Title

Ranch Hand

Start Date

1/12/1962

End Date

1/7/1971

CTZ

RVN

TAO

South Vietnam

Objective

to deny Communist forces the use of jungle cover through defoliation and to deny them access to food crops in South Vietnam

Description

In 1961 a U.S.-RVN counterinsurgency center began evaluating the use of herbicides VC food sources and foliage. In November of 1961, the first Special Aerial Spray Flight was deplyed for Vietnam. Finally on 1 January 1962 the first planes arrived at Tan Son Nhut Airport and missions began on the 12th. They started by clearing the foliage along a major roadway north of Sai Gon. Later forests and rice-growing areas were targeted. At first the results were less succesful than expected, so the system was altered to release larger droplets and minimize drift. Also, the planes had to fly extremely close to the ground, around 150 feet, and in straight, level paths. This made them easy targets for ground fire. Tactic did change as operations expanded to the mountain passes and tightly defined areas. Even dive-bombing tactics were used. The operation continued to grow in aircraft and personnel. During the 1968 Tet Offensive, RANCH HAND crews flew airlift missions and later flew missions in Laos and Thailand. In 1969, the National Cancer Institute linked health problems to herbicide exposure. Also, claims that Cambodian land had been intentionally sprayed fueled public disapproval. For these reasons operation RANCH HAND declined. On 7 January 1971, the last three missions of the war were flown.