DANANG, Vietnam (AP) — Fifty years after American planes first sprayed Vietnam's thick jungles with Agent Orange to destroy enemy cover, the United States began for the first time cleaning up dioxin left from the chemical defoliant. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Thursday at a former U.S. air base in Danang. Dioxin, a chemical linked to cancer, birth defects and other disabilities, has seeped into Vietnam's soils and watersheds, creating a war legacy that remains a thorny issue between the former foes nearly four decades after the Vietnam War ended. Washington has been slow to respond. Since 2007 it has given about $60 million for environmental restoration and social services in Vietnam, but this is its first direct involvement in dioxin cleanup.
US starts landmark Agent Orange cleanup in Vietnam
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CORRECTS NUMBER OF DUOC'S FAMILY MEMBERS - In this photo taken Aug. 7, 2012, Vo Duoc sits inside his family's home in Danang, Vietnam. Duoc said he and 11 other members of his family were exposed to dioxin while ingesting contaminated water, fish and vegetables near a former U.S. military base, now Danang airport. On Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012 the U.S. for the first time will begin cleaning up leftover dioxin that was stored at the former military base. (AP Photo/Maika Elan)
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In this photo taken Aug. 7, 2012, Ho Thi Lang, 18, left, and Pham Thi Thuy Linh, 21, learn how to make artificial flowers at the supporting center for victims of Agent Orange in Danang, Vietnam. The children were born with physical and mental disabilities that the center's director said were caused by their parents' exposure to the chemical dioxin in the defoliant Agent Orange. Washington was slow to respond, but on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012 the U.S. for the first time will begin cleaning up leftover dioxin that was stored at the former military base, now part of Danang's airport. (AP Photo/Maika Elan)
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In this photo taken Tuesday Aug. 7, 2012, Le Thi Kim Lien wakes up after noon's nap at a rehabilitation center in Danang, Vietnam. The children were born with physical and mental disabilities that the center's director said were caused by their parents' exposure to the chemical dioxin in the defoliant Agent Orange. Washington was slow to respond, but on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012 the U.S. for the first time will begin cleaning up leftover dioxin that was stored at the former military base, now part of Danang's airport. (AP Photo/Maika Elan)
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In this photo taken Aug. 7, 2012, Vo Hong Vu tries to draw some animals at a rehabilitation center in Danang, Vietnam. The children were born with profound physical and mental disabilities that the center's director said were caused by their parents' exposure to the chemical dioxin in the defoliant Agent Orange. Washington was slow to respond, but on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012 the U.S. for the first time will begin cleaning up leftover dioxin that was stored at the former military base, now part of Danang's airport. (AP Photo/Maika Elan)
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In this photo taken Aug. 7, 2012, Ho Thi Lang, 18, plugs a fake flower made by herself in a bottle at a rehabilitation center in Danang, Vietnam. The children were born with physical and mental disabilities that the center's director said were caused by their parents' exposure to the chemical dioxin in the defoliant Agent Orange. Washington was slow to respond, but on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012 the U.S. for the first time will begin cleaning up leftover dioxin that was stored at the former military base, now part of Danang's airport. (AP Photo/Maika Elan)
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In this photo taken Aug. 7, 2012, Vo Thi Thuy Nga, 24, left, and her uncle Vo Duoc sit inside their home in Danang, Vietnam. She was born with physical and mental disabilities that a rehabilitation center's director said were caused by their parents' exposure to the chemical dioxin in the defoliant Agent Orange. Washington was slow to respond, but on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012 the U.S. for the first time will begin cleaning up leftover dioxin that was stored at the former military base, now part of Danang's airport. (AP Photo/Maika Elan)
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In this photo taken on Aug. 7, 2012, Dang Cong Kien, 18, rear, and Dang Thi Khanh Mai, 17, center in foreground, prepare for a nap at a rehabilitation center in Danang, Vietnam. The children were born with physical and mental disabilities that the center's director said were caused by their parents' exposure to the chemical dioxin in the defoliant Agent Orange. Washington was slow to respond, but on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012 the U.S. for the first time will begin cleaning up leftover dioxin that was stored at the former military base, now part of Danang's airport. (AP Photo/Maika Elan)
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In this photo taken Aug. 7, 2012, Ho Thi Lang, left, combs Ngo Diep Uyen's hair after her nap at a rehabilitation center in Danang, Vietnam. The children were born with physical and mental disabilities that the center's director said were caused by their parents' exposure to the chemical dioxin in the defoliant Agent Orange. Washington was slow to respond, but on Thursday the U.S. for the first time will begin cleaning up leftover dioxin that was stored at the former military base, now part of Danang's airport. (AP Photo/Maika Elan)
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