by James Glaser
July 31, 2002

I received my May 2002 volume of the Department of Veterans Affair's Agent Orange Review today, July 30. It never does come on time. Toward the back, is a article about Project Shad Tests. Right off the bat Veterans Affairs tells us that Project Shad has nothing to do with Agent Orange or any other herbicides used in Vietnam, but "we have made a commitment to share this important information with Vietnam-era veterans."

When the VA makes commitments to tell me about something, but first tells me that it has nothing to do with my problem, I start to get scared.

Project Shad, Project Shipboard Hazard and Defense (SHAD) refers to a series of tests, conducted by the Department of Defense (DoD) in the 1960's, to evaluate the effectiveness of shipboard detection and protective procedures against chemical and biological warfare agents.

The tests were originally classified and much of the information concerning the tests will remain classified. The exact number of these SHAD tests is unknown. The DoD has declassified information on some of these tests, but they are not telling who was involved nor which ships took part or even when these tests took place. For some strange reason they wanted me and all the other guys that were hurt by Agent Orange to know about these tests

"Based on information available to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), we understand these tests involved possible exposures to: the chemical warfare agents sarin and VX: the bacteria Bacillus globigii, Coxiella burnetti, and Pasteurella tularensis: tracer material zinc cadmium sulfide: the decontaminant beta-propiolactone; and other substances."

The article goes on to say that the VA will provide medical evaluations to eligible veterans, who may have been exposed and in bold print they go on to say that the examination does NOT constitute a claim for disability. "Any veteran involved in Project SHAD who believes that one or more of his/her disabilities may have resulted from exposure during testing may wish to file a claim."

That is all well and good, but everything that could help a vet is still classified, like when and where the SHAD tests took place? Which ships were involved? Which veterans were these things tested on? And what I would like to know, why stick this notice in the Agent Orange Review and then state right away that this has nothing to do with Agent Orange or other herbicides used in Vietnam?

I will tell you right out that I don't trust anyone who would spray me with chemicals and then wait over 40 years to tell me about it. Were they looking for long term effects? Is this another "syphilis experiment?"

At my last visit to the VA Medical Center in June, the Doctor checking me out for Agent Orange problems, asked me to bring my adult children in for some testing on them. Red flags were flying all over the place when he said that.

These are the same type of people that we are about to entrust our Homeland Security to. These are the same people that will tell you that Saddam Hussien is such a monster for spraying chemicals on his people.

These tests (SHAD) took place in the 1960s and veterans are supposed to remember back 40 years to their youth and try and remember if they were in some top secret test? Our government doesn't tell the average sailor or solder if they are in a secret test. Something this big that is still classified 40 years later was probably only known to those at the very top. Like the Atomic Vets, when 98% of these veterans are dead, everything will come out for the public to see.