The Shadow Over San Francisco: Unveiling the Truth Behind Operation Sea Spray

In the annals of clandestine military operations, few are as controversial and shrouded in mystery as Operation Sea Spray. This operation, conducted in 1950 by the U.S. Navy, remains a stark example of the lengths governments may go in the name of national security, often at the expense of public safety and ethical considerations.

Operation Sea Spray: A Covert Bioweapon Test

Operation Sea Spray was a secret military experiment aimed at understanding the potential of biological attacks on U.S. soil. In September 1950, the U.S. Navy sprayed Serratia marcescens, a bacterium, over the San Francisco Bay Area for six days. This bacterium, chosen for its non-pathogenic nature and distinctive red pigment, served as a proxy to assess the spread of a bioweapon in a major urban environment.

The findings were alarming: the bacterium spread much further than anticipated, affecting not only San Francisco but also its suburbs, potentially exposing 800,000 residents to the bacteria (Smithsonian Magazine; Discover Magazine). The military believed Serratia marcescens was harmless to humans, a notion that was soon to be proven tragically incorrect.

The Unintended Consequences