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. "No Social Security numbers, no addresses, no way of identifying them. "They want to use young men as guinea pigs and throw them away," said Josephs, now 63. For 20 years the government tested chemicals on soldiers who were not aware what was being put in their bodies. "Shortly after receiving the drug, he is grossly impaired," a narrator said as a soldier struggled through an obstacle course. 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. "That's me" he said pointing to a younger version of himself. Boxes of medical records his and those of other veterans fill the attic, along with handwritten notes and appeals to the VA. By this logic, Edgewood was possibly the safest military place in the world to spend two months. Although, we tried.". One of the men who never heard from the VA was John Berzellini. This program involved testing nerve agents, nerve agent antidotes, psycho chemicals, and irritants. But he's haunted by what happened to him at Edgewood. 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. Finally, from 1962 to 1972, a total of 123 irritant chemicals were tested on only two subjects each exposed using a wind tunnel (NRC 1984). Youre going to do it. 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. This kind of behavior toward our veterans would not be allowed to happen, Erspamer said. "U.S. Navy, Guinea Pig. "There was no identifying information," he says. [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]. Ariel Zambelich/NPR Blisters that eventually increased to the size of half dollar coins started to grow in the same places. I was pregnant with my daughter while there, this was also when they were digging up old cluster bombs while excavating to build some new buildings, the same time the commander was indicted from the environmental agency, the same time they found out the water was not suitable for consumption. All Rights Reserved. The experiments involved at least 254 chemical substances, but focused mainly on midspectrum incapacitants, such as LSD, THC derivatives, benzodiazepines, and BZ. The VA has been accused of bias in these claims denials due to its self-interest in the issues. Greene called for a search for novel psychoactive compounds that would create the same debilitating mental side effects as those produced by nerve gases, but without their lethal effect. He believes the testing hurt him emotionally and stole part of his life. The lack of a detailed record hampered the investigation. If you are concerned about exposures during Edgewood/Aberdeen chemical tests, talk to your health care provider or yourlocal environmental health provider. A Warner Bros. The National Academy of Sciences, which oversees the IOM, sent a questionnaire to all of the former volunteers that could be located, approximately 60% of the total. "This should have been ancient history by now," he told 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. I feel like in my heart there's a lot of guys out there that went through the same thing I did," Paul said. The Army is required to provide medical care to veterans who took part in classified Army testing of chemical and biological substances decades ago, officials say. They deserve that respect and the audience this documentary can bring. Some test subjects had only partial exposure, such as having the chemical agents applied directly onto their skin. Original photo: Courtesy of Charlie Cavell 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. These men aren't polished or rehearsed, and the filmmakers let them have their say, even when things veer into pure speculation. In 1988, Cavell requested copies of his records from the experiments he was in at the Naval Research Laboratory. If I go to a locked door, I panic sometimes to try to get out.". Some gave up out of frustration. "[4] Soviet advances in the same field were cited as a special incentive giving impetus to research efforts in this area, according to testimony by Maj. Gen. Marshall Stubbs, the Army's chief chemical officer. He is one of 60,000 World War II veterans exposed to mustard gas as part of secret experiments by the U.S. military. "If I were back in Congress, I'd be asking that question.". The chemicals were given to volunteer service members at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland; Dugway Proving Ground, Utah; and Forts Benning, Bragg, and McClellan. "Weekends off and relaxing that's why I took it," Paul remembered. And in 2010, the VA announced it would review 90,000 previously denied Agent Orange claims. For assistance, eligible veterans may call (800) 984-8523 or go to the Army website for participants of medical research programs. II. 1. Please click here for a free evaluation of your claim, Civil/Human Rights Settlements and Legal News, Personal Injury Settlements and Legal News. However, much of that flash comes from recordings made during the actual experiments. 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. But the VA didn't uphold those promises, an NPR investigation has found. In total, Army documents identified 7,120 Army and Air Force personnel who participated in these tests. Only a small number of all the experiments done during this period involved mustard agents or Lewisite. 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. Sometimes it was an injection. The lawsuit sought for the veterans to be notified about what substances they had received and be provided medical coverage. 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. The testing took place at Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland from 1955 through 1975. Sometimes, he has trouble swallowing. But until NPR inquired about his case, all of those claims had been denied. [1] The experiments were abruptly terminated by the Army in late 1975 amidst an atmosphere of scandal and recrimination as lawmakers accused researchers of questionable ethics. 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. I really felt a duty to my country to go and serve, he said. Josephs had volunteered for a two-month assignment at Edgewood, in Maryland, lured by three-day weekends closer to home. "This is not an easy, not a simple thing," Flohr says. 2004 GAO report Gordon Erspamer, lead attorney in suit against VA. During experiments that began on February 19, 1968, Josephs experienced Parkinsons-like tremors after receiving Prolixin, an antipsychotic medication, Erspamer said, prompting the Edgewood medical staff to give the young soldier Congentin and Artane, two drugs used to treat Parkinsons symptoms. 877-222-8387, TDD (Hearing Impaired) In more than 20 years, the VA attempted to reach just 610 of the men, with a single letter sent in the mail. The lawsuit's argument is in line with broader criticisms of Edgewood: that, whether out of military urgency or scientific dabbling, the Army recklessly endangered the lives of its soldiers . "And as far as the secretary and I are concerned, we're about to do right by them.". 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).". Things were different back then. He was told never to talk about his experiences at Edgewood and to forget about everything he ever did, said or heard at the Maryland base. 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 The Edgewood Arsenal experiments took place from approximately 1952 to 1975 at the Medical Research Laboratories, which is now known as the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense of the Edgewood Area, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. 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. 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. President Nixon ended research into offensive chemical weapons in 1969, and the military no longer uses human subjects in research on chemical agents, said a spokesman for Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, as the facility is known now. Brad Flohr, a VA senior adviser for benefits, says the agency couldn't find the rest, because military records of the experiments were incomplete. 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.. Paul's paperwork shows he received BZ, which he said felt like he was in a nightmare for hours at a time. And this goes to the essence of 'Can you trust your government?' One film showed soldiers being injected with BZ, which in high doses can lead to hallucinations and confusion. 2. 1, 24), stated: [In 1993 and 1994] we [] reported that the Army Chemical Corps conducted a classified medical research program for developing incapacitating agents. Find out if you qualify for VA health care. Berzellini says every winter her husband spent weeks in bed with chronic bronchitis an illness government studies have linked to mustard gas exposure. Josephs left the service when his three-year tour ended, and he began a career as a real estate agent. His symptoms vary from day to day. The American Legion identified limits on attorneys fees related to Camp Lejeune Justice Act claims as one of its top goals. The Army then sent Josephs to Air Force bases in Thailand, in support of the war effort in Vietnam. 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". Cheryl Huppertz filed a lawsuit in district court Sept. 28, seeking a writ of mandamus to compel Edgewood to produce public [] 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). They ranged from potentially lethal nerve gases like VX and sarin to incapacitating agents like BZ. [10], According to a DOD FAQ, the Edgewood Arsenal experiments involved the following "rough breakout of volunteer hours against various experimental categories":[11]. But instead, the military deliberately exposed them to chemical and biological agents. Paul retired from the military and went on to raise a family in Nashville. A previous version of this story misidentified Nat Schnurman's wife. Vol. My phone calls were always returned quickly and all of my questions were answered in a thorough manner. The letter granting him benefits made no mention of Edgewood. 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. He married Michelle, a nurse, in 1977, but the couple decided not to have children, fearing his chemical exposure might somehow affect them. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Josephs has not received any health benefits related to his time as a human test subject at Edgewood. A diagnosed medical condition they think is a direct result of taking part in an Army chem/bio substance testing program. They had detailed the length of time he spent inside a gas chamber and the level of mustard gas in the air. 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. And you just wouldnt think they would give you something that would harm you intentionally.. hide caption. This incapacitating agent would be dispersed by standard munitions, and the agent would enter the building through all nonprotected openings, the films narrator boasts. Edgewood/Aberdeen Experiments From 1955 to 1975, the U.S. Army Chemical Corps conducted classified medical studies at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland. Researchers there had recorded his full name in neat handwriting on lined paper. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much We conduct ongoing accessibility reviews and remediate any functionality issues. Eight individual isomers numbered EA-2233-1 through EA-2233-8. the common OP antidote, other ocular and respiratory irritants; and. My mom eventually transferred to Edgewood Arsenal shortly later. Everyone I have dealt with at your firm has been very professional and courteous. She has been an editor at Military Times for 20 years, covering issues that affect service members. ), Nerve agent reactivators, e.g. For 20. Hit enter to expand a main menu option (Health, Benefits, etc). Kristian Thacker for NPR The VA created a list of illnesses that are linked to mustard gas exposure such as skin cancer, leukemia and chronic breathing problems. Then, in 1996, Bollinger received a military commendation in the mail. Health Care Tim Josephs blames secret Army program for health issues, including Parkinson's disease, Facility tested potentially lethal gases, narcotics and LSD on animals and humans, Cold War research initially aimed to defend against Soviet chemical or biological attack, The VA has contacted and offered free medical evaluations to thousands of veterans. The Army colonel had no regrets about the experiments and believed he was acting in the best interests of the nation as it faced a Cold War threat. "There was no handle on the door. The purpose was to evaluate the impact of low-dose chemical warfare agents on military personnel and to test protective clothing and pharmaceuticals. He says he is proud of his service, and he wears the cap everywhere he goes. The club operated from approximately the 1920s until sometime not long after the Arsenal was combined with Aberdeen Proving Ground in 1971. By the early 1950s, Edgewood Arsenal, which became part of the larger complex at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, produced numerous biological agents, developed protective equipment and prophylactic treatments, and shaped US combat policy and practice.In the aftermath of WWII tensions between the US and the USSR prompted scientists, military officials, and policy advisors to increase the number of . 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. The documentary was produced by Zero Point Zero Production, the production company behind Anthony Bourdain's "Parts Unknown," so there's more visual flash and on-camera time for reporters than PBS viewers might expect. Updated The military also tested tear gas, barbiturates, tranquilizers, narcotics and hallucinogens like LSD. In the suit, Vietnam Veterans of America, et al. Home U.S. Army Edgewood Arsenal Medical Experiments. While the soldiers were given the option to decline the drug testing, there were innuendos of bad punishments if they did not participate, the former soldier said, according to CNN. CNN The moment 18-year-old Army Pvt. And instances when she told me when the office people had to stay indoors instill all cleared. The soldiers deposition also stated that participants were given no warnings about side effects or potential long-term health risks that might be associated with the experiments. v. Central Intelligence Agency, et al. 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. Cavell says that even today, when he comes to a locked door he's reminded of the inside of a gas chamber. Fed the "F" up. Those regulations have kept veterans like Harry Bollinger, 88, from receiving benefits. 3, "Final Report: Current Health Status of Test Subjects" (1985). Charlie Cavell at his home in Virginia. By Larry Scott, VA Watchdog dot Org - In January 2014, an additional request was made for release of multiple films made of Project SHAD tests. "It's important that these soldiers who served their country are honored and get to the tell their story," Hancock said. According to the agency, if a veteran has an illness on the list and can prove he was exposed, he receives benefits. 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. Naval Training Center in Bainbridge, Md. Lasting from 1950 to 1975, the experiments took place at Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland. Former ABC and Politico correspondent Tara Palmeri leads a team of investigative journalists as they reexamine a dark chapter of Army history. There, Ketchum was administering psychotropic drugs on young. The chemical testing on soldiers stopped in 1975. 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. 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He is very knowledgeable about the law and extremely professional. She previously worked as an editor and staff writer at newspapers in Columbus, Georgia; Huntsville, Alabama; Bloomington, Indiana; Monterey, California and in Germany. Cavell is currently being re-evaluated before the benefits can be disbursed. In secret chemical weapons experiments conducted during World War II, the U.S. military exposed thousands of American troops to mustard gas. Did you encounter any technical issues? APG-EA continued to hurt soldiers ways after the human experiments and should be considered also. The moment 18-year-old Army Pvt. 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. Youre going to Vietnam either way before or after, Josephs said recently. 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. Copyrights 2002-2022 YourLawyer.com. 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.". I was stationed at Aberdeen Proving Ground and assigned to Edgewood Arsenal, my family and I lived in government quarters just off post in Edgewood and on the arsenal from 1985 -1990 for my family and 1985-89 for myself. 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. See Vietnam Veterans II, 811 F.3d at 1076-78 (discussing the Army's failure in its ongoing "duty to warn" Edgewood Arsenal volunteers under AR 70-25), 1080-81 (discussing the Army's failure in its "duty of care" to Edge-wood Arsenal volunteers under AR 70-25); see also Vi-etnam Veterans I, 2013 WL 6092031, at *2 (explaining . 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. 3. Thus, between 1950 and 1975, about 6,720 soldiers took part in experiments involving exposures to 254 different chemicals, conducted at U.S. Army Laboratories at Edgewood Arsenal, MD (NRC 1982, NRC 1984, NAS 1993). 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. hide caption, Former CIA Director Porter Goss says the VA has mishandled these claims. The plaintiffs collectively referred to themselves as the "Test Vets". While in the Navy, Cavell (center, No. I was a MRVP at Edgewood Arsenal Chemical in 1964/1965. "It's an important story that needs to be told and it's a story that frankly a lot of people don't know," Hancock said. Josephs applied for veterans benefits based on chemical exposure at Edgewood. pp 89, "Secret Army volunteer's widow blames VA for spouse's death" (CNN; 3/3/12), "Vets feel abandoned after secret drug experiments" (CNN; 3/1/12), Last edited on 30 November 2022, at 16:44, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, Vietnam Veterans of America v. Central Intelligence Agency, Human experimentation in the United States, "Altered States: LSD and the Anesthesia Laboratory of Henry Knowles Beecher", "Edgewood Arsenal Chemical Agent Exposure Studies 19551975", Researchers tested pot, LSD on Army volunteers. Left: U.S. Army Chemical and Biological Defense Agency; Right: Naval Research Laboratory 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. Veterans who became Army guinea pigs for secret drug and chemical experiments are suing the VA, the CIA and the Defense Department. [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. Josephs enlisted in the military fresh out of high school at the height of the Vietnam War. Declassified military films show soldiers being given drugs and then being monitored to see their impacts. hide caption. It just did not look like a military base, more like a hospital, recalled Josephs, a Pittsburgh native. 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. 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. Attention A T users. appreciated. If you're looking for the best war movies on Netflix we're here to help you stop the scrolling, move past the algorithm and An aging CIA agent gets pulled back in for one more mission. 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 . Rep., at 411.[5])[20]. (Left) The inside of a gas chamber used for tests on American troops during World War II at the Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland. At the end of the second hour, the officer ordered Cavell back to his barracks and to continue wearing his gas-saturated uniform. Edgewood Chemical Activity is a chemical-weapons depot located at APG. 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. Finally, the command and control problems which were apparent in the CIA's programs are paralleled by a lack of clear authorization and supervision in the Army's programs.(S. Served as a volunteer for medical research in a U.S. Army chemical or biological substance testing program from 1942 to 1975. VA offers a variety of health care benefits to eligible Veterans. Bollinger still has chronic breathing problems and breaks out in eczema in places where he was burned as a young Navy recruit: "Around my privates and under my arms and face and everywhere else," he says. A third type of test exposed troops to gas outdoors in simulated combat settings. At 79 years old, he actively harvests honey from his bee farm. The idea was they would test new Army field jackets, clothing, weapons and things of that nature, but no mention of drugs or chemicals.. On July 24, 2013, United States District Court Judge Claudia Wilken issued an order granting in part and denying in part plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment and granting in part and denying in part defendants' motion for summary judgment. 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. In 2015, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said the Army, and not Veterans Affairs, should provide veterans with medical care related to the testing. "Until we actually got into the process of being in that room and realized, wait a minute, we can't get out of here.". Long-term psychological effects are possible from the trauma associated with being a human test subject. 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