VA Orders Nerve Gas Exams for Participants in the 60's

[Guest guest]

For the vets.....40 years later, tests are finally being " conducted " .

Someone pinch me.

L. Garthwaite

VA Orders Nerve Gas Exams for Participants in 1960s Testing

Jan 4, 2001

Dave Eberhart

Stars and Stripes Veterans Affairs Editor

The VA has ordered health evaluations for veterans who may have been exposed

to nerve gas and other toxins in tests conducted during the 1960s to gauge

the effectiveness of measures to assess the potential risk to American

forces of chemical, biological and nuclear agents.

Many of the tests were conducted on board U.S. military ships and involved

the use of animals as test subjects. Military personnel were clothed in the

protective gear available in that era.

VA Under Secretary for Health L. Garthwaite, M.D., has directed VA

medical centers to examine the veterans.

Projects Cited

Garthwaite cited these training exercises and projects that involved

chemical/biological agents: Project Shipboard Hazard and Defense (SHAD), and

Autumn Gold, Copperhead and related tests, including 68-50, 69-31, Eager

Belle, Flower Drum, Fearless ny, Half Note, Purple Sage, Red Beva,

Scarlet Sage and Shady Grove.

The tests involved possible exposure of personnel to the chemical warfare

agents sarin and VX, the bacterium Bacillus globigii and zinc cadmium

sulfide.

- Dr. Garthwaite

Project Shipboard Hazard and Defense (SHAD) was a series of tests conducted

by the Defense Department from 1962-68. According to Garthwaite, " they

involved possible exposure of personnel to the chemical warfare agents sarin

and VX, the bacterium Bacillus globigii and zinc cadmium sulfide. "

The National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently found

that there is " limited and/or suggestive evidence of an association between

exposure to sarin at doses sufficient to cause acute cholinergic signs and

symptoms and subsequent long-term health effects. "

Symptoms of such exposure can include persistent symptoms including fatigue;

headache; visual disturbances such as blurred vision...

- Institute of Medicine

Symptoms

Symptoms of such exposure can include " persistent symptoms including

fatigue; headache; visual disturbances such as blurred vision, and narrowing

of the visual field; asthenia; shoulder stiffness; and symptoms of

post-traumatic stress disorder; and abnormal test results, of unknown

clinical significance, " the IOM said.

The examinations do not constitute claims for compensation, the VA notes.

Veterans wishing to file claims should contact their veterans benefits

counselor or VA Regional Office by calling 1-800-827-1000.

_________________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

I would like to know what the exams consist of. If they can document

such exposures after 40 years, they can document the GW exposures--but

alas, according to the Institute of Medicine and others, medicine cannot

do this. The VA may be looking for illnesses likely to have been caused

by these exposures, so vets can now be compensated, akin to the Vietnam

vets who have had illnesses like peripheral neuropathy added to the

compensable list for agent orange over time.

Or the VA may be trying to obtain another data point from these

experiments conducted 40 years ago...

Dr. Garthwaite ought to share the examination protocol with interested

vets and the medical community.

Meryl Nass, MD

Randi Allaire wrote:

>

> For the vets.....40 years later, tests are finally being " conducted " .

> Someone pinch me.

>

> L. Garthwaite

>

> VA Orders Nerve Gas Exams for Participants in 1960s Testing

>

> Jan 4, 2001

> Dave Eberhart

> Stars and Stripes Veterans Affairs Editor

>

> The VA has ordered health evaluations for veterans who may have been exposed

> to nerve gas and other toxins in tests conducted during the 1960s to gauge

> the effectiveness of measures to assess the potential risk to American

> forces of chemical, biological and nuclear agents.

>

> Many of the tests were conducted on board U.S. military ships and involved

> the use of animals as test subjects. Military personnel were clothed in the

> protective gear available in that era.

>

> VA Under Secretary for Health L. Garthwaite, M.D., has directed VA

> medical centers to examine the veterans.

>

> Projects Cited

>

> Garthwaite cited these training exercises and projects that involved

> chemical/biological agents: Project Shipboard Hazard and Defense (SHAD), and

> Autumn Gold, Copperhead and related tests, including 68-50, 69-31, Eager

> Belle, Flower Drum, Fearless ny, Half Note, Purple Sage, Red Beva,

> Scarlet Sage and Shady Grove.

>

> The tests involved possible exposure of personnel to the chemical warfare

> agents sarin and VX, the bacterium Bacillus globigii and zinc cadmium

> sulfide.

> - Dr. Garthwaite

> Project Shipboard Hazard and Defense (SHAD) was a series of tests conducted

> by the Defense Department from 1962-68. According to Garthwaite, " they

> involved possible exposure of personnel to the chemical warfare agents sarin

> and VX, the bacterium Bacillus globigii and zinc cadmium sulfide. "

>

> The National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently found

> that there is " limited and/or suggestive evidence of an association between

> exposure to sarin at doses sufficient to cause acute cholinergic signs and

> symptoms and subsequent long-term health effects. "

>

> Symptoms of such exposure can include persistent symptoms including fatigue;

> headache; visual disturbances such as blurred vision...

> - Institute of Medicine

>

> Symptoms

>

> Symptoms of such exposure can include " persistent symptoms including

> fatigue; headache; visual disturbances such as blurred vision, and narrowing

> of the visual field; asthenia; shoulder stiffness; and symptoms of

> post-traumatic stress disorder; and abnormal test results, of unknown

> clinical significance, " the IOM said.

>

> The examinations do not constitute claims for compensation, the VA notes.

> Veterans wishing to file claims should contact their veterans benefits

> counselor or VA Regional Office by calling 1-800-827-1000.

>

> _________________________________________________________________

> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

>

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>