"PLUMBBOB PROGRAM"

"Atoms for Peace" was the title of a speech delivered by Dwight D. Eisenhower to the UN General Assembly in New York City on December 8, 1953.

"I feel impelled to speak today in a language that in a sense is new--one which I, who have spent so much of my life in the military profession, would have preferred never to use. That new language is the language of atomic warfare."

The United States then launched an "Atoms for Peace" program that supplied equipment and information to schools, hospitals, and research institutions within the U.S. and throughout the world.

Subject: SHOTS WHEELER TO MORGAN, The Final Eight Tests of the PLUMBBOB Series

6 SEPTEMBER - 7 OCTOBER 1957

Helicopter Surveys

SHOT "WHEELER"

6 Sept. 1957, 0545 hrs.

Ninety minutes after the detonation, one H-21 helicopter, with two AFSWC crewmen and two radiological safety monitors, left the airstrip near Camp Mercury and flew a survey mission over the WHEELER shot area and other designated points to record radiation intensities. The survey took an estimated 40 minutes. Crew members wore anticontamination clothing and respirators during the flight. After the mission, the helicopter returned to the helicopter area at Camp Mercury, where aircraft and crew were monitored and decontaminated as required. Subsequent surveys were canceled, as discussed in section 2.3. A survey to assess detonation damage, planned for about two hours after the shot, was also canceled (1; 2; 44).

SHOT "LA PLACE"

8 Sept. 1957, 0600 hrs.

After the detonation, one H-21 helicopter, with an AFSWC crew of two and at least two REECo monitors, left the airstrip near Camp Mercury and flew survey missions over the area to assess detonation damage. Crew members wore anticontamination clothing and respirators during the flight. Following the mission, the H-21 returned to the helicopter area, and aircraft and crew were monitored and decontaminated as required. The initial aerial radiological survey team, with an AFSWC crew of two and two REECo monitors, departed from the Control Point helicopter pad at 0733 hours, about 90 minutes after the detonation. After completing the mission, the team returned to the Control Point helicopter pad (1; 3; 45).

SHOT FIZEAU

14 Sept. 1957, 0945 hrs.

After the detonation, two H-21 helicopters, each with an AFSWC crew of two and at least two REECo monitors, left the airstrip near Camp Mercury and flew survey missions over the FIZEAU shot area to assess and record radiation intensities. Another H-21, with an AFSWC crew of two and one REECo monitor, made a damage assessment survey of electrical poles along Mercury highway. An H-21 photography mission was canceled prior to takeoff because it was not needed. After the mission, the helicopters returned to the helicopter area, where aircraft and crew were monitored and decontaminated as required (1; 4; 47; 61).

SHOT NEWTON

16 Sept. 1957, 0550 hrs.

One hour after the detonation, one H-21 helicopter, with an AFSWC crew of two and at least two REECo monitors, left the airstrip near Camp Mercury to survey and record radiation intensities in Area 7 and other non-test areas of the NTS. The helicopter spent about 40 minutes in the test area. Subsequent helicopter radiological surveys occurred on 17 September. Following the mission, the helicopter returned to the helicopter area. Aircraft and crew were monitored and decontaminated as required (1; 5; 48).

SHOT RAINIER

19 Sept. 1957, 1000 hrs.

After the detonation, one or two H-21 helicopters, each with at least two AFSWC crewmen and a REECo monitor, left the airstrip near Camp Mercury and flew survey missions over the RAINIER test area to assess detonation damage. Following the mission, the helicopter returned to the helicopter area. Aircraft and crew were monitored and decontaminated as required (6; 16; 46).

SHOT WHITNEY

21 Sept. 1957, 0530 hrs.

After the detonation, two H-21 helicopters, each with an AFSWC crew of two and two REECo monitors, conducted aerial radiological safetv surveys of Area 2 and other non-shot areas. The helicopters surveyed for about 40 minutes, whereupon they returned to Camp Mercury. Resurveys took place later on shot-day. Two other H-21 helicopters, each with an AFSWC crew of two and REECo radiological safety monitors, conducted a damage assessment survey over the shot area after the detonation. After the mission, the helicopters returned to the helicopter area at Camp Mercury. The aircraft and crews were monitored and decontaminated as required (7; 49).

SHOT CHARLESTON

28 Sept. 1957, 0600 hrs.

After the detonation, one H-19 helicopter, with an AFSWC crew of two and at least two REECo monitors, conducted a radiological survey over the shot area. Two other H-19 survey missions were canceled because they were not needed. Following the mission, the helicopters returned to the helicopter area. Aircraft and crew were monitored and decontaminated as required (8; 50).

SHOT MORGAN

7 Oct. 1957, 0500 hrs.

One hour after the detonation, an H-21 helicopter, with an AFSWC crew of two and at least two REECo radiological safety monitors, conducted an initial radiological survey of Area 9 and other locations. A second H-21 helocipter, with an AFSWC crew of two, a REECo radiological monitor, and UCRL project participants, left the Control Point an hour after the detonation to recover project equipment east of Area 9. About two hours after the shot, an H-21 helicopter, with an AFSWC crew of two and REECo radiological safety monitors, conducted a bomb damage survey mission of Area 9. Following the mission, the helicopters returned to the helicopter area. Aircraft and crew were monitored and decontaminated as required (9; 51).

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