably 120 degrees when I got off the island.
Q: Did you see any familiar animals or come across a monarch butterfly?
A: I didn't recall seeing a monarch butterfly but I did see rabbits, lizards, and snakes.
Q: What changes did you notice in the plant and animal life?
A: I didn't notice any difference in the animal life but the plant life, you could see the changes from the Agent Orange from the air.
Q: How were the chemicals sprayed?
A: They were sprayed by aircraft and I believe they were sprayed on the ground also by trucks and backpacks.
Q: What were your living conditions like?
A: They could range from being very primitive or semi normal, you could live anywhere on a field days on end to living out on the barracks.