Published: November 11, 2023 · Last Updated: April 11, 2024
The Vietnam War, also known as, the Second Indochina War or the Vietnam Conflict, was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia that lasted from November 1955 to April 1975. The war was fought between North Vietnam (which was supported by the Soviet Union and China) and South Vietnam (which was supported by the United States and other anti-communist allies). Both sides wanted the same thing – a unified Vietnam. The conflict arose in whether Vietnam should be a nation modeled after other communist countries or if Vietnam should align closer to the economic and cultural ties of the democratic West.
The war lasted over 20 years and resulted in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia all becoming communist states by 1975. There was an immense cost to human life from the Vietnam War. Over 3 million people (including over 58,000 Americans) were killed in the Vietnam War, and more than half of the dead were Vietnamese civilians. Additional destruction was done to veterans – many of whom came home from Vietnam with post-traumatic stress disorder and higher rates of divorce, suicide, alcoholism, and drug addiction. Furthermore, many veterans were exposed to asbestos from their time-fighting in Vietnam.
For much of the 20th century, asbestos products were commonly used in the U.S. military for their heat-resistant and insulation properties. Every branch of the armed forces used asbestos in the construction of ships, tanks, trucks, aircrafts, barracks, and other buildings. During the Vietnam War, veterans were likely exposed to asbestos from military vehicles (ships, tanks, aircrafts, jeeps, and trucks), and through the use of more than 300 various military-supplied materials and products. Asbestos-related diseases take many decades to develop. Our brave veterans who were exposed to asbestos products are at risk of developing lung cancer or mesothelioma.
About one-third of people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma are veterans, with the majority of them having served in the Navy. If you or a loved one are a military veteran who has been diagnosed with an asbestos disease fill out a free case evaluation.
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