Health Issues as They Relate to the Korean War

Page Contents:

• Cancer and the Korean War

  • Atomic Tests
  • Cancer Incidences Study - Australians in Korean War
  • Blue Water Navy.Org

• DDT Use During the Korean War

  • Korean War Memoirs
  • Reference Books
  • Poetry

• Asbestos Exposure During the Korean War

  • Asbestos and Mesothelioma Center
  • Korean War Memoirs

• Cold Weather Injury

  • Videos, magazine articles, veterans' memoirs

• Agent Orange

• Psychiatry in the Korean War (COMING SOON)

Cancer and the Korean War

Atomic Tests

Thousands of American veterans were exposed to nuclear radiation during atmospheric nuclear testing that took place during the 1950s through 1963.  To learn about the importance of obtaining a Film Badge Radiation Exposure History and how to get it, visit the Atomic Veterans website.  You or your loved one may be eligible to receive compensation under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.

• See Atomic Veterans Project on the Korean War Educator.
• See Korean War Veterans Memoirs on the KWE:
  • Paul Mason

Cancer Incidences Study - Australia

View the entire study of cancer incidences as they relate to Australia's Korean War veterans.  The study was funded by the Australian government in 2003.  The significance of this study to American Korean War veterans is that Americans served in the same areas in Korea as the Australians.  The conditions were the same for both nationalities.

Blue Water Navy.Org

Cancer issues are being brought to the forefront by the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Association at www.bluewaternavy.org.  Blue Water Navy provides Agent Orange information to veterans.  There is a special section on their website seeking information from Korean War veterans who might have been exposed to cancer-causing agents in Korea.  View the Blue Water Navy website here.

DDT Use During the Korean War

DDT was used during the Korean War to delouse American troops, foreign troops, and native Koreans.  Details about this use are referenced on many Internet websites.  The following information can be found within World Wide Web resources.

Korean War Memoirs

• See Robert Balie Cox Jr. Memoir - Korean War Educator
• See Doyle Rowell Memoir - Korean War Educator
• See Wayne Pickett Memoir - Minnesota American Legion Legionnaire, March 2008
• See "Korea Trench War: A Corpsman's Perspective" by Herb Renner, corpsman - "Getting home from Korea was a lot easier than getting there. After being dusted with DDT powder and getting worm pills, we boarded a troop ship and headed for Treasure Island, near San Francisco, California."
• Personal diary of Carl H. Hulsman (2nd Chemical Mortar Battalion, Korea 1950-51) - See 13 March 1951 - "I picked two lice off the back of my head and then dosed myself well with a DDT spray can. I slept with my trousers off, first time since Pusan in December."

Reference Books

• War and American Women: Heroism, Deeds, & Controversy by William B. Breuer.  See reference to Cpt. Anna McGoff Robie, Army nurse at the 14th Field Hospital Korea 1951.  She notes that the nurses were sprayed twice weekly with DDT.

Poetry

• See the poem "Beggar-lice" written by Korean War veteran Taylor Jones.

Asbestos Exposure During the Korean War

• Asbestos and Mesothelioma Center - The Center's website reveals the fact that more than 300 products, particularly those used by the Navy from the 1930s through the 1970s, contained asbestos.  That website states:

"Clearly, virtually no portion of a naval ship was asbestos-free between the '30s and mid-70s, making Navy veterans and shipyard workers one of the most at-risk groups for developing asbestos-related diseases."

Thousands of veterans developed mesothelioma, particularly those who served in the U.S. Navy.  To learn more about veterans' exposure to asbestos, visit www.asbestos.com.

• Korean War Memoirs - See also the story of Allen Johnson on the Korean War Educator.

Cold Weather Injury

Thousands of American veterans (in fact, more than 5,300 in just the first winter of the Korean War) suffered frostbite during the extreme cold temperatures in Korea during the war years. Many of them were evacuated and received treatment in a timely fashion. Unfortunately, however, too many others did not have that chance due to the battle conditions they were in at the time. The latter lost fingers and/or hands, toes and/or feet, and had to endure the anguish of frostbitten noses and ears. Decades later, these Korean War casualties are still experiencing the after effects of frostbite. Some receive medical assistance and compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs. But there are still thousands of Korean War veterans who either don’t know they are eligible for disability benefits based on their cold weather injuries, or they can’t get anyone in the VA to believe that their current health problems are service-related.  To learn more about cold weather injuries in the Korean War, visit the Weather - Topics page of the Korean War Educator.

Agent Orange

"VA does have significant information regarding Agent Orange use in Korea along the DMZ. DoD has confirmed that Agent Orange was used from April 1968 up through July 1969 along the DMZ. DoD defoliated the fields of fire between the front line defensive positions and the south barrier fence. The size of the treated area was a strip of land 151 miles long and up to 350 yards wide from the fence to north of the "civilian control line." There is no indication that herbicide was sprayed in the DMZ itself.

Herbicides were applied through hand spraying and by hand distribution of pelletized herbicides. Although restrictions were put in place to limit potential for spray drift, run-off, and damage to food crops, records indicate that effects of spraying were sometimes observed as far as 200 meters down wind.  Units in the area during the period of use of herbicide were as follows:

The four combat brigades of the 2nd Infantry Division, including the following units:

• a) 1-38 Infantry
• b) 2-38 Infantry
• c) 1-23 Infantry
• d) 2-23 Infantry
• e) 3-23 Infantry
• f) 3-32 Infantry
• g) 109th Infantry
• h) 209th Infantry
• i) 1-72 Armor
• j) 2-72 Armor
• k) 4-7th Cavalry

Also, the 3rd Brigade of the 7th Infantry Division, including the following units:

• a) 1-17th Infantry
• b) 2-17th Infantry
• c) 1-73 Armor
• d) 2-10th Cavalry

Field Artillery, Signal, and Engineer troops were supplied as support personnel as required. The estimated number of exposed personnel is 12,056.

Unlike Viet Nam, exposure to Agent Orange is not presumed for veterans who served in Korea. Claims for compensation for disabilities resulting from Agent Orange exposure from veterans who served in Korea during this period will be developed for evidence of exposure. If the veteran was exposed the presumptive conditions found for Agent Orange exposure apply."

Source: Gary D. Moore, 5161 Howard Road, Smiths Creek, MI 48074-2023, USA.  Website: http://www.gmasw.com:80/index.html.

Psychiatry in the Korean War (COMING SOON)

Albert Julius Glass and Franklin D. Jones wrote extensively about psychiatry in the Korean War in Chapters 5 through 12 of the government-generated volume, "Psychiatry in the U.S. Army: Lessons for Community Psychiatry."

Contents:

• Chapter 5 - An Introduction to Psychiatry in the Korean War
• Chapter 6 - The North Korean Invasion (25 June 1950-15 September 1950)
• Chapter 7 - The United Nations Offensive (15 September-26 November 1950)
• Chapter 8 - The Chinese Communist Offensive (26 November 1950-15 January 1951)
• Chapter 9 - The United Nations Winter Offensive (15 January-22 April 1951)
• Chapter 10 - The Spring Offensives (22 April-10 July 1951)
• Chapter 11 - Truce Negotiations and Limited Offensives by the United Nations (10 July 1951-1 October 1951)
• Chapter 12 - Military Psychiatry After the First Year of the Korean War