all human beings.

It is doubtful ‘that a serious student could peruse

those communications without becoming infected with some degree of hero

worship 4s concerned many of the principals who engaged in the awesome
task of nuclear testing.
It is regretted that insufficient credit is given to the pilots
who gathered the nuclear debris.

Nor do the primary or secondary sources

give sufficient information concerning those rare individuals,

The

scientists from "The Hill" (Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory) who gave
me such valuable assistance in compiling this work, emphatically
expressed their opinions of -the high and unusual calibers of the sampling

pilots.

From Los Alamos, I am particularly grateful to Paul Guthals

and Philip Moore who read the manusérips with a critical eye,

Valuable

assistance was given by Colonel Paul H: Fackler who has had a guiding
hand in sampling from the early days and Captain Gordon E, Stalcup,
historian for the 926th Test Squadron (Sampling); many members of the
staff of the Air Force Special Weapons Center Technical Library, and by

Ward Alan Minge, Air Force Special Weapons Senter Historian,

Mr. Minge

was particularly helpful and patient in the guidance nécessary for
converting journalistic habits of writing into historical form.

EL pa, €

LELAND B. TAYLOR ~

Master Sergeant, USAF

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