4.
SUMMARY OF EVENTS Prior to Departure of Joint Task Force SEVEN
Medical Team and Furoute to Rabaul
To our personal knowledge, the first indication regarding the
incident of the TAKUYO MARU and SATUMA MARU (also spelled SATSUMA (old
spelling)) was a message seen by Colonel Ralph M. Lechausse, USAF (MC),
Staff Surgeon, JTF-7, on 19 July 1958.
This was message date-time
group 190204Z, routine precedence, from CINCPAC with information to
Commander JIF-7, Eniwetok (see Tab A, Appendix I).
This message
originated in Tokyo at 10 a.m. on 17 July from MacArthur to State 110
and said, "CNO not adee pass by CNO 171905Z 2 Maritime Safety Board
ships now engaged in Pacific survey projects in connection IGY have
reported high levels of radioactivity in vicinity of Truk.
Ships have
informed MSB of 19,000 count per minute on scintillation counter, rain
radioactivity of up to 100,000 counts per liter and sea water radioactivity of 247 counts per liter per minute.
Vernacular press have given
fairly extensive back page play to these reports.
MSB officials told
Naval Attache that crews on both ships are very worried about radioactivity.
MSB, though not too concerned about reported levels of
radiogctivity, has diverted both ships to Rabaul for fresh water decontamination."
In view of the absence in this advisory of certain important
technical information (19,000 counts per minute, etc., of what?
Effi-
elency of the counter, calibration, etc.), certain assumptions were
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