 Today is a very happy day as far as I'm concerned I have seen brought to a safe and successful conclusion a very important operation which is the carrying out of a promise made by the President of the United States to the Prime Minister of Japan that we would remove these weapons from Okinawan soil and that has now been accomplished but most significantly it was accomplished completely safely and that was the prime objective. The purpose of this ceremony today is to pay tribute and offer thanks to all of you who are in formation today to the members of the 267th chemical company sitting to my left and through you to the more than 1,500 people who participated successfully in one of the most difficult operations ever accomplished by the United States military forces. I personally had extensive opportunity to observe the dedication to duty the great skill and the plain old-fashioned hard work which is performed by all of the people involved in the operation. I have only the highest praise for all of you and the highest commendation for your efforts. During peace as well as war an army must maintain its capability to respond to any assigned mission. Operation Red Hat removal of toxic chemical munitions from Okinawa to storage facilities on Justin Island exemplify this responsiveness. It was a mission involving meticulous planning by dedicated men to ensure the safest most efficient coordination of mine, muscle and machinery. The long hours under a swathing sun dried up reservoirs that caused water rationing the tense political situation the armies desired to complete the mission flawlessly for all part of Operation Red Hat. In 1969 President Richard Nixon told Prime Minister Asako Sato the US would remove the more than 13,000 tons of toxic munitions prior to the reversion of the islands to Japanese control. Planning for Red Hat began in the fall of that same year but due to delays in selecting a suitable storage site was postponed until January 1971. I promise to remove it and we will not return munitions of this type I am sure to Okinawan soil ever again. Phase one of Red Hat originally scheduled to begin January 11th was delayed two days at the request of Chief Executive Chobyo Yara of the government of the Ryukyu Islands who asked High Commissioner James B. Lafford to postpone the movement in order for the GRI to work out last minute details with the villages along the route. On January 13th the first convoy moved up from Chibana Ammunition Depot to begin its seven-mile trek to Tengan Pier. The second convoy departed Chibana on schedule moving along the route to the villages of Nemorikawa, Ikihara and Inobi without incident. Loading operations went without incident and the ship the USNS James E. Robinson was loaded late that afternoon and began the voyage to Justin Island early the next morning. Planning for phase two which included the construction of additional storage facilities on Justin Island began immediately. While extensive construction was being accomplished on Justin Island at alternate route was constructed through the Chibana Ammunition Depot to the convoys would for the most part travel on military control land. After lengthy negotiations the new road was constructed in less than two months with the government of Japan paying for the construction and the US providing the manpower for the project. A joint USGRI committee of specialists in all phases of the operation was established by High Commissioner Lampard and Chief Executive Yara to coordinate phase two operations. This committee published a joint safety plan, worked on medical problems, established emergency safety stations and contributed to the successful completion of the operation. In an effort to calm the fears of military employees working inside Chibana Depot, General Hayes and Mr. Sakai Nakamura representing the USGRI Safety Committee spoke to employees and explained the safety precautions that would be taken. Strike plans by the Okinawan employees were canceled when they learned of the safety measures. In spite of the exhaustive efforts that were made to relieve the fears and anxieties of the Okinawan people living along the Red Hat route to convince them that all possible safety precautions and then taken to protect their well-being all were not convinced. A demonstration by villagers living along the route erupted shortly before phase two was to get underway. But no major problems were encountered. Strike was averted and phase two was ready to get underway. The Red Hat commander addressed the participants, his theme was safety. To speak to all of you, we're going to participate in phase two, which is much longer, much more difficult than the job. But at least this time, when we're finished, it's all over. It's our job to see that the operation is completed safely. It's a principal consideration. So everything else has to take second place, the having the operation accomplished safely. This means that we're going to be going through many, many checks, rejects, third-check of people's equipment of procedures. As we go through this, I want each and every one of you to keep that thought under control in your mind at all times. And for a good as it, if you think there's some way that can be done more safely, please speak up loud and clear. The Red Hat area of Chabana Ammunition Depot was one of strict security and closely controlled entrants. The mission of providing security was assigned to the 267th Chemical Company, commanded by Captain William Goforth. During phase two loading operation, Captain Goforth traced the company's activities. Our main function in the Red Hat area of 267th is to package, load on trailers and ship to Tin Gan Pier, all chemical munitions stored in the Chabana Depot. Some of the procedures that we go through in order to do this is to check through our security gate, go straight to our dispensary, check through the dispensary, come back out, have a briefing from our section sergeants, collect our ammunition inspector, take escort representative, and go down to a site. We first have to check the site out with personnel in full-butyl rubber to ensure that there is no leakage inside the igloo by using the detectors or monitors. After we determine that it is not contaminated in any way, we open the structure up, spot a trailer in front of it and start loading the trailer with the electric forklift working on the inside and gasses working on the outside. After a trailer has been loaded, blocked, and braced with a plastic on it, the section sergeant will ship the trailer to the holding area which is inside the Red Hat area itself where tarps and placards will be placed upon the trailer and the convoys form. I will pick up the convoy, paperwork, escort the convoy out of the Red Hat area itself to the convoy forming area here in the Chabana Depot. In the Red Hat area there are a few men who stand by the igloo as the pallets are brought out and they check the pallets and the munitions over pretty carefully. Just what are they looking for? This is the ammunition inspector and tech escort representative. We are respecting the pallet for a good pack, loose bands, bursted pallets, and if we find any they are replaced and repacked on site. We are getting up in the company area now at around 4.30 in the morning and shutting down our operation no later than 1800 at night. This is a seven-day-a-week proposition. We are working four days on one day off per crew. They are working hard, they are doing a good job, and they will produce more. And the 267 is getting those trucks out on time? 267 will play with that. The convoy commander, accompanied by a technician from the 267th chemical company escorted the loaded trailers from the Red Hat area to the convoy holding area. Here the convoy commander inspected each trailer to ensure it contained the proper load of chemical munitions and that the munitions have been properly placed on all trucks and trailers and that the vehicles have been inspected by technicians from the 531st Transportation Company. At the same time, GRI representatives conducted their safety checks. After completion of the checks, the convoy commander briefed convoy members concerning the route and emergency procedure should any driver encounter a problem with his truck. Major Donovan Kirkpatrick, a convoy commander. There is a paramount importance in this operation. We are trying to be as careful as is mainly possible to ensure that there are no accidents or incidents with munitions. Everyone has a protected mask that I am wearing here. Additionally, each cargo bearing vehicle is equipped with a small hand decontamination unit. There are two decontamination trucks in the convoy and there is technically qualified escort personnel who are trained in the decontamination of the munitions themselves. The U.S. NSC lift arrived at Naha Military Port approximately a week prior to the commencement of Phase 2 for sheathing. Meldon Kerry, Chief of Terminal Operations, discussed the reasons for the selection of the ceiling. Square footage was the primary reason for selection of this ship. Most of the cargo on our first shipment will be stowed one high as opposed to normal storage for ammunition where you stack it about as high as it will go. This one high stow will allow the technical escort people who will be aboard the ship as it goes to Johnson Island to have access to and observe all the ammunition that's aboard the ship with relative ease. Emergency safety stations do constantly monitor convoy movements and provide evacuation, medical assistance and decontamination should the need arise or established by the U.S. GRI Safety Committee. These sites were placed at four strategic locations along the Red Hat Route with automatic alarms and micrometeorological experts standing by. The decontamination vehicles traveled with each convoy. Other decontamination trucks were at each emergency station and at the pier. Each truck carried a cargo of decontaminates to be used should the unexpected occur. A special technical escort team from Edgewood Arsenal accompanied each convoy. Only once was the technical escort team called upon to perform its task and that it was done only as a precautionary measure. While the fourth ship, the sea lift, was being loaded, a pallet containing 15 rockets dropped from a height of 40 feet into the hold of the ship. The impact caused the rockets to scatter about and was no leak or personal injury. After an inspection of the rockets, the tech escort team placed them in airtight containers when the journey to Johnson Island. Each convoy followed a set procedure for entry onto the route. After clearing the holding area, clearance to cross checkpoint 1 and checkpoint 2 was granted by the Airborne Control Officer. For clearance to be granted, no aircraft preparing to land or take off at Gideon Air Base could cross over the route while the convoy was moving. Another direct communication between Gideon Tower and the Airborne Control Officer was a must. At the intersection of highways 13 and 24, many visitors observed the convoy's daily. Each morning, when convoy's were scheduled, High Commissioner Lafford observed the operation along with Chief Executive Yara and other high-ranking GRI officials. And throughout the day, other senior officers from both U.S.A.R.A.S. and the Second Logistical Command observed convoys from this vantage point. Lieutenant Colonel Harry Bailey, the commanding officer of the 196 Ordnance Battalion, who was directly responsible for the activities within the Red Hat area, discussed the operation from the standpoint of planning. The 196 Ordnance Battalion has been involved for well over a year and a half. We could reflect back even further than that because we were the recipient of the munitions when they were first sent to the island in 1963-1965 time period. But in so far as the removal of the munitions is concerned, the Zion has actively participated for about a year and a half. Of course, my predecessor Colonel Ford O'Rourke, was one of the chief planners involved in the project and was the architect for the first move of the nine trailers, what we call the phase one move. It was completed on the 13th of January of this year. All of my companies had a bit of the action. The 267 chemical company is the principal participant in that they've had the responsibility for loading the munitions, checking the munitions before loading, and they've worked long hours in getting the trailers ready for the move. But we've had other participants too. The conventional ammunition workers from the 175th ammunition company that manages conventional death blow have participated by producing force or by sending us some 37 bodies to assist in the work of the 267. Our EOD detachment, the 50-wheat of EOD detachment, has a standby crew of five people, and rated all times to participate in case of emergency, and we certainly don't expect that. Captain Jack Evans is commanding officer of the 531st Transportation Company. It was his drivers who piloted their trucks from Gemana Depot to Tengan Pier. 150 drivers were used for the mission. One half hour was used to transit the route from Chibana to Tengan. This was because of the speed limit restrictions that were placed on us for safety. We were concerned mainly with the maintenance and the morale aspect. With maintenance, it was very time-consuming, making sure all safety items were checked. As for the morale, a few of the items that we tried for the individuals for their benefit to race their morale was the red hat pin, which you can see some of the drivers are wearing, the red hat themselves, and the emblem that's placed on the front of their vehicles in the shape of a red hat. Each evening, following the final convoy, the red hat task force staff met at the second logistical command field headquarters. Here, General Hayes and his staff reviewed the day's operations and prepared the convoy schedule for the following day. Many subjects were discussed, including weather, public affairs, maintenance, convoy operations, and loading progress. Trucks arriving at Tengan pier had assigned positions on the causeway while waiting to be called forward for the unloading process. As they were called forward by the pier crew, the technical escort team met each one, inspecting them to ensure there had been no damage to the munitions during the 7-mile ride from Chibana. Following this, pier workers prepared the trailer for unloading by removing the truffleant and plastic covering. Forklifts then moved the pallets of bombs, rockets, bulk containers, mines, motors, and artillery projectiles to the loading area. Once in the ship, another forklift was used to move the munitions to their storage area. Major George Jackson, deputy pier officer, spoke about the mission, the heat, and the performance of the men on the pier and in the hold of the ships. We've had a task force assemble within the director of transportation operations composed of Department of the Army civilians, military personnel. We have had additional advice coordination from the Coast Guard representatives, from Navy personnel, from the CNO's office, and from representatives of the Department of Army, tech escort team, primarily chemical officers and NCOs in here for the movement of this munitions under the safest of conditions equal to or greater than those requirements in continental United States. On Tengan Pier itself and on the ship, we have the 412th Terminal Service Company, which is located here on Okinawa. It's a permanent unit here. It's composed of 329 personnel commanded by Captain Ralph Lewis. As such, he provides me the stevedores to work the ship to include winch operators, hatch foremen, and the stevedores in the hold. These catch the ones that are taking the brunt of this heat. We're pumping a lot of water to them and we've only had one man that's had a dehydration problem so far in the first six days of the operation. How hot does it get down there? It can get up to about 110 to 120 degrees if you have no breeze. We've been very fortunate to last three days and had a good breeze. Captain Ralph Lewis, the commanding officer of the 412th Terminal Service Company, discussed the performance of his men during the 38 days loading operations were in progress. It's really hot and humid here and they do spend some long hours to meet the accomplishment of the mission. They rise about four o'clock in the morning and they're out to about 1,800 at night and that doesn't leave too much time. Johnston Island, a 700-acre atoll located 750 miles southwest of Hawaii, was where the sea lived, the first ship to participate in Phase 2 docked. At one time, at emergency airstrip, this small island was selected to house a 13,000 tons of munitions being moved from Okinawa. Work began immediately and since the storage area was but a mile from the dock, the offloading procedures moved along quite rapidly. Small convoys escorted by tech escort personnel moved back and forth between the new Red Hat area and the dock in a dawn-to-desk operation. The majority of munitions were placed in small metal warehouses with the more hazardous munitions, such as rockets, being placed in bunker constructions. Critical monitoring of the munitions also took place on Johnston Island with tech escort personnel checking every pallet and truckload of munitions. As was done in Okinawa, all safety procedures for securing the pallets to the trucks were accomplished in a safe and expeditious manner. I will give you a categorical complete statement that every round of toxic chemical munitions stored on Okinawa has now been removed. The last of them are on that ship right there. This action today completes the land phase of Operation Red Hat involving the removal from Okinawa of the toxic chemical munitions which have been in storage here. I want to say that I think that the fact that we were able to carry out this operation so successfully and as we had said that if not interfered with, we could assure that it could be done safely is a tribute to the cooperation that we received from the many people in the GRI government and elsewhere here on Okinawa. The United States will never initiate the use of chemical warfare. We have renounced completely the use of biological warfare. We are prepared to use toxic chemical weapons in retaliation only against a nation which may use them against us. The morning after General Hayes' press conference, General Lampert, General Hayes, Colonel Bailey at an official party including Japanese Ambassador Takase and Chief Executive Yara went to Chibana depot for a joint inspection of the empty igloos. Before I got in here yesterday, I had a good night's sleep for the first time in a number of months. I did start a reflection on the whole operation and what it's meant to me since back in July of 1969 when the headlines in the Wall Street Journal on a Friday morning put the Pentagon in an uproar over the fact that toxic munitions were stored on Okinawa and the political uproar that came out of that and subsequent to that the decision of the President and the promise that he made to the Prime Minister of Japan that the United States would remove all toxic chemical munitions from Okinawan soil and this became Operation Red Hat. General, how did Operation Red Hat get dubbed that? Actually, it goes way back to 1962. I was then the deputy commander at Edgewood Arsenal and we were under a very highly classified operation instructed to ship these chemical munitions to Okinawa. At that time, because it was such a highly classified operation it required a code name and we went to the Pentagon to the assistant chief of staff for intelligence who handles all code words and assigns them and merely asked for a code name which would not be of any significance to the movement of toxic munitions and someone in the Pentagon, in the lexicon that we used to use in Washington, probably some little old lady in tennis shoes reached down in her book and gave the word Red Hat at the time the meaning of Red Hat was very highly classified and it was really never revealed until 1969 when we began the removal of them and we just kept the same name. You might like to mention a few of the units and some of the commanders that under your direct control that helped move this in a very highly safe manner. Well, I think that the great bulk of the credit goes to the enlisted men and the company officers of the 267th chemical company, the 531st transportation company and the 412th port company. These three units aided by the rest of the personnel in the Second Logistical Command and a number of other units here on Okinawa bore the brunt of this removal operation. It has been an example, however, of joint inter-service cooperation which brought people here to Okinawa from all over the world. So I would have to mention a number of personnel and units, detachments that came from the Army, Navy and Air Force to support this operation and I shouldn't forget the Coast Guard eating. I believe in our convoys we had two Air Force sergeants riding the fire truck almost every day. Is that right? That's correct and as I ran the airborne control it was those tower men at Kadena Air Base who gave me all the advisories which permitted us to have the convoys transit the route carefully without interference from aircraft. The sailing of the U.S. and S. Francis X. McGraw on September 10th brought to a close the most successful operation ever accomplished by the United States Army Ryukyu Islands and in particular the men of the Second Logistical Command. More than 1,500 people were directly involved in the planning and execution of the operation. Air Force controllers at Kadena Tower Coast Guard loading experts on the ship. U.S. Navy technicians on the pier. Specialists embracing and blocking from the United States. Forklift operators and many more. The magnitude of the operation from just the viewpoint of the total number of convoys is a tribute to the planners and the doers. Including Phase 1, 1,222 trailers made the journey from Chibana Ammunition Depot to Tengan Pier. This operation completed so successfully is a story of the men who wore the red hat and were in fact the very pulse of red hat.