Statement of W. Shepherd Smith, Jr.

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P 07
STATEMENT
OF
W. Shepherd Smith, Jr.
1425-1645
3 December 1992
COL Dangerfield began our meeting with an explanation of the nature of an
Army informal investigation; he reviewed the tasks with which he was charged
to determine the facts and the allegations that precipitated the investigation.
He then asked for information on Americans for a Sound AIDS/HIV Policy
(ASAP) and the relationship of personnel in the WRAIR Division of Retrovirology
to it.
I stated that I had been sensitized to public hcalth problems through my
father who was an Orthopaedic Surgeon in the Army Medical Corps with a Public
Health degree (retired as CONARC Surgeon in the 1960s), and who was also very
concerned with these issues. As AIDS became more important to the public, my
wife and I became convinced that HIV infection should be viewed as a medical,
not a moral or civil rights, issue. We formed ASAP in 1987 as a grassroots
organization to represent the views of mainstream Americans in the development
of public policy; and to provide them timely information to enable them to be
effective participants at all levels of society in the development of this policy.
Initially, approximately one-third of my time was spent attempting to get the
religious community to become involved, realizing their capacity to provide
volunteers to help those infected, give willingly of their financial resources, and
teach sexual responsibility to young people. We now receive financial support
from the CDC in this specific effort.
ASAP holds five tenets: 1.) to promote the value of early diagnosis, 2.) to
promote confidential and voluntary partner notification and reporting of HIV
infections, 3.) to ensure compassionate responses to people infected and affected
by HIV, 4.) to assist in the development of anything that helps resolve the
epidemic medically, and 5.) to address the issue of access to health care for
infectcd people.
In order to learn about this infection we went to the National Library of
Medicine and quickly concluded the United States military was doing the best job
in responding to the AIDS/HIV crisis. It was there we first came across the
names of COL Burke and LTC Redfleld and I subsequently contacted them, LTC
Redfield first. We later learned he was as happy to see us as we were him. We
sponsored a national medical conference in November 1987 at a cost to us
personally of $100K. Following this we set up a Scientific Advisory Board which
is different than the Corporate Board. COLs Burke and Tramont, and LTCs
Redfield and Birx all served on this Board, in addition to twenty or thirty other
experts. LTC Redfield was designated by us as the Chairman. None of them
have ever received any remuneration for their efforts but they have all
contributed a great deal.

I really regret that the issue of scientific misconduct has come up; it
breaks my heart since I don't believe there is a shred of truth to it. We have
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