ATTACHMENT 3:


4/11/95   14:49     202 273 4877        VA OSEC        002

"GIF"
                 THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
                            WASHINGTON
                            APR 11 1995

Mr. Dan Guttman
Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments
1728 M Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036

Dear Mr. Guttman:

     Dr. Susan Mather has shared with me your April 5 response to
our comments on the partial draft of the Advisory Committee's
final report.

     As you know, we examined the questions surrounding the
Atomic Medicine Division in good faith.  The Inspector General
(IG) had no ulterior motive when it could not find evidence to
support the contention that a "secret" Atomic Medicine Division
ever operated at VA.  We sought from the Departments of Energy
and Defense any records they might have that would shed light in
this area.  Neither had uncovered such information in their
searches.  The volume of the records we cannot account for in
detail is far too small to have constituted the defense against
liability claims that you suggest they might have been.

     We are now convinced, based on the balance of evidence, that
while the Division was conceived, it was never born.  Some of the
report's references to the Division may not constitute "factual
error" in a legalistic sense, but they promote a false inference
-- that VA acted to keep information hidden for less-than-
appropriate purposes.  I know you would agree that the
Committee's final product should not be marred by what appears to
be innuendo: clarity and truthfulness must be paramount. The
clarifications we suggested are critical from this standpoint, so
we appreciate information of the requested clarification in the
latest draft of the ACHRE final report (Chapter 5, page 53). 
Each reference to the "confidential Atomic Medicine Division"
should be accompanied (via footnote or parenthetical addition) by
a similar clarification.

     Dr. Mather will be pleased to work with you as necessary to
ensure the needed revisions are made.

                         Sincerely,

                         Harold Gracey
                         Harold Gracey
                         Chief of Staff

"GIF"               Putting Veterans First