Background Briefing:

Thayer Consultancy
ABN # 65 648 097 123 Senator Patrick Leahy’s
Contribution to
Healing the Wounds of War with
Vietnam
Carlyle A. Thayer
April 21, 2019

We request your assessment of U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy’s visit to Vietnam from April
17th to 20th . Senator Leahy and other senators will inaugurate the remediation project
at Bien Hoa airport, the largest remaining hotspot of dioxin contamination.
Q1. What is the significance of this visit, especially after the completion of the
remediation project at Da Nang airport last November?
ANSWER: Senator Leahy’s visit to Vietnam this month, his third visit to Vietnam, is a
reaffirmation of America’s continuing commitment to heal the wounds of the Vietnam
War. It marks the next stage in remediating Agent Orange hot spots after the
completion of the project at Da Nang.
Q2. What is your evaluation of Sen. Leahy’s role in dealing with war legacies in
Vietnam?
ANSWER: Senator Leahy first became involved with Vietnamese victims of mines and
unexploded ordnance in 1989 when he spoke with President George H.W. Bush
about the need for reconciliation with Vietnam. As a result of Leahy’s leadership, the
U.S. Congress voted to assist civilian victims of conflict in developing countries,
including Vietnam. The Patrick J. Leahy War Victims Fund serves as the primary
vehicle for U.S. government assistance to address Vietnamese with disabilities, such
as lost arms and limbs, by providing wheel chairs and prosthetics. The Leahy Fund
was the first U.S. government aid to the people of Vietnam after the war. The fact
that this fund was named after Senator Leahy is evidence of his leadership on this
issue.
Senator Leahy soon realized Agent Orange contamination and its impact on the health
of the Vietnamese people was a pressing issue and he took up this cause under
President Bill Clinton. Senator Leahy, in his words, made it his goal “to turn Agent
Orange from a source of antagonism and resentment into another example of the U.S.
and Vietnamese governments working together to address one of the most difficult
and emotional legacies of the war.”
Q3. Mr Leahy may retire anytime soon after six terms in the Senate. Will this affect
the responsibilities of the United States in dealing with war legacies in Vietnam within
the U.S. Congress?
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ANSWER: Senator Leahy turned 79 in March this year. He was elected to the U.S.
Senate in 1974 and took office the following year. One of his first acts as a Senator was
to vote to end funding for the war in Vietnam.
Senator Leahy has been at the forefront of U.S. efforts to heal the wounds of the
Vietnam War for thirty years. The U.S. commitment to fulfil its responsibilities in
dealing with the legacies of war is now a central feature of the U.S.-Vietnam
comprehensive partnership. If Senator Leahy retires there will be no back tracking on
U.S. commitments to heal the wounds of war. The fact that Senator Leachy is leading
a bipartisan delegation means that there will be continued support by the U.S.
Congress for this commitment. For example, this delegation will witness the signing of
a Memorandum of Intent between the United States and Vietnam setting out a five-
year commitment by the U.S. to provide financial and other support for health and
disability programs for Vietnamese in provinces heavily affected by Agent Orange.

Suggested citation: Carlyle A. Thayer, “Senator Patrick Leahy’s Contribution to Healing

the Wounds of War with Vietnam,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, April 21,
2019. All background briefs are posted on Scribd.com (search for Thayer). To remove
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