Unnatural Causes

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From 1962 to 1971 more than three million Americans served in Vietnam. Tens of thousands of these vets feel they suffered life threatening injuries due to the spraying of poisonous herbicides. One woman, Maude DeVictor, worked with many Chicago veterans and brought her grievances to public awareness.

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In 1984, Maude DeVictor was dismissed from the V.A. in a labor dispute. In the summer of 1978, a Vietnam veteran, Paul Reutershan, initiated the first individual Agent Orange lawsuit, which grew into a series of class action lawsuits against the chemical companies. - In the consolidated case, Federal Judge Jack B. Weinstein stated that, as of 1984, scientific research had not been able to prove that Agent Orange exposure caused the veterans' disabilities, adding, however, that "Many lives have been broken by the Vietnam experience. The suffering ones deserve our aid... Whether their hurt can be traced to Agent Orange... is beside the point in the broader context of the nation's obligations to Vietnam veterans and their families." Weinstein concluded that the $180 mio settlement agreed to by the companies and the veterans was reasonable and in the public interest. - Some veterans and their families have appealed the settlement.