ianond HOLL 4s February 18, 1971 HDS be ME, Files THRU: W, W. Burr, Deputy Director, DBM” *°*4 NOTES ON MEETING WITH LT. COL. WILLIAM BD, HOWELL, AIR FORCE SURGEON GENERAL'S OFFICE, FEBRUARY 17, 1971, 10:00 A.M, _ Dr. Still and I met with Col, Howell to discuss the status of his efforts win‘following up the 28 airmen exposed to 75 rads whole bady dose on “Rongerik following the March 1, 1954 detonation on Bikini. He cold us “that three men vere still in the service and he had had physical examina & tions carried out on them. . About ten men had more or less dronped out a “o£ sight as of 1963 or so and would have to be located, The remainder “had at some time made "claims" on the Veterans Administration and the VA, therefore, had acdical and other records on them; the records were “not necessarily current. fol.’ Howell clearly was concerned about the Air Force acting responsibly _,, foward these men but felt thet there must be a balance between secing ‘that they gok proper medical supervision as against converting them into bypochondriacs, generating claims against the Government, setting precedents, etc. we wot amt te . : * . ot ~ TM hoeee s+ “oy He expreased interest in cooperating and/or collaborating with Dr. Conard und indicated that he would like to visit Brookhaven when it became conventent. To thar end we agreed that I would call Gr. Conard and would then see that be and Dr. Conard became better acquainted by telephone. The idea of this was to withdraw DBM to the sidelines, leaving the principals to work together. I have sent Col. Howell a copy of my letter: to Dr. Conard, dated January 12, wee 1971, describing the understandings I had arrived ac with DASA and tie VA, giving special attention to the ethical considerations that might apply to Conard’s examination of these people. ee one Before leaving, Dr. Still and I asked if he had any plans for the larger number of aircraft pilots who flew through clouds of fallout collecting aerial samples. Ke indicated that he had considered this but bed not taken it up becanugae, (a) the doses were small; (b) a pilot who got any icing of a aignificant dose was given other duties; and (c) there were quite & large number of pilots who had been assigned to other missions. On the whole his response to the pilot eryposures added up to a negative. ETStiil 5% iit l hemcd nr BEST COPY AVAI LABLE Wack BOT Paes d stein JpGolds “ ao Dep . Div. weeetcasy HDBryner SPRUE H. D. Bruner, M.D. Assistant Director Med, Br, Division ef Bielogy and Medicine — Med, Br. = ‘13.7... Sisk AD oj “ahe