David Hahn and Nancy Tait at the Science Museum of Virginia helped me uncover a treasure trove of Aluminaut documents in a dusty storeroom.
The staff of the LBJ Library, the National Archives at College Park, Maryland, and the MIT
Libraries were patient and knowledgeable. Randall Bergmann at DTIC tracked down the TF 65 final report. At Sandia and the NNSA, Terry Apodaca and Stefani Holinka helped push my FOIA requests through the system. Francis Smith shared stories of life on the Albany and the best brisket in Austin.
In Spain, Anouschka Orueta, my translator, gave me insights into her country. Her work went well beyond the call of duty. Jose Herrera Plaza generously opened his home and his files, gave me his time, and fed me well. And in Boston, the very patient Joe Federico tutored me in Spanish.
A number of scholars and historians took time to share their knowledge and research. Jerry Martin, the USSTRATCOM historian, gave insight on strategic bombing, the mighty hammer of SAC, and many other things. He kindly reviewed chapter 1 and offered comments. Scott Sagan of Stanford University shared research gathered for his book The Limits of Safety. Edwin Moise of Clemson shared his knowledge and insights into the Tonkin Gulf incidents. Richard Rhodes offered leads and SAC stories. Andy Karam, a health physicist at the Rochester Institute of Technology, explained nuclear fusion and alpha radiation and generously reviewed certain technical sections of this book.
I also owe a great debt to Flora Lewis and Tad Szulc, two newspaper reporters who published books about the accident in 1967. These two books, One of Our H-Bombs Is Missing (Lewis) and The Bombs of Palomares (Szulc), offer clear, straightforward reporting, with details of Palomares in 1966 and the immediate aftermath of the crash. These accounts were especially valuable because the town of Palomares today bears little resemblance to the town in this story and several key characters are deceased. Thus, occasionally I relied heavily on one of these two books. In those instances I either quoted them outright or cited their contribution in the endnotes.
Closer to home, I'd like to thank Doug Starr, who taught me well and saw promise in this story, and Ellen Ruppel Shell, who told me to swim at Mojacar. Johanna Kovitz, my transcriber, offered lots of enthusiasm and news tips. Karen Rowan and John Ost provided excellent research assistance. Carey Goldberg helped with the Lotsman and other things Russian. Jon Palfreman funded a research trip to Florida to interview Mac McCamis and Larry Messinger. Fred Schwarz, my editor at Invention
&Technology, suggested I turn this story into a book. Jonathan Jao, my editor at Random House, gave me wonderful edits and made my first draft much better. Without his help, the book would have sunk under the weight of chapter 8. My agent, Michelle Tessler, offered encouragement and advice, and worked hard to get this story noticed. Shannon Densmore and my sister Patty were great friends throughout, especially after Finny was born. And my friend Steven Bedard read early drafts of this book for a measly payment of sardines. If I had the means, I would offer him a ride on the Trieste.
Finally, I want to thank my husband, Brian, who always believed in me and this story. Over the past six years, he has listened to endless stories of Alvin and H-bombs, read many drafts of this book, helped me drive in Spain, and offered other assistance, large and small. I owe him more than I can say.
ABBREVIATIONS AFHRA Air Force Historical Research Agency
DOD US Department of Defense
DOE US Department of Energy
DOS US Department of State
Duke Duke University Rare Book, Manuscripts and Special Collections Library FOIA Freedom of Information Act (denotes a document obtained through a FOIA request) LBJ Lyndon B. Johnson Library
LANL Los Alamos National Laboratory
NARA National Archives and Records Administration
NHC Naval Historical Center
NNSA National Nuclear Security Agency
SMV Science Museum of Virginia
SNL Sandia National Laboratories
WHOI Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
PRINT MATERIAL “Addendum to SAT Study of 7 February 1966.” March 4, 1966. Document no. SAC200118190000.
Secret. (NNSA, FOIA.)
Aircraft Salvage Operation Mediterranean (Aircraft Salvops Med). Lessons and Implications for the Navy. U.S. Department of the Navy, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Washington, D.C.: Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, April 7, 1967. (FOIA.) Aircraft Salvage Operation Mediterranean (Aircraft Salvops Med). Sea Search and Recovery of an Unarmed Nuclear Weapon by Task Force 65, Interim Report. U.S. Department of the Navy, Naval Ship Systems Command. Reston, Va.: Ocean Systems, July 15, 1966. (NHC, FOIA.) Aircraft Salvage Operation Mediterranean (Aircraft Salvops Med). Sea Search and Recovery of an Unarmed Nuclear Weapon by Task Force 65, Sixth Fleet, 17 January–7 April, 1966, vols. 1–4. U.S.
Department of the Navy, Naval Ship Systems Command. Reston, Va.: Ocean Systems, February 15, 1967. (NHC, FOIA.)
Allen, Everett S. “Research Submarine Alvin.” US. Naval Institute Proceedings, April 1964.
“The Aluminaut Story.” March 6, 1986. (SMV.)
Anderton, David A. Strategic Air Command: Two-Thirds of the Triad. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1951.
Andrews, Frank A. “Searching for the Thresher.” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, May 1964
—. “Search Operations in the Thresher Area—1964, Section I.” Naval Engineers Journal, August 1965.
—. “Search Operations in the Thresher Area—1964, Section II.” Naval Engineers Journal, October 1965.
Arnold, H. H. Third Report of the Commanding General of the Army Air Forces to the Secretary of War. Washington, D.C.: Army Orientation Branch, Information and Education Division, War Department, November 12, 1945.
Asselin, S. V. B-52/KC-135 Collision near Palomares, Spain. SC-DR-66-397. Albuquerque, N.M.: Sandia Corporation, August 1966. Secret. (FOIA.)
—. Notes on the EOD Render Safe Procedure of Weapon #4 (W28 #45345) near Palomares Spain, March 15, 1966. Document no. SAC200118480000. Confidential. (NNSA, FOIA.)
“Background for War: Man in the First Plane.” Time, September 4, 1950.
Baker, Russell. “Madrid Provides Warm ‘Saludos.’” The New York Times, December 22, 1959.
Baldwin, Hanson W. “Ready or Not? President Upheld on Plan Not to Keep Bombers Constantly in Air on Alert.” The New York Times, March 8, 1959.
—. “Strategy and Politics Shape Defense Debate: U.S. Concern over Soviet Bombers Gives Impetus to Congress' Study.” The New York Times, May 13, 1956.
Ballard, Robert D. The Eternal Darkness: A Personal History of Deep-Sea Exploration. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2000.
Bartholomew, C. A. Mud, Muscle and Miracles: Marine Salvage in the United States
