Chairman Hall, Ranking Member Lamborn and Distinguished Members of the Committee.  My name is Jack B Alderson, and I live in Ferndale California.  I am a retired Lt. Commander from the US Navy Reserves and am here today to describe my experiences within the “Project  SHAD Technical Staff” (PSTS). 

In 1964 I was a Lieutenant on active duty in the US Navy and received orders to the “Project SHAD Technical Staff”, as Officer in Charge of a Division of five US Army Light Tugs (LTs) at Pearl Harbor.  The mission of the PSTS and the LTs were to test at sea Chemical/Biological Weapons.  I was there from September 1964 until August 1967.  The LTs acted as sampling stations and read targets for disseminated weapon clouds.

Each LT was manned by a Navy crew with a US Navy Lieutenant as OinC.  The LTs were Army vessels with Navy crews operating under a Joint Services Command.  These were not volunteers, but hand picked personnel with “Final Secret” clearance ordered to do a job. That job was done, and done well.  During the three years I was with the PSTS LTs, they never missed a commitment, and completed all tasks assigned while maintaining a fine safety record.  This was, at times, a very dangerous job with stringent safety precautions and procedures in place.

I herein stress, that we took every safety precaution within the technologies and knowledge available in the 1960’s.  Sometime later I became aware that some of the PSTS personnel were having health problems; namely, respiratory and cancer.  A knowledgeable medical person connected with the tests stated to me that “some of the materials used to decontaminate the LTs after a test are now known to be carcinogenic”.  Decontamination agents used were Betapropiolactone, Formalin, Ethylene Oxide and HTH (Chlorine). Please see attachment. Further concern is here for the PSTS staff, as the FDA had not approved the inoculations administered to them.   Security conditions precluded any of this being placed in our official health records.  In fact, some of our health records are missing.

Upon return to Pearl Harbor the PSTS, including the Light Tugs took part in training and in tests involving simulants. Named tests included Fearless Johnny, Big Tom, Folded Arrow and others on and around the Hawaiian Islands. Some of these simulants have now been shown to have harmful affect on humans when exposed. The decontamination agents and procedures are the same as for the live weapons tests.

I also took three of the LT’s on two Bird Cruises. Wherein we had on board scientists including ornithologists from the Smithsonian Institute. The purpose of the Bird Cruises was to make sure none of the indigenous birds of the central pacific were carrying any residue of the tests.

After I left the PSTS in 1967 they continued to operate for a number of years. Some of their operations were off the California coast. I know this because I was then assigned to “Fleet Training Group San Diego” where I wrote the weekly operation order assigning operating areas and training assets. In 1968 I received a request for operating areas for the USS Herbert J Thomas (DD833) and five Army Light Tugs. Since some tugs sailors and I had trained the DD I can guess what they were doing.

My concern is for the personnel of the PSTS, who with full trust in their country, did what they were told to do and did it well.  Many of these persons are dead, and many have health problems that may well have started with their participation in SHAD.  Importantly, their present attending physician would not equate present health problems to something that happened many years ago. 

As I stated, I became aware of the problem some years ago when I heard from the SHAD veterans that they could not get care at VA clinics and were turned away because they could not fully describe what occurred to them.  At first we were told that no such testing happened.  The Army said they had concerns but took no action until forced.  In fact, a letter dated August 23, 2000 from Maj. General J. M. Cosumano, Assistant Deputy Chief of the Army, states that everything remains classified but only simulants were used, and protective clothing worn….……Untrue.

During the initial efforts to expose what was happening to SHAD veterans I found I had a severe Malignant Melanoma and that brought home to me the concerns of other SHAD veterans.  I now have other health concerns possibly attributable to SHAD operations.

On September 13, 2001, DOD released three sets of FACT SHEETS.  One set was for “Operation Shady Grove”, listing as participating units the 5 LTs. 

Upon completing our training and inoculations we were considered ready to participate in test operations.  We were ordered to standby to get underway on 2 January 1965.  We were ready, and then told to stand down as the President has not signed the operational document.  President Johnson did sign, and we were underway for Johnston Island on 21 January 1965 for “Operation Shady Grove”, the testing of Biological Weapons, simulants and trace elements.  This operation was under control of the “Deseret Test Center, Fort Douglas Utah and personnel from Dugway Proving Ground.

The aforementioned “FACT SHEETS” are incomplete and contain erroneous information such as dates of test and not naming decontamination agents as examples.  

“Operation Shady Grove” was staged from Johnston Island.  Prior to commencement, the LTs were scripted for the next six days of operation as radio silence was imposed.  The LTs would pick up the test sampling material and animals from the USS Granville S Hall (YAG 40), Granny, and proceed to their assigned position on the grid.  At twilight the monkeys were placed in cages topside, and the LT buttoned up.  US Marine A 4s would disseminate the agent, simulants and trace elements up-wind of the LTs and down wind of the Granny.  The weapons cloud would then drift down over the grid while samples were being taken.  In the morning, the exterior decontamination crew would exit the interior and decontaminate the exterior, including wrapping up the monkeys for transfer to the Granny.  Even though the Light Tugs had air pressure and filtering systems, they leaked.  We know this from the instruments inside the tugs.  We were not worried as we were inoculated….Right?

After six days of operations the LTs would return to Johnston Island for a three-day rest and repair.  During this break sometimes the tugs were decontaminated on the interior.  Our decontamination agents are now considered carcinogenic.

Personnel from the Deseret Test Center and Dugway have often stated that LT crew should have been in protective clothing during a test and we were not.  In fact, there was none on the LTs.  The exterior decontamination crew wore cotton coveralls with rubber bootie and gloves, plus a gas mask. Exterior decontamination was done by a crew of three by hand using HTH in a soapy solution. These three were the only members with gas masks. When they completed decontaminating they stripped placing every thing they wore in a metal trashcan, tapping it shut and through a fitting releasing an aerosol of Ethylene Oxide onto the clothing. Entering the vessel through an air lock and showering on the way. There were no washing machines on the tugs, so the next day the exterior crew donned their equipment and did it again. Ethylene Oxide ia a known Carcinogen as is HTH.

Periodically it was necessary to decontaminate the interior of the tugs. This was accomplished by using a fogging device with the fog made from Betapropiolactone and Formalin. Both of which are highly carcinogenic. To make sure the fog penetrated everywhere every locker every drawer was open the only sealed item was the galley refrigerator. After a period of time the tugs were opened up and aired out. However, when we went inside the liquid was running down the bulkheads and the interior atmosphere caused our eyes to smart and some personnel received rashes. Our bunks and clothing were damp from the fog.

I understand security classifications and the sensitivity of our operation.  However, these were not volunteers but service personnel ordered to do a dangerous job and they did it, and did it well, now their Nation needs to take care of them.

I  thank Representative Mike Thompson who has stuck with us for a number of years even while members of the administration  said there was no SHAD.   Appreciation also goes to Representative Rehberg for joining in this task.

I thank you Chairman Filner, Ranking Member Buyer, and members of the Committee, and herein respectfully request that HR 5954 be moved from Committee to the Floor of the House with the recommendation for approval. 

If you have any questions I will try to answer them.