From 1955 to 1975, the US Army used its own soldiers as human guinea pigs in research involving powerful, mind-altering drugs. Told through exclusive footage and first-hand accounts, this is the true story of one of the darkest chapters in US history
https://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2022-06-19-show/
From 1955 to 1975, the US Army used its own soldiers as human guinea pigs in research involving powerful, mind-altering drugs. A new film called "Edgewood" (trailer) describes this true story and one of the darkest chapters in US history
Nick Brigden, documentary filmmaker, and chemical weapons historian, Reid Kirby, joined George Knapp in the first half to discuss the history of Edgewood Arsenal facility in Maryland, where the purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness of drugs that could incapacitate enemies, as an alternative to traditional mortal combat
Their documentary features some of the uncovered footage of the soldiers under the influence of drugs. The vets who originally signed up for the program thought they were getting a plum assignment that would be less work, Kirby explained.
While the soldiers were tested with hallucinogenic LSD and PCP (angel dust), the experimenters found that the drug BZ worked the best as an incapacitating agent, preventing them from performing military duties
BZ is about 100 times more potent than LSD and causes delirium and nightmarish experiences. It wipes out memories, its effects last from 1-5 days, and it was the drug the military decided to weaponize, said Brigden
The lead experimenter, the late Dr. James Ketchum, defended the experiments in the documentary, saying they offered a less deadly form of warfare (though some of the US vets that were given BZ were still having negative effects and flashbacks some 40-50 years later)
In 2013, a federal court case ruled that the Army should inform the still-living Edgewood vets that they're eligible for care from the VA, and are no longer bound by secrecy