1966, p. A1;
132 A week later, President Charles de Gaulle: Henry Tanner, “De Gaulle Insists on Rule of Bases of NATO in France,”
132 Ambassador Duke received assurances: Cable, Embassy in Madrid to SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY, March 25, 1966, #23577 (LBJ); Cable, Embassy in Madrid to SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY, March 25, 1966, #24270 (LBJ).
132 a Soviet spy ship, the
133 the Soviets had two advanced submersibles: In an e-mail to the author on May 25, 2007, Anatoly Sagalevitch, who ran the Soviet submersible program, wrote that Russia had two “Sever-2” submersibles that could dive to two thousand meters, but that they were used for scientific purposes only. He doesn’t recall the Soviets sending any submersibles to Palomares during the hunt for the bomb.
133 Heads would roll: In more bureaucratic language: “Overshadowing all efforts was the apprehension that the weapon might not be located at all and the Navy would be called upon to justify both the cost and its methods in the unsuccessful search.”
133 they would need proof: Author’s interview with Henry (hereafter “Tony”) Richardson, October 31, 2006.
134 In Washington, Craven briefed the two: Author’s interviews with Tony Richardson, October 31, 2006, and Frank Andrews, November 10, 2006. Also see Craven,
134 On the plane: The story of Richardson’s trip to Spain and his first meeting with Guest comes from author’s interviews with Tony Richardson, October 31, 2006, and Frank Andrews, November 10, 2006.
135 Richardson, working with the grid overlay: Author’s interviews with Tony Richardson, and e-mail, Richardson to author, September 9, 2008. Also see Red Moody interview, November 11, 2006. A detailed explanation of the mathematics behind SEP can be found in
135 Some on the task force had doubts: George Martin interview May 9, 2007; and Letter, John Bruce to Paul Fye, March 9, 1966 (WHOI).
136 “It’s important psychologically”: Tony Richardson interview, October 31, 2006.
136 By February 17, they had thoroughly scanned:
136 At times, Guest moved the submersibles: Author’s interviews with Rhodes Boykin, March 16, 2007, and Tony Richardson, October 31, 2007; Memo, W. O. Rainnie to Office of Naval Research, “Quarterly Informal Letter,” June 10, 1966, p. 8.
136 specific grievances began to emerge: Guest’s rebuke of Markel comes from Art Markel interview, September 25, 2006.
137 The
138 One Navy captain estimated: Letter, Lewis Melson to Adm. Leyton, February 25, 1966 (author’s collection).
138 “At first the
139 One Sunday morning in February: The story of Simo’s catch comes from author’s interviews with Joe Ramirez, January 27, 2007, Red Moody, November 7, 2006, and Oliver Andersen, March 31, 2007; and from Commander Task Group 65.3, memo to Commander Task Force 65, “Report of Inshore Search, Identification and Recovery Unit,” March 13, 1966 (NHC), p. 26. There is some slight disagreement on the date of this incident, but sources agree that it happened sometime around February 10, 1966.
140 A Palomares schoolteacher:
140 Searchers were ordered to mark: Ibid., p.
140 General Wilson asked the Sandia engineers: Information on the Sandia drop tests (“Operation Sunday”) comes from ibid., pp. 102–105; author’s interview with William Caudle, January 22, 2004; and Memo, Robert L. McNeill to William N. Caudle, “Field Observation Operation Sunday,” February 15, 1966 (NNSA).
141 “severely restricted”: Memo, McNeill to Caudle, “Field Observation,” p. 5.
141 Maydew’s airburst theory:
141 Only Larry Messinger showed a positive result: Ibid., p. 44.
141 The Spanish vessel
141 Joe Ramirez also found a pharmacist: Joe Ramirez interview, January 27, 2007.
141 “This could only be considered as normal”:
CHAPTER 12:
143 Colonel White, the man in charge: Flora Lewis interview with Alton “Bud” White, undated (AFHRA), and Szulc,
143 Dr. Wright Langham, a plutonium expert: The background on Langham is from Szulc,
144 Some of the urine samples:
144 Langham next tackled crop and animal worries:
144 The tests, called Operation Roller Coaster: J. Newell Stannard,
144 the major plutonium hazard had vanished: Paraphrased from Lewis,
144 He had used himself: Lewis,
144 “maximum permissible body burden”: Ibid., p. 110.
145 Current limits: E-mail, Andy Karam to author, December 10, 2007.
145 The maximum permissible air concentration: Lewis,
145 an amount akin to a grain of salt: E-mail, Andy Karam to author, December 10, 2007.
145 has a half-life of 24,360 years:
145 Langham calculated how much soil: The soil remediation plan is discussed in Lewis,
