clo aked ▁in ▁the ▁deep est ▁w art ime ▁secre cy , ▁matched ▁only ▁by ▁... ▁the ▁Manh attan ▁Project ▁for ▁developing ▁the ▁At omic ▁Bomb ". ▁Three ▁months ▁after ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁construction , ▁an ▁additional ▁$ 3 ▁million ▁was ▁provided ▁for ▁five ▁additional ▁labor ator ies ▁and ▁a ▁pilot ▁plant . ▁L t . ▁Col . ▁Ba con ▁was ▁author ized ▁ 8 5 ▁officers , ▁ 3 7 3 ▁en list ed ▁personnel , ▁and ▁ 8 0 ▁en list ed ▁Women ' s ▁Army ▁A ux ili ary ▁Corps ▁( WA AC ) ▁members ▁under ▁two ▁W A AC ▁officers . ▁At ▁its ▁peak ▁strength ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁Camp ▁Det rick ▁had ▁ 2 4 0 ▁officers ▁and ▁ 1 , 5 3 0 ▁en list ed ▁personnel ▁including ▁W AC s . ▁ ▁Post - war ▁years ▁( 1 9 4 6 – 5 5 ) ▁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 ▁war - time ▁research ▁in ▁bi ological ▁weapons . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 2 , ▁the ▁Army ▁purchased ▁over ▁ ▁more ▁of ▁land ▁located ▁between ▁West ▁ 7 th ▁Street ▁and ▁O pp os sum town ▁Pi ke ▁to ▁expand ▁the ▁permanent ▁research ▁and ▁development ▁facilities . ▁ ▁Two ▁workers ▁at ▁the ▁base ▁died ▁from ▁expos ure