HEADQUARTERS
“ee:
WEATHER REPORTING ELEMENT, PROVISICNAL
APO 187, c/o Postmaster
San Francisco, California
3 April 1954
SUBJECT:
Report on Rongerik Special Mission Trips
TO:
Commander
Test Services Unit, Provisional
APO 187
1. Reference is made to letter, this headquarters, subject:
Radiation Monitoring and Operational Readiness Plan for Rongerik Atoll,
dated 6 March 1954, and indorsements thereto by Headquarters, Test
Services Unit and Headquarters, Task Group 7.4.
2.
After this plan was submitted on 6 March, I was informed that
Lt. Colonel Nugent had been placed in charge of preparing missions to
Rongerik Atoll, His main concern was to maintain and turn on the-eradio
beacon located on Rongerik. Lt, Colonel Fackler informed me th&tCottnel Nugent would take care of my rawinsonde personnel in addition to the
AACS and rad-safe monitor personnel. I jotted down some notes concerning the visits to Rongerik, and the events of this day which lead up
to the new planning on the trips. These notes were furnished Lt. Colonel Fackler and substantially became the operating agrecment upon which
all subsequent flights to Rongerik have been based, These notes are at-
tached as inclosure #1,
3. Airborne trips to Rongerik were performed 12 March, 19 March,
and 26 March, Rawinsonde observations were made with the following
results:
12 March - Two observations to 87,159 and 85,000 feet.
19 March - Two observations to 76,968 and 78,000 feet.
26 March - Two observations to 82,284 an? 58,000 feet.
4.
On 7 March 1954 a party of scientists headed by Dr. Schoville
of Task Group 7,1 prepared to visit Rongerik and other islands to de-
~termine radiation measurements.
This group was to fly to Kwajalcin on
7 March, then fly to Rongclap Atoll on 8 March for a rendezvous with a
destroyer which would take the party ashore at the various islands,
Upon learning of this mission I immediately sought to combine our own
maintenanco requirements, as listed in the letter noted in paragraph l,
with those of the Task Croup 7,1 Party. This was accomplished with
approval of intermediate headquarters, The weather personnel were heave
by Lieutenant McDanicl of this organization and the AACS personnel by
Lieutenant Herbig of the Communications Element. A copy of Lieutenant
McDaniel's report is enclosed for your information.
Rr
63°
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