om

where they were showered and scrubbed until relatively radiation free,
and then given clean clothing.

’

These men were not released until their

skin readings were down to seven milliroentgens and clothing readings
down to twenty milliroentgens.
A highly experienced control team composed of a scientist from Los

Alamos, Dr. Hal Plank; Colonel Paul Fackler, Director of Operations;
Colonel Karl Houghton, Medical Adviser; Major Billy Burke, Deputy for
Military Matters; and Major Finis Mitchell, Deputy for Scientific Matters, directed the nuclear cloud sampling operations.

This team had ob-

served and directed sampling on more than thirty-five nuclear detona-

tions prior to CASTLE,

On CASTLE, aboard the B-36 control aircraft,

¢

they observed the detonation and growth of the nuclear cloud and the
areas from which representative samples should be obtained.

Following

the decrease of cloud intensities, the F-84, B-36 and B-29 samplers were
then directed by the control team to enter the cloud at a specific point

and altitude for a certain length of time.

Prior to the operation these

pilots were thoroughly schooled in methods of sample collection and radiation safety matters.

This tended to minimize the amount of direction

the sampling aircraft received from the control team.
Upon landing, the samples were removed by trained personnel using
long-handled tools and placed in an especially designed lead container,
These samples were then carried back to the Zone of the Interior by special long-range transport planes.
H.

EFFECTS AIRCRAFT CONTROL AND POSITIONING

The B-36 controller aircraft's job was to place each aircraft at an

APRLHO

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