Burned: Conversations with a Black WWII Veteran

WWII veteran Rollins Edwards sat before the Federal Board of Veterans Appeals wearing a long overcoat, black beret, and dark glasses. It wasn’t a fashion statement but a necessity for protecting his hypersensitive skin from the cool air conditioning. The previous night, his skin had begun deteriorating-literally falling off his body into small piles on the hotel carpet. Blood. Rotten skin. The smell. Army officials had threatened him with prison if he ever discussed what happened to him at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. The secret experiments. The chemicals. The torture. But enough was enough. He couldn’t remain silent any longer. He was finally ready to tell his story-one that most people hadn’t heard; a story he once vowed never to discuss until now…