Limited space on MATS aircraft out of Travis Air Force Base was

allocated to Holmes & Narver on a month-to-month basis, but allocations
were subject to priority systems which introduced continuous problems
of uncertainty as to whether or not personnel would be accepted on any
particular day. This difficulty was seriously increased at the beginning of the Korean War at which time the demands upon the MATS system
were greatly increased.
The need for increased numbers of employees at that time because

of additional work required for the Military and Scientific Structures

Programs made it mandatory that large increments of personnel be shipped
to the Jobsite without delay. This problem of increasing air transpor-

tation space requirements which arose concurrently with the increasing
demand upon MATS by reason of international developments indicated the
need for some other means by which to provide increased personnel to
the Jobsite.

Investigation revealed that commercial aircraft of the C~54 type,
capable of transporting 45 men or 10,000 pounds of cargo or any equiva-

lent combination of these, could be chartered for the round trip from
Los Angeles to Eniwetok and return for approximately $18,000. Under
the circumstances, it was felt that use of this service was the only

means of insuring completion of the Project on schedule. However, the
Santa Fe Operations Office, Los Alamos, preferred continued dependence
upon MATS for this service; therefore, no use was made of chartered
commercial aircraft.
It is mentioned here as a possibility, however,
in case emergency situations preclude the use of military facilities
in the future.
The use of MATS facilities imposed certain inconveniences and some
expense because it was necessary that the personnel scheduled for a
particular day's. flight be assembled on the previous day in Los Angeles,

be transported to San Francisco, and accommodated at the hotel overnight,
and be assembled at Travis Air Base on the morning of the flight. This
involved an expense of approximately $30.00 per man, exclusive of wages
during the period concerned. The supervision of these personnel departing from Travis Air Base and the supervision of returning employees at
the same terminal necessitated the establishment of a personnel representative on full-time duty at that base.

Since Honolulu is a division terminal in the MATS system, it was
necessary that all passengers from San Francisco disembark ami be
booked for outgoing passage on planes to Eniwetok. This usually involved a layover of at least 24 hours in Honolulu while awaiting the
departure of the MATS plane westward. Quarters were available in a

barracks building at Hickam Field for the use of personnel during this
indefinite layover.

The supervision of employees in Honolulu under these circumstances

presented a continuing problem.

It was found to be essential that a

representative meet each incoming MATS plane from Travis Air Base and

usually the incoming commercial planes as well.

It was also necessary

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