—_—oo tie ees Oi tao = ns | Maj. John D. Servis, Commander, =UNCLRSED= March 6, 1953 T. L. Shipman, M. D. cl a winking, Gait We (Lae SET of 1948, 8 4s in somevhat belated reply to your memo of 13 February 1953. T have sely been slow in answering in order thet I might have full opportunity discuse the matter thoroughly with those people whom I consider the best horities on these problems. My comments will be general rather than cific and will perhaps cover a good deal more territory than was actually quired by your request. far as actual health hasards at Operation Castle are concerned, there is + much one can say except that they will be similar to those at previous iSniwetok operations only more so. The possibilities and the dangers of fall Igit should be no greater than has been the case in the past. With detonetions f high yield it becomes extremely difficult to predict the shape and location wef the fall-out pattern. Some material obviously is coming down somewhere, jand there can never be any positive assurance that some of this will not land . \@a inhabited islands or on ships of the Task Fores. If this does happen, it \sl@reates an annoying situstion, but in all probability not one which can in any Y Wey be regarded as truly hasardous. It mist be admitted that some uncertain6, D°PISH2 DU" —— A Ypres. feu = tet ha us aeres sees a et re (Pors Son autho ining oh, noo in clessifie ation and data) 33 Per wy n by authority of the U aude ER HEALTH HAZARDS OF OPERATION CASTLE K wa $ies regarding this matter still exist, and if all conditions were just right, &t might be possible to produce a situation more than annoying, at least in the immediate vicinity of the shot islands. m One situation which will be somewhat different from previous tests involves the necessity of having ships of the Task Force enter contaminated waters. It is difficult to assess the amount of trouble this might cause, but examination of the pertinent data from Operation Crossroads indicates that the contamination which will ba acquired by ships operating in such waters may be a nuisance but will not approach hesardous conditions. Right here we encounter one problem which has been a troublesome one in the past, namely, the reluctance of naval officers to permit their blessed ships to become even moderately contaminated, JI regard it as essential that « reasonable understanding be arrived at well in advance between CJTF-7 and ’ CTG 7.3. The naval Task Group must be made to realise ani to accept the fect that wa are not goirg to make an omelet without breaking eggs. If the Navy is to provide the support for the operation which is oalled for, they mist be prepared to acoept a certain amount of contemination of their ships. It is my opinion, and that of those with whom I have discussed this problen, thet this contamination will not reach serious proportions and that the REPOSITORY decay of the fission products together with natural and man-made decontanination will so reduce the contamination that extensive ovéThenl after return uite unnecessary, COLLECTION BOX No. FOLDER CL dp Cysee tg i te es i [2eet ee UNCLASSIFIED