ID:

298

Date:

2008-02-12

Headline:

As enlisted men, they were the military's lab rats

Reporter's name:

David Zeman

Delay/denial:

No

Lawsuit:

No

Fees:

No

Media outlet:

Detroit Free Press

City:

Baltimore, MD

Summary:

Veterans of WWII exposed to lethal gasses, often as part of government tests, struggled to get medical and other benefits while suffering serious health effects years later. The VA did little to contact or aid potential victims, despite a public apology from the Pentagon in 1991. This story follows one unit, the 1st Chemical Casual Company, on a military base near Baltimore. A follow-up in the Detroit Free Press for Sunshine Week outlined the methods of research, and records used-- obtained from Freedom of Information Act records from the U.S. Defense Department, the VA, the U.S. Army and Navy, and Edgewood Arsenal, Md.

Keywords:

VA, veteran, lethal gas, benefits, health care, Veterans Affairs, WWII, disability, chemical, test

Agencies:

DOD
VA

States:

MD
MI
US

Districts:

MD-01
MD-02
MD-03

Categories:

health care
military
public health
veteran