ABSTRACT
The first chemical weapons used by Americans during the Vietnam War were herbicides. Although not directly connected to the eventual combat use of riotcontrol agents, it is critical to understand the decision-making process; the concern over public perception; and the response to the Communist propaganda campaign in order to put the events surrounding the initial use of riotcontrol agents in perspective. The program began when President John Kennedy authorized the military to begin testing aerial application of herbicides as a means of increasing visibility in the dense jungle vegetation to reduce the potential of enemy ambushes. On August 10, 1961, the Combat Development and Test Center in Vietnam ran the first defoliation test by applying herbicides to a small patch of jungle using specially outfitted helicopters. Two weeks later, they conducted a second test on a larger section of jungle, but this time they used airplanes so they could increase the rate of application. In both cases, the targets were personally selected by South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem. Although the American evaluation team was not overly impressed with the results, they made a big impact on Diem and he became an enthusiastic supporter of the program.1
