Sp ee ee

SUBJECT:

Island Evacuation

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
The first I knew about the outer perimeter radiological situation
vas when I received a TWX at 1043 on D/l from Navy Aircraft #1902, which
inquired if Rongerik Island should be evacuated and requesting immediate

answer,

I queried various sources and discovered that Captain Chrestensen

had gone to Rongerik the previous night to investigate reported fall out
in this area.
I immediately notified Lt Col Richard House, JIF 7 of the TWX and asked
him what action he would like to take.

He said that there was no reason to

evacuate ag far as be was concerned, because he was of the opinion that they
should be reading about 300MR of Gamma shine and Se wend disappear in a

couple of hours.

On the basis of this conversation I sent a TwX informing

N1902 not to evacuate Rongerik,
Almost immediately I received a message saying that the radiation was

340 MR at 250 ft, and I sent a masage back at 1126 D/l telling them to
disregard my message to not evacimte and requested the radiological situation,
immediately.
At 1200 I received a TWX stating emergency imperative that we furnish

PBN to evacuate RAM, and that UF afroraft was evacuating & personnel and
20 more still remained to be evacmted,

Finally after many attempts to get

information, I received a TWX stating that the readings were 3.28 at 1 inch

and on tiis advise I consulted with Colonel Houghton, TG 7.4 as to what action
AFWL/MT

ha

54

Select target paragraph3