Statistical Summary of
Herbicidal Warfare
in Vietnam

Credit: H. Lindsey Arison III
   
Updated Link - Executive Summary
The Herbicidal Warfare Program in Vietnam, 1961-1971

  OperationS 
 Trail Dust &
 Ranch hand 
   
10 August 1961 - 31 October 1971
(3,735 days)

SUMMARY BY YEAR

The 15,480 drums of agent orange stockpiled at the Naval Construction Battalion Center (NCBC) in Gulfport, Mississippi were transferred to the Dutch-owned ship the Vulcanus and destroyed between 15-24 July 1977.

The 24,795 drums of agent orange stored on Johnston Island were subsequently incinerated on the Vulcanus in two loads.

The last of the herbicide orange once destined for the jungles of Vietnam burned on September 3, 1977.

Data Sources: SIPRI, 1976 and Cecil, 1986.

 USAF Ranch Hand Herbicides 
 (from AugUST 1965) 

Total: 8,165,491 gallons
   
Most sources use 19 million gallons as the total
number of gallons applied in Vietnam, which
indicates another 11 million gallons of
herbicide must have been applied
by means other than
fixed-wing aircraft.
   
   

US airman removes hose after pumping defoliation spray
into tanks of a C-123 at Da Nang AB.  Note the "pop out"
insignia that could be changed from U.S. Air Force
markings to South Vietnamese markings when
the planes were used for crop destruction.
Photo credit: U.S. Air Force

   
TABLES below INDICATE NUMBER OF gallons applied by fixed-winG aircraft

 I CORPS - 2,355,322 

 II CORPS - 1,054,406 

 III CORPS - 4,086,229 

 IV CORPS - 669,534