The Plutonium Files (88 page)

4
“I’m probably the only guy”: Feynman,
Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman,
p. 134.

5
“Calls about cyclotron eyes”: Whittemore, “Shields Warren Papers,” Oct. 6, 1994, ACHRE, p. 12.

6
eyes of eleven scientists: L. W. Tuttle to Warren and Bowers, “Report on Oak Ridge Activities, Feb. 10 and 11, 1949,” Feb. 15, 1949, DOE archives.

7
“Forty certain” cases: AEC press release, “Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission to Continue Studies of Japanese Atomic Bomb Survivors,” June 18, 1950, p. 2.

8
“Should the central vision”: J. C. Clark to Kenner Hertford, March 5, 1952, attachment (ACHRE No. DOE-020795-C).

9
permanent eye damage: Byrnes et al., “Chorioretinal Burns Produced by Atomic Flash,”
AO,
pp. 351–364.

10
“That’s the thing”: Int. John Pickering, June 5, 1995.

11
“His successful career”: ACHRE staff, “Post-World War II Recruitment of German Scientists—Project Paperclip,” April 6, 1995, Attachment 7.

12
Heinrich Rose, a diminutive scientist: “Chronological Record of Full Time Employment and Military Service,” RG330, Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Foreign Scientist Case Files, Heinrich W. Rose file, NA.

13
member of the Nazi Storm Troopers: Verdict, Denazification Court, Heidelberg, ibid.

14
“While a member of the SA”: Rose affidavit, Aug. 8, 1947, ibid.

15
According to a security report: Office of the Military Government, Security Report, Feb. 8, 1947, ibid.

16
not a party member: Rose affidavit, Aug. 8, 1947, ibid.

17
highest civilian honor: “Air Force Award Goes to Ex-German Surgeon,”
NYT,
Oct. 9, 1956, ibid.

18
“especially qualified in the field”: Walter R. Agee to Director, Joint Intelligence Objectives Agency, “Procurement of Paperclip Specialists,” Feb. 25, 1949, ACHRE, pp. 1–2.

19
Konrad Buettner, a slender: RG 330, Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Foreign Scientist Case Files, Konrad Buettner file, NA.

20
“under pressure” from party: Affidavit, Jan. 12, 1948, ibid.

21
“cared little for material advantages”: Sworn statement, Wilhelm Hornberger, Nov. 24, 1947, ibid.

22
“very elegant dwelling”: Sworn statement, Hans Olaf Hudemann, ibid.

23
not in “sympathy”: Office of the Military Government, Revised Security Report, ibid.

24
“Experiments with human beings”: Biographical and Professional Data,” n.d., ibid.

25
“correlation of skin”: Buettner, “Effects of Extreme Heat and Cold,”
Journal of Applied Physiology,
pp. 207–220.

26
“Its significance in civil defense: Ibid., p. 218.

27
twenty-five volunteers: AEC press release, Test Information Office, April 14, 1952 (CIC 33279), p. 2.

28
“serious visual handicap”: Byrnes,
Operation Buster,
p. 2.

29
“determine accurately what”: Carroll Tyler to Kenneth Fields, “Responsibility for Injury to Human Subjects in Test Operations at Nevada Proving Grounds,” March 19, 1952 (CIC 18862).

30
The AEC, which had demanded: Ibid.

31
A light-tight trailer: Byrnes,
Operation Snapper.

32
“The shutters remained open”: Ibid., p. 4.

33
two men developed retinal burns: Ibid., p. 15.

34
“completely recovered”: Ibid.

35
“Consequently we assume”: Rose et al., “Human Chorioretinal Burns from Atomic Fireballs,”
AO,
p. 210.

36
“Due to the concentration”: Byrnes et al.,
Operation Upshot-Knothole,
March—June 1953 (CIC No. 34219), p. 4.

37
the initials C.B.: Ibid., p. 24.

38
“When the time came” Pickering OH, pp. 54–55.

39
About 700 rabbits: Byrnes et al., “Chorioretinal Lesions Due to Thermal Radiation,”
AO,
pp. 909–914.

40
tiny explosions occurred: Byrnes et al., “Retinal Burns—New Hazard of the Atomic Bomb,”
JAMA,
pp. 21–22.

41
began boiling: Byrnes et al., “Chorioretinal Lesions Due to Thermal Radiation.”

42
“yellowish white plaque”: Byrnes et al., “Chorioretinal Burns Produced by Atomic Flash,”
AO,
p. 356.

43
“One must consider”: Ibid., p. 359.

44
“It can be assumed”: John McGraw to Director, Atomic Energy Commission, “Examination of the Retina of Individuals Exposed to Recent Atomic Detonation,” March 20, 1954 (ACHRE No. DOE-090994-C).

45
“Because of the implications”: Branch to Assistant Secretary of Defense, “Status of Human Volunteers in Bio-medical Experimentation,” March 5, 1954 (ACHRE No. DOD-042595-A).

46
“In Nov. 53”: Ibid., attachment.

47
Wilson had signed: Secretary of Defense to the Secretary of the Army, Secretary of the Navy, Secretary of the Air Force, “Use of Human Volunteers in Experimental Research,” Feb. 26, 1953 (ACHRE No. DOD-082394-A).

48
Operation Plumbbob: Gully et al.,
Operation Plumbbob.

49
Dominic I: Hill, Chisum, and Richardson,
Operation Dominic.

50
rabbits on barges: Int. John Pickering, Jan. 24, 1995.

1
fallout, like sunshine: Hewlett and Holl,
Atoms for Peace and War,
p.

2
largest of fifty-nine: GAO,
DOE’s Human Tissue Analysis Work,
pp. 2–3.

3
“nutritional” study: A. R. Luedecke to Surgeon General, USAF, “FallOut Studies,” Dec. 16, 1954 (ACHRE No. DOD-090994-C), p. 2.

4
“next to weapons”: Willard Libby to Sunshine group, draft remarks, Feb. 4, 1957, DOE archives, p. 1.

5
“active Communist”: Libby OH, UCLA, p. 18.

6
“For some reason, Oppenheimer”: Ibid., p. 35.

7
Bravo was the largest: Hacker,
Elements of Controversy,
pp. 136–152.

8
men left footprints: Lang,
Hiroshima to the Moon,
p. 372.

9
Libby and his fellow scientists: AEC transcript, “Biophysics Conference,” Jan. 18, 1955 (ACHRE No. DOE-040395-A).

10
“shows no signs”: Ibid., p. 7.

11
“If anybody knows how”: Ibid., p. 8.

12
I don’t know how: Ibid., p. 12.

13
“Down in Houston”: Ibid., p. 81.

14
Kulp told a reporter: Shankar Vedantam, “N-Scientists Discount Harm of Radiation Experiments,”
AT,
July 15, 1995, p. A-5.

15
“I think you will find”: AEC transcript, “Biophysics Conference,” p. 65.

16
“bad actor”: J. Newell Stannard, letter to author, Jan. 30, 1995.

17
children on average had: GAO,
DOE’s Human Tissue Analysis Work,
May 1995, p. 9.

18
“We knew in one week”: Welsome, “Thyroid Was Clue to Global Contamination,”
AT,
Dec. 21, 1993, p. A-6.

19
“Dr. Van Middlesworth is”: Hamilton to Walter Claus, June 18, 1954, Carton 5, Folder 23, JGH, p. 2.

20
“playing down”: Claus to Hamilton, June 30, 1954, ibid.

21
“It was not as helpful”: Welsome, “Thyroid Was Clue.”

22
thirty cases of leukemia: Wright Langham, “The Problem of World-Wide Radioactive Fallout from Nuclear Weapons Testing” (LANL-HSPT-94–438), p. 22.

23
“There is no doubt”: Ibid., pp. 1–2.

24
1,165 human thyroid: GAO,
DOE’s Human Tissue Analysis Work,
p. 10.

25
plutonium processing operator: LANL,
Radiation Protection,
pp. 250–251.

26
seven and one-half pounds: Norris Bradbury to AEC, Feb. 4, 1959 (LANL-HSPT-94–148), p. 7.

27
seventy-five times before: Ibid., p. 4.

28
“I’m burning up”: Shipman, “Description of Accident and Subsequent Events,”
Journal of Occupational Medicine,
pp. 147–149.

29
10,000 and 12,000: Shipman, “A Case of Radiation Fatality,” p. 23, Katie Kelley personal papers.

30
“nice pink skin”: Shipman, “Description of Accident,” p. 149.

31
“The skin of the chest”: Admission note, Kelley m.r.

32
“I was on call”: Welsome, “Family Decries Treatment of Accident Victim,”
AT,
Feb. 23, 1994, p. 6.

33
“When seen in the ER”: Admission note, Kelley m.r.

34
Using a tongue depressor: Petersen dep., pp. 72–76.

35
“We weren’t going to lose”: Ibid., p. 69.

36
15 millirad per hour: Shipman, “A Case of Radiation Fatality,” p. 10.

37
Langham met her: Welsome, “Missing Parts,”
AT,
Feb. 12, 1994, p. 5.

38
“severe chills”: Doctor’s notes, Kelley m.r.

39
“From the very beginning”: Shipman to [name illegible], Jan. 6, 1959, Kelley personal papers.

40
A “good deal” of material: W. R. Oakes, “Sternal Biopsy,” Kelley m.r.

41
“What they pulled out”: “Missing Parts,” p. 5.

42
“Pulse unobtainable”: Doctor’s notes, Kelley m.r.

43
Several visitors who were: D. M. Stearns, Memo to File, “Cecil Kelley Accident,” Jan. 7, 1959 (LANL-HSPT-94–196).

44
“He was so loaded”: Welsome, “Family Decries Treatment,” p. 6.

45
Clarence Lushbaugh began: Autopsy report, Kelley m.r.

46
“nearly drowned”: Shipman, “A Case of Radiation Fatality,” p. 37.

47
wide-mouthed mayonnaise jar: Webb Haymaker to Langham, Jan 5, 1959, LANL.

48
“God did”: Clarence Lushbaugh dep., p. 41.

49
The findings were so interesting: Clarence Lushbaugh, “Transcript of Telephone Conversation with Webb Haymaker on Jan. 13, 1959,” LANL.

50
Cecil had eighteen nanocuries: LANL,
Radiation Protection,
p. 236.

51
“improper transfers”: Marvin M. Mann and Peter A. Morris, AEC Division of Inspection (Report CF-94), n.d., Kelley personal papers, p. 3.

52
“no single cause”: Bradbury to AEC, telegram, pp. 8–9.

53
“The accident was directly”: AEC press release, March 2, 1959 (LANL-HSPT-94–155), p. 2.

54
“I feel quite strongly”: Shipman to Bradbury, “AEC Release of Kelley Incident,” Feb. 24, 1959 (LANL-HSPT-94–152).

55
“In stating that the accident”: Shipman to Charles Dunham, March 3, 1959, Kelley personal papers.

56
lab officials also promised: Plaintiff Doris E. Kelley’s Answers to Defendant Regents of the University of California’s First Set of Interrogatories, Santa Fe District Court (CV No. SF-96–2430), p. 4.

57
1,712 human beings: GAO,
DOE’s Human Tissue Analysis Work,
p. 10.

58
called “extras”: Ed Asher and Dennis Domrzalski, “Body-Parts Testing Done Without Knowledge, Consent of Kin,”
AT,
June 10, 1995, p. 11.

1
doctors crossed the lobby: Transcript, “NEPA Advisory Committee on Radiation Tolerance of Military Personnel,” April 3, 1949 (ACHRE No. DOE-120994-B-1).

2
“terminated promptly”: Udall,
Myths of August,
p. 137.

3
“the possibility of achieving”: Hogerton,
Atomic Energy Deskbook,
pp. 15–20.

4
“The weight of this shielding”: NEPA Medical Advisory Committee, “Recommendations to NEPA,” Jan. 5, 1950 (ACHRE No. DOE-060295-C-1), p. vii.

5
blue, legal-size packages: Transcript, “Radiation Tolerance,” p. 10.

6
“The information desired”: Ibid., pp. 38–39.

7
“I would say not only”: Ibid., p. 40.

8
“We don’t have to”: Ibid., p. 42.

9
“I am just wondering”: Ibid., p. 41.

10
“Life prisoners are”: Stone, “Irradiation of Human Subjects as a Medical Experiment,” Jan. 31, 1950 (ACHRE No. NARA-070794-A), p. 7.

11
“To be able to tell”: Ibid., p. 4.

12
“considerable chance”: Transcript, Committee on Medical Sciences, May 23, 1950 (ACHRE No. DOD-042994-A-15), p. 6.

13
risk of leukemia: ACHRE,
Final Report,
pp. 375–376.

14
“both politic and scientific”: Hamilton to Shields Warren, letter, Nov. 28, 1950, Box 32, Folder 21, JGH, p. 3.

15
“an increasingly dim view”: Shields Warren to Stone, July 11, 1949, ACHRE.

16
“I must say”: Transcript, Committee on Medical Sciences, p. 14.

17
“I find it very difficult, too”: Ibid., p. 15.

18
“I think the important thing”: Ibid., p. 18.

19
“I think the one big problem”: Partial transcript, ACBM, Nov. 10, 1950 (ACHRE No. DOE-012795-C-1), pp. 5–6. All subsequent meeting quotes taken from this transcript.

20
“skittish time”: Udall, “Interview with Shields Warren,” July 5, 1979.

21
The M.D. Anderson Cancer Center: Miller, Fletcher, and Gerstner, “Radiobiologic Observations on Cancer Patients Treated with Whole-Body Radiation,”
Radiation Research,
pp. 150–165.

22
Baylor … U.S. Naval Hospital: DOD,
Search for Human Radiation Experiment Records,
pp. 23–36.

23
University of Cincinnati: There have been conflicting reports about the number of people irradiated in Cincinnati, with the figures ranging from eighty-two to eighty-eight. Martha Stephens, who has followed the case for many years, said in January 1998 that documents submitted in federal court now indicate that ninety people were exposed to TBI.

24
small research hospital: ACHRE,
Final Report,
p. 397.

25
“Ever since the damaging”: Lawrence T. Odland, “Biological Dosimetry of Ionizing Radiation as Applied to Triage Casualties Following a Thermonuclear Detonation,” AFWL (No. RTD TDR-63–3049), October 1963, p. 2.