A Little Pearl Harbor: The Bombing and the Cancer Treatment Breakthrough

bombing

The December 1943 German military air raid on Bari destroyed 17 Allied ships, killed more than 1,000 servicemen and ignited a mysterious outbreak. https://t.co/GFpJQH5vkP

— Smithsonian Magazine (@SmithsonianMag) August 18, 2020

Health Editor’s Note: Does this sound familiar? Imagine a cover-up. Who would do that?  It took almost 30 years from the time of this German air attack on British and U.S. ships , in the harbor of Bari, Italy, to learn the truth about the military disaster that took place and how this disaster make an impact on the lives of Americans with cancer. Soldiers rescued from the air attack, started to develop huge blisters on their skin, extreme thirst, pain, cardio-circulatory failure, and they died. After much denial it was discovered that an allied ship, the John Harvey, was carrying mustard gas for a chemical stockpile at Foggia, 75 miles from Bari, to improve U.S.’s chances to retaliate against a German chemical attack. 

Failing to admit there was mustard gas in the area and that quite probably that mustard had escaped into the environment harmed and killed many soldiers before treatment could begin to save some of them. When looking at blood samples Then it was discovered that the nitrogen mustard gas attacked and killed the white blood cells, really wiped them out. 

It was postulated that if it killed white cells and blood forming organs with such abandon, that perhaps it could be used to control leukemia, a cancer of the blood which produces too many white cells, which is the most common type of cancer in children. During 1943, and during the war, it was decided that research into this promising therapy would have to wait. Sulfur mustard toxicity, which, when mixed with the oil dumped into Bari Harbor,  produced a more potent toxic soup, experimental nitrogen mustard compounds. 

Investigation into the toxin’s effects on the human body was able to be studied due to the chance exposure to nitrogen mustard compounds, by the poor soldiers on the bombed ships, of which one contained the mustard gas. This type of research would have normally not been completed because usual research on living volunteers would have been impossible.  

The idea was to turn this incident, with its results, into something that would be helpful. But bottom line was the mention of mustard gas was expunged from all medical records. Alexander’s preliminary report of his 10 day investigation of the Bari Harbor catastrophe was classified. No one wanted Hitler to use this mustard gas incident as an excuse for a gas offensive.  But guess what! The Germans knew that the source of the mustard gas was the harbor. and they had sent down their own diver, Italian Fascist frogman, who found the M47 bomb casing which proved the chemical weapons were American. 

The military research into this poison gas was used to find a chemical that would selectively kill cancer cells.  The precursor of chemotherapy was discovered. On August 7, 1945, the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan, the plans for the Sloan Kettering Institute for Cancer Research was launched…..Carol 

Carol Duff, MSN, BA, RN

Carol graduated from Riverside White Cross School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio and received her diploma as a registered nurse. She attended Bowling Green State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Literature. She attended the University of Toledo, College of Nursing, and received a Master’s of Nursing Science Degree as an Educator.

She has traveled extensively, is a photographer, and writes on medical issues. Carol has three children RJ, Katherine, and Stephen – one daughter-in-law; Katie – two granddaughters; Isabella Marianna and Zoe Olivia – and one grandson, Alexander Paul. She also shares her life with her husband Gordon Duff, many cats, and two rescues.

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