The Megaton Blasters: Story of the 4925th Test Group (Atomic)

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DEDICATION THIS BOOK RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED TO:

GEN. OSMUND J. "OZZIE" RITLAND Best Commander any of us ever had. AND TO:

The men lost in experimental testing The many more lost to rl;ldiation effects

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,Those now terminally ill

COVER PHOTO: Early (small) H-Bomb blast still in "expansion" phase. Note the "ice cap" starting to form at the top, signifying its entry into the stratosphere.

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Story of the 4925th Test Group (Atomic) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: -- Th Maj. Gen. Ritland for all the valuable

information he contributed. -- Th all of my old 4925th buddies who dug deep and sent me information and pictures. --Th Vic Tannehill and his Boomerang staffwho helped me put this book together.

-Baker- shot in the Operation CROSSROADS test series in the Pacific 1946. 600 KT A-Bomb... The Big Ones were soon to follow...

LIVE NUCLEAR TEST SERIES:

John D. (Doc) Hardison

WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO TRINITY

1945

NEVADA (Limit 60 Kilotons) RANGER BUSTER/JANGLE TUMBLER/SNAPPER UPSHOTIKNOTHOLE TEAPOT

1950 1951 1952 1953 1955

PACIFIC CROSSROADS SANDSTONE GREENHOUSE IVY CASTLE WIGWAM REDWING V1IA (Very High Altitude) UHA (Ultra High Altitude)

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1947 1951 1952 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958

After the Russian penetration of our Los Alamos secrets, the tests were expanded into a series of air drops, combined with "tower shots". This usually involved up to 14 "bangs" in Nevada; slightly fewer in the Pacific. Above-ground tests ended in 1958 with the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty between the Soviet Union and the United States.

HISTORICAL DATA CREDITS: Atomic Energy Commission records Air Force Historical Office Kirtland Air Force Base Historian Surviving members of the 4925th

©BOOMERANG PUBLISHERS 1990 6164 Wesl83rd Way Arvada, CO 80003 (303) 423·5706 All rights reserved. No part 01 this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without lirst obtaining the written permission of the above copyright owner and publisher.

PHOTO CREDITS: Atomic Energy Commission U. S. Air Force Motion Picture Unit, Lookout Mountain Laboratory, Hollywood, California 4925th Photo Lab 4925th Photo Lab, Eniwetok Kirtland Air Force Base Photo Lab

ISBN 0-9605900-4·8 Library of Congress Catalog Number 89-081893 Printed In the United States of America

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TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD Never in a peacetime (non-combat) operation have I seen such daily danger and risks to Air Force personnel... or such highly skilled and dedicated pilots, air crew, ground support Airmen and Civilians. My memories of these troops are proud ones, indeed. The research for this book has resulted in a volume ofhistory that should be studied by many people.

PROLOGUE BEGINNINGS THE MEN THE AIRCRATI THE PRESSURE SUITS THE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY THE TARGETS (AND TEST SITES) THE BOMBS THE HAZARDS THE HUMOR IN MEMORIAM

Page 6 Page 7 Pages 8-16 Page 17-25 Page 26-27 Page 28 Page 29-32 Page 33-35 Page 36-38 Page 39 Page 40

Gen. Osmund J. Ritland February, 1988

Rancho Santa Fe, California

3 54083 OK MAIN: F-BKS 17 OK 02/14/07 5021

BEGINNINGS PROLOGUE During World War II, the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) had little to do with the development of the atomic bomb. Control had been placed in the hands of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). All the Armed Forces maintained a close association with the AEC through the Military Liaison Committee. The Armed Forces Special Weapons Project served the military departments jointly in atomic energy matters. The world's first A-bomb was detonated July 16,1945, near Alamogordo, New Mexico, by Manhattan Project scientists. It produced an explosion equal to that of 19,000 short tons (17,000 metric tons) of TNT. A few weeks later two USAAF B-29 Superfortresses helped bring World War II to an end by dropping even more powerful atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. The USAAF's Strategic Air Command (SAC) was established March 21, 1946. Its mission was to be prepared to conduct long-range operations to any part of the world at any time. Equipped in part with B-29s, its airmen were to be ready to deliver conventional or atomic bombs to any target assigned. They were America's main deterrent to aggression. To strengthen the ability of SAC to deliver atomic weapons, in 1946 the Air Staff directed that all new bombers be able to carry atomic as well as high-explosive bombs. And SAC was to integrate atomic weapons whenever and wherever possible in its training activities. On September 18, 1947, by Act of Congress, the United States Air Force became an independent service. A period of reorganization followed as USAF leaders acted to structure their commands so as to best meet their assigned roles and missions in the national interest. Air Staff officers were well aware of the need for specialized organizations to deal with atomic matters. Much had to be done before the Air Force could be ready to employ such weapons on a large scale. In December, 1949, the Air Force set up its Special Weapons Command for the development and testing of atomic weapons at Kirtland Air Force Base, outside Albuquerque, New Mexico. This command would work closely with AEC's prime contractors--the Sandia Corporation and the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory.

In February, 1950, a double barbed-wire complex was set up within Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, New Mexico, to headquarter a new Top Secret U.S. Air Force unit designated the 4925th Test Group (Atomic). A small sign at the gate simply said "Santa Fe Operations". Unauthorized, curious visitors were politely but firmly turned away by armed USAF Air Policemen. The best bomber and fighter pilots in the USAF and all types of expert support personnel were located worldwide and orders were promptly cut transferring them to the elite 4925th. A special search was made for the right man to lead the outfit. Colonel OsmundJ. "Ozzie" Ritland was selected as Commanding Officer. As a test pilot, he had 150 aircraft to his credit, including all captured aircraft in WWII. He had a degree in engineering, and was an expert in logistics. All aircraft then in the Air Force inventory and thought capable of nuclear weapons delivery were to be obtained and sent to the 4925th for testing. The Special Weapons Command, a major USAF Air Command reporting only to the Pentagon and the AEC, set the wheels in motion to expedite this. The 4925th was given this mission: 1. ''Marry'' all nuclear weapon types to all suitable types of aircraft. 2. Establish the ballistics of each type of nuclear weapon, on precision bomb ranges. 3. Support the AEC with live test drops, at Nevada and the Pacific. 4. Fly through and "sample" the highly radioactive nuclear "clouds" after the bangs.

ABOVE: Colonel "Ozzie" Ritland, Commander, 4925th BELOW: Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico (facing east). Note the three large hangars and concrete ramp in center. This was "Area Charlie", with double barbed wire fences and guard towers. Home base of the 4925th. Sandia Base complex in background.

President Harry S. Truman, in January, 1950, directed the AEC to emphasize its thermonuclear research. The Air Force immediately began to make preparations for delivering hydrogen bombs. There were two major problems in using such nuclear weapons: adapting various types of weapons carriers and bombs to each other; and, developing bombing techniques and systems that would be effective~ and yet permit the airplane and its crew to return from attacks safely. The first problem wa\ primarily aerodynamic, arising as new bombers reached supersonic speeds. Working with AEC, the Air Force immediately began Top Secret projects to overcome the difficulties of making thermonuclear weapons compatible with delivery systems; and, to perfect techniques for dropping those weapons from high and low altitudes while at the same time protecting airplane crews. Victor C Tannehill, Publisher

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THE MEGATON BLASTERS

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BOMBER PILOTS: B-36: Gene Cox Bill Hickey John Hardison Fain Pool B-52: Jerry Blanchard Dave Crithlow Charlie Smith B-47: Beck Becktell Frank Early Harvey Gill Nichols Dick Partrick Marv Speer Steinkraus GrafStull Bill Yinger Ack Zalk B-45: Keith Conley Hank Yawn B-501B-29: Fred Armbruster Buckles Jack Hammer Ivan Mahan Dave Self B-66: Hank Yawn

THE MEN With top priority established, the 4925th was soon staffed with highly experienced people. Bomber, fighter, and chopper pilots, triple-rated bombardiers (Bomb./Navigator/Radar), staff officers, nuclear project engineers (military and civilian), depot-level modification personnel, aerial cameramen, photo lab technicians, bomb loading specialists, crew chiefs and crews. Col. Ritland "welded" these pros into a highly sharp TEAM. Ifthere was ever an ELITE out-fit, the 4925th was it. During its eleven years, the 4925th had many men come and go, and many internal changes in job assignments. The list below is a rough assessment. COMMANDERS: Col. Ritland, Col. Samuel STAFF AND SQUADRON COMMANDERS: Col. Brick Ireland Lt. Col. Carl Ousley Lt. Col. Mario Ciccone Col. Paul Fackler Lt. Col. Gene Cox Maj. Fain Pool Col. Hank Eichel Lt. Col. Woody Woodward Maj. Corky Corcoran Col. Jack Atkins Lt. Col. Ed Hurley CWO Van Vanlandingham FLIGHT COMMANDERS: Maj. Dick Partrick Maj. Jerry Blanchard Maj. Marv Speer Maj. John Hardison Maj. Geo. Gleason

ABOVE: Col. "Brick" Ireland, Deputy Commander BELOW: Col. Ritland with B·45 drop crew. From left·· Williams, Follensby, Stull, Lawton.

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SAMPLER PILOTS: B-571B-29: Fred Armbruster Malcolm Bounds Jim Corn George Fettinger John Hardison Langdon Harrison Chappy MacDonald HELICOPTER PILOTS: YH-19, YH-21: Bill Green Jim Ozier Pat Patterson FIGHTER PILOTS: F-84, F-86, F-I01: George Gleason Ira Grayson Hank Henry Norm Schmidt Ellingson

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THE MEGATON BLASTERS

THE MEN

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BOMBARDIERS: George Dunmore Dwight Durner Ike Eichenberg Jackie Harvey Jesse Henry Ken Lawton Bill Payne Danny Schmucker George Trimble Blake White Woody Wilson WEAPONERS: Earl Follensby AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE OFFICER: Rocky Rockaforte BOMB LOADINGS: Van Vanlandingham CHIEF OPERATIONS DISPATCHER: Red McLaughlin PHOTO LAB COMPLEX: Jim McFadden Frank Hensley Jake Jaycox AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY: Bob McCullough . RADIATION SAFETY SECTION: Finis Mitchell Lloyd Stockton CIVILIAN EXPERTS: Dave Chadwick Herman Miller (Sandia) Gar Nunn Hal Plank (AEC/Los Alamos) CHIEF FLIGHT SURGEON: Karl Houghton (SWC)

Walt Todd Jim Purcell Ruegeseker CREW CHIEFS: Jim Ash Roy Bedwell Hugh Brown Clem Byzenki Norm Haagenson Roy Hunter Merlin Martin Scully Scalovino Eddy White TECH REPS: Chris Doll Chuck Haywood Roy Squyres (We had about 16 ofthese...one or two from each plant, plus a Pratt & Whitney EXPERT on 24hour call. TOP Pro's.) PROJECT OFFICERS: Steve Bartalski Corky Corcoran Otis Hill Ray Lynn John Umlauf Bill Ward· (These men were engineering grads, MIT, Cal-Tech, etc. They each followed a certain bomb through all phases of tests, including drops, as part offlight crews.) All 4925th personnel were required to have an AEC "Q" clearance... 15-year background check by the FBI. A special ADIZ (Air Defense Zone) was set up surrounding Kirtland. A select squadron of Air Defense Command fighters was brought in to Kirtland. They were on 24-hour alert to enforce the ADIZ, and they did so.

FLIGHT ENGINEERS: Ben Harvey Byron Miller Randall O'Bryan Rocky Roccaforte

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ABOVE:FirstA-Bombair-dropinU.S....Pilot:Capt.JerryBlanchard, far right; Col. Ritland second from left; Dr. Felts (AEC/Los Alamos), third from left. B-29.

BELOW: Nevada B-36 drop crew, mid-1950s. From leil--Pool, Hickey, Schroeder, Schmucker, Ward, Roccaforte, Harvey, unknown, Haagenson, Castleman, unknown.

Major Marv Speer

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THE MEGATON BLASTERS

THE MEN

Lt. Col. ·Woody· Woodward, in charge of ·marrying· bombs to aircraft. Page 11

ABOVE: This shows the size of a B·36 propeller··19 feet, two stories. From left--Cox, Pool, Follensby, Eichenberg, Jack Harvey, Byron Miller, unknown, unknown, Martin (Crew Chief).

BELOW: Early live drop crew--Pilot: Capt. Neal Barker (kneeling far right); Bombardier: Maj. Jesse Henry, second from left; Weaponeer: Capt. Follensby, third from left; and, Bombardier/Navigator/Timer: Lt. Col. Ed Hurley.

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Major Jesse Henry, Chief Bombardier

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THE MEGATON BLASTERS

THE MEN

Captain -Big George- Trimble, Chief Test Bombardier. Aeronautical Engineering degree.

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ABOVE: Early pilots. From left--Corn (B-57), Buckles (B-29), Stull (B-45), Grayson (F-84), unknown, Conley (B-45), unknown.

Capt. Lynn Steiner

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BELOW: Pacific Test Site, Eniwetok Atoll, 1956, ·Osage Drop·, Operation REDW/NG. B-36. Front row: Pool, Roccaforte, Hardison, Barta/sky, Ben Harvey, Payne, unknown. Back row, from right: Jack Harvey, Trimble.

Captain ·Rocky· Roccaforte, Chief Flight Engineer/Group Aircraft Maintenance Officer.

THE MEGATON BLASTERS

THE MEN

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THE AIRCRAFT We started with a few B-29s and B-50s, but quickly expanded to factory delivery of the first (or latest) production types.

ABOVE: From left--Bill Ward, Nuclear Projects Officer; Earl Follensby, Pilot and Chief Weaponeer Officer; Jim McFadden, Pilot and Chief of Photo Lab.

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BELOW: Capt. "Folly" Follensby, Chief Weaponeer Officer.

THE MEGATON BLASTERS

TEST AIRCRAFT: B-29, B-36H, B-45, B-47, B-50D, B-52C, B-57, B-66, F-84F, F-86D, F-101A, F-104, F-105, YH-19, YH21, C-47, T-33. (Plus: F-86E, F86G) All aircraft were "Featherweighted"...stripped of everything that could be safely removed (guns, blisters, latrines; each B-36 had two, etc.). B-29s: Four of the best we could find. I flew B-29 #818 on one test to 42,500 ft., with Ben Harvey chasing runaway props like mad. B-50Ds: (4). Cadillac version of B-29. Boeing. 28-cylinder engines, steerable nose wheel., reversible props, water injection. B-36H: (4) 320 knots at 50,000 ft., with a 43,000 lb. bomb load. Ten engines; six 28-cylinder recips, four J -47 jets. 19-foot propellers, automatically synchronized, reversible. 3,200 horse-power (wet). Wing-span: 230 ft. Length: 151 ft. Range: 24 hours. Max fuel capacity: 33,626 gallons. B-45: (North American) We got the first four produced; 0001 through 0004. The only 4-jet U.S. bomber. No approach drogue chute nor air-brakes. With power at idle, glided like a sail plane. Bomb bay too small for H-bombs. B-47: (Boeing) Four aircraft, modified at factory for 4925th. Six jets, approach drogue chute, landing chute. Most aerodynamically streamlined bomber yet. B-57: (Bomber version) Rotatable bomb racks. Twin jets. SWEET to fly. Bomb bay too small. (Sampler version) Pilot and Radiation Officer. Equipped for sampling radiation-hot nuclear "clouds" shortly after the blasts.

THE AIRCRAFT

Unfortunately, most of these men died from radiation cancer, or are now terminally ill from same. B-66: Ground lover, when loaded. Oxygen system problems. Twin jets, bomb bay too small. B-52C: (Boeing) Four aircraft, modified for us at factory. Perfect bomber. Maximum airspeed 0.93 mach. 8 big jets. Range: unlimited. (Air-to-air refueling =100,000Ibs. in 14 minutes. Ceiling: Above 55,000 ft.. Non-skid brakes, excellent air brakes, plus landing chute. Computerized bomb/nav system, with doppler. Cross-wind landing gear. 10,000 lbs. pure-pure water, for water-injection take-offs. (Water lasted 110 seconds.) Astro compass. Seat ejection. Pilot's checklist = 60 pages. NOTE: We were geared up to receive the first four B-58s when the test ban cancelled the program. FIGHTER AIRCRAFT: We started with beat-up F-84s and F-86s. Then: F-84F: First four off the line. Heavy modification by our own shop. The "F" bore no resemblance to the former series. F-86E: Max ceiling only 43,000 ft. Speed too slow for B-52s. F·101A: Bingo. Mter take-off, out of sight in 14 seconds, in steep climb. The B-36s and B-52s finally had company, at the prescribed 50,000 feet. F-I04 and F-I05: Supersonic. NO data.

CHOPPERS: Three beat-up YH-19s and two new YH-21s. Weird birds, flown by weird pilots, on weird tests. CHASE PLANES: We used stripped-down, modified T-33s for the 40,000 ft. drops, with aerial cameramen in rear seat, with hand-held movie cameras. At release, the T-bird went into a screeching dive, doing a l.0ntinuous roll around the bomb, with the cameramen shooting through the top of the canopy. The pull-out was made at the last second. The new G-suits came in handy. About half. the time, two chase planes were required. This required all of the above, plus maintaining separation between the rolling aircraft and, of course, the bomb. At higher altitudes, the singleseat fighters used advanced type gun cameras, mounted in the left side of the cockpit, to shoot the bomb and its series of 'chutes. The camera was activated by the gun-switch on the pilot's control stick. Watching two of these pilots dive with a 43,000 lb. bomb, doing, at first, horizontal rolls around it, then into a screeching dive, using divebrakes as required, still doing rolls, maintaining perfect separation...was really something to see. Real pro's. BELOW: Boeing B-29 Superfortress

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ABOVE: Boeing B-50D Superfortress

ABOVE: B-36H. The four jets out on the wings not shown.

BELOW: Convair B·36 Peacemaker

BELOW: B·36H over Convair Ft. Worth factory. Our version was stripped and feather-weighted, plus many modifications at 4925th.

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THE MEGATON BLASTERS

THE AIRCRAFT

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ABOVE: B-36. "Barney" Pool landing with a "hot" weapon, NO.5 feathered and NO.4 jet shut down. 1958. This was toward the end of the usefulness of 8-36s. We were deep into B-52s andgearing up for the first four production line B-58s.

ABOVE: B-45. North American. We got the first four from the factory, 0001 through 0004. Factory Tech Rep was the famous Chris 001/. Modified with special Norden bombsights for Nevada live drops. BELOW: B-45 starting a live bomb run at Nevada Test Site.

BELOW: Boeing B-47B taking off at Muroc Dry Lake with 55,000pound H-Bomb shape for drop on Edwards Precision Bomb Range. Pilot: Jerry Blanchard. Modified bomb bay anddual-boosted elevator control system. Nine powerful JATO bottles on each side offuselage for extra takeoff thrust. Project CAUCASIAN.

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THE MEGATON BLASTERS

THE AIRCRAFT

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8-57 on special mission near Edwards AF8. One of the first Douglas 8-66s. 80mb bay too small and underpowered for our work. Oxygen system problems. (We lost one man.)

8-57. 80mber version. Modified from 8ritish Canberra. Sweet bird to fly. Rotating bomb bay system. 80mb bay too small for our stuff. The sampler version was used extensively. Jerry Blanchard scared the daylights outta me doing barrel-rolls in this thing. (8-365 were sorta limited in aerobatics.)

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THE MEGATON BLASTERS

8-52C. Third 8-52 delivered to the Air Force. Quickly followed by three more.

THE AIRCRAFT

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One of our F-101As taxiing into 4925th Restricted Area with landing drag-'chute. Twin-jet Voodoo.

YH-19. Used for many AEC tests at Salton Sea and after-dropping missions in Nevada. F-84G. Republic. Drop and chase missions.

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F-86E. Replaced later by Gs. LA8S bomb-testing and photo-chase for 8-36s up to 43,000 feet only. Too slow for 8-52s.

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THE MEGATON BLASTERS

T-33. Lockheed.. Chase plane. Photo workhorse for 4925th.

THE AIRCRAFT

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THE PRESSURE SUITS Decompression at 50,000 feet or above causes the blood to "boil", and sudden and painful expansion ofany"gas" in

your system, followed rapidly by unconsciousness and the loss of the crew and aircraft. The pressure suits designed to prevent this were the tightest fitting monstrosities ever endured by man. Even without inflation, they caused welts and bruises. Each of us required two helpers, to get into these things. Two fittings were required, at WrightPatterson, followed by a trip to 65,000 feet in the Altitude Chamber; then a sudden decompression to zero altitude. A high-pressure oxygen bottle strapped to your leg inflated the suit to almost unbearable pressure. The pressure caused us to breathe backwards. Relax, for oxygen to enter lungs, then force it out No flight simulators were available in those days to test the real problem: ability to control the aircraft, under those conditions. (See following photos.)

RIGHT: From left--Conley, Jerry Blanchard, Durner. BELOW: The most uncomfortable bridge game in history. When a lastminute takeoff delay occurred, it wasn't worth it to un-suit.

RIGHT: Harvey Gill BELOW: Keith Conley, with face mask in place. Suit is not inflated. Two assistants were required to get into these monstrosities, especially the sealed helmets. Note high-pressure oxygen bottle and regulator tied to leg. When activated, high-pressure oxygen inflated the tubes and tightened the already skin-tight suit to screaming tight! After a few hands were almost lost, special gloves were added. Inflatable. Special paratrooper boots were also added. Breathing was reversed: relax to let high-pressure 100% oxygen IN, then force it OUT. Suit, even un-inflated, caused many welts and bruises each time it was worn. In a 140-degree cockpit, pilots became soaking wet, lost up to five pounds and became partially dehydrated.

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THE MEGATON BLASTERS

THE PRESSURE SUITS

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THE TARGETS (AND TEST SITES)

THE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY The shots and drops were covered by a wild bunch of 100% PROs from the 1st Air Force Motion Picture Unit, Lookout Mountain, Hollywood, California. Pilot: Capt. Pat Wilson, in a beatup old C-47 with no cargo doors (see photo). Funded by AEC, this outfit had the latest and best of cameras, still and motion picture. Fitted with supersized reels, the cameras were set up in banks. They could shoot 2,400 frames per second...each camera autostarted to follow the previous one, with continuous coverage. Shooting a brightness that can damage the

human eye, but fades rapidly, is not a job for amateurs. On the ground, these guys would clamp a camera on a tripod onto the top of a car, and, driving at full throttle just to the left of our props, they would photograph our takeoffs. Once, when trying to set a B-36 down on the first few feet of the short runway at Eniwetok, I spotted--at the last minute--this crazy camera crew in the center of the near end of the strip, merrily cranking away!

NUCLEAR LIVE DROPS: AEC Nevada Test complex AEC Pacific Test complex BALLISTIC DROPS: Edwards AFB Precision Bomb Range AEC Salton Sea Precision Bomb Range LABS Bomb Range (near Edwards) OTHER DROPS: Navy Auxiliary Air Station Bomb Range, EI Centro, CA White Sands Test complex, N.M. Tonapah Bomb Range Salt Lake, Utah Gulf of Mexico (using Tyndall AFB, FL, as base) Northwestern Michigan (near Canadian border) Kirtland AFB Practice Bomb Range OTHER TESTS: Indian Springs Test Base, Nevada Cape Canaveral, Florida Howard Hughes Radar Range, near Los Angeles Grey AFB, Texas NIGHT DROPS: AEC Nevada Test Complex

Aft section of the battery of super-high speed cameras used for aerial photography of all nuclear drops and shots. C-47.

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THE MEGATON BLASTERS

AEC NEVADA TEST COMPLEX At Nevada, air-drops and tower shots were limited to 60 KT. (60,000 tons of TNT-equivalent). The early bangs were often freaky. With perfect stratospheric conditions, a large bang could break only a few windows, in Las Vegas. The following week, a small bang might break MANY plate-glass windows, and jar the daylights out of Indian Springs (our advance base). Yearly test series usually consisted of about 14 detonations during a 90-day period. Tower shots: Contrary to media

THE TARGETS (AND TEST SITES)

reports,these were not DROPPED. They were "triggered" by remote control. Purpose: At detonation, things happen in a MILLIONTH of a second. Super-speed cameras, shooting thousands of frames per second, could be "at speed" EXACTLY at bang time. (Banks of camera units.) On air drops, the best we could promise was +/- 2 seconds, and 110 feet from the exact center of a 1,000 ft. target. Also, tower shots were used for blast damage effects (buildings, aircraft, etc., at spaced distances). More on Nevada, in the INDIAN SPRINGS section. But, before I leave Nevada, one interesting drop: For some reason, the Los Alamos Phd's wished a detonation at 40,000 feet. Only 10,000 feet beneath the drop aircraft (B-36). Our B-47s were required to layout smoke trails, at 40,000 feet, immediately prior to the drop. They were not allowed UNDER the drop aircraft, so had to fly in at an angle. (Smoke trails to measure the shock waves of the bang.) After a few practice runs, it went off perfectly. The media went ape. For you old-time Las Vegas people: Now you know.

describing a Megaton Blast Hydrogen Bomb is AWESOME. UNBELIEVABLE. Yet, they produced more vivid colors than any human has ever painted, all boiling around. In the eleven-year history of the 4925th, only ONE drop error was made. Incorrect data was cranked into the memory bank of a B-52 bomb system. The wrong complex of islands disappeared. This upset a few people. In very high places. Barney Pool and I were scheduled for the following drop, with the youngest bombardier of the outfit (Lt. Jackie Harvey). We were spoken at. After many practice runs, Jackie dropped the one and only 100% "Shack" in the history of nuclear drops. (Exact center of ground-zero.) The "Timer", also a freckled-faced triple-rated bomb/nav type, came up with a detonation within TWO seconds. Lt. Bill Payne. After the drop, General "Black-Jack" Samuel, Task Force Commander and former Commander of the 4925th, gave us the Officer's Club.

AEC PACIFIC TEST COMPLEX All H-bombs and high-yield Abombs were tested in the Pacific. (Mostly in the Eniwetok/Bikini Atoll area.) Eniwetok had a very short runway. If you landed short, you hit a vertical concrete embankment. Face-to-face. (A C124 Globemaster did this.) If you landed long, forget it. Quickly. Bend the throttles forward, and make a "go-around". On take-off, the GO-NO-GO decision point was when you released your brakes. Even PARKING space, for a B-36 or B-52, was a major problem. The only good thing about Eniwetok was the stops at Honolulu. The closest I can come to

BALLISTIC DROPS: Edwards Precision Bomb Range Experts were transferred from the famous Aberdeen Proving Grounds. With the most advanced triangular optics and telemetry, they recorded the exact ballistics of each drop. "Ballistic" bombs were duplicates ofthe real thing, with telemetry, other gadgets, and lots of concrete. On free-fall drops, they penetrated as deep as 65 feet. When a 43,000 pound object hits the ground, from 50,000 feet, everyone in the county feels it.

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Salton Sea Precision Bomb Range. (AEC) Near Thermal, CA. Target: 40-ft. square raft, in center ofthe lake. At 50,000 feet, this raft looked like a pin-point. Top-notch ballistics crew, headed by Warren Austin, with a bombrun communication genius known only as Elmo. I watched Elmo in action one day, during a typical 50,000 ft. drop. He watched the drop aircraft's progress on an elaborate table console, and maintained communications with four ground points and the pilot, with a five-mike-button handheld deal that he had made. The only lingo I could understand was when he talked to the pilot, bombardier, or weaponeer. Again, when a 43,000 pound bomb, even though a "Dummy", hits the surface... even if that surface is WATER. ..it can be heard for miles...and the shock waves trav,el fast and far, through the, water. Shortly after we got into Hbombs, we tested "Evasive" tactics, to prevent the crew and aircraft from being blown up by the bomb. With a B-36, we worked it out a 51 degree turn, through 120 degrees, at max speed. That wasn't enough, so drag 'chutes were placed in the rear of the bombs. A series of chutes. Each chute pulled out a larger chute. The final chute was the largest in the world. This caused ballistic accuracy problems, so estimated winds, at each 5,000 foot level, were cranked in. With an H-bomb, accuracy is really not important, so it worked out A-OK. Anyhow, now· you Thermal, ·California people know. LABS BOMB RANGE (Near Edwards) ...(See full LABS story later.) . OTHER DROPS: Gulf of Mexico In the early days (late 1940s)

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we needed to test different types of H.E. (High Explosives), in different configurations. (H.E. was used to trigger the A-bomb.) Different types. of bomb casings had to be tested. Our B-29s dropped these in the Gulf, using Tyndall AFB, Florida, as base. The local natives didn't care for this. Not having much "protection" in those days, we were chased out, and told to never return. We moved this operation to: Northwestern Michigan: (Near the Canadian border.) We completed the tests just in time. The natives THERE didn't like it either, and chased us out. But we got our water and ground surface impact data, etc. Salt Lake, Utah: We were more careful. We dropped thousands of pellets in the Lake from B-50s, with takeoffs and landi~gs at Kirtland only. Hill AFB, near Salt Lake City, was screamed at. White Sands Test Complex, New Mexico: Radar "confusion test drops". I flew some of these (B-36), with (54) 500 lb. bombs, dropped in clusters, with one 18,000 lb. Mark XVI dropped about in the middle of the bomb run. Other tests here, but no data. I remember that the Base Engineer at White Sands roared about my B-36 cracking his concrete ramps. But we had protection by this time, so he was ignored. Navy Aux Air Station Bomb Range, EI Centro, California: B-36 drops. Swarms of Navy carrier pilots making head-on passes. Weird radio frequencies. "Tower, get these guys OFF me!" ...Many missions, testing the first drag-'chutes for H-bombs. Drop altitude too low for chase planes. Many problems with these first 'chutes. CWO James headed a wild bunch of parachutists here,

that tested new parachutes for air crews. He was pleading to have his men jump from a B-36. I made a deal with him. The jumps, if they would photo the bomb-'chutes during drops. The wheels back home LOVED these photos, until they learned they were take by PARACHUTISTS. One photo showed a parachutist, on the other side of the bombchute, free-falling, with a camera aimed at the bombchute. This was ceased, immediately. KIRTLAND PRACTICE BOMB RANGE: Used for practice bombing, and classified canister drops. TONAPAH BOMB RANGE: Set up as I left the 4925th. No data. OTHER TEST SITES: Indian Springs, Nevada: Sort of a "hell hole", in the desert, on the edge of the drop area. Almost every year, for 90 days, the 4925th based all support-test aircraft here, including the "Command" aircraft for AEC people (B-50), sampler aircraft (B-29s), longrange "Cloud" trackers (B-50s and crews borrowed from the Hurricane Hunter Weather Squadrons), short-range trackers (C-47s), Aerial Photo aircraft, after-drop choppers, security patrol aircraft, etc. I had the misfortune of running this operation during the Tumbler/Snapper series oftests, plus alternating between flying the AEC Command aircraft and B-29 samplers. Plus keeping civilian scientists from walking into running props, losing parachutes, etc. Each nuclear shot had a countdown. Delays could be caused by many things. When "X" number of delays and cancelled countdowns occurred, I would call Col. Paul Fackler,

THE MEGATON BLASTERS

4925th Coordinator at Camp Mercury. "Sir, request permission to send these keyed-up guys into Las Vegas for 24 hours."..."Fine, I'll JOIN you'" And everything would shut down. In the Command aircraft, we tested different anti-flashblindness systems, supervised by our chief Flight Surgeon. We usually positioned the aircraft at 12,000 feet, 15 miles from ground zero. Mter the chief Los Alamos scientist aboard viewed the blast, we climbed at full power, observing the rapidly rising cloud, and radioed the sampler aircraft as to when to begin penetration. Reliable radiation film badges were not yet developed, so all of us wore several types, plus radiation dosimeters. Reliable cleaning methods for exposed flight suits were tested by using a different detergent in washing machines after each mission. Tide won. Sampling missions could get hairy. The T-19 Radiation Meter was a highly advanced version of a geiger counter. It had four scales. The fourth scale responded only to very high radiation. In one cloud, my Radiation Officer yelled "I'm pegged out at max, on scale four. Let's get OUTTA here." Fastest 180 degree turn I ever made. Entire crew grounded from sampler missions for one year. Before that, I was asked to get samples of the "Tail" of a blast. This is the dirt that is sucked upwards after the blast. Very "dirty", radiation-wise. It starts upward slower than the cloud, at first but retains its heat longer, so rapidly gets above the cloud. Faint orange in color, and difficult to spot. We spotted it above us, when we reached 40,000 feet and sampled it at 42,500 feet, which I hereby claim as a record for B-29s, with Ben Harvey, best Flight Engineer ever, getting the credit. (Chasing runaway props like mad.)

THE TARGETS (AND TEST SITES)

The trackers flew under the cloud, measuring fall-out radiation. A squadron of SAC F-84s once flew in to practice flying through the clouds. This remains a mystery to me, 'til this day. CAPE CANAVERAL: The vertical tail sections of a B36 is as large as a big barn door. Two of our birds had large multicolored "doughnuts" painted on each side. We flew to Cape Canaveral (now Kennedy Space Center) and flew high altitude holding patterns for 8 hours, and returned to Kirtland. The space people tracked the doughnuts to determine which optics to use, for tracking space shots. Weirdest looking B-36s ever. HOWARD HUGHES RADAR RANGE: B-50s. 8 hours per day, at 30,000 ft., in radar pattern. Based at LAX. Deluxe pool-side motel rooms, ETC., furnished by Howard. With me at Indian Springs. GREY AFB, TEXAS: B-29s. y.le were required to land after dark, and were to leave the area immediately. Take off before daylight. No data. NIGHT DROPS: B-36s, with 43,000 lb. Mark XIV's. Target, Frenchman Flats, Nevada Test Complex. Bomb casing covered with many multi-colored high-wattage light bulbs*. 45,000 feet. This was when I learned to never let the co-pilot TOUCH the jet throttles after he got them on 100%. The jets ran on the same aviation fuel as the recips, and at above 40,000 ft., would flame out for good, if you touched a throttle. (Co-pilot "adjusted" number 4 jet, and lost it, causing us to cancel the drop and go home... all four jets were needed to maintain bomb-run speed.)

* This was during the UFO scare

period. MANY phone calls. (Las Vegas: Now you know.) All of these drops were made at 4:00 a.m. We were never briefed on the purpose. MISCELLANEOUS: One B-36 was kept busy delivering and picking up each type of H-bomb (training types) to many places, all, over the States...SAC bases, Denver, etc. Loring AFB, northern Maine, taxiing on ice...Rome, northern New York, in snow storms...Roswell, New Mexico, in sand storms...North Dakota, in snow AND ice. Denver (Lowry) hated us, even after we straightened them out. They had to re-shuffle many parked aircraft, each time, for the B-36.. One week's notice required. They finally built a special building, in a remote section of the base, which required us to BACK the B-36 out, (props reversed) in a 180 degree turn. (Tow-bars could not be carried WITH H-bombs...no space.) LOW ALTITUDE BOMB SYSTEM (LABS) (See accompanying sketches...NOT TO SCALE.) Toss-bombing was not new...but the 4925th fighter-test pilots developed it into an ART. Problem: Delivery without blowing up the fighter. The system first tested was a highly advanced type of toss-bombing, with a twist. The fighter approached the target at a max, precise speed, on-the-deck, on a precise course, using ground check-points. At "X" check-point, . pilot pulled up to a precise angle of climb, at a precise G-force, released the bomb, and continued into an Immelman turn, diving to the deck at max speed in the opposite direction. The stream-lined 750 lb. Mark VII would travel MILES to the target. Our top fighter pilots,

Page 31

such as George "Wrinkle-Belly" Gleason, Milburn "Hank" Henry, and Lynn Steiner, could put the Mark VII down a smoke-stack. The arrival of the F-101A "Voodoo" made the newly designed Mark VII a formidable pin-point weapon, with minimum blast risk to aircraft or pilot. Further testing of other delivery systems resulted in the Vertical/Loop system. Same approach, but the pilot pulled straight up, over the target, released the bomb, and finished a high-G loop, diving for the deck at max speed in the original direction. Throttles bent forward. The bomb went miles high, and then fell on the target. High degree of accuracy. Both these systems were really something to watch. A special bomb-sight was developed later. The Vertical/Loop system reduced blast risk to zero. To the pilot.

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Page 32

THE MEGATON BLASTERS

The Los Alamos physicists, now in a race with Russia, performed unheard offeats. They increased in "yield" of the peanut bombs dropped on Japan from 20 KT to 600 KT, without appreciably increasing the size and weight (Mark VI). 600 KT = 600,000 tons of TNT (equivalent). Experts then designed the Mark VII, the most ballistically perfect bomb on record. Weighing only 750 pounds, tear-drop shaped, with perfect fins, this put the fighter pilots in business. The Navy took one look and moved carrier aircraft in, next door to us. The army tried to push through a super "Big-Bertha" CANNON, for super SMALL A-bombs. Before we solved all the A-bomb problems, the Hbombs arrived. These used an A-bomb just to trigger the hydrogen bomb section. All in the same bombcasing, which made them long, big and heavy. The first one weighed 55,000 pounds. We modified the bomb bay ofa B-47 and used the 13-mile runway at Edwards, with 18 JATO bottles, to get this beast into the air. Many more versions of the H-bomb were tested, ranging from over 43,000 pounds down to 18,000. Eventually in the 1960s Los Alamos reduced the size and weight to a reported 20,000 pounds ... with B-52s hauling four at a time. 20 megatons each. 20 MT is equivalent to 20 million tons of TNT. The Nevada site was restricted to 60 KT. The highest we dropped was 43 KT. Los Alamos necessarily experimented with different "ingredients". Some bombs fizzled and some went off with a bang up to twice that expected. Gene Cox and Fain "Barney" Pool flew a B-36 drop that was supposed to be 23 KT. It banged out at 43 KT, bouncing the aircraft three times. ALL drops resulted in two moderate-to-severe "bumps" as the primary shock wave hit the aircraft and then the ground-surface-reflected shock wave. This time, the third shock wave was reflected from nearby mountains and was totally unexpected. Drop altitudes were increased. The ballistics of each version of all bombs was established by dropping them on the Precision Bomb Ranges at Edwards and the AEC Salton Sea complex (see "TARGETS"). This involved many drops for each type of bomb at altitudes of 40,000 feet to 50,000 feet. We flew back to Eniwetok Atoll, in the Pacific, for A-bombs exceeding 60 KT, and all H-bomb drops. In 1957, the AEC decided to detonate an H-bomb in the stratosphere, boosted to 150,000 feet by a Redstone missile fired from J ohnnston Island, 650 miles from Hawaii. The resultant bang terrorized a

THE BOMBS

lot of natives in Hawaii. This was named the VHA SHOT (Very High Altitude). Fain Pool circled the area at 40,000 feet in a B-36 "flying photo lab". After the complaints rolled in from Hawaii, the 1958 stratosphere shot was moved deeper into the Pacific. UHS SHOT (Ultra High Altitude). H-bomb lifted to 250,000 feet by balloons. The official yields of all H-bomb test drops are still classified. (The UHA shot was circled by Bill Hickey and crew using the same B-36 loaded with cameras.) The "Balloon-busting" shot was at the end of the 4925th's operations. Above-ground testing was banned by a treaty between the U.S. and Russia. :I:~ ~-=:.:" ". _._" ~

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Page 33

Nevada, 1953. Small (Hiroshima) A-Bomb. Note shock wave traveling rapidly toward you, on ground. The black part is mostly earth, very "dirty" with radioactivity. Even these small ones rose rapidly to 50,000 feet. Very difficult to sample.

Rare sequence shots. Second photo taken a split-second after the first one. Pat Wilson and the "Hollywood Gang" camera crew.

Page 34

THE MEGATON BLASTERS

Nevada. Small air burst. Vertical smoke flares were shot just prior to blast for technical measurements, etc. Note absence of "tai/".

Nevada, 1953. Multi-experimental tower shot. Photos were studiedclosely by Los Alamos, in addition to the radiation particles gathered by the sampler filters on penetrating aircraft and by many recording devices. About 20 KT.

THE BOMBS

Page 35

THE HAZARDS 1. Years of almost daily handling and loading experimental A-bombs and H-bombs 2. into experimentally modified bomb bay racks 3. to be flown in experimentally modified highperformance aircraft 4. at altitudes often much higher than the designed ceiling, which caused 5. decompression risks and oxygen risks. We lost several men in loading deals and from oxygen problems in a new type aircraft. A full B-47 crew, when the left JATO bottles failed, etc., etc. But, as it turned out, our greatest hazard was nuclear radiation. At last count (1985), seventythree 4925th men were dead, most from radiation cancer. Many more are now terminally ill, mostly from bone cancer. Exposure to nuclear radiation can result in death from 24 hours to 50 years.

UNTOLD UNTIL NOW: "Drone" aircraft were easily available for all cloud sampling. The AEC had studied the effects in Japan for over two years ...so why? To make matters worse, the. SAME crews were sent through the clouds repeatedly. True, the tests were of utmost importance to our

national security. BUT! In "Target Nevada", an AEC/Air Force film released in the 1950s, you see ground crewmen spraying nuclear "hot" aircraft with hoses. In deep tones, the narrator says, "These men, wearing SPECIAL clothing, make these aircraft safe to fly within 24 hours!" (BULL!) How about the men who had to change plugs, etc., on the engines? MONTHS later, the civilians at McClelland Depot refused to TOUCH these engines. They were still so "hot" that probe-type geiger-counters went crazy. Why weren't fire trucks with remote-controlled nozzles used to hose the aircraft down? Reports came in early about sheep downwind from the Nevada blasts changing color and getting sick. Why weren't the tests immediately moved to the Pacific? The many details of nuclear radiation deaths and terminal illnesses are now being recorded by Dr. Legarreta, Ph.D., formerly on the Manhattan Project, and the staffofNARS (National Association of Nuclear Survivors), 942 Market Street, Suite 710, San Francisco, California 94102.

The following photos, with captioned comments, speak for themselves.

Radiation check of sampler 8-29. Indian Springs, Nevada. T-19 radiation meter (NO probe!). Note airmen are wearing NORMAL flightline fatigues with COTTON gloves.

8-29 nuclear cloud sampler. Note sample filter "box" on top of aft fuselage. Four of these were carried. Aircraft and crew were sent through radiation- "hot" nuclear clouds repeatedly. Slow speed of 8-29 meant maximum exposure for entire aircrew. Why drone aircraft were not used remains a mystery.

Page 36

THE MEGATON BLASTERS

Ground crewman is almost UNDER the "hot" engine with residue splashing on him. A fire truck could easily have done this, from a safe distance and with far better results.

THE HAZARDS

Page 37

THE HUMOR All outfits have a few amateur pranksters. The 4925th had EXPERTS. Most of what they did can't be printed, but here's a few. Also, many things that happened were serious, at the TIME, but became sort ofhumorous later. Like the time you broke your collar bone falling from a tree stealing old man Pritchard's apples. Enroute to our drop-test targets there's a very large meteorite crater in Arizona. New bombardiers were cautioned, "Never fool around with the special gadgets on this bomb-control panel like ONE guy did!" (As the 500 foot wide crater was pointed out). One of our early jobs was to teach SAC crews how to load H-bombs. SAC B-36 takes off. We'll never know why but the H-bomb DROPPED at about 1,500 feet altitude after take-off. Meanwhile, a civilian pilot in a little Piper Cub was putt-putting along at 500 feet, UNDER the SAC

B-36, in restricted air space. The biggest thing he ever saw dropped just in front of his NOSE. KNOWING that nuclear boom-booms were flown from Kirtland, he figured he was D-E-A-D. When his knees stopped shaking, two days later, and he got his voice back, he called all TV and radio stations in Albuquerque. Headline news. (Note: That was about 1954. In 1987, the media screamed that a "deep secret" had been uncovered through the Freedom of Information law and described the incident... also leaving the impression that WE accidentally dropped it. Now you know. In the early days, a MONKEY was strapped into an ancient P-47 and remote-flown through an atomic cloud. We pilots caught hell. Amateur cartoonists sprang up from all directions.

492,S ,- .... T-33 sampler. Pilot and Radiation Officer with T·19 four-scale meter. After most of the 8-29 sampler crews had been grounded from flying further sampling missions because they had taken excessive dosage, T-birds were FINALLY used. Note sampler intake on wingtip tank. Radioactive particles of the nuclear cloud were sent to Los Alamos where they were analyzed to determine the "yield" of the weapon.

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"They told me this would be good duty. I just flew 20 sampling missions, then lost three engines at 50,000 feet, decompressed, and landed in a zero/zero sand storm with a hot weapon, NO.6 on fire and both radios out... on my 25th birthday!"

T-33 sampler. Forward section of tip tanks contained sampler filters.

Page 38

THE MEGATON BLASTERS

THE HUMOR

Page 39

IN MEMORIAM... Watson Armbruster II Charles B. Aufill Carl Ausfahl Neal F. Barker Henry C. Bartels George H. Bennett Donald M.Bennie Claude E. Blackmore Richard J. Bloemker Richard Brownlee Guy Bryant Edward F. Byers Francis B. Carlson Kenneth C. Casey James Causey John S. Chernoski L. B. Christensen Mario A Ciccone Thomas V. Cronin George Dietz Harry L. Donicht Mac M. Dunn Frank Early Robert L. Edman Quentin L. Edman Paul Eichenberg Elsie O. Ellingson Barry R. Emrick Paul Fackler Pat Fleming Eladio A Garcia C. J. Gilmore Mack A Goddard George W. Gleason Kenneth H. Googe Jack Griffin Warren W. Harris Jackie Harvey Russell E. Hightower Toy L. Hunter Richard J. Hynes Tine W. Karr Robert M. Knight Robert W. Knox Rorex Lacewell Authur P. Lacey John S. LaRowe Ken Lawton Chester C. Lowe Robert L. Lundin Luther G. Marcum Orval Marten Richard J. Meechan

Page 40

James L. Meldon Herman Miller George Morris Jules Mosow Charles E. N eiderman Bernard Olislager Marvin W. Olson Jim Ozier Lou Panther Ron Parnell Dick Partrick Hugh Pendleton James B. Purcell James H. Raddin Mark K Rowe Ray Roth Tom Salter Ernie Saltzman Joseph N. Schmalzel Norm Schmidt Edgar A Schmuck Danny Schmucker Wayne Schroeder Marv Speer Vern Steadman Gene R. Swant Chester F. Thew Morris J. Washatka Allen W. Witt Henry Wortman Mary Young Ack Zalk

THE MEGATON BLASTERS

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UERQUE JOURNAL

Snow, wind, dust and cold flailed Albuquerque and New Mexico Mpnday in a belated winter storm that raked across the length of the state. . Precipitation was scant, but there was plenty of everythl else, including the prospect of har freezes Albuquerque received a weird mixture of snow, wind, dust, unshine and considerable colder temperatures. The sno\v an1outlted {)nly to a trace at the airport, but about 4 inches of snow fell on Sandia Crest, whitening the entire mountain range east of I the city. \\Tin.dy at Carlsbad

The wind here generally I averaged 25-35 miles per hour, but the rest of the state wasn't so fortunate. Carlsbad recorded velocities of more than 50 miles per hour and several other sections also reported visibility reduced to nearly zero by blowing dust and sand. The snow which began about midnight Sun day, produced Ineasurable n10isture at only four stations-all of them in the we tern portion: Zuni .24; Gall .09, Glenwood and Columbus each .02. Traces were recorded at Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Santa Fe, Grants, Farlnington, Raton and Alamogordo. Ter.tperatures Fall

Tcn1peratures dipped sharply in the \\ ake of the storm which 1110ved from northwest to southeast. Albuquerque's high of 52 was recorded at n1idnight and was down 21 degrees from Sunday. I Elsewhere maximums s pre from 34: at Zuni (a 2& degree drop) to 75 at Hobbs. The Weather Bureau said the worst of the storm was oveJ: Monday night although partly cloudy weather and snow fiur.! ries will continue in some sec· I tions today. The roaring, dusty winds hamI pered air transportation i n southeastern New Mexico, shooing off some flights at Roswell and Carlsbad. .. For the Albuquerque area the storm gave April a chilly start after the warmest March in 22 years. The weathe.r bureau said the average temperature last month was 49.2 degrees, or 3.2 degrees above normal. That was I the warmest March since the 49.3-degree average recorded for the month in 1934. The storln's lack of moisture also e~tended the city's new' 60 days. Last mE; ~'-"""~I'~ __oisture here fell

Today marks the fifth lanniversary of the Air Research and Development Command which is represented in New Mexico by the Special Weapo Center 'at Kirtland Air ~ rce Base and at the Holloman Air velopment Center 'at Alamogordo. The New Mexico aspects of the ARnie include applications of ,atomic weapons (at Kirtla ) and testing of rockets, gui missiles and bomlbs and tar aircraft at Holloman. The tvvo installations here are \ only two of 10 sea t t ere d throughout the nation. The others are devoted to various divi:sions of Air Force re earchfrom propellers to personnel. I

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At Kirtland the principal job i "mate" nuclear weapons developeQ. !by the Atomic nergy Commission with the Air Force planes which will deliver them. Holloman has shot rockets carrying monkeys and mice into space over the desert. It is there, too, rthart COIL John P. S tapp rides his rocket propelled deceleration sled. The people at Holloman are also interested in space biology, electronics, atmospherics, physiology and psychology. According to the Air ~orce ARDC "has been called upon to meet the chaUenge of any unforeseen aggress'or by providing the Air Force equipment ·that is fully abreast the scientific and technological potential of the times.. ." "The establishment of ARDe (in January, 1950) was the result of general recognition of the need for unified direction a ~

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Speaking of the pro~ t Kirtland this week Brig. Gen. William M. Canterbury said, 'With the continuing emphasis on atomic weapons, our job here at the Special Weapons Center I .of asuring that new atomic wea-l pons and new plnaes are properly matched becomes ever more important." The general also said, "It is the men and women of ARD,C we should salute on this fifth anniversary. They are doing a magnificent job in making this country a world leader in modern air-power for peace." Rapid Growth In five years ARDe has gro from a puny force of 43 officers airmen land civilians to a groo of 40,000 'scattered through 10 bases and 26 field stations all the way from Japan to Europe. . During the fiscal year 1954, $350 million was budgeted for researoh and development alone. Contracts were awarded to 160 colleges, universities' and other non-profit institutions and 1520industrial companies. ARDC averages 5000 contracts each yeaT. Air Force observers have credited the ARDC with substantial progress toward eliminating maor defects that threatened the air arm with "technical s,tagnation." They claim fur:ther til