Document qaXVZQ6539nvMyQV5oZNm1GOj

,-^r. --Vi : VEGETATIONAL SPRAY TESTS IN SOUTH VIETNAM r-i CD <5^ CD i'o i. U i --*"" CSR SAR i 0 1 9 8 3 La H '! J _1 r nr hta.i K s U 5 . ARM Y C H EM IC A L C O R PS B IO LO G IC A L LA B O R A TO R IES FO R T DETR IC K CO / cstttnat: T*`- rnTQ?. ,,rJTr.5 AT.i: DEC ' -- .... ..... -'*"% / l^'f>"***' 1\ 4. / This publication or any portion thereof nay not be reproduced vithou-. specific authorization frota the Cotroanding Officer,.!?* S, Army Biological Laboratories, ATTN: Technical Releases Branch, * Technical Information Division, Fort Dc trick, Frederick, Maryland. However, DDG la authorised to reproduce the publication for U*S* Covet intent purposes* The information In this pnbllcation has not been cleared for release to the public* .-,i DDC AVATLABILTT? HOTXCS *1 . i \ TJ*5* Military agencies may obtain copies of this publication directly from DDC* Other qualified users must request through ContrandIng Officer, U.S* Army Biological Laboratories, ATTN: Tech nical Releases Branch* Technical information- \ .Division, Fort Dctrick, Frederick, naryland, 21701 ii // <nV3s&Eu &J J 4. j w % w W L !UgW > 4\-: * MM S TJ.S* ASHY CHEMICAL COUPS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COMMAND U.S. AUY BIOLOGICAL LABORATORIES Fort Detrick, Maryland The work reported here was performed under Project 4311-01-004, Antlerop Warfare Research, Task -01. The expenditure order far the work in South Vietnam was 1203001, that for in-house work was 2201405 J. W. Brown wl Crops Division DIRECTOR OF BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH 'i Project 4511-01-004 1 April 1962 J I>I z Thia daguaent r any poAion/theredi noc be reprodi^ced/vithouc speh^xic authoWzacion from the- R e m a n d i n g Offic^rK BiologioaiyLab- oracoriM^Fo^bsJJetrick, /rede'r^ckj/llaryifcpd. / Tha^iaf cleared cz> 171 ' * CX3 / , " -J--Iff -/> !/ -- '*-- a^^**m***r*z*iJSs*jVSj. .* ABSTHACT k variety of defoliants and vegetation killers were tested in South / * Vietnam to evaluate their effectiveness in denuding Jungle growth* Both recognized and unidentified species of grasses, shrubs, and trees were sprayed from the air or with ground equipment. Results were recorded in color photographs, Effectiveness varied from poor to excellent* Control ling factors were limited equirTient, low dosage rates, and meteorological conditions. The work is recorded in two volumes, of which this is the first. The second, "Vegetattonal Spray Tests in South Vietnam, Supplement," is classified (S2-FDS-834). c=> t FOREWORD Instructions for Che preparation of this report included the requirement that only one of the two areas of effort (Task 20 and not Task 2) in Free Vietnam should be reported This has been done; however, not all of the pertinent documents on Task 20 are available to the author, and many docu ments that are included contain material pertinent as Well to Task. 2 In , order to make the record as complete as possible, all available pertinent documents have been included in the Supplement to this report, although they may refer to Task 2 as well Jangle, roadside, and'swamp vegetation offer areas of concealment to terrorists in Free Vietnam, allowing them to establish bases hidden from aerial observation, and to ambush friendly traffic along roads' and waterways Defoliating the vegetation or killing it could improve the observation of such areas* A satisfactory universal defoliant remains yet to be.discovered ^ Because known chemicals have been used for several years to kill various kinds of vegetation in the US, chemicals of this type, inanediately available in quantity, together with candidate defoliants or desiccants, were tested In South Vietnam to demonstrate what could be achieved on Che botanlcally unknown species of chat country This report concerns the work performed by the writer in South Vietnam under the auspiees of OSD/AEPA during two periods, mid-July to mid-November, ami mid-December l?ul to mid-February 1962 Because of the urgency thst this effort be of assistance to South Vietnam, both the disseminating hard ware and the chemicals had to be those Immediately available AEPA was Informed before the writer went to Vietnam in July that the killing action of the chemicals to be used for aerial sprays was not particularly rapid, requiring weeks rather than days for maxlTmmi effect. They indicated that time for effect was not critical In regard to Task 2, the demonstrations performed in that task were lffi&ediately accepted by the VN and US alike. Both Tasks 2 and 20 were performed under the strictest security conditions. Operational personnel accordingly could have been Inadequately Informed on the technical require ments of these tests Because of the urgency associated with the preparatiu*. of this report, several people have been involved and their assistance is gratefully acknowledged: Dr. Charles V. Beard Mr Lester W. Boyer Hr. Robert K. Castle Colonel Carl S. Casco Hr. Ceorge A. Evans Dr Robert J. Good low Hr, A. E. Hayward Hr* Rent R. Irish Hr William 3. Johnson M>r C. E. Minarik Major James W .Startt Mrs. Carolyn M. Walker H e . lW J**'***' *' <+ +* "i i* > . MWKi.'*1'" ,y P V* *fJ*' DIGEST \ /' / ; X" i i- *t This report sets forth in detail the vegetations! spray tests .performed under the auspices of OSS/ABFA in Free Vietnam and presents illustrations of the results achieved* In the performance of these tests several aerial ( spray systems and a ground system for roadside sprays were utilised with varying degrees of success. These systems had not been previously calibrated for spraying the. chemicals, which were not only of greater viscoPity but required higher flow' rrses than those liquids normally sprayed by these systems for ocher purposes. The chemicals used and those ultimately reconnnended (putple, pink, and green) for larger-acala use are plant-growth regulators known to be effect- * tve in killing many US species, including trees and brush, and are conanbnly ^ used in the US for this purpose and for weed control in agriculture. The great majority of tree species encountered in Vietnam are unknown and remain to be identified. Because species of planes are known to vary in their sensitivity to these chemicals, it was necessary to test each chemical against these unknown species and ascertain a suggested use-rate eo achieve a useful killing effect. Ultimately, this was to provide increased visibility in Jungle, mangrove, or roadside areas. For greatest and most rapid effect, vegetation should be in a stage of active growth. Good coverage, Including penetration of the foliage with sufficient chemical, Is mandatory. Under these conditions, it Is estimated that two to six or eight weeks are required for the death of susceptible spt>ci33, depending upon their sensitivity, and that generally 70 per cent or more of the forest stands at the various test sites are capable of response. , Host aerial releases were performed with the C-47 spray rig, which was the only aerial system available for an extended period. Unfortunately, it was the least suitable system; it consistently failed to achieve suffi cient flow rates and deposited sublethal amounts of the chemicals even though it was functioned at maximum pressure. This pressure probably made the spectrum of particle sizes in the spray smaller than desired and'under lapse or neutral atmospheric conditions could have contributed to excessive spray dissipation. An unequivocally successful test with this equipment at tree-top level under inversion conditions near the Bien/Hoa airstrip in October substantiated the equipment limitation and confirmed chemical effec. tlveness. With relatively minor re-engineering, It is believed tat this'/ system could be satisfactorily improved for this spray purpose. I These tests were performed under conditions of great security consonant with VN requests and US agreement, and information concerning them was disseminated on a very strict need-to-knov basis. , Later, when large-scale CD X >*>i.vV~ - t ;> % 8 if V ?` 6 5,V .7 V *4 -- -"* '* \ L operational tasting- was initiated and conducted by USA?, too few people were cognisant of all technical requirements Those that were cognizant' could be beard only incompletely or lacked authority for insuring technical coopliance. * *1 The equipment used in the USA? tests was used for the first time for spraying chemicals to kill vegetation There was insufficient time to get t the equipment checked out for spraying these chemicals and needed adjustments, were made on the basis of the results of spraying the first USA? tarrets on '-l 13 January 1962 Complete calibration of the equipment for spraying these chemicals Is essential for the most efficient effect^ The majority of the aerial spray tests were performed during the period August to October, 1961. The results obtained varied from relatively poor i J to very good In this period the least impressive results were associated with equipment limitations rather than with a lack of vegetation response to l; the chemicals Unfortunately, the USA? spraying did not get under way until the middle of the dry season, which In upland areas markedly curtails active growth, a condition preventing expression of the chemical effects* In mangrove areas, where-water was plentiful for growth, visibility was markedly improved in one month's time .V . * HOTS: A massage from CCKUSMAC Vietnam to CIHC?AC dated 23 March 1962 demonstrates the efficacy of the USA? tests in spite of the technical problems encountered* The text of the message is published as Section I of the Vegetatlonal Spray Tests Supplement (62-?rS-834) Ir \j \ \ i cn c_n 7 CONTESTS Abaeraet, ............ ........ Foreword.......... , * .......... * * Digest, . . # * . * .............. * > * * * 3 ^ 5 X. BACKGROUND....................................... ................ 9 A, Technical Problems. 9 3, Working Conditions 12 XX. CHEMICALS FOR TEST......... ......... .............. . 13 XXX* EQUIPMENT . . . ..................... .............. * ............ 23 A* Variations, 23 3 Installation and Operation. * . . 24 1. C-47 Spray Equipment. . . ........ . . . 24 a. Description 24 b. Tests 24 c. Operational Difficulties, 23 2* 14B Spray Tank 25 3. R-34 and HXPAL SprayEquipment......... .. 26 4, Buffalo Turbine Sprayer .............. . . 26 XV, TS3TS * . . . , . ................. .............27 A Performance Standards 27. 3 V/trifbJ" .......................................... 29 V DISCUSSION................................. .......... .. 32 VI CONCLUSIONS . . . . . . . .................. . . . . . . . . . . 35 VII. RECOMMENDATIONS................................................. 37 Appendix. .............. 39 TABLES 1, Chemicals Tested, ......................... .. II Viscosities or Chemicals Compared with Water. 1 19 21 o"i L ' X/ . .1 V: w - ^i*ii *- M' .i Si 'u * \m U' A ` ` * |-P^rarloua page vers blank, therefore not filmed* j \ I. BACKGROUND 9 A. TECHNICAL PROBLEMS On approximately 10 days' notice, the author vent to South Vietnam to conduct tests in connection with Tasks 2 and 20, which were already set up in the joint program of the MAG R&D Division and the VN Combat Development Teat Canter (CDTC) , For these task3 the assistance of Mr* WV 3 Johnson was requested for the initial phases of the work,' and that of Mr L* W. Boyer for the latter phases -The time periods on location for each of the above - were: . Arrived Departed J* V* Brown 17 July 1961 14-December 1961 14 November 1961 16 February 1962 W, B* Johnson 17 July 1951 12 September-1961 L# W. Boyer 10 October 1961 2 February 1962 At the outset, damonstrations were to be performed with chemicals and spray equipment immediately available and time for effect of the chemical spray was indicated to the writer as not being critical. TJ.S. military research in* defoliation has been unfunded since Ti 1958*/" Therefore, although today there arc chemicals of premise in rcusi^; ^ f o l i ation, the urgency of the situation in Vietnam practically dictated our using only those chemicals for test that had had considerable research, proven performance, and practical background* ^Al3o, 3ther factors had to be considered, such as availability in large quantity, costs, and known or proven safety in regard to their toxicity_r *vnans and animals if a scaleup of spray use should be required The chemicals selected for test should be considered not necessarily as "defoliants11 but as vegetation control chemicals that are effective in killing susceptible species* Additionally, it was believed that killing the vegetation would achieve a more lasting effect Sea Section IX of the Vegetatlohal Spray Tests Supplement (62FDS-834), In general, all the available spray equipment had been Resigned primarily, for`spraying chemicals or materials with physical characteristics 'including: lower viscosity) different from the test chemicals. Moreover, the equipment had to be assembled on location and tested functionally prior to spraying chemicals that had been selected for vegetatIona1 tests. For the assembly, installation, and functional testing of a 675-sallo C-47 `spray rig, a 90-gallon laS spray tank mounted on an AD6, and a 200-gallon Helicopter Aerial Dispersing Apparatus Liquid (HEQAL) mounted in and on an H-34, the assistance of the following specialists was essentia1* ^ Sgt. James McIntosh, DSMC Ser. *1458 145894 MOS 6511 T/Sgt. Leon 0 Roe, DSAF, AF 6969313 '~n C3 ) '.1 >l..'Ml.'JllUi 10 Another piece of equipment, a 100-gallon. "Buffalo Turbine," vais-also assembled and functioned* This equipment Is mounted on' a single axle and can be towed for ground operation, or it can be loaded onto and functioned from a 2%-ton truck bed* The HTnAL was functioned first on 10 August, the C-47 on 24 August, and the 145 on 25 August, all using Dlnoxol. a commercial preparation of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T growth-regulator vegetation killers. The Buffalo Turbine was functioned with Dlnoxol on. 18 September* It was originally Intended to provide the 71etnamese (V*0 with a spray capability with the C-47 spray rig and with the Buffalo Turbine; the otiier units'vara to be only.*for loan or demonstration (See Section III of the Supplement). It was essential for 7K pilots to be instructed in aerial spray techniques if they were to fly C-47 spray missions* To provide this instruction, Captain Mario D* Cadori, USA? AO 936GS6, was assigned on TOY, but only after the writer refused to take the responsibility for the safety of the VN flyers and the equipment if they were denied this instruction* Ibis special kind of flying 1. beyond doubt hazardous, and Capt. Cadori accomplished a very difficult task of instruction in an outstanding manner* Unfortunately, high hopes were placed on the usefulness of the C-47 soray equipment because it had the greatest capacity and it was used for most of the test spray releases* However, the spray results using this rig were the least Impressive of any of the aerial systems employed. Section 17 of the Supplement eo this report discusses the. shortcomings of the C-47 spray system* Yet it was the only system available for conducting the subsequent aerial tests, -because after the H-34 tesr spray of 1 August using the HIDAL, this system was grounded (in the US as well) until a "fix" vas available and was not functional "gain until 12. Jiu-ry 1362* The . 14B/AD6 system was dismantled and returned to the USMC according to plan after its demonstration flight* The C-47 system should not be condemned wholly, for it is believed Chat with relatively minor re-engineering it could be adapted for spraying these more viscous materials* It appears that first steps to Improve its use for this purpose would Include more suitable nozzles, a pump of greater capacity, and piping to allow greater flow rates with less pressure drop* The inclusion of a flow meter in the system is desirable where solutions of different viscosities are to be sprayed* It is not known, however, whether the facilities, and materials in Vietnam are , adequate to accomplish these steps, simple though they may sound* Cape. Frank Dowell, USAF, 2nd AD70N, is the best authority on the necessary changes to this equipment, including the requirement for calibration of the altered equipment* The latter requirement applies also to Che C-123 equipment; that Is, it also needs calibration* Because it takes two to six weeks or more for peak effectiveness to show as a result of spraying these chemicals, and the time required Is dependent cn several factors, the deficiencies of the use of the C-47 rig were not readily apparent* In the minds of many, the chemical effectiveness i !S*V '. U was suspect. There were, however, successful tests with the HIDAL (Test 1), the 14B (Test 3), and the Buffalo Turbine (Test 9), which indicated chat the use of the C-47 rig (Tests 2, 4, 5, and 6) left something to be desired. Several factors came to light on examining the C-47 rig and its history: . (a) The system had been designed to spray Insecticide solutions of lesser viscosity than that of either Dinoxol or Trincxol, which were of about similar viscosities. (b) For normal use of the system in the US, a deposition rate of about 1/3 of a gallon per'acre is desired, whereas, Tilth the vegetation killers at least 3 times thi3 amount was sought. *_ (c) For its normal use in the US, a mass median particle diameter of about 65 microns is useful in area coverage work where ainability of the spray is not a- stringent requireaant. ` For vegetation killers a spectrum of particle sizes ranging from about 50 to 250 microns was sought, but it was necessary to use the nozzles originally selected for spraying insecticide. (d) In its normal use in the US, an effective swath of about 300 feet was assumed, and this swath was assumed for the spray of vegetation killers. (s) Because of >itor3 beyond control, the sprays were not always released under inversion conditions. () Efforts to obtain increased flow rates to satisfy (b) above appar ently aggravated the situation, because particle sizes already small yers *fid@ smaller, so chat dissipation of the spray was increased, oSyaciail/ if the release was not sada under inversion conditions. As a result of this examination, it was concluded that sufficient chemical was not being deposited on the test vegetation with this equipment. An effort was made to confirm this finding by the three swaths that were sprayed near the Bien Hca Airport on 17 October. The pump pressure was ma-g-timim (30 pai vs 20 psi); the altitude of release was requested at 25 feet (intended to be above the tree tops, but the VH pilot misunderstood and clipped tree tops with the propellers); the most appropriate chemical left In sufficient quantity at this time, Trlnoxol, was used; the spraying was done under inversion conditions at about 0845 in che morning; the easternmost swath was sprayed twice to achieve a double dose. Photographs (Test 7) show the spray delivery and lasting effect. There is little evidence that the swath chat was 3prayed twice showed more effect than those with a single spray. It is possible that regrovth may net occur as rapidly in this swath, buc all swaths appeared about the same three months later without obvious regrowth. (In the photographs, the green vegetation 12 apparent in the center of each swath is the unsoraved area that was directly below the fuselage of the C-47 when it wa3 spraying at the -very low altitude* The spray boosts and nozzles are located under each wing of the C-47*) The test site near Chon Thanh was a roadside site that was the first sprayed with Dinoxol by the C-47 rig on. 24 August* It was planned to spray by 0900 hours, but difficulties and delays encountered by the ground party in driving to the site delayed the spraying until 1030, with a consequent loss, of inversion conditions* The modest security guard was increased en route to about 60 armed soldiers and 6 armored cars as va neared the site* It was learned later that a VC (enemy) ambush had occurred two days prior to spraying at the very kilometer marker (Ho* 76) used for one end of the test runs. The concrete marker Itself had been moved by the VC to the middle of the road to block traffic, and foxholes were evident on either tide cf the road* This site va3 four kilometers long on both sides of the ' road* 76 to 80 kilometers almost due north from Saigon* This test site was selected personally by president Diem* Reports from the Koatwm area, where successful roadside sprays with HXDAL'were performed 10 August, may have been available to him, but this is not known to the writer* B. WORKING CCiiDITIOHS With the relatively short notice available for the trip to Vietnam, but little indoctrination was possible and consisted in the main of quickly reading' n7he Ugly American11 and attending for one afternoon two scheduled, presentations at the Uilitary Assiree-- e Tnstitut- Perhaps this was adequate under the circumstances, since there was precious little time tograsp even the rudiments of the language. The language difficulty was most apparent initially, and it is suggested that anyone who takes the trouble to learn some Vietnamese and U3e it will receive the respect of the VN perhaps somewhat sooner than ha ordinarily would* They accept this as a high compliment and a rarity, for so few Americans speak their language* In a HAAG brochure for those assigned to Vietnam there appears the following well-written and meaningful paragraph; "YOU AND VIETNAMESE PUBLIC OPINION, The over-all opinion of United States held by che people of foreign lands 13 cf tremendous Importance to our country, our nation*3 objectives, and the future of che Free World* 'This opinion is developed primarily, net by government directives or announce ments, but by individual impressions gained by these people through their .contacts with individual Americans* Therefore, you, and all ocher Americans who come to Vietnam, play a most important part in che furthering of our national interest, over and above the official casks you perform, simply through your day-to-day ;ontacc with the Vietnamese. You will find them friendly and courteous, interesting and congenial, and you will probably ___ on make3 some vary fine friends during your acay. in Vietnam. It is hoped chat you will go more chan, half way In developing chese friendships and chat in your contacts with the* Vietnamese people you will be guided by the realisa tion that common decency,, patience, understanding, politeness and sincerity are qualities appreciated the world over A smile means the same thing- in all languages*" ... In regard to the above paragraph, it is in a sense regrettable chat such a paragraph was deemed necessary in the first place* In the second place, if it was read, it very apparently was not only easily ignored, but individual behavior was obviously contrary to its message. In the third place, those who attached importance to lt3 content and made an honest effort to comply with its intent were often'held in suspicion, which on occasion approached ridicule and contempt, by those in the second category* The Vietnamese have a respect for age, corpulence, higher education, intelligence, sincerity, friendship, and "face11 that seems incomprehensible to' many Americans, but this in. their way of life* Those Americans in having any of chese qualities, attributes, or characteristics have that ^ much in their favor to establish good relationships with the VTT with whoa they work* However, if a sincere effort is not made or, conversely, little or no respect is shown the VH, there suddenly becomes little or no workable relationship* It appears that good relationships, mutual respect, and understanding have to be established first before real progress in the Job can be achieved, but once this contact has been made and continually strengthened, the progress accelerates rapidly* It is noteworthy that the VH refer frequently to their "friends'* but rarely mention "aeiiies" as such - they are just not-f'-lends, and among the VN a friend is one of whom drastic demands can be made, frequently on short notice, with the complacent knowledge that the matter is in good hands and will ba handled as expeditiously and completely as possible under the circumstances. If it is not, it is understood and accepted that it was not possible. The title of "friend" conferred on anyone by the VH thus carries a connotation that is not Immediately apparent to Americans, even though it may seem the word is used rather freely by them* These strong 'friendship ties seemingly exist throughout the VH military' structure and in instances are a most expeditious means of fulfilling urgent, legitimate demands, requests and the Ilka within hours or days via telephone whereas weeks or months would be required through ordinary channels. Or a paper request may be "lost" if it requires the concurrence of one who is not a friend - again a way of life perhaps developed to a high degree in the Interest of necessity while the French dominated the military system* When the writer arrived in Vietnam in mid-July with Mr. Johnson there were 3ome 60-odd projects or tasks already In the joint program of the RAD Division (US) and Combat Development Test Center (CDTC-VH) that had been initiated in June 1961. Two of chese tasks were pertinent to the writer13 field of endeavor, and he was to function as the US Advisor for these tasks. / l^ \! \ 14 It has been requested, however, that this report concern only Task 20 At that time about three or four ocher tasks were activated or about to be* The B&D Division in mid-July consisted of five people, four officers and one enlisted man* The facilities were two small adjoining rooms, two office desks, two office tables, five chairs, a typewriter, two telephones, a file safe, and abig^proeraa* A VN Colonel (Colonel Trach) had been assigned as Chief of the CHIC and two 72? Captains (Captains Xhoat and Chan) were on loan to him* There was no facility assigned as yt to the CDTC* The Colonel spoke Vietnamese, -Trench, and, thirdly, English* Captain Khoat spoke Vietnamese, French, and English rather well, and served on many occasions as an interpreter* He was on loan from VN J-3* Captain Chan was on loan from Ordnance* He spoke Vietnamese and French very' fluently, having studies for six or seven years in France, where ha obtained a Master's degree in Chemical Engineering* He understood English if It was spoken slowly and clearly but hesitated to try speaking English for about the first ten days to two weeks of our acquaintance* That the -work reported was accomplished at all s due largely to the high level of cooperation and support supplied by tbe Vietnamese*. Colonel Trach and his staff of Captains Khoat and Chan gave Immediate attention to the problems and arrangements necessary for the execution of the tests. Captain Clian was the VN project officer for the work and did an outstanding job in helping to expedite its completion. Later, Captain Ton wa3 assigned to assist Captain Chan and many difficult arrangements were pertormsd by him* In Instances where neither of these captains was -tmediately avail able, Captain Khoat was always helpful in attending to the requirements of the assignment* These officers always showed the inherent friendliness of the Vietnamese toward ms* Cotnaunicacion was not always easy in the early stages of our relationships because of my inability to speak languages better known to them* Also, their inherent politeness toward a "guest" o their government made it difficult to know the extent of understanding achieved, especially when they would tend to say "Tea" to everything the "guest" said. The writer was acutely aware of having to speak with them In English and appre ciative that this was perhaps the least fluent language of the several they spoke* This was made known to them very early in our acquaintance, along with the importance of understanding, and they were invited to ask questions or have me explain as slowly, clearly, or thoroughly as they desired until the subject at issue was understood beyond doubt* It was useful several times to write out key words to clear up misunderstood pronunciation* The very great interest shown by Che VN in our work contrasted strangely with that shown by the US side in Vietnam as I saw it, especially in the July-Sepcember period. In fairness, the H&D Division was sorely overworked and undermanned to handle administrative matters alone, and chose assigned to B&D tasks had their hands full with problems of their own* Also, the VN iI CO requested utmost security (See Section 7 of the Supplement) in our work The result vas that, when the tiss came to consider, expansion of Che effort^ very few people outside of the HAAG BAD Division were really informed of the complexities and requirements involved. Of course, monthly reports, progress reports, trip reports, and memoranda'were available to provide background information to those having a need to know (several of these are not new available for use in preparing this report). The breadth of * dissemination of this information is not known, because information has a vay under these circumstances of travelling vertically vir\ little lateral spread. Another obvious difficulty was that only a very few who had some knowledge of,variouayiotan lea1 sciences could appreciate the information . available <Zg_ this/particular field the entire Department of Defense had only two scientists considered qualified to Cackle these problems, Dr. ^-'arik and me, Jooth from the same office. So the source of the information in Vietnam vas/ons person, and in its progression through channels oral information could have suffered considerable misinterpretation in relatively short order As others came into the picture, they too .may have had to supply information on 9hort notice In the latter phases (during December to February) it is possible that several sources vere supplying' opinions with little relation to fact, thus leading to a state of confusion, A simple eoiar, such as time for effect to reach, a maximna after spray deposition vas difficult for many to understand and led to prejudgment and condemnation after a single premature observation. Another case, reduced to* its simplest terms, vas the assumption by others that, because the air craft had released the spray, a lack of response justified an automatic condemnation of the chemical, ignoring the fact that a sublethal deposit had resulted that could have been due to any one of several things, such as excessive altitude and airspeed rf the aircraft, inadequate flow rate (which vas maximum for the system), lack of inversion conditions causing spray dissipation, of Insufficient canopy penetration due to improper particle size and the fact chat the equipment had never been calibrated vith the liquids being sprayed. The assumption vas inherent that all experiments muse be successful-- an odd approach to research, to say the r least. That three of the fir3t four tests vith different equipment vere considered successful (Tests 1,. 3, and 9; Test Z vas the exception) vas almost Ignored by chose vho chose to concentrate on the results of Test 2 and subsequent inadequate tests vith the C-47 equipment, the performance of which left much to be desired. Consider for a moment a system, two identical buckets with a nail hole the same size in the bottom of each. Fill one with kerosene and the other vith the same volume of a more "dscous liquid such as S.A.E, 30 engine oil (or even liquid glue, to make the point). Which will drain first? This is essentially the viscosity problem encountered vith the C-47 spray rig in trying to obtain a'flow rate to give adequate deposition. 16 In regard co che "atmosphere" surrounding this work, the following 1 extract is deemed appropriate. It is particularly noteworthy that It is of Russian origin. Extract from DAILY RE20KT, USSR & East Europe, 6 March 1962 Ho. 45 -- 1962 DOGIAXXSH IH RESEARCH METHODS SCORED Moscow L H E R A H Y GAZETTE. 24 February 1962-- A. (Article by Prof. V. V. Farin, member of the Soviet Academy of Medical Sciences: "The Authority of Facts") (Stannary) Never in the whole history of science has ehere been such & period of tuxultuous development as now. The traditional concepts of the world are breaking down under the impact of new theories, and it is a single generation of men that has to digest all the eh&cges. To some people, however, the nullification of views cher ished for many years comes as a fearful shock. They had been admitting a single scientific approach and corroborating it not with the results of their own experiments, but with quotations from the works of predecessors. In this lay the chief harm of the per sonality cult in the sphere of .science: that one particular school of thought was held to'be the sole rec2 ptacle of truth. Yet such a slavish inertia is contrary to the spirit of dialectic materialism, which admits no such bounds to knowledge. X have dealt in some detail with the position in physiology and in medicine. However, the problem of the struggle against dogmatism, of a proper approach to the scientific heritage, of keeping up a healthy and genuinely creative atmosphere, is not a physiological or biological problem; it is a general one. It should agitate and it does agitata people working in various spheres of the natural, precise, technological sciences as well as the humanities. The time is coming when the young generation which we ourselves are educating will take our place. But to- teach people the methods of experimental work, of mathematical calculations, and of analysing the* facts gathered is only half the task. Thinking methods which wa must inculcate in our pupils must be based on high ethical prin ciples. Genuine science boldly advances into the uncharted fields, constantly developing the tools and methods of research. It never hides behind the auchorlcy of great leaders of either today or to morrow. The truth Is always b o m in a struggle of opinions, in hot creative debates. a ^ y <* <q o vi< -b>-a im t v-w ^ 17 For the sake of the truth, a scientist must be able to drop his ova views, no matter at what cost they have been acquired. They must not be stayed by force or by administrative influence, for in this case, a personal collision threatens to grow into a social one* Science breathes only one kind of air-- the oxygen of facts. Hew research methods are the trees cleansing the atmosphere of the carbon dioxide of newly revealed, realized, and understood phe nomena. A healthy atmosphere Is incredibly important to science. It is not in vain that the greatest of the documents of the epoch in which we are living explicitly refers to this creative atmosphere. Because the above was written for Russian consumption, the writer suggests a rewrite for the first two sentences of the last paragraph: ,TFor the sake of the truth, a scientist must be able to change his own views, regardless of the consequences. He must not be swayed by force or by administrative influence, for in this case, a personal collision threatens to grow into a social one." 'The statement: "A healthy atmos phere is incredibly important to science11 bear3 repeating for the consid eration of. those administering programs of science. It is difficult enough to search out the truth and advance science even in a free atmos phere uncluttered by preconceptions, misconceptions, misunderstandings, and misrepresentations by others. .w ja aU M aw ii 13 H . CHEMICALS FOR TEST Many factors-were involved in the use of chemicals In th3 instance. wtaly certain chemicals were imaediatelv available in quantity to be, operationally useful in defoliating or killing jungle vegetation. The country is actively fighting communist aggression where the jungle foliage is usecf'by the enemy to conceal their bases and to ambush traffic along roads and''vatcrways. There is an urgent need to-suppreas cotmainist terrorism. The standards of living of much of the population may be classed as. primitive. Under these conditions, requirements in addition to effectiveness of the chemicals on vegetation Include: (a) the chemicals must be nontoxic to humane In handling, in exposure ^ Co dissemination by air or ground equipment (either by direct contact or by the respiratory route), or In the consumption of edible produce. (b) The chemicals be compatible with Che equipment for dissemination, i.e., noncorrosive, nonlnflammable, etc. (c) The chemicals have physical characteristics that allow them to be disseminated by available equipment so that sufficient quantity can be deposited on the vegetation without undue dissipation or evaporation. In addition, they must present no unusual or difficult storage, handling, or . mixing problems; these include crystallizing at temperatures likely to be encountered in storage or in flight, leaving residues to clog a spray system, or exceeding the facilities available for any mixing required. (d) The use rate should be as low as possible for effect. (e) The cost should not be prohibitive. Allowing for the above criteria, comercial concentrates of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T were used to provide demonstrations of effect (Table I). Thl3 approach was considered to provide the most direct route to operational usefulness and aid to the Vietnamese consistent with the pre vailing urgency. These chemicals have been known and used in the US for \ \s' more than 15 years, are considered safe to animals and humans, and otherwise meet the requirements above. Additionally, In 1959 chemicals of this type were used successfully to kill Che trees growing in an area of about four square miles in an impact zone at Camp Drum, Hew York. Section VI of the Supplement is a summary report of the work at Camp Drum. Another approach could have been micro-testing on small plots with numerous candidate,chemicals chat had far less background for meeting all Che requirements. Sixteen of these candidate chemicals were on hand in quantities ranging from grams Lo gallons. Costs, lead tlme3 for quantity CS- CJ1 "CT ./ ( V- i. \ V" I / /1 */ .* % #tl***"*l \ ' ) --"I I \ TAEI I. CHEMICALS TESTED Color Code Chemical Commercial Name Quantity /~20% 2,4-D butoxy ethanol e e t e r \ - / ' (20% 2,4,5~T butoxy ethanol eate$/ 40% 2,4,5*-T butoxy ethanol ester Dlnoxol Trlnoxol 500 gallons 535 gallons Becelved Disposition 17 July 61 Exhausted 12 Jan 62 4 Sep 61 ' Used 385 gallons; 150 gallons to VN Jan 62 30% 2,4-0 ethyl ester -(water formulation) Cone. 48 5 0 0 gallons 4 Sep 61 Used 100 gallons; 400 gallons to VN Pink 760% Isobutyl ester 2,4,5-t L L.40% butyl eater 2,4,5-T J m - 20 Nov 61 9 Jan 62 - Creen 100% butyl ester 2,4,5-T - - 20 Nov 61 - Purple Blue / 50% butyl eater 2,4-D 1 \30% isobutyl ester 2,4,5-T f V_20X butyl ester 2,4,5-T 65% cacodylic acid T - i .Ansar - partial shipment 9 Jan 2 20 Nov 61 1 i I ; ii (i i U uH> V).