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Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.
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7800 Marble Avenue, N. E., Suite 5 Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110 INTER OFFICE MEMORANDUM SUBJECT: INTERVIEW WITH JOHN BALAGNA, LASL At 1430 hours this date, I talked with J. Balagna about the beta radiation burn incident which occurred during filter paper removal operations from drone B-17s after ZEBRA shot. The information herein is to be used in conjunction with more detailed records and interviews taken at the time of the incident which are available at LASL and which have been synopsized by the undersigned and is attached. The team,stayed on-board ship for several days before ZEBRA, but were given very nice quarters on Enewetak Island the night before the shot. They were waiting at the runway when the drones returned. They were concerned that there might be” problems during operations becatse Mr. Lang complained of itching hands and changed his gloves couple of times. Thd lead pigs which the filter paper was placed in were flat shallow boxes with removable lids. Each held several papers. There were at least two pigs used per shot. After the operation was finished, two of them who were billeted together returned to the bungalow and showered thoroughly because they knew they were contaminated. Only two C-54S returned to Kirtland AFB with samples, no soil sample from the tank operation was sent. They changed planes in Oahu accompanying the samples all the way. He was hospitalized at LASL through late August 1948. He then began a skin graft program for his hands with Dr. James Barrett Brown which lasted 4 to 5 years. This required continued trip to St. Louis.
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Radiation Burns - SANDSTONE Reference: Folder C2D91, TR338, 19 Radiation Injuries, Operation SANDSTONE, LANL RECORDS CENTER. Teams to pull filter paper from B-17 drones were as follows: Sattizahn was slightly burned. Stanley, Lang and Balagna were burned on Sattizahn accompanied samples’ from YOKE back to LASL. On 4 May he went to LASL Health Division complaining of burns on his hands. His injury was misdiagnosed as bruises. After ZEBRA (and serious burns to the other 3 people) his hands were re-diagnosed as receiving radiation burns. All 4 were hospitalized on 16 May. Sattizahn was released 28 May as his burns were minor. According to documentation prepared at the time, the gamma readings from their film badges for ZEBRA showed the following: Calculations were done at LASL to estimate the beta dose received by those on ZEBRA shot. They indicated that for a 90 minute exposure period the dose to the hands was roughly 500 R beta, penetrating 2-3 mm. Procedures to remove the filters were as follows: 1. The filter paper was located in two filter boxes, one on top of the B-17 drone and one on the bottom. Inside each box was one filter paper holder (wire mesh) containing two pieces of fi1ter paper.
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The filter boxes were designed so that quick - release pins could be removed and the boxes would be free from the aircraft. These pins were pulled remotely for the top box but were pulled by hand for the bottom box (which promptly fell to the ground). The top box was removed from the A/C by a forklift with a long fork extension. The forklift was operated from the bed of a truck which drove up to the nose of the A/C (this provided the right height). The top box was then moved about 50 feet from the A/C by the forklift/ truck. Two people then had to physically lift the box off the forklift tines on to the ground. The forklift then proceeded to the next drone. A team of 2 people then pulled the filter holders from the filter boxes. (Evidently the bottom filter box was not moved away from the A/C. ) On ZEBRA shot the bottom filter boxes were never removed from the aircraft. The filter holders were pulled from the bottom boxes on all eight drones while they were still mounted to the belly of the B-17 drones. This change was instituted to reduce exposure time near the drones and the filter boxes. The filter paper holders were moved to an area away from the drones and filter boxes (several feet). The holders were opened and the two papers per holder removed. Each filter pager had to be identified by aircraft number. This was done by stapling a numbered tag to the paper. The papers were then placed in lead pigs which were located in the back of a jeep. The pigs were flat shallow lead boxes which held several filter papers. A lead lid was then placed over the top of each box. From all available evidence there was only TG 7.6 monitor for the entire Four foot long tongs were available to handle the filter paper; however, they were rarely used. They were unweildy and difficult to handle. The wind always blew pretty hard at Enewetak making use of the tongs next to Therefore, the men usually held the paper by hand. Some had rubber gloves under the cotton gloves and paper removal on ZEBRA, Lang complained of itching at least once. in the wind with tongs. They all wore gloves. some did not. hands and changed his
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Gloves were regular cotton issue and were brought from the ship by members of the team on their own volition. on ZEBRA, team members stayed on a ship until the night before the shot. They stayed in very comfortable quarters on Enewetak Island the last night so they could be ready when the drones landed. Balagna remembers returning to the quarters after pulling filters and taking a thorough shower because he knew he was “hot”. Lang did the same. Presumably the entire crew did this. Most, if not all, the team accompanied the samples back to LASL. Lang and Balagna -knew they had trouble even before they arrived at LASL. Their hands were red, swollen and itching. All 3 were hospitalized on arrival (Lang, Balagna and Stanley). Sattizahn was called back to the hospital the same day, the 16th of May. Balagna’s statement (taken in May 1948) indicates that everyone had a dosimetry badqe, a 200 mr dosimeter and a 10 r dosimeter. No one had much faith in the dos~meters. His 10 r dosimeter went off scale during sample pulling Sattizahn’s statement indicates that his 10 r dosimeter went off sea” Stanley’s statement indicates that his 10 r dosimeter read 8.5 r. A“ so he stated that the background gamma reading at one point where they were working near the Lang’s statement indicates that his 10 r dosimeter read 7 r. Records indicate that Lang, Stanely and Balagna were hospitalized through late In December 1948, all three, were sent to Dr. James Barrett Brown in St. Louis., a plastic surgeon, for skin grafts on their hands. The entire process took 4-3 years and numerous trips to St. Louis. Stanley had grafts done up through 1958 and Lang through 1955.