*
ee
aw
Neal, was processed through a decontamination center and had blood
counts taken. Lieutenant McDaniel and Sergeant Neal were released
the next afternoon and returned to Eniwetok on 4 March.
It was decided by higher headquarters to bring the twentyeight personnel to Eniwetok for further physical examination and
to relieve the Kwajalein Hospital, whose facilities were limited
in the field of radiological medicine, of the responsibility of
these men,
The first group arrived 8 March with the remainder
following the next day, and all were quartered in Eniwetok Post
Infirmary where daily blood counts and physical checks were ir~
stituted.
—
Higherin the chain of command, it ws decided to have “hese. |
nen exanined by specialists in radiological medicine in a location
nore renote from the possibility of future contamination. On the
morning of 17 March, General Estes, accompanied by Colonel Carl H.
Houghton, (USAF(MC)), Technical Advisor to General Estes, and Lieutenant Colonel Hammond addressed the personnel of Detachment 1 in
the MATS Terminal.
He told them that they would proceed to Kwaija-
lein where they were to be examined by specialists and that the
Atonic Energy Commission was also interested in effects caused by
the radiation as they were the first humans to cone in direct con=
tat with contamination fron this type of nuclcar device.
The
group then flew to Kwajalein in General Clarkson's C-54 accompanied
by Colonel Houghton who was to coordinate matters with the Naval
4.
Eyewitness account by M/Sgt Hicknan of this Hq.
a
3