A Luoi, one of the poorest districts in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, is still dealing with the consequences of the Vietnam War.
One of the places in the district, "Hamburger Hill," was the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting.
Agent Orange was heavily sprayed to clear the supply route of the Ho Chi Minh Trail from North Vietnam.
For many Vietnamese, the "ghost of war" is still there. They believe that most disabled children born with deformities in the region have been affected by Agent Orange. U.S. planes dumped about 18 million gallons of the chemical on Vietnamese forests during the war to destroy Vietnamese sources of food and cover. Studies have shown that Agent Orange sprayed during the war is still present in so-called "hot spots" at levels hundreds of times higher than would be accepted elsewhere. Cleanup efforts at a former U.S. military airbase in Danang City have been made by the Vietnamese and U.S. governments and non-governmental organizations. Concerns were high Agent Orange on the base would contaminate a nearby lake and soil.
