Operation Red Hat : Men and a Mission

Year Published: 1967

Creator: National Archives

Format: 16mm/video file

Description: National Archives and Records Administration - ARC Identifier 3033306 / Local Identifier 175.79 - Operation Red Hat : Men and a Mission - Department of Defense. Department of the Army. U.S. Army Materiel Command. U.S. Army Munitions Command. Edgewood Arsenal. (08/01/1962 - 1971). This film shows the movement of Okinawa - based American munitions to Johnston Island in 1971. Footage reveals that in 1962, Edgewood Arsenal was involved in a classified operation to ship munitions to Okinawa under the code name "Red Hat." In 1969, it was discovered that toxic munitions were in Okinawa and President Richard Nixon promised Japan's Prime Minister that he would remove the toxic munitions. On February 13, 1971, the first convoy of chemical weapons was sent to Johnston Island, located 750 miles southwest of Hawaii. Each vehicle leaving the munitions holding center was inspected to ensure that the civilian population in Japan had not been contaminated. Japanese officials inspected the empty igloos after the munitions were removed. On September 10, 1971, the transportation of munitions and the operation were complete.