In this episode of Dearest Suzie, Popi writes on June 2, 1965, sounding exhausted after another nine-hour day in the air. His letter is short but full of those familiar, loving updates, details about paying off a used car, finally mailing the shirts he had made for Suzie and the boys, and worrying whether they’ll fit. Yet beneath Popi’s routine worries and warm tone, there’s a deeper legacy at play, one he never wrote about in his letters but that still shapes our lives today: Agent Orange. In 1965, Popi wouldn’t have known the name or the dangers of the chemical. Like most soldiers, he thought of it as a tool to clear the jungle, to make his missions safer. But that chemical contained dioxin, one of the most toxic compounds ever created. Decades later, the true costs became clear: severe health issues for Vietnamese civilians and American veterans alike, and the heartbreaking realization that its effects didn’t stop with them.
This episode explores that invisible inheritance. It’s a story of how a defoliant used to strip away jungle cover has left an imprint in the DNA of families across generations. It’s about the real cost of service, the price paid not just by the soldiers who went, but by their families who bear the legacy. And it’s about the hard questions that come with that knowledge: What else did we inherit from Popi’s time in Vietnam? His kindness? His burdens? His regrets? It’s a reminder that history isn’t just something we study; it’s something we live with, long after the letters have stopped.
What’s Covered:
- Popi’s June 2 letter, full of everyday updates and small frustrations
- The story behind Agent Orange: what it was, how it was used, and why it still matters
- The science of epigenetics and how dioxin’s effects can be passed down through generations
- Personal reflections on how Agent Orange may have impacted Popi’s descendants
- A thoughtful look at the burdens, and gifts, we inherit from those who came before us
📷 Featured Photo: An aerial view of boats and buildings on a river. Lush green borders hint at the forests that once offered cover—and the areas that may have been sprayed. The half-life of Agent Orange in waterways is estimated at 100 years, a haunting reminder of a war’s toxic legacy.
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