Photos Courtesy of the USAF

Agent Orange was named after the orange-striped barrels in which it was shipped. Agent Orange was an herbicide used by the U.S. military to kill shrubs and plants during the war in Vietnam. By killing the vegetation near the Ho Chi Minh Trail, senior military officials hoped to disrupt troop movements and supplies of the North vietnamese. However, this would only cause the trail to be moved to a location that had not been sprayed with Agent Orange. http://www.makeagentorangehistory.org/ (New Window)

The spraying of Agent Orange was not only done by aircraft. Boats would spray the side of the river banks in order to prevent North Vietnamese from having cover. Video courtesy of Texas Tech University