5 BEST COPY AVALARLE a : fC an Cade 9¢S UNITED STATES A Fare ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION WASHINGTON ° 25, D.C. .an e3 34g Gol 740 Glo ALO Admiral Arleigh A, Burke, USE eo Chief of Maval Operations vei: 1958 410818 Depertaent of the Navy Washington 25, D. C, Dear Admiral Burke: You will recall that as a result of the March 1 detonation of the CASTLE test series comincted by JIF-7 in the Facific in 195), the natives of Rongelap and Utirik Atolls in the Marshall Islands were exposed to radio- active fallout. The Atomic Energy Comission, on behalf of the U. S. Government, has accepted responsibility for periodic medical examinations of these Marshallese, Since that time there have been five follow-up medical examinations conducted by the AEC in collaboration with the Naval Kedical Research Institute, the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory and the Brookhaven National Laboratory. These exacinations were greatly facilitated by the assistance afforded the medical teams by COX PACFLT and the Coomanding Officer NAVSTATAJ, The fifth follow-up examinations during February=April, 1958 for the first time employed the whole body counter, an electronic device for the measurement and identification of the total body burden of contanlnating radioisotopes, It proved an unqualified success in that it provided direct data on the type and decree of internal contarination of a misber of the isleniers, It wes also rseful in establishing thit there was residual réecdiec ctlvity present in certsin foods end other reterials, Since it ie likely that the current series ef tests has addel to the contamira.ica level of ti.ese islancs, it is mre than ever irmceretive to contin:e these re ideal folloveup studies and to extend the mrve; to a detailed examins- tien of t' ecolocical asvects of these islan-:3 special attention rast fc riwen <2 tt.- Llocztin cotained ites cf dlet. a7 order te accom i + this nisstc. it is precsed that a teem of adicel ‘ ecule ieut Srocielicu.s be ecrt to these islanis with their recuirc. LT ty suorlies ai technical assistance, The experience of last yo. 8s exrediticn, for which you graciously provided the LST "Fliss Curt", pao.nts us to request thot an LST arain be assigned fer trarsportation and basin~ berinnine sav tise between the middle of February = itho first of tarch, 1957, ar. requirin~ about one month overall for co..rletior ef tission, fn LOT proved to have many advantares over otter creft, mot the least of which was its ability to accert aml secure the életon shielurc cieslroea cf the whole baiy counter on its tank decx, RG 181 AGENCY/NRDL Location Access No. Folder SAN BRUNO FRC Rex 3 f /4G2-2z 25 c oe G ISS = KOA Dy a Surnsaea TO SOB MA-225, 3-10-90 BEST COPY AVAILABLE!