The first one is called the Claymore mine. Mines are explosives that are usually triggered with pressure. This mine can explode in a semicircle pattern and it was used to defend an area or encircle an area where Viet Cong could be hiding to keep them there because if they tried to go out they would step on a mine and die.
Another weapon was napalm. It is one of the most deadly as it is a chemical that is highly flammable. This weapon burned down forests and villages, leaving no one alive. If this chemical got on your skin while on fire it was extremely difficult to get off because of the oils and gasoline it is made out of. People were burned alive this way.
A weapon that still has its effects today is agent orange. It was used to kill thick forests where Viet Cong could be hiding. It was a mixture of herbicides that killed off vegetation. Some side effects were if one got it on their skin they would start to have nerve problems such as muscle weakness, tingling and numbness, and other problems like liver dysfunction and skin blistering. It has also been observed to cause birth defects in children. Some deformities include cleft palates, blindness, Siamese twins, and other deformities of the limbs. Others exposed to it have develops different types of cancer and tumors all over the body.
Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMzJvwG2rsQ
Besides having harmful, long-lasting effects on humans, Agent Orange contaminated the soil and water, making conditions unfit for many plants to grow. As shown by the terrible effects of Agent Orange, chemical warfare cannot truly be contained, as it impacts the ecosystems and the civilians in the area. Because of this, it could be debated on the ethics of utilizing widespread chemicals in war.
ReplyDeleteThis is similar to nuclear weapons in a way. Even though the two weapons have different fire power and different effects, they still have the capacity to kill hundreds of thousands of people in one go and leave remaining traces in reminder of the damage it caused previously. And these remaining from the attacks could affect others, like Adrienne has mentioned, for however long the chemicals take to wear off.
DeleteAgent Orange was one of the worst weapons that the US used against the Viet Cong because of the long lasting effects its had on Vietnamese people. Even know there are still cases were birth deformities are still occurring due to trace of agent orange in mothers.
ReplyDeleteNapalms that were used in the Vietnam war were sticky bombs, a mixture of plastic polystyrene, hydrocarbon benzene, and gasoline. When attached to a human body and exploded, the burn can causing unbearable pain on the body. From a credible Vietnam War weebly source, "Water boils at 212°F. Napalm generates temperatures 1,500°F to 2,200°F." A single napalm bomb was able to destroy 2,500 square yards and over the duration of the war, eight million tons of bombs were dropped over Vietnam.
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