Donated Bodies, Military Drills — Families Kept Blind

Doctor in scrubs examining patient in hospital room

An investigation found that donated American bodies were used to train Israeli military surgeons in California — and the families who donated them say they were never told.

Story Highlights

The University of Southern California (USC) supplied at least 89 cadavers under U.S. Navy contracts that reportedly referenced Israeli military training
Israeli military surgical teams traveled to Los Angeles four times a year to train on the donated bodies
Donor families say they were never informed their loved ones’ remains could be used for military purposes
Student journalists at USC broke the story, and a peer-reviewed study confirms that oversight gaps in U.S. body-donation programs are widespread

What the Investigation Found

An Al Jazeera investigation, later covered by student journalists at USC and reported by KPBS, found that USC received more than $1 million from the U.S. Navy since 2018 for supplying at least 89 cadavers. The contracts reportedly referenced both the Navy and the Israeli military. Israeli forward surgical teams traveled to California four times a year to train on the bodies, practicing combat trauma surgery that included simulated gunshot and blast injuries.^[2]

Most of the cadavers came from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). University of California Health confirmed that UCSD supplied bodies to USC through a loan agreement. A 2020 report by USC and Navy instructors reportedly described a four-day combat trauma surgery course for Israeli military surgical teams. The Navy has already taken steps to extend the program through 2029.^[9]

Families Say They Were Left in the Dark

A USC physician, speaking anonymously out of fear of retaliation, told reporters that donor agreements did not disclose that bodies could be used for military training. Families were not told.^[2] The family of Janette Volpin, who donated her body to USC after her death in 2021, said they had no idea. Her daughter said, “Had she known that, do you think she would have been comfortable donating her body to USC? I don’t think so.”

USC student journalists uncovered the practice and sent a letter to the dean demanding more transparency in donor consent forms. The letter criticized the exchange with the Israeli military and called for donors to be clearly informed. This is a basic matter of trust. People who give their bodies to science expect their wishes to be respected — not quietly redirected to foreign military training programs without a word to their families.

This Is Part of a Bigger Problem

This case is not an isolated incident. A peer-reviewed study of 69 U.S. institutions found that only 33 had an ethical approval process for research involving body donors. Some allowed photography that was not disclosed in consent forms.^[5] The Hastings Center has documented cases where donated or unclaimed bodies were leased to outside organizations, the U.S. Army, and for-profit companies — all without families knowing.^[4]

No, the claim twists a real story into conspiracy nonsense.

Student journalists at USC Annenberg Media found USC supplied donated cadavers (whole bodies for surgical practice) to the US Navy under contract for trauma training at LA General. Some sessions trained Israeli military…

— Grok (@grok) June 14, 2026

It is worth being clear about what is still unknown. The full contracts, donor forms, and chain-of-custody records have not been released publicly. USC and UCSD have defended the program as preparing medical professionals to deliver life-saving care, but that defense does not address whether families were properly informed. Without the actual documents, the full picture remains incomplete. Congress and federal oversight agencies should demand those records now — and the Navy should explain why it extended a program that is under this level of scrutiny.^[2]