Chemical Warfare Secrets Almost Forgotten
Opinions
© 2006/2007
J.S. Ketchum
J.S. Ketchum
Documenting a Lost Decade of Clinical Research
As an active duty combat psychiatrist I am eagerly anticipating the opportunity to read about your work. My wife spent four years working as a primary care physician providing medical support at Aberdeen/Edgewood and I had heard many stories about psychological experiments in the past. I am looking forward to separating the fact from the myth.
(I state up front that my opinions are personal and do not represent my unit, the army Medical Department, or DoD and I would prefer they not be published on the web, or anonymously only). My interest in your book comes from two aspects.
First, I am a firm believer that if we do not pay attention to our lessons learned from the past then we are doomed to repeat them in the future. The history of Army combat psychiatry displays that very well with having to relearn the importance of organic mental health assets and forward psychiatric care. Even now with ongoing combat operations, I have taken a great deal of criticism from my colleagues for aggressively moving myself and my division mental health resources out towards the front lines and getting out with the soldiers rather than staying at clinics at safe locations. My behavior is nothing new and is based in the historical lessons learned from Salmon, Jones, etc.
So, bringing this back to your topic, we cannot afford to lose the important psychological lessons that you and your team learned about with your research as they may have great application in our present Army.
Secondly, I have great interest in chemical and biological weapons. My undergraduate degree is in chemical engineering and while at West Point I conducted a research project on the destruction of VX nerve agent. We found a system to break the disulfide bond of the agent and then expose it to bacteria that broke the agent down into water and carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, not real functional or cost effective on the large scale. Anyways, I digress.
Having been to Iraq for one tour and preparing to leave for my second and being an ongoing student of military history, the use of an effective incapacitating agent could be extremely valuable and potentially much more effective than certain ongoing strategies.
I look forward to reading your book. I am planning to take it with me on deployment and I expect that it will take a long term place next to biohazard on my shelf.
MAJ (name withheld)
(I state up front that my opinions are personal and do not represent my unit, the army Medical Department, or DoD and I would prefer they not be published on the web, or anonymously only). My interest in your book comes from two aspects.
First, I am a firm believer that if we do not pay attention to our lessons learned from the past then we are doomed to repeat them in the future. The history of Army combat psychiatry displays that very well with having to relearn the importance of organic mental health assets and forward psychiatric care. Even now with ongoing combat operations, I have taken a great deal of criticism from my colleagues for aggressively moving myself and my division mental health resources out towards the front lines and getting out with the soldiers rather than staying at clinics at safe locations. My behavior is nothing new and is based in the historical lessons learned from Salmon, Jones, etc.
So, bringing this back to your topic, we cannot afford to lose the important psychological lessons that you and your team learned about with your research as they may have great application in our present Army.
Secondly, I have great interest in chemical and biological weapons. My undergraduate degree is in chemical engineering and while at West Point I conducted a research project on the destruction of VX nerve agent. We found a system to break the disulfide bond of the agent and then expose it to bacteria that broke the agent down into water and carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, not real functional or cost effective on the large scale. Anyways, I digress.
Having been to Iraq for one tour and preparing to leave for my second and being an ongoing student of military history, the use of an effective incapacitating agent could be extremely valuable and potentially much more effective than certain ongoing strategies.
I look forward to reading your book. I am planning to take it with me on deployment and I expect that it will take a long term place next to biohazard on my shelf.
MAJ (name withheld)
Dear Jim
This book is awesome! We received Chemical Warfare late yesterday afternoon. Once opened I couldn't put it down. Thank goodness we were having leftovers for dinner that only needed heating.
I reached chapter 7 before turning in for the night. I especially enjoyed reading about the history of the drugs that were being tested. It is interesting to delve into your book because it is also your personal history and this brings us closer in a sense -- getting to know you and that is great. Thank you for the complementary "pre-publication" copy. I will always treasure your marvelous accomplishment and feel honored to be a recipient.
Will talk your book up in our circle of friends.
Carolyn Memmer, Registered Nurse
This book is awesome! We received Chemical Warfare late yesterday afternoon. Once opened I couldn't put it down. Thank goodness we were having leftovers for dinner that only needed heating.
I reached chapter 7 before turning in for the night. I especially enjoyed reading about the history of the drugs that were being tested. It is interesting to delve into your book because it is also your personal history and this brings us closer in a sense -- getting to know you and that is great. Thank you for the complementary "pre-publication" copy. I will always treasure your marvelous accomplishment and feel honored to be a recipient.
Will talk your book up in our circle of friends.
Carolyn Memmer, Registered Nurse
Quite simply, there is not another book like it in the world.
Leslie Altstatt, MD, Colonel US Army Medical Corps (ret.)
Formerly at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Leslie Altstatt, MD, Colonel US Army Medical Corps (ret.)
Formerly at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research