He filed claims for several illnesses on the VA's list of those linked to mustard gas, including skin cancer and chronic breathing problems. 2009), the plaintiffs did not seek monetary damages. "And these people should have long been appropriately provided for. appreciated. And you just wouldnt think they would give you something that would harm you intentionally.. Attorney James Hancock works with the California law firm Morrison & Foerster, which filed a class action lawsuit back in 2008 against the CIA and Department of Defense. The National Academies of Science reviewed this report in 2018 ("Review and Approach to Evaluating Long-term Health Effects in Army Test Subjects") and suggested a framework for evaluating these exposures moving forward. 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. The lawsuit sought for the veterans to be notified about what substances they had received and be provided medical coverage. 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. Relics from Nat Schnurman's activism still decorate the family home where his wife, Joy (pictured, far right), lives. The IOM committee requested declassification of 21 additional elements from at least nine documents from DoD in August 2012. Decades after the U.S. Army used soldiers to test the effects of potent chemical and biological warfare agents - including some prohibited by the Geneva Protocol - it has begun notifying veterans. Declassified military films show soldiers being given drugs and then being monitored to see their impacts. [9] The safety record of the Edgewood Arsenal experiments was also defended in the memoirs of psychiatrist and retired colonel James Ketchum, a key scientist:[18]. 2004 GAO report According to the lawsuit, some of the volunteers were even implanted with electrical devices in an effort to control their behaviour. According to the agency, if a veteran has an illness on the list and can prove he was exposed, he receives benefits. Tests began for Josephs almost as soon as he arrived at Edgewood for a two-month assignment on January 1, 1968. General William M. Creasy, former chief chemical officer, U.S. Army, testified to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1959 that "provided sufficient emphasis is put behind it, I think the future lies in the psychochemicals. Around 7,000 US military personnel and 1,000 civilians were test subjects over almost three decades. A Defense Department Form 214 or War Department discharge/separation form or the functional equivalent. A diagnosed medical condition they think is a direct result of taking part in an Army chem/bio substance testing program. [] At Edgewood, even at the highest doses it often took an hour or more for incapacitating effects to show, and the end-effects usually did not include full incapacitation, let alone unconsciousness. Case No. The 1945 Edgewood Arsenal explosion killed twelve munitions workers and injured more than fifty on May 25, 1945. However, a good history and physical examination can provide valuable information and help determine a Veterans risk of developing health problems related to the exposure. The VA created a list of illnesses that are linked to mustard gas exposure such as skin cancer, leukemia and chronic breathing problems. The heart of the film is interviews with a group of veterans who participated in the testing program, mostly during the Vietnam War era. Original photo: Courtesy of Charlie Cavell, Left: U.S. Army Chemical and Biological Defense Agency; Right: Naval Research Laboratory. Cavell says that even today, when he comes to a locked door he's reminded of the inside of a gas chamber. The use of troops to test nerve gas, psychochemicals, and thousands of other toxic chemical or biological substances. But he's haunted by what happened to him at Edgewood. This being said, also my son's father was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam. But the research expanded into offensive chemical weapons, including one that could, according to one Army film obtained by CNN, deliver a veritable chemical ambush against an enemy. Cheryl Huppertz filed a lawsuit in district court Sept. 28, seeking a writ of mandamus to compel Edgewood to produce public [] CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. The first story in this report focused on race-based experiments done as part of the military's chemical warfare program: Cavell, now 88 years old, says the officer threatened him and the other test subjects: If they told anyone about their knowledge or participation in the experiments, they would receive a dishonorable discharge and be sent to military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. "They put the fear of God in just a bunch of young kids," he says. To date, these policies have not been applied to World War II vets who were exposed to mustard gas. Other exposures included tear gas, and hallucinogenics like LSD. According to at least one class action lawsuit filed on behalf of Edgewood Arsenal veterans, other substances tested on soldiers there included mescaline, amphetamines, mustard gas, CS (riot control agent), a THC analog called red oil, anthrax, botulism, plague, tularemia, Q fever, and crop destruction agents such as dioxin, used in Agent Orange. 2. Erspamer said Josephs probably received an injection of sarin or another nerve gas, because the records show that he received the drug P2S on February 1, 1968, to treat organophosphate poisoning.. But instead, the military deliberately exposed them to chemical and biological agents. Tim Josephs arrived at Edgewood Arsenal in 1968, he knew there was something different about the place. "No Social Security numbers, no addresses, no way of identifying them. 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 supported U.S. chemical and biological programs, Army Medical Command officials said in a release this week. The MRVP was also driven by intelligence requirements and the need for new and more effective interrogation techniques. "You can't coordinate anything you know. 31 subjects experienced ocular exposure via direct CS application to their eyes. "Incapacitating chemical agents": Law enforcement, human rights law and policy perspectives. An officer took him aside. 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. Fed the "F" up. CNN The moment 18-year-old Army Pvt. 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 . The men were sworn to secrecy and told to never discuss Edgewood Arsenal or the experiments that went on there with anyone. A tattered ball cap that says World War II veteran hangs by the front door in his house. hide caption, Former CIA Director Porter Goss says the VA has mishandled these claims. The founder and director of the program, Dr Van Murray Sim, was called before Congress and chastised by outraged lawmakers, who questioned the absence of follow-up care for the human volunteers. Veterans may file a claim for disability compensation for health problems they believe are related to exposures during Edgewood/Aberdeen chemical tests. Cavell and 11 other volunteers were locked inside a gas chamber with mustard gas piping inside. The Edgewood Arsenal continued to produce chemical agents and countermeasures in case they became necessary. Josephs said he didnt know what drugs he was getting. The U.S. Army believed that legal liability could be avoided by concealing the experiments. Tim clearly had adverse health effects because they gave him such high doses that he ranged from overdose with one substance to the antidote, back and forth, and he actually had to get a very powerful antipsychotic drug because, in the vernacular, he flipped out.. Some test subjects had only partial exposure, such as having the chemical agents applied directly onto their skin. "The doctor said, 'we're giving this test to see it in a warmer climate.' EDGEWOOD ARSENAL / MKULTRA LAWSUIT MOVES TO NEXT PHASE Claims it is unconstitutional for the VA to decide VA claims where VA itself participated in the illegal chemical and biological weapons program. By this logic, Edgewood was possibly the safest military place in the world to spend two months. In the suit, Vietnam Veterans of America, et al. There, Ketchum was administering psychotropic drugs on young. He said the group was told they would help test military equipment like gas masks. The study could not rule out long-term health effects related to exposure to the nerve agents. "And that's what I have problems with today. Officials at the Pentagon tell NPR it's likely that some of the records about military mustard gas experiments were never recovered. Long-term follow-up was not planned as part of the DoD studies. "It's sobering to hear the words and discussion that was happening about setting this program up," Hancock said. hide caption, When the story broke, VA Deputy Secretary Anthony Principi appeared on 60 Minutes, in 1991, to explain how the agency would respond to men who were injured in the tests: "They should be praised for what they did," Principi said on the CBS News program. Brad Flohr, a VA senior adviser for benefits, says the agency couldn't find the rest, because military records of the experiments were incomplete. 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. Last year, the Department of Veterans Affairs granted him partial benefits for his Parkinsons for Agent Orange exposure during his time in Thailand, giving Josephs 40% disability. The test subjects who are still alive are now in their 80s and 90s. Krenzer, John Miller, Jacobi Natarelli, G. E. EA 1464 and Related Compounds, I. Synthesis of EA 1464, EA 1473, and Their Homologs. You can't hardly walk, and your mind is going so many different directions," Paul said. If you or someone you love were a victim of these experiments, we urge you to contact Parker Waichman LLP today to protect your legal rights. About 7,000 soldiers took part in these experiments that involved exposures to more than 250 different chemicals, according to the Department of Defense (DoD). Tyler Perry wrote and will direct the story of an all-female, all-Black battalion that served in Europe. For example, certain types of 'psychochemicals' would make it possible to paralyze temporarily entire population centers without damage to homes and other structures. The experiments involved at least 254 chemical substances, but focused mainly on midspectrum incapacitants, such as LSD, THC derivatives, benzodiazepines, and BZ. APG-EA continued to hurt soldiers ways after the human experiments and should be considered also. Bicycle, Scooter, and Electric Bike Accidents, Cerebral Palsy Malpractice Injury Lawsuits, Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) Disease Injury Lawyers, Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawyers | Priest Abuse Attorneys, Pennsylvania Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Lawyers, U.S. Army Edgewood Arsenal Medical Experiments, Bicycle, Scooter, and Electric Bike Accident, Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) Disease Injury. These irritant chemicals were selected for human testing following preliminary animal studies. These studies included a secret human subjects component at least as early as 1948, when "psychological reactions" were documented in Edgewood technicians. Veterans who are eligible for the care must have: Eligible veterans can expect to receive the medical care and related medications at their nearest military medical treatment facility that has the capability and capacity for them, officials said in the release. Hancock said the class action lawsuit led to nearly 10 years of litigation. Sometimes it was an injection. 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 can continue by saying I filed an approximately 80 page document to the veteran's administration about my claims and kept getting blown off; resubmitted, blown off. hide caption. It passed the Agent Orange Act in 1991, which requires the VA to assume that all veterans who served in and around Vietnam were exposed to the chemical. 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. Two TV documentaries, with different content but confusingly similar titles were broadcast: In 2012, the Edgewood/Aberdeen experiments were featured on CNN and in, This page was last edited on 30 November 2022, at 16:44. 8:56 AM EST, Thu March 1, 2012. The idea was they would test new Army field jackets, clothing, weapons and things of that nature, but no mention of drugs or chemicals.. He showed a black and white photo of a large group of soldiers in front of a sign "Medical Volunteers.". The lawsuit detailed how the military secretly tested drugs and chemicals on thousands of soldiers including dangerous nerve gases like Sarin and incapacitating agents like LSD and BZ, that Paul called Benzene. 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. He says he tires easily. Other agencies including the CIA and the Special Operations Division of the Department of the Army were also reportedly involved in these studies (NAS 1993). The website has details about applying for medical care through this program. From this point on, APG was the common identifier for both areas. It just did not look like a military base, more like a hospital, recalled Josephs, a Pittsburgh native. 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. Even a book critical of the program, written by Lynn C. Klotz and Edward J. Sylvester, acknowledges that: Unlike the CIA program, research subjects [at Edgewood] all signed informed consent forms, both a general one and another related to any experiment they were to participate in. She says they didn't know that he was eligible for disability benefits when he died of a heart attack in 1995. VA decides these claims on a case-by-case basis. 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. [22], Material Testing Program EA (Edgewood Arsenal) numbers. What's the use?" In the early 1990s, VA officials also announced the agency would lower its burden of proof to make getting benefits easier in these cases. Ariel Zambelich/NPR 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 prior finding held that the Army has an ongoing duty to seek out and provide "notice" to former test participants of any new information that could potentially affect their health. He is one of 60,000 World War II veterans exposed to mustard gas as part of secret experiments by the U.S. military. 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. In the end, the focus is on the veterans who endured these experiments and the struggles many have faced since. the common OP antidote, other ocular and respiratory irritants; and. 2023 Cable News Network. Greene, L. Wilson, "Psychochemical Warfare: A New Concept of War", U. S. Army Chemical Center, Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland; August 1949. The Army is now required to provide medical care to veterans if they can prove their health issues are the result of the testing. 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. None of the requested materials were cleared for public release as of this writing (2016).[19]. Kathleen Curthoys is editor of Army Times. v. Central Intelligence Agency, et al. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, Donate to the Salvation Army Red Kettle Challenge, Storm 5 Alert: Several waves of storms though Friday afternoon (3.1.23). The military also tested tear gas, barbiturates, tranquilizers, narcotics and hallucinogens like LSD. 1, 24), stated: [In 1993 and 1994] we [] reported that the Army Chemical Corps conducted a classified medical research program for developing incapacitating agents. 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 Some of the volunteers exhibited certain symptoms at the time of exposure to these agents. In some cases, soldiers involved in these experiments were exposed to multiple chemical and biological agents, including incapacitating drugs and toxic substances. Similarly, cholinesterase reactivators antidotes such as 2-PAM were tested on about 750 subjects. "Until we actually got into the process of being in that room and realized, wait a minute, we can't get out of here.". This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The NRC report also mentions human experiments involving exposure of 741 soldiers to LSD (NRC 1984). Edgewood Arsenal Medical Experiments Compensation. Many official government reports and civilian lawsuits followed in the wake of the controversy. The chemicals were given to volunteer service members at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland; Dugway Proving Ground, Utah; and Forts Benning, Bragg, and McClellan. Days before his Edgewood duty ended, in February 1968, Josephs was hospitalized for days with Parkinsons-like tremors, symptoms he said have followed him on and off throughout his adult life. 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. For assistance, eligible veterans may call (800) 984-8523 or go to the Army website for participants of medical research programs. Overall, about 7,000 soldiers took part in these experiments that involved exposures to more than 250 different chemicals, according to the Department of Defense (DoD). CampBell's Complaint says that after execution of the real estate contract between McGill and the Abrahams, "on October 27, 2020, Sherry Abraham, acting as an Edgewood Town Councilor, filed an Emergency Motion to Intervene in the McGill lawsuit (D-101-CV-2020-00328).". In a statement, the Defense Department said that it has made it a priority to identify all service members exposed to chemical and biological substances and the VA has contacted and offered free medical evaluations to thousands of veterans.. visit VeteransCrisisLine.net for more resources. In this U.S. government photo, Wray Forrest is seen on the far right in 1973 while participating in the program at Maryland's Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center. "And as far as the secretary and I are concerned, we're about to do right by them.". From 1948 to 1975, the U.S. Army Chemical Corps conducted classified human subject research at the Edgewood Arsenal facility in Maryland. There were instances of chemical damages to the car. Read the secret (now unclassified) Army document revealing BZ tests on soldiers (PDF). Two autobiographical books from psychiatrists conducting human experiments at Edgewood have been self-published: Journalist Linda Hunt, citing records from the. Erspamer said the government has reached very few of the 7,000 or so Edgewood veterans, and the VA has turned down almost all Edgewood-related health claims. More than 20 years later, the VA has attempted to contact fewer than a quarter of the thousands it said it would. "That's going to be on my tombstone," Bollinger says. "I'm glad to be talking to you about it. "These were active-duty U.S. service members being used as human guinea pigs," Hancock said. He believes the testing hurt him emotionally and stole part of his life. Rochelle, 60, who has come back to live in Onslow county, said in an interview that there were about two dozen volunteers . Her name is Joy. APG Transition: 1980s-1990s This top secret Cold War research program initially looked for ways to defend against a chemical or biological attack by the Soviet Union, thought to be far ahead of the United States in psycho-chemical warfare. As a result of the testing, many of the veterans who served between two and four months at the Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland, suffer from chronic, debilitating illnesses. But Goss says that excuse is at the core of all that is dysfunctional in Washington bureaucracies. These experiments were conducted primarily to learn how various agents would affect humans (NRC 1982). We closely follow guidance from the World Wide Web Consortium. While in the Navy, Cavell (center, No. 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". Each year more of their stories die with them. soldiers at the Edgewood Arsenal, or to other "volunteers" under contract to the Edgewood Arsenal, were not disclosed. He blames his time at Edgewood for all this, and he has joined a lawsuit on behalf of Edgewood veterans seeking medical benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. . The plaintiffs collectively referred to themselves as the "Test Vets". Then, in 1996, Bollinger received a military commendation in the mail. Congress has intervened in similar situations. "Shortly after receiving the drug, he is grossly impaired," a narrator said as a soldier struggled through an obstacle course. 7 Jun 2022 Military.com | By James Barber From 1955 to 1975, the Army conducted chemical weapons testing on volunteer soldiers at the Edgewood Arsenal facility in Maryland in pursuit of an. Three test subjects enter a gas chamber, which will fill with mustard gas, as part of the military's secret chemical warfare testing in March 1945. Your email will only be used if a response is needed. 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 3, "Final Report: Current Health Status of Test Subjects" (1985). The mustard gas experiments were conducted at a time when American intelligence showed that enemy gas attacks were imminent. This incapacitating agent would be dispersed by standard munitions, and the agent would enter the building through all nonprotected openings, the films narrator boasts. The Edgewood Arsenal human experiments took place from approximately 1948 to 1975 at the Medical Research Laboratorieswhich is now known as the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD)at the Edgewood Area, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. 1. Charlie Cavell at his home in Virginia. This program involved testing nerve agents, nerve agent antidotes, psycho chemicals, and irritants. Attention A T users. There is no VA environmental health registry associated with Edgewood/Aberdeen chemical tests. She has been an editor at Military Times for 20 years, covering issues that affect service members. 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. 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. A third type of test exposed troops to gas outdoors in simulated combat settings. 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. We will strive to make that page accessible. Everyone I have dealt with at your firm has been very professional and courteous. After NPR's inquiry, the VA told NPR there was enough evidence to grant his claims. Blisters that eventually increased to the size of half dollar coins started to grow in the same places. 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. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has a page about the testing on its website. Paul showed us an interview from April of 1968. Vol. 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. Naval Research Laboratory 2. It claimed "no significant health effects have been observed" in those who were tested. Since I grew up in close proximity to Edgewood with obvious chemical testing, how much can I have transferred birth defects to him? That won't be too long now probably.". Only a small number of all the experiments done during this period involved mustard agents or Lewisite. 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. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) published a three-volume report on the Edgewood research in 19821985, Possible Long-Term Health Effects of Short-Term Exposure to Chemical Agents.[16]. Sometimes, he has trouble swallowing. From Edgewood, Josephs said he went to an Army installation in Georgia, where he experienced tremors so severe, he had to be admitted to the base hospital and given muscle relaxers. A group of them, led by Nat Schnurman, went public with their stories in 1990. To my knowledge, not one of them died or suffered a serious illness or permanent injury. Mr. Zekowski is always on top of his game. 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. Paul retired from the military and went on to raise a family in Nashville. Find out if you qualify for VA health care. A deliberate destruction of evidence and files documenting their illegal actions, actions which were punctuated by fraud, deception, and a callous disregard for the value of human life. "But we have done everything that we could do, I definitely believe that.". Did you encounter any technical issues? "That's me" he said pointing to a younger version of himself. The Maj. Richard Star Act would eliminate the dollar-for-dollar offset on retirement pay that combat-disabled vets with less Capt. Those regulations have kept veterans like Harry Bollinger, 88, from receiving benefits. Inside the chamber, Cavell's skin started to turn red and burn in the places where he sweat the most: between his legs, behind his neck and under his arms. hide caption. Hunt, Secret Agenda: The U.S. Government, Nazi Scientists and Project Paperclip 1945-1991. In more than 20 years, the VA attempted to reach just 610 of the men, with a single letter sent in the mail. Those substances affect the same region of the brain, Erspamer said. For more information, fill out our online contact form or call 1-800-YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529). Many official government reports and civilian lawsuits followed in the wake of the controversy. 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. I was a MRVP at Edgewood Arsenal Chemical in 1964/1965. 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