Originator: SSCIA
Document date: 04/24/1975
Document type: MEMORANDUM

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157-10014-10218

2023 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

JFK Assassination System

Identification Form

7/7/2015

Agency Information

AGENCY: SSCIA

RECORD NUMBER: 157-10014-10218

RECORD SERIES: MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS OF THE CHURCH COMMITTEE

AGENCY FILE NUMBER : 07-M-123

Document Information

ORIGINATOR:

FROM:

TO :

TITLE:

SSCIA

DATE: 04/24/1975

PAGES:

9

SUBJECTS :

CIA

DOCUMENT TYPE: MEMORANDUM

CLASSIFICATION: Declassified

RESTRICTIONS: 1B; 1C

CURRENT STATUS: Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 05/31/2000

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS: CC Box 300

v9.1

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Date :

08/08/95

Page :

1

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY :

SSCIA

RECORD NUMBER

157-10014-10218

RECORDS SERIES

MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS OF THE CHURCH COMMITTEE

AGENCY FILE NUMBER

:

07-M-123

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

ORIGINATOR :

SSCIA

FROM

TO

TITLE

DATE

: 04/24/75

PAGES

9

SUBJECTS

: CIA

DOCUMENT TYPE : MEMORANDUM

CLASSIFICATION : SECRET

RESTRICTIONS

REFERRED

CURRENT STATUS

• POSTPONED

' IN FULL

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 01/20/99

OPENING CRITERIA

COMMENTS : CC Box 300

[R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED

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oorond Daudessinteriicw

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300-8

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COMMISSION ON CIA ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE UNITED STATES

Washington, DC 20500

April 24, 1975

MEMORANDUM FOR THE FILE

SUBJECT: Interview with M. David Boston

On Wednesday, April 23, 1975, M. David Boston was interviewed by

James N. Roethe at the

South Building, Office of Technical Service

complex in Washington. The interview commenced at approximately

1:30 and terminated

at approximately 3:10. Mr. Boston appeared

voluntarily. for the interview.

Background Information on Mr. Boston

Boston has a Masters degree in Agricultural Biochemistry from the

University of Missouri.

Several years prior to joining the Agency he

worked for UMC Industries, Inc. in St. Louis in their laboratory for

some period and doing pyrotechnics work for his last two years.

During those last years, he was working on several UMC Industries

projects for the CIA (an animal toxicology program and a secret

writing systems program). He was asked to join the Agency and did

so on May 1, 1961. He has worked with ISD or OTS (in the develop-

ment and engineering sections) during his entire CIA career.

For the first three months with CIA, Boston worked in the Chemistry

Branch. At the end of that period, a Biological 3ranch split off from

the Chemistry Branch and Boston remained there until 1968. There

were only three persons in that branch at the time (Boston, Dr. Ray

Treichler--its head, and Don Isenberg.) Isenberg was later replaced

by Dr. Don Sheldon in about 1965. In 1968 the Biological Branch

remerged with the Chemistry Branch. In July 1970, Boston became

Deputy Chief of the Chemistry Branch and in January 1971 he became

Branch Chief.

RET

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dear ted i do last

Destruction of Documents re Drug Program

Shortly after Boston came aboard in 1961, Sid Gotlieb became Deputy

Chief of TSD. He had previously been Chief of the Development and

Engineering Section of TSD. He remained Deputy Chief of TSD for

about two years and then assumed the position of Chief which he

remained in until ISD was shifted from the Operations Directorate

to Science and Technology. At that time Gotlieb retired..

About six months before Gotlieb retired, he requested that Boston.

destroy all records pertaining to a TSD project, MKULTRA. Gotlieb

did not tell Boston why these records were to be destroyed. Boston

was aware that these were contract files, funded under a special funding

mechanism which would not show CIA or governmental interest. The

MKULTRA files consisted of 152 files dated from April 1952 through

May 1967. Boston called up all of these files from the CIA Archives,

had them torn and burned. It took four people a full day to destroy

these documents. Boston was never told whether Gotlieb made his

request at the request of Mr. Helms. However, he assumes that the

request came from higher authority because at the same time, ORD

was told to stop all work in its drug programs. The MKULTRA files

all involved drug programs although ISD was out of the drug business

at the time these

files were destroyed.

ISD's Drug Program - MKULIRA

Boston did do some fringe work on MKULTRA during his early years

with the Agency. He is sure that this project involved a search for

certain chemicals which could influence the behavior or mind of an

open a person up and make him more vulnerable to interrogation,

terminated because these chemicals were not being used operationally

and it was also difficult to find compounds of this nature. Many of the

drugs that were experimented with were obtained from pharmaceutical

houses (drugs that had been rejected because of unusual side effects).

SCRET.

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ORD had been keeping a list of such drugs. This was also the primary

source of drugs by Edgewood Arsenal which was the Army's installation '

for experimentation in chemical warfare.

Testing on Animals

In the early 1960s, Boston himself conducted many tests of drugs on

animals. Much of this experimentation was undertaken by contractors

such

as UMC Industries of St. Louis and Resources Research Institute

in San Mateo, California.

Testing with Humans

Boston only knows of three materials which were tested on humans while.

he was with OTS. These were all tested on voluntary subjects from the

Agency or from Bacaville Correctional Center in Bacaville, California.

The three are as follows:

1. A fluorescent chemical which when mixed with shampoo would

leave fluorescent traces

on the hair. This was used for identification

purposes.

2.

A non-detectable fluorescent tattoo also used for identification

purposes and detected with ultraviolet light.

3. Cylert-magnesium pemoline which is a memory and learning

enhancement material. Testing showed that this product was not

effective.

Boston himself tested the two fluorescent materials on himself.

None of these tests caused any bad side effects on the subjects. Boston

has not heard of any tests every conducted by TSD or CTS which resulted

side effects on humans. He has heard rumors that certain tests

were at one time conducted on unwitting subjects but he knows of none

of the specifics.

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LSD Program

Boston is aware of an LSD program run in the 1950s under Dr. Hank

Bortner. Di. Bortner left the Agency many years ago and is since

deceased. He told Boston that he had taken LSD himself during the

course of testing. Boston was not aware that tests had ever been

conducted on unwitting subjects.

It is the Office of Technical Services' policy today not to conduct tests

of any type of product on unwitting subjects, no matter how harmless.

Boston believes that it has always been the policy of TSD and CTS to

test potentially harmful drugs (such as those which influence behavior)

only on witting subjects. He would have frowned upon tests of such

products on unwitting subjects.

The Biological Branch

The Biological Branch existed from 1961 through 1968. He engaged in

the following activities:

1. It conducted technical chemical warfare and biological warfare

surveillance programs to determine if foreigners were manufacturing

chemical warfare or biological warfare drugs. This consisted on taking

air and water samples and analyzing them.

2. The Branch developed tear gas and other harassment gasses

for use against foreign groups. These were used primarily by liaison

services to control crowds, etc., unfriendly to those governments.

The gasses were manufactured in canisters which were unmarked and

untraceable.

3. Animal training programs, started by ORD, were continued by

TSD. In particular, ravens were trained to deliver packages, etc.

4. The Branch also engaged in an ongoing analytical program

wherein they would analyze any substance brought to the Agency by

operating divisions.

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The Biological Branch has never engaged in any positive chemical war-

fareor biological warfare activity.

They would have relied on Edgewood

Arsenal for chemical warfare materials or Fort Dietrich for biological •

warfare materials. Both these installations were Army installations

and have been closed down.

The Chemical Branch

Since 1968 the Biological Branch remerged with the Chemical Branch,

Boston states that the Chemical Branch has engaged in the following

activities.

1. The development of power sources. This is by far the Chemical

Branch's most important activity, taking up about two-thirds of its time.

These power sources are the types which are used by agents in trans-

mitters, etc., used in the field. These batteries must be of long-life

and of special configurations for concealment purposes.

2. The analytical facility previously operated by the Biological

Branch is now operated by the Chemical Branch.

3. Dog training activities are carried out to train dogs to retrieve

dead drops.

4. An Agency security pouch system has been developed which can-

not be opened without CIA being able to detect the fact that it has been

opened.

5. Several programs in the development of adhesives have been

undertaken to permit the quick planting of audio devices and to create

an adhesive for use in disguise.

6. The chemical warfare technical surveillance previously carried

on by the Biological Branch is

now carried on by the Chemical Branch.

7. Some nuclear technical surveillance is conducted in conjunction

with the Systems Branch.

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8. The Branch has developed component parts for other development

and engineering branch projects.

9. The Branch is involved in a radiation health badge service for

personnel overseas.

The Chemical Branch has not been engaged in any experimentation with

drugs which influence the mind or behavior. They have not been involved

at all with drugs that would in any way affect humans. If any branch

would carry on such activity, it would be the Chemical Branch.

The Manufacture of Poison Capsules

If poison capsules had been manufactured by CIA, the most likely place

for such manufacture would have been the Biological Branch of CTS or

TSD. Boston states that the Branch did have some capsules when he

first came aboard (he doesn't know who developed them; they have since

been destroyed). These were hydrogen-cyanide capsules for suicides.

They could not be given to a human unknowingly as the person taking

the capsule had to crush a gas capsule with his teeth and then suck back

sharply.

Boston is not aware of any other poison capsules which have been manu-

factured by the Chemical Branch. or by the Biological Branch between

• 1961 and 1968. Boston reiterated that if a tasteless poison were to be

developed in capsule form, with a delayed lethal reaction, it would

almost surely be developed by the Biological Branch of TSD.

Boston stated that the Biological Branch was working with Fort Dietrich

on a dart launcher which would shoot a tiny dart which could not be felt

by the victim. The dart was large enough to carry lethal material but

it was being developed to simply immobilize victims and it apparently

was not large enough to carry sufficient amounts of knock-out material.

Boston believes he would have heard of a poison capsule project but he

is not sure. The requirement may have come to a specific individual

if it was a sensitive job.

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Di. Ray Treichler, who was head of the Biological Branch from 1961

until 1966 or 1967, presently works for Hudson Manufacturing Company

in Chicago. Dr. Nathan Gordon, who took over for Di. Treichler,

now is the Washington representative of the Midwest Research Institute

of Kansas City.

The Biological Branch would have been the branch most likely to prepare

any wearing apparel or diving gear infected with lethal strains of bio-

logical organisms. Boston is aware of no such requirements placed upon

OT'S during the 1960s. He did state that CIA did support financially

some biological work being done by the Army at Fort Dietrich. He is

unaware of any requirements placed upon Fort Dietrich for organism

infected wearing apparel.

Miscellaneous Matters

Boston has engaged in no projects with CTS, nor has he heard of any

projects where he would have questioned the propriety of the project.

Those persons who may have been involved in early drug programs

include Dr. Treichler, Di. Bortner (dead) and Dr. Gotlieb (in India).

Other old-timers in the Chemistry Branch include Dr. Lashbrook

(retired in 1960).

Boston is not aware of any testing done by CIA at Fort Dietrich.

It is unlikely that the Operations group would go outside the Agency

for a substance such as poison capsules.

James N. Röethe...

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ADVICE AND FAUVER

Place

Date

Time

Saudi slig

Affend Sent Cary

123/25

Before you make any statement to, or answer any questions from,

the Commission or its investigators, you should

understand that

you have the sight to remain silent.

If you choose to answer,

anything you say can be used against you in court.

You may consult a lawyer for advice before any questions are put,

and you may have a lawyer with you curing questioning.

If you

cannot afford a lawyet, one will be appointed for you

before

If you decide to answer questions without

a lawyer present, you still have the right to stop answering at'

any

timo: Or you may defer your answer until you talk to a

lawyer.

WAIVER

.. I havo read and understand the foregoing advice.

I am willing

to naks a statement and answer questions /with 7. Lwithout i

No promises or threats have been made

to

me, and no pressure or coercion of any kind has been used against

пе.

see bal Berton

Withose:

Nitross

,2a per

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