isotopes of cesium, strontium, plutonium, and carbon, which were released during the blasts and found their way into the bodies of the people living on the planet. All of the baby boomers, a few retired weapons scientists said with an almost macabre cheeriness, have a few atoms of plutonium in their bones.
The documents go far in demystifying some of the most secretive aspects of the weapons program. With the unveiling comes understanding and perhaps a basis for communication. President Clinton said he hoped the massive release of records would help rebuild the public’s trust in the government. But trust occurs when behavior is consistent and honest over a long period of time. The track record of openness is short. The pitfalls ahead are many. Unnecessary secrets and vast distances still exist between the people inside and outside the fences.
A CKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am indebted to the many people who enabled me to write this book. It seemed that whenever I hit a rough spot—whether it was in the research, the writing, or the editing phase—someone appeared and extended a helping hand. In particular, I want to thank the relatives of the deceased people who were unwittingly used in these experiments, as well as those subjects who are still living, who so generously gave of their time, recounting painful moments in their lives and providing me with invaluable documents and photographs.
One of the people whom I will never be able to repay is William Jay Brady, who became my unofficial scientific advisor for the project. Having worked at the Nevada Test Site since 1952, Jay not only possesses a firsthand knowledge of many of the events and scientists described in this book but also has a brilliant scientific mind and an almost photographic memory. He read the manuscript twice and spent many hours tutoring me in physics, mathematics, and radiation biology. Other scientists who helped were Bill Bartlett, John Gofman, Darrell Fisher, George Voelz, William Moss, Roland Finston, John Cobb, and Arthur Upton.
My heartfelt thanks also go to Mary Diecker, an indefatigable researcher who appeared at my house week after week with her arms laden with books and scientific reports. Many of the extraordinary details described in this book were uncovered by Mary during her many trips to the library. I also received research assistance from Albert Lukban, Lily Wound, Lorlei Metke, and Richard Halsey.
Countless government officials went out of their way to help me. Among the most helpful were employees in the Department of Energy, the very agency that had been so uncooperative when I began this projecttwelve years ago. I owe a very large thank-you to the DOE’s Lori Azim, a lovely and efficient young woman who sent me dozens of documents. I also am grateful to Martha DeMarre, Jeff Gordon, and former staffer Cynthia Ashley at the DOE’s Coordination and Information Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the rapidity with which they responded to my requests for documents. Evie Self, a declassification official at DOE headquarters in Washington, D.C., worked a minor miracle when she managed to get the accident report of Jimmy Robinson declassified by both the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense. The report had languished in Washington for more than two years and was in danger of being lost until she stepped in. Other government employees who helped were Diana Joy Leute, Ellyn Weiss, Bob Alvarez, Jim Solit, Rick Ray, Pam Bonee, Cheri Abdelnour, and Col. Claud Bailey.
Staffers from President Clinton’s Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments were of tremendous assistance. In particular, I want to thank Dan Guttman, the committee’s executive director, with whom I had many lively discussions. Dan literally opened the committee’s doors to me, allowing me to copy hundreds of documents before they were boxed up and shipped to the National Archives. Lanny Keller, Trad Hughes, Gil Whittemore, Patrick Fitzgerald, Gregg Herken,
The documents go far in demystifying some of the most secretive aspects of the weapons program. With the unveiling comes understanding and perhaps a basis for communication. President Clinton said he hoped the massive release of records would help rebuild the public’s trust in the government. But trust occurs when behavior is consistent and honest over a long period of time. The track record of openness is short. The pitfalls ahead are many. Unnecessary secrets and vast distances still exist between the people inside and outside the fences.
A CKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am indebted to the many people who enabled me to write this book. It seemed that whenever I hit a rough spot—whether it was in the research, the writing, or the editing phase—someone appeared and extended a helping hand. In particular, I want to thank the relatives of the deceased people who were unwittingly used in these experiments, as well as those subjects who are still living, who so generously gave of their time, recounting painful moments in their lives and providing me with invaluable documents and photographs.
One of the people whom I will never be able to repay is William Jay Brady, who became my unofficial scientific advisor for the project. Having worked at the Nevada Test Site since 1952, Jay not only possesses a firsthand knowledge of many of the events and scientists described in this book but also has a brilliant scientific mind and an almost photographic memory. He read the manuscript twice and spent many hours tutoring me in physics, mathematics, and radiation biology. Other scientists who helped were Bill Bartlett, John Gofman, Darrell Fisher, George Voelz, William Moss, Roland Finston, John Cobb, and Arthur Upton.
My heartfelt thanks also go to Mary Diecker, an indefatigable researcher who appeared at my house week after week with her arms laden with books and scientific reports. Many of the extraordinary details described in this book were uncovered by Mary during her many trips to the library. I also received research assistance from Albert Lukban, Lily Wound, Lorlei Metke, and Richard Halsey.
Countless government officials went out of their way to help me. Among the most helpful were employees in the Department of Energy, the very agency that had been so uncooperative when I began this projecttwelve years ago. I owe a very large thank-you to the DOE’s Lori Azim, a lovely and efficient young woman who sent me dozens of documents. I also am grateful to Martha DeMarre, Jeff Gordon, and former staffer Cynthia Ashley at the DOE’s Coordination and Information Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the rapidity with which they responded to my requests for documents. Evie Self, a declassification official at DOE headquarters in Washington, D.C., worked a minor miracle when she managed to get the accident report of Jimmy Robinson declassified by both the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense. The report had languished in Washington for more than two years and was in danger of being lost until she stepped in. Other government employees who helped were Diana Joy Leute, Ellyn Weiss, Bob Alvarez, Jim Solit, Rick Ray, Pam Bonee, Cheri Abdelnour, and Col. Claud Bailey.
Staffers from President Clinton’s Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments were of tremendous assistance. In particular, I want to thank Dan Guttman, the committee’s executive director, with whom I had many lively discussions. Dan literally opened the committee’s doors to me, allowing me to copy hundreds of documents before they were boxed up and shipped to the National Archives. Lanny Keller, Trad Hughes, Gil Whittemore, Patrick Fitzgerald, Gregg Herken,
Similar Books
