Hiroshima/Nagasaki fallout "near background levels" a month later

[Jim Muckerheide <jmuckerheide@delphi.com>]

Group,
Contrary to the fear-mongering about nuclear weapons fallout (for air
bursts):

EXCERPT FROM UNPUBLISHED MEMOIR
OF STAFFORD WARREN, MD

"The atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and on
Nagasaki
on August 9, 1945.  General Groves ordered me to proceed to those cities
as
soon as surrender was accomplished.  LtCol Hymer Friedel and I, with a
small
team of doctors and laboratory men were to assure the radiological
safety of
the US troops that would later occupy these areas.  We were to record
the
amount of radioactivity on the ground, estimate the casualties, and
report
the amount of blast and other damage.

"Under War Department orders, we flew to Hiroshima on September 8, 1945,
and
later flew to Nagasaki.  The Japanese emperor, in his surrender
broadcast,
had ordered his people to cooperate with the Americans, and they did.
During the survey no awkward incidents occurred, although we were there
before this area of Japan was occupied by our troops.

"Our survey with portable Geiger counters with earphones showed that in
these
two cities there was only a small amount of residual radioactivity, most
of
which resulted from neutron-induced reactions with objects on the ground
beneath the high bomb detonation.  The amount of induced radioactivity
was
of such a small amount that no biological damage was produced on any
Japanese individuals entering any of the slightly contaminated areas any
time after the catastrophe.  The areas were declared safe for our troops
as
well as for the population.  These conditions were a result of the
predetermined height of the explosion (1800 ft) and the intensity of the
subsequent updraft of hot gases which carried the radioactive materials
high
into the air, to be dispersed by jet streams over a wide area of the
globe
in almost undetectable amounts.

"The Geiger counter batteries of our survey team lasted well enough (3-4
weeks) to permit an extensive survey of the destroyed areas, including
the
torpedo works and other industrial plants in both Hiroshima and
Nagasaki.
The survey was hampered in the former city by lack of roads in the
downwind
areas.  However, ground contamination with radioactive materials was
found
then and later to be below both the acute and long-time hazardous
levels.
In fact, it was not much above ground-background levels in most areas.
There
were no surprises in any of the predicted findings, except for the
immensity
of destruction and mortality."

    Ted Rockwell


Regards, Jim Muckerheide
muckerheide@mediaone.net
========================
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