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 iv APwI{HO SWEH -2-003), \3 bee):