Question 4: What was the purpose of Operation Ranch Hand?
Through the herbicide-spraying program centered on Operation Ranch Hand, the U.S. military pursued three objectives:
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Removal of vegetation for offensive operations
The vegetation-clearing operation called “Operation 20T” concentrated on major revolutionary strongholds (C District and Đ District in the southeast, the Duong Minh Chau base in Tây Ninh Province in the north/northeast, the Kanh Zhou Sak forest special zone in Ho Chi Minh City, etc.), the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and border areas.
The goal was to destroy our forces, war materiel, rear bases, supply routes, and communications by reconnaissance from the air followed by bombing — especially B-52 carpet bombing — and by ground attacks. After defoliation, U.S. forces dropped napalm to burn the forests. This extremely brutal method of warfare severely damaged Vietnam’s tropical rainforests, leaving destruction that would take decades or even centuries to recover. In addition, the intense heat of napalm produced large secondary quantities of dioxin in areas where herbicides containing 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T had been sprayed. -
Removal of vegetation for defensive purposes
“Operation 20P” aimed to remove dense surrounding forest near U.S. and puppet-government garrisons, important sites, major rear bases, troop movement routes, and parachute drop zones in order to block and disrupt infiltration and attacks by Vietnamese forces. -
Destruction of crops
“Operation 2R” sought to undermine the economic base of the southern Vietnamese revolutionary forces by destroying food and agricultural products produced for self-sufficiency in areas controlled by the revolutionaries
Source: From the book 120 Questions and Answers about Agent Orange/Dioxin