What happens when the wounds of war don’t surface until 30 or 40 years later?

This is not a rhetorical question. It’s the lived experience of thousands of Vietnam veterans whose battle scars are only now becoming visible, etched not by bullets or shrapnel, but by amputations, diabetes and chronic illness linked to exposure to Agent Orange. Fifty years after the end of the Vietnam War, far too many are still paying the price of service. And many are doing so in silence.

I think of Loston Benton, a proud Vietnam veteran from Texas, who lost a limb due to complications from Type 2 diabetes, an illness the Department of Veterans Affairs now presumes to be caused by Agent Orange exposure. Decades after returning home, Loston found himself trapped in a house he could no longer safely navigate. Even the simple act of bathing had become dangerous. His life changed when our team at Homes for Veterans modified his bathroom to make it wheelchair accessible. That barrier-free shower restored his independence and his dignity.

I also think of John Prescott from Florida, another Vietnam veteran who endured a diabetes-related amputation many years after his service. When we completed accessibility modifications on his home, John told us it “saved his life.” But why did it take decades, and the loss of a limb, for help to arrive?

Between 1962 and 1971, Agent Orange was sprayed across more than 12% of South Vietnam’s landscape. It was a tactical decision with strategic consequences, meant to defoliate dense jungle and expose enemy combatants. What was not known, or not acknowledged soon enough, was the devastating long-term impact that this toxic herbicide would have on the Americans who served there. Today, the VA and the National Academies of Sciences both recognize the link between Agent Orange and numerous health conditions, including Type 2 diabetes.

But the effects of Agent Orange are not immediate. There is no visible blast, no instant trauma. Many Vietnam veterans began experiencing symptoms 20 to 40 years after exposure, often not until they reached middle age or older. That delay made it harder to identify the cause, harder to get treatment, and harder to access benefits. In some cases, veterans didn’t even realize their illness was connected to their military service.

The consequences are often catastrophic. Diabetes is now one of the leading causes of non-combat amputations among veterans. As limbs are lost to vascular disease and peripheral neuropathy, many veterans lose more than mobility. They lose the ability to safely live in their own homes. Without ramps, roll-in showers, or widened doorways, basic daily tasks become daunting, even dangerous. And yet, far too many cannot access the funding or support they need to make their homes livable again.

This is not just a medical crisis. It is a crisis of dignity. Too many veterans are aging into unsafe and undignified conditions, isolated by both their disabilities and the lack of support systems to meet their needs. This is a hidden epidemic — one that rarely makes headlines, but is no less urgent for that invisibility.

Agent Orange Awareness Day, recognized every year on Aug. 10, is a crucial moment to raise public consciousness about this ongoing crisis. This year, as we mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, it is especially important that we reckon with the full cost of service, including the costs that only show themselves decades later.

More than 2.6 million Americans were exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Today, they are aging, amputated, and often forgotten. We owe them more than gratitude. We owe them action. That begins with awareness, but it must extend to philanthropic investment, public policy, and a commitment to meet their needs with urgency and compassion.

The war may be over. But for many Vietnam veterans, the battle continues -- in their bodies, in their homes, and in their everyday lives. It is our responsibility to stand with them, not just in remembrance, but in solidarity.

Because no one should have to fight for their life a second time after coming home.

Francesca DiPaola is the CEO of Homes For Veterans. Amber Smith, Military Advisor for the Coalition for Military Excellence, is a former U.S. Army combat helicopter pilot and former deputy assistant to the secretary of defense.