APPENDIX "A"
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
1. It is clear that with the entrance of nuclear weapons
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into the realm of megaton yields, new concepts of civilian defense must be formulated which will prepare civilian defense
organizations for the destruction which would follow the detonation of such weapons over any portion of the United States.
That
this problem was recognized both by the AEC and by the Federal
Civil Defense Administration is demonstrated in part by exchange
of correspondence between the Federal Civil Defense Administrator
and the Chairman of the AEC Appendices "B" and "C",.
As requested
by the Civil Defense Administrator, a "sanitized" version of
the motion picture on Operation IVY has been prepared for showing
before the group of mayors who will be attending the Mayors!
Conference sponsored by the White House on December 14 and 15,
DOE ‘ARCHIVES
2. The film a deleted version of the film "Operation Ivy",
shows certain of the footage pertaining the Mike Shot of
Operation IVY.
All information which would give any indication
as to the nature of the thermonuclear reaction, including
identity of reactants, or the manner in which the reaction is
brought about, has been deleted from the film leaving only the
clear indication that the detonation was that of a thermonuclear
device.
While all specific mention of the yield of IVY Mike
has been deleted from the film, sufficient information remains
to permit calculation of the yield by a technically qualified
person.
This information has been allowed to remain in the
modified version since to remove it would destroy the usefulness
of the film.
We do not feel that declassification of the yield
of the MNixe device, Operation IVY, will adversely affect the
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