I recently had the pleasure of attending the reunion of a very special group of men whose bond goes beyond blood and brotherhood. These men, known as “The Whitecoats,” are heroes in the eyes of so many Seventh-day Adventists, Americans, and increasingly, citizens of nations all across the world.

They are heroes because they helped U.S. Army medical researchers develop vaccines and various other treatments for a large number of deadly viruses and chemicals, not least of which was anthrax. Imagine if you can, placing your face into a portal opening on the side of a stainless steel sphere the size of a small house. Inside this sphere is a vaporized form of anthrax. Now imagine taking a few deep breaths!

This is just one of the hundreds of human experiments the 2,300 Whitecoat volunteers were involved in at Ft. Dietrich, Md., throughout a 19-year period from 1954 to 1973.

The Whitecoats were all Seventh-day Adventist Church members—young men who were in support of their country and desired to do something significant for human kind. Yet, they were also firmly convinced that they should not bear arms and engage in combat operations for the military. So, they volunteered for the Whitecoats program.

The explicit goal of the program was to develop defenses against chemical weaponry. As you might imagine, any medical experimentation involving humans is of interest to ethicists like myself. Then add to this the fact that the Army specifically sought the support of the General Conference in an effort to recruit these young Adventists.

Many questions arise: Did the Army dupe the Church into helping them develop offensive weapons of chemical warfare as opposed to defensive strategies? Did any of our young men suffer immediate or long-term debilitating medical conditions as a result? Did the Church wrongly encourage its youth to be involved? Should the Church and/or its members lend any support to the military effort of our country, be it oriented toward combat or service? Were the “volunteers” really coerced into joining this program?

These are just a few of the many questions I have as an ethicist. But regardless of my questions, I want to uplift the Whitecoats. Theirs was a bravery and commitment that is rare. As a Church, we should be proud of their courage and recognize the significance of their contribution to medical science.

To you, Whitecoats, who may read this—to you widows, wives, children and grandchildren of Whitecoats—God bless you.