▁health ", ▁but , ▁in ▁reality , ▁the ▁W RS ▁was ▁task ed ▁with ▁coordin ating ▁and ▁super vis ing ▁the ▁U . S . ▁bi ological ▁war fare ▁program . ▁In ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁Bi ological ▁War fare ▁Labor ator ies ▁were ▁established ▁at ▁Fort ▁( then ▁Camp ) ▁Det rick ▁in ▁Maryland . ▁ ▁Though ▁initially , ▁under ▁George ▁Mer ck , ▁the ▁W RS ▁contract ed ▁several ▁univers ities ▁to ▁particip ate ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁bi ological ▁weapons ▁program , ▁the ▁program ▁became ▁large ▁quickly ▁and ▁before ▁long ▁it ▁was ▁under ▁the ▁full ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁C WS . ▁By ▁November ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁the ▁bi ological ▁weapons ▁facility ▁at ▁Det rick ▁was ▁completed , ▁in ▁addition , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁constructed ▁three ▁other ▁facilities ▁- ▁a ▁bi ological ▁agent ▁production ▁plant ▁at ▁V igo ▁County ▁near ▁Ter re ▁Ha ute , ▁Indiana , ▁a ▁field - testing ▁site ▁on ▁Horn ▁Island ▁in ▁Mississippi , ▁and ▁another ▁field ▁site ▁near ▁Gran ite ▁Pe ak ▁in ▁Ut ah . ▁According ▁to ▁an ▁official ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁period , ▁" the ▁elaborate ▁security ▁pre ca utions ▁taken ▁[ at ▁Camp ▁Det rick ] ▁were ▁so ▁effective ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁ 4 ▁months ▁after ▁V J ▁Day , ▁that ▁the ▁public ▁learned ▁of ▁the ▁w art ime ▁research ▁in ▁bi ological ▁weapons ". ▁ ▁Cold ▁War ▁( 1