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Waterbucket II: E-8 Test on Ambush 1966 US Army Edgewood Arsenal
🕑 Added 2019-09-02 23:27:23 +0000 UTCmore at http://quickfound.net/
'This film is a U.S. Army "Edgewood Arsenal Report" on three chemical munitions systems that were under development by the U.S. Army. The E8, E158, and E159 were tested at Camp A. P. Hill, Virginia. In test one the goal was to test E158 and E159 to see if these aerial clusters prevented ambush by reconnaissance, and to determine the effects of the weapons on both masked and unmasked troops. The results showed that eighty-five percent of the area was covered and the majority of troops were incapacitated. In test two the goal was to see if E8 and E158 were effective for a daylight ambush on hostile foot columns. The results showed that the E158 cut off avenues of escape, and the E8 placed at the back and front of the column created a cloud over the killing zone. In test three the goal was to test daylight defense of a fixed installation. The results showed that the attack force was incapacitated. In test four the goal was to test an ambush and to see whether a friendly foot column that was initially unmasked could counter an ambush using launchers. The results showed that the friendly forces were able to incapacitate an enemy, but the enemy was able to flee from the cloud. '
Originally a public domain film from the National Archives, slightly cropped to remove uneven edges, with the aspect ratio corrected, and one-pass brightness-contrast-color correction & mild video noise reduction applied.
The soundtrack was also processed with volume normalization, noise reduction, clipping reduction, and/or equalization (the resulting sound, though not perfect, is far less noisy than the original).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgewood_Arsenal_human_experiments
Wikipedia license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
From 1948 to 1975, the U.S. Army Chemical Corps conducted classified human subject research at the Edgewood Arsenal facility in Maryland. The purpose was to evaluate the impact of low-dose chemical warfare agents on military personnel and to test protective clothing, pharmaceuticals, and vaccines...
Overall, about 7,000 soldiers took part in these experiments that involved exposures to more than 250 different chemicals, according to the Department of Defense (DoD). Some of the volunteers exhibited symptoms at the time of exposure to these agents but long-term follow-up was not planned as part of the DoD studies. The experiments were abruptly terminated by the Army in late 1975 amidst an atmosphere of scandal...
The chemical agents tested on volunteers included chemical warfare agents and other related agents:
- Anticholinesterase nerve agents (VX, sarin, and common organophosphorus (OP) and carbamate pesticides)
- Mustard agents
- Nerve agent antidotes including atropine and scopolamine
- Nerve agent reactivators, e.g. the common OP antidote 2-PAM chloride
- Psychoactive agents including LSD, PCP, cannabinoids, and BZ
- Irritants and riot control agents
- Alcohol and caffeine...
An "Independent Study Course" for continuing medical education produced by the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Health Effects from Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Weapons (October 2003), presents the following summary of the Edgewood Arsenal experiments:
...between 1950 and 1975, about 6,720 soldiers took part in experiments involving exposures to 254 different chemicals... Congressional hearings into these experiments in 1974 and 1975 resulted in disclosures, notification of subjects as to the nature of their chemical exposures, and ultimately to compensation for a few families of subjects who had died during the experiments (NAS 1993).
These experiments were conducted primarily to learn how various agents would affect humans (NRC 1982). Other agencies including the CIA and the Special Operations Division of the Department of the Army were also reportedly involved in these studies...
For example, from 1958 to 1973 at least 1,366 human subjects underwent experimental exposure specifically with the riot-control agent CS at Edgewood Arsenal (NRC 1984)...
Similarly, cholinesterase reactivators antidotes such as 2-PAM were tested on about 750 subjects. These agents are still used today as antidotes to organophosphorus nerve agent poisoning, including accidental poisoning by organophosphorus pesticides. About 260 subjects were experimentally exposed to various psychochemicals including phencyclidine (PCP), and 10 related synthetic analogs of the active ingredient of cannabis (NRC 1984). The NRC report also mentions human experiments involving exposure of 741 soldiers to LSD (NRC 1984). Finally, from 1962 to 1972, a total of 123 irritant chemicals were tested on only two subjects each exposed using a wind tunnel...
