Vietnam Veterans Of America Calls For Immediate Action Regarding Vietnam War Biological Tests

http://www.usnewswire.com/topnews/Current_Releases/1018-113.html

VVA Calls for Action Over Vietnam War Biological Tests
U.S. Newswire
18 Oct 12:53

Vietnam Veterans Of America Calls For Immediate Action
Regarding Vietnam War Biological Tests
To: National Desk
Contact: Mokie Porter of Vietnam Veterans of America,
301-585-4000 ext. 146

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Vietnam Veterans of
America (VVA) National President Thomas H. Corey expressed the
organization's deep concern upon learning that the U.S.
government used live biological agents on Vietnam War veterans
in a series of experiments designed to test the military's
ability to deal with such agents, according to a Pentagon fact
sheet provided to VVA.

"We are outraged -- but not surprised -- that American
military personnel were used as de facto guinea pigs in these
experiments," said Corey. "Our understanding is that the
Pentagon's Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War
Illnesses, Medical Readiness, and Military Deployments
(OSAGWI/MR/MD) has the names of those exposed but has not
released that information to the Veterans Administration. We
call upon the Pentagon to release any and all records associated
with these experiments and to aggressively seek out those
veterans who were exposed to determine their health status."

The tests -- code-named Shady Grove -- occurred between
January and April 1965 and involved aerial spraying of Navy
ships and Marine Corps personnel.

According to an article in the October 22, 2001, edition of
the Army Times, deck logs from Navy ships showed no evidence of
personnel reporting illnesses associated with Q fever, the
biological agent used in the tests. However, previous government
uses of pesticides, chemical agents, and other toxins have often
been poorly documented or classified for years, raising the
prospect that Shady Grove test subjects may have developed
undocumented or undiagnosed medical problems as a result of the
exposure.

Corey noted that the Pentagon had admitted to VVA that as
many as one hundred such experiments were conducted. "During
this time of increased concern over the potential health risks
of exposure to biological warfare agents, we believe the federal
government has a special responsibility to deal openly and
honestly with this issue. We will be raising this matter with
the relevant congressional committees," Corey said.

VVA's point of contact for additional information is Mokie
Porter at 301-585-4000, ext. 146. Visit VVA's Web site at
http://www.vva.org.

------
Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) is the nation's only
congressionally chartered veterans service organization
dedicated solely to the needs of Vietnam-era veterans and their
families. VVA's founding principle is "Never again will one
generation of veterans abandon another."

KEYWORDS:

POLICY, DEFENSE POLICY, HEALTH, VETERANS ISSUES

http://www.usnewswire.com
-0-
/U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
10/18 12:53

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.