The release of the new document comes after a year in which the Navy saw several major clusters of suicides. In the Army's tests, as with those of the CIA, individual rights were subordinated to national security considerations; informed consent and follow-up examinations of subjects were neglected in efforts to maintain the secrecy of the tests. Things were different back then. One of the men who never heard from the VA was John Berzellini. Several veterans claimed they were exposed to dangerous chemicals during government-sponsored Cold War experiments without their knowledge, and they filed suit in 2009 against the Army, Veterans Affairs, the CIA and the Department of Defense. Learn more from the Department of Defense.A2016 report to the DoD on long-term health effects due to participation in these tests concluded that although effects of the individual agents had been established in the literature, test subjects would have endured lower concentrations for shorter durations and no significant effects had been observed in the health of test subjects in the years since the tests occurred. Harry Bollinger, 88, of Freeport, Pa., pauses as he talks about his recovery from mustard gas exposure as part of an experiment at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. "I was disgusted already. A lawsuit brought by a veterans' advocacy group, Vietnam Veterans of America, resulted in the requirement that the Army give medical care to eligible veterans who took part in testing that. CampBell's lawsuit seeks to remove Sherry Abraham from office . The court granted the plaintiffs partial summary judgment concerning the notice claim: summarily adjudicating in plaintiffs' favor, finding that "the Army has an ongoing duty to warn" and ordering "the Army, through the DVA or otherwise, to provide test subjects with newly acquired information that may affect their well-being that it has learned since its original notification, now and in the future as it becomes available". And in this case I'm afraid the answer is not yet. Schnurman, who died in 2013 when he was 87, had suffered debilitating injuries after being tested at the U.S. An Army investigation subsequently found no evidence of serious injuries or deaths associated with the MRVP, but deplored both the recruiting process and the informed consent approach, which they characterized as "suggest[ing] possible coercion". The website has details about applying for medical care through this program. "And these people should have long been appropriately provided for. Rochelle, 60, who has come back to live in Onslow county, said in an interview that there were about two dozen volunteers . In addition to medical benefits, the lawsuit is asking that the Defense Department and Department of Veteran Affairs find all Edgewood veterans and provide them with details of the chemicals they received and their possible health effects. NPR Investigations Research Librarian Barbara Van Woerkom contributed reporting and research to this investigation. He filed a federal lawsuit for compensation in 1979, but was unsuccessful because of a legal doctrine that protects the military from being sued for service-related injuries. She has been an editor at Military Times for 20 years, covering issues that affect service members. Discovery Company. Other times it was a pill, Josephs told CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. In all, roughly 60,000 World War II veterans were used as test subjects, and they kept the experiments secret for half a century. Cavell is currently being re-evaluated before the benefits can be disbursed. The process typically relies on evidence, but most of the men in these experiments have none because the tests were done in secret. In January 2014, an additional request was made for release of multiple films made of Project SHAD tests. Ariel Zambelich/NPR These men make a convincing case that they were not briefed about the risks involved in the program and did not understand the potential for the long-term effects they've endured. "It's sobering to hear the words and discussion that was happening about setting this program up," Hancock said. According to a recent report by CNN.com "From 1955 to 1975, military researchers at Edgewood were using not only animals but human subjects to test a witches' brew of drugs and chemicals. For more information, fill out our online contact form or call 1-800-YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529). That won't be too long now probably.". This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. It was like a plum assignment, Josephs said. "Shortly after receiving the drug, he is grossly impaired," a narrator said as a soldier struggled through an obstacle course. Edgewood Arsenal MKULTRA Lawsuit Larry Scott has been all over this betrayal. Building 509 at Edgewood Arsenal in Harford County, Maryland was a production facility for the assembly of phosphorus igniter assemblies for incendiary bombs, employing a female staff of about 135 assemblers. The Edgewood Arsenal Rod and Gun Club was a club that included U.S. Army officers and Department of the Army civilian personnel stationed at the Arsenal as well as their families and guests. To enter and activate the submenu links, hit the down arrow. In the midst of the Cold War, the military was concerned chemical agents could be used against U.S. soldiers. Edgewood Chemical Activity is a chemical-weapons depot located at APG. [The VA] has made it a priority to identify all service members exposed to chemical and biological substances. They. The Edgewood Arsenal human experiments took place from approximately 1948 to 1975 at the Medical Research Laboratories which is now known as the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD) at the Edgewood Area . Left: U.S. Army Chemical and Biological Defense Agency; Right: Naval Research Laboratory Her name is Joy. (N.D. Cal. This incapacitating agent would be dispersed by standard munitions, and the agent would enter the building through all nonprotected openings, the films narrator boasts. Blisters that eventually increased to the size of half dollar coins started to grow in the same places. But he's haunted by what happened to him at Edgewood. Edgewood Arsenal was a classified US army facility in Maryland where recruits were subjected to sarin, VX, teargas, LSD and PCP. Recent reports indicated that as many as 7,000 soldiers may have been subjected to these experiments in a top secret Cold War research program studying chemical and biological weapons. 1942-1945: U.S. Navy initiated poisonous Mustard Gas and Lewisite (derivative of arsenic) experiments to test protective clothing and anti-blister ointments at the Naval Research Laboratory and at the Army's Edgewood Arsenal. Of those involved in the experiments: Most of these experiments involved tests of protective equipment and of subjects' ability to perform military tasks during exposure. Historic images from the Naval Research Laboratory depict results of a test subject who was exposed to mustard gas. At the Armys request, The Institute of Medicine, an independent nonprofit organization that is the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences, produced a three-volume report in the 1980s on the long-term health of Edgewood veterans. Oakland, CA: A Veterans disability class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of several Veterans Affairs associations including Vietnam Veterans of America as well as individual Vietnam. File a claim online. "But not to get messed up," he continued. To apply, eligible veterans must have: . The ruling came on a class-action lawsuit filed by Vietnam Veterans of America, Swords to Plowshares and individual veterans over medical care for troops who participated in research programs at. After an hour, the officer released six of the men back to their barracks. According to a CNN report that aired in March 2012, from 1955 to 1975 more than 7,000 soldiers each spent two months at Edgewood Arsenal, where they were exposed to as many 250 different chemical and biological agents as part of secret medical experiments. His symptoms vary from day to day. "About 7,000 soldiers took part in the experiments that involved exposures to more than 250 chemicals," it stated. The VA created a list of illnesses that are linked to mustard gas exposure such as skin cancer, leukemia and chronic breathing problems. It is not known how many soldiers may be experiencing long-tem health problems because of their participation in the U.S. Army medical experiments at Edgewood Arsenal. A group of them, led by Nat Schnurman, went public with their stories in 1990. He said, You volunteered for this. About 500 World War II veterans die each day, according to data maintained by the VA. "I do think there is a little bit of that attitude of: 'This is today's problem, it will be gone by tomorrow,' " Goss says. ", And "How would you compare this test with the last one?". According to the 1984 NRC review, human experiments at DoD's Edgewood Arsenal involved about 1,500 subjects who were experimentally exposed to irritant and blister agents including: For example, from 1958 to 1973 at least 1,366 human subjects underwent experimental exposure specifically with the riot-control agent CS at Edgewood Arsenal (NRC 1984). They based that conclusion on the same information that had been sitting in his VA file for decades. It just did not look like a military base, more like a hospital, recalled Josephs, a Pittsburgh native. Long-term psychological effects are possible from the trauma associated with being a human test subject. The chemical caused a delirium that included hallucinations and an inability to carry out tasks. Some test subjects had only partial exposure, such as having the chemical agents applied directly onto their skin. But until NPR inquired about his case, all of those claims had been denied. These studies included a secret human subjects component at least as early as 1948, when "psychological reactions" were documented in Edgewood technicians. Boxes of medical records his and those of other veterans fill the attic, along with handwritten notes and appeals to the VA. But now he just wants people to know what he and others endured. The lawsuit quoted a 1954 report to President Dwight Eisenhower which urged him to approve the human testing program, "If the United states is to survive, long standing American concepts of fair play must be reconsidered.". In 1968, Tim Josephs was told he would be testing gas masks, boots and other clothing, he said. Others were locked in gas chambers, like Cavell. The announcement applies to testing that took place from 1942 to 1975, officials said. "We weren't told what it was," says Charlie Cavell, who was 19 when he volunteered for the program in exchange for two weeks' vacation. She previously worked as an editor and staff writer at newspapers in Columbus, Georgia; Huntsville, Alabama; Bloomington, Indiana; Monterey, California and in Germany. [22], Material Testing Program EA (Edgewood Arsenal) numbers. You will now be able to tab or arrow up or down through the submenu options to access/activate the submenu links. And in 2010, the VA announced it would review 90,000 previously denied Agent Orange claims. But Bollinger says that time in his life is tainted: by the pain he felt as a human test subject in military experiments, and by the VA that told him it wasn't real. He said the group was told they would help test military equipment like gas masks. Josephs had volunteered for a two-month assignment at Edgewood, in Maryland, lured by three-day weekends closer to home. From 1955 to 1975, military researchers at Edgewood were using not only animals but human subjects to test a witches brew of drugs and chemicals. In the end, the focus is on the veterans who endured these experiments and the struggles many have faced since. APG Transition: 1980s-1990s In some cases, soldiers involved in these experiments were exposed to multiple chemical and biological agents, including incapacitating drugs and toxic substances. Daughter can't have kids due to this place; not to mention the other members of the family ailments. Hancock said the class action lawsuit led to nearly 10 years of litigation. "Dr. Delirium & the Edgewood Experiments" gives ample airtime to theories that Edgewood hosted Nazi scientists given asylum under the Pentagon's notorious Operation Paperclip program, but never quite manages to tie the Germans to Ketchum's experiments. Paul was serving at Fort Bliss in Texas in 1968, when he volunteered for what he thought would be an easy assignment. However, much of that flash comes from recordings made during the actual experiments. "There was no identifying information," he says. Naval Training Center in Bainbridge, Md. Updated Parker Waichman LLP is investigating secret medical experiments that were conducted on U.S. soldiers from 1955 to 1975 at the U.S. Armys Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland. Edgewood Arsenal Medical Experiments Compensation. For 20 years the government tested chemicals on soldiers who were not aware what was being put in their bodies. [13] Some additional information in the section cited from the Course was based on a 1993 IOM study, Veterans at Risk: Health Effects of Mustard Gas and Lewisite. 2, "Cholinesterase Reactivators, Psychochemicals and Irritants and Vesicants, Vol. Dr. James Ketchum led the experiments, and we've got a clip in which he defends his methods. The IOM study also concluded that "available data suggest that long-term toxic effects and/or delayed sequellae are unlikely" for this type of compound.[15]. My question to you is my son suffers from a rare form of eczema and severe asthma. 1. "I'm glad to be talking to you about it. "The doctor said, 'we're giving this test to see it in a warmer climate.' Kathleen Curthoys is editor of Army Times. Goss was a Florida congressman when he was contacted by a group of constituents who were used as test subjects and spoke out on their behalf. A diagnosed medical condition they think is a direct result of taking part in an Army chem/bio substance testing program. Treatment will be in addition to the comprehensive medical care that plaintiffs are entitled to receive through Veterans Affairs because of their status as veterans, the release said. It wasn't the real me there," Paul said. "It just did not look like a military base, more. CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Ariel Zambelich/NPR "I don't think there's an explanation for why this program wasn't more successful," Goss says. When those experiments were formally declassified in the 1990s, the Department of Veterans Affairs made two promises: to locate about 4,000 men who were used in the most extreme tests, and to compensate those who had permanent injuries. The document acknowledges his participation in mustard gas experiments. In the late 1940s and early '50s, the U.S. Army worked with Harvard anesthesiologist Henry K. Beecher at its interrogation center at Camp King in Germany on the use of psychoactive compounds (mescaline, LSD), including human subject experiments and the debriefing of former Nazi physicians and scientists who had worked along similar lines before the end of the war. Thank you. Many official government reports and civilian lawsuits followed in the wake of the controversy. These experiments were conducted primarily to learn how various agents would affect humans (NRC 1982). Those substances affect the same region of the brain, Erspamer said. While early experiments with marijuana and LSD get plenty of discussion, much of the long-term damage seems to result from experimentation with the powerful incapacitating agent 3-Quinuclidinyl benzilate, commonly known as BZ. The test subjects who are still alive are now in their 80s and 90s. 2, "Cholinesterase Reactivators, Psychochemicals and Irritants and Vesicants" (1984), Vol. Please be sure to specify the particular web page or function at issue, and provide us with any other information you may think will help us locate the area. Watching soldiers suffer through delirium and panic attacks while older survivors describe their experiences makes for powerful viewing. "I remember him laying up in the bedroom up there," she says. Documents reveal after getting BZ, Paul was put in temperatures of 105 degrees then 125 degrees for up to seven hours, to see if the drug impacted the way soldiers sweated. Subscribe to the Military.com newsletter to have military news, updates and resources delivered straight to your inbox. [3] In the 1950s, some officials in the U.S. Department of Defense publicly asserted that many "forms of chemical and allied warfare as more 'humane' than existing weapons. All Rights Reserved. These efforts are ongoing. NPR Photo Editor Ariel Zambelich and reporters Christopher Groskopf, Jani Actman and Lydia Emmanouilidou also contributed to this story. If I go to a locked door, I panic sometimes to try to get out.". Call: 988 (Press 1), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs | 810 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington DC 20420. [7][8][9] A concrete result of these experiments was that BZ was weaponized, although never deployed. The tests evaluated protective equipment like gas masks and suits. She says they didn't know that he was eligible for disability benefits when he died of a heart attack in 1995. The IOM committee requested declassification of 21 additional elements from at least nine documents from DoD in August 2012. According to the class action lawsuit filed on behalf of Edgewood Arsenal veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), despite having actively participated in the experiments, has denied between 97% and 99% of all disability or death claims arising out of the exposures. A recent class action lawsuit filed by the Vietnam Veterans of America required the U.S. Army to provide medical care to veterans who volunteered to contribute to the advancement of the U.S. biological and chemical programs. Blocks of ice sat on shelves overhead with fans blowing across them to increase the humidity in the room, which intensified mustard gas's effects on the body. . In his mid-50s, Josephs was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease, a progressive neurological condition that forced him to retire early. According to the lawsuit, some of the volunteers were even implanted with electrical devices in an effort to control their behaviour. In 1988, Cavell requested copies of his records from the experiments he was in at the Naval Research Laboratory. Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Accessibility Compliance Policy | Library | Diversity StatementWe are committed to making this website accessible, and as consistent with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 as possible. Since I grew up in close proximity to Edgewood with obvious chemical testing, how much can I have transferred birth defects to him? appreciated. From 1955 to 1975, the Army conducted chemical weapons testing on volunteer soldiers at the Edgewood Arsenal facility in Maryland in pursuit of an agent that could disable enemy troops on the field of battle without killing them. He says he tires easily. Lasting from 1950 to 1975, the experiments took place at Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland. Over a period of 20 years, more than 7,000 volunteers spent an estimated total of 14,000 months at Edgewood Arsenal. And you just wouldnt think they would give you something that would harm you intentionally.. This being said, also my son's father was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam. In 2009 a lawsuit was filed by veterans rights organizations Vietnam Veterans of America, and Swords to Plowshares, and eight Edgewood veterans or their families against CIA, the U.S. Army, and other agencies. ", Flohr tells NPR his agency has followed federal statutes in its handling of claims for mustard gas exposure. Nine workers, of whom eight were African-American, were killed in the . Credit: Edgewood Arsenal. Edgewood also hit a roadblock with its field in May of 2020, when the City of . There's a reason we have such incredible details about the program available now, and this film makes excellent use of the truths revealed during a massive lawsuit. [21], On appeal in Vietnam Veterans of America v. Central Intelligence Agency, a panel majority held in July 2015 that Army Regulation 70-25 (AR 70-25) created an independent duty to provide ongoing medical care to veterans who participated in U.S. chemical and biological testing programs. The men were sworn to secrecy and told to never discuss Edgewood Arsenal or the experiments that went on there with anyone. "But this is a bargain we made. A nurse or doctor asked him questions after he was put in a chamber and exposed to an irritant, likely tear gas. Office of Accountability & Whistleblower Protection, Training - Exposure - Experience (TEE) Tournament, Military Exposure Related Health Concerns, War Related Illness & Injury Study Center, Clinical Trainees (Academic Affiliations), Learn more from the Department of Defense, Review and Approach to Evaluating Long-term Health Effects in Army Test Subjects, Find out if you qualify for VA health care, Call TTY if you Josephs received his letter from the VA in 2008, four decades after he arrived at the Maryland base. The agents tested included chemical warfare agents and other related agents (inactive substances or placebos such as saline were used): There are no tests today that can confirm exposure to agents from decades ago. "That's me" he said pointing to a younger version of himself. "I've read several of the guys say they were never the same after BZ, and they are telling the truth," Paul said. He says he is proud of his service, and he wears the cap everywhere he goes. And when he questioned the staff about whether he was in any danger, they reassured him: There is nothing here that could ever harm you., But Josephs, 63, believes the chemical agents he received during his two-month stint at Edgewood did harm him, triggering health problems that continue to plague him four decades later. Eight individual isomers numbered EA-2233-1 through EA-2233-8. Youre going to do it. Veterans who became Army guinea pigs for secret drug and chemical experiments are suing the VA, the CIA and the Defense Department. Case No. Instead, they sought only declaratory and injunctive relief and redress for what they claimed was several decades of neglect and the U.S. government's use of them as human guinea pigs in chemical and biological agent testing experiments. The VA has been accused of bias in these claims denials due to its self-interest in the issues. Statistically, at least one out of a thousand young soldiers chosen at random might be expected to expire during any one-year period. Schnurman and his. Read the lawsuit complaint document (PDF), Read about an Edgewood volunteers widow who blames the VA for his death, Gordon Erspamer, lead attorney in the suit, has reviewed the partial Edgewood medical records that Josephs was able to obtain with the help of his wife. Josephs said he didnt know what drugs he was getting. We will strive to make that page accessible. "And as far as the secretary and I are concerned, we're about to do right by them.". NPR interviewed more than 40 living test subjects and family members, and they describe an unending cycle of appeals and denials as they struggled to get government benefits for mustard gas exposure. Paul showed us an interview from April of 1968. Tim Josephs arrived at Edgewood Arsenal in 1968, he knew there was something different about the place. hide caption. A Warner Bros. "These were active-duty U.S. service members being used as human guinea pigs," Hancock said. Kristian Thacker for NPR We closely follow guidance from the World Wide Web Consortium. A Defense Department Form 214 or War Department discharge/separation form or the functional equivalent. If, at any time, you have difficulty using this website, please contact us. They had detailed the length of time he spent inside a gas chamber and the level of mustard gas in the air. 3, "Final Report: Current Health Status of Test Subjects", Health Outcomes Among Veterans of Project SHAD (Shipboard Hazard and Defense) (2016), "United States v. Stanley, 483 US 669 - Supreme Court 1987", "Vietnam Veterans of America v. Central Intelligence Agency", "THE HUMAN ASSESSMENT OF EA 1729 AND EA 3528 BY THE INHALATION ROUTE", "Assessment of Potential Long Term Health Effects on Army Human Test Subjects of Relevant Biological and Chemical Agents, Drugs, Medications and Substances", "King's Collections: Archive Catalogues: Military Archives", "Operation Delirium: Decades after a risky Cold War experiment, a scientist lives with secrets". Josephs applied for veterans benefits based on chemical exposure at Edgewood. These men aren't polished or rehearsed, and the filmmakers let them have their say, even when things veer into pure speculation. These agents are still used today as antidotes to organophosphorus nerve agent poisoning, including accidental poisoning by organophosphorus pesticides. Elimination of the chemicals held here was put on an accelerated schedule after the September 11, 2001, attacks, and all chemical weapons were destroyed by February 2006. At the end of the second hour, the officer ordered Cavell back to his barracks and to continue wearing his gas-saturated uniform. "But we have done everything that we could do, I definitely believe that.". Many official government reports and civilian lawsuits followed in the wake of the controversy. According to CNN, declassified government documents indicated the men were exposed to incapacitating drugs like BZ; or to sarin, an extremely toxic, potentially deadly substance that disrupts the nervous system; or to VX, a liquid neurotoxin considered one of the most dangerous chemicals created. The soldiers were induced to become part of the experiments by program representatives who said they were looking for soldiers to test Army gear, vehicles, and military combat equipment, CNN said. After a stint at a defense company in Tennessee, Carl Gepp got a job in 1965 as an engineer working on the Honest John missile back at the Edgewood Arsenal. A classified report entitled "Psychochemical Warfare: A New Concept of War" was produced in 1949 by Luther Wilson Greene, Technical Director of the Chemical and Radiological Laboratories at Edgewood. Tests began for Josephs almost as soon as he arrived at Edgewood for a two-month assignment on January 1, 1968. My mom eventually transferred to Edgewood Arsenal shortly later. 27299 Riverview Center Boulevard, Suite 108. The court granted the defendants' motion for summary judgment with respect to the other claims. About 260 subjects were experimentally exposed to various psychochemicals including phencyclidine (PCP), and 10 related synthetic analogs of the active ingredient of cannabis (NRC 1984). As late as 2014 incomplete information due to the failure to declassify and release relevant classified documents prevented IOM from conducting adequate medical studies related to similar former US biowarfare programs. 1982-85 IOM report Brad Flohr, a VA senior adviser for benefits, says the agency couldn't find the rest, because military records of the experiments were incomplete. The action is related to a 2009 lawsuit filed by VVA, an Army spokesperson confirmed to Army Times. The Edgewood Arsenal continued to produce chemical agents and countermeasures in case they became necessary. The "Independent Study Course" cites mainly a three-volume study by the Institute of Medicine (19821985) for its data and conclusions, Possible Long-Term Health Effects of Short-Term Exposure to Chemical Agents. With regard specifically to BZ and related compounds, the IOM study concluded that "available data suggest that long-term toxic effects and/or delayed sequellae are unlikely". He showed a black and white photo of a large group of soldiers in front of a sign "Medical Volunteers.". For example, in 1970, DEFENDANTS provided Congress with an alphabetical list showing that they had tested 145 drugs during Projects Bluebird, Artichoke, Case4:09-cv-00037-CW Document180 Filed11/18/10 Page6 of 76 Congress has intervened in similar situations. After NPR's inquiry, the VA told NPR there was enough evidence to grant his claims. He believes the testing hurt him emotionally and stole part of his life. The moment 18-year-old Army Pvt. Vol. If a page cannot be made accessible, we will work to make a text version available. A significant change was made on July 1, 1971, when Edgewood Arsenal, the former chemical center and current chemical research and engineering center for the U.S. Army, was merged into APG. Not enrolled in the VA health care system? The use of troops to test nerve gas, psychochemicals, and thousands of other toxic chemical or biological substances. 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