Opinion: A dirty secret

It is almost inconceivable that the United States would have gassed its own sailors during the Cold War. But the Pentagon recently disclosed the dirty secret, acknowledging that nerve gas and biological agents were dropped on thousands of sailors in the Pacific. The spraying was a test of how well ships and crews could protect themselves against such an attack. The Pentagon owes these sailors, their families and the public a full accounting, and Congress should ensure that the surviving veterans have access to any needed medical treatment.

It is too early to speculate on the extent of the harm. The Pentagon has released details of only a fraction of the tests carried out in the mid-1960s. The ships' logs and other military records are unclear about whether sailors were intentionally kept from using safety equipment, whether they consented to the tests and whether safeguards in place were followed. The Department of Veterans Affairs mailed letters to about 600 veterans of the 4,300 involved, after being pressured by U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif. Thompson, saying his "worst suspicions were confirmed," has called for congressional hearings.

A public examination of the nature of these tests certainly is warranted, especially given the public's current concern over the threat of chemical and biological attacks. Thompson is right to encourage the Pentagon to declassify as much of this information as possible. But the focus needs to extend beyond the tests to include how the government treated these sailors over the past 37 years. Veterans harmed by the poison deserve health benefits. They also deserve an explanation of why the truth was kept from them and their families.

The Pentagon needs to explain why it took four decades to start coming clean on the Shipboard Hazard and Defense project, or SHAD. Details show that four tests in the Pacific from 1964 to 1969 used a biological toxin, the nerve agent sarin or VX, a nerve gas. Military aircraft and turbines sprayed the chemicals and germs over a variety of warships. Thompson believes full disclosure will give veterans more leverage to receive the care they need. Fuller discloser also would give the public a truer picture of the scope of the SHAD project.

Americans are particularly attuned these days to the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform. Congress should open hearings into a troubling event already kept secret for much too long.

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