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I BEST COPY AVAILABLE Upton, New York 11973 PIWACYACTMATERIALREMOVED / On November 3, 1970 Mr. of San Antonio, Texas was admitted to this hospital for obsenation and evaluation. From the enclosed dis- ( charge surrrnaryyou may see that he had a multiplicity of complaints and was found to have certain conditions w’nich he all related to an exposure to ionizing radiation in the Marshall Islands. In reviewing the locally available literature-’follow-up examinations of these Marshallese, I —— noted that Dr. fSutow was a member of th,’ team examiners. When I called him for assistance he advised me to get Ln touch with you. Ihope Xmnot imposing upon your time. I am enclosing also a statement Mr. has made about the accident. My questions are: Are you awafe of any American service men being on an island of the Bikini Atoll at the time of the fallout incidence other than Rongerik. Nr. claims that he was 20 miles from ground “O” while in fact Rongelap is listed as 105 nautical miles from ground “O” and Rongerik evenfirther. This appears to be a discrep.=ncy unless there was another group of American service men somewhere else than Rongerik. Secondly I was wondering if you know of anyone who has done a close followup on the 28 American service men on the Island of Rongerik and with what result~. Of course. I do realize that almost all of Mr. problems are not related to the incident, at leaat physically. Yet I do want to be fair and correct in my judgement. And this In the reason why I am seeking your advice and your help. And one more favor! I would appreciate it if you could Bend me the reprints of articles published by your group on the Marshallese Islanders. I am to hearing from you and let me thank you in advance for IncludeZipCodc in your return address and give vc~ersn’s socialsecuritynumber.
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OPERATIONS PER FORMEO AT Tti IS HOSPITAL DURING CURRENT AOU 5SION / J/g ‘his was the first Houstin Veterans Adninis tration Hospital adnission for this 28year-old, ktita service male electronic technician from San Antinio, Texas, who was seen for evaluation of his longs tantig diabetis mellitus, gout, hypothyroidism, He dated all his problems back h tiradia’tionh 1954 wlnilein service. In 195L, the patient was on electronics and radio techicia.n in tie M Force and was in the Bikini Atill ishd during the hydz-o:en and a’~mic bomb testing. He, aluig kith se>-oralothers, k=s exposed on different occasions b a total of 2,L90 rads and three days post exposure WLS measured htiseM to be carrying 35 rads of beti radiation. Accompanying le~ter can be read. He b-as noted ~SO b have radiation sic’knessimmedia’~ly after exposure. About 1957 - 19s8, the patient notid rxltiple tiK spots (neti) on his torso, then his arms, neck, face and lower cxtrerities. E also noted loss of hair, increased h’eightgain and appetite, polyuria and polYtipsi. a. About this time, he also no’ted swelling of his ankles and finger join+~. wiLh oral hypoglyce.tics for his diabetes mellitus and Bcncnid for his gout. The patient il.so h~ci continued h have weight contiol problo~ and rocwcnccs of his gout since then. Patient had multiple complafiti nou related b the abovo disordora as well u decre=ed hearing of tio left ear, ex+trerrenervousness, sciatic nervo padn of tho ‘loft leg with use ,of the left leg. He also complained of nuinbness and tingling of the lcf~ loxer extremity. He had also noted in’alorance b certi foods, especially animal fat. He had also notad some dizztiess &nd visual dis - ti’oance of Li+A with postural changes. The patient felt that all of his proble-~ were socondq ti ratition he received ~ 19j’4ad u~tid b be eyaluatid for this reason. He felt tie govenxmen~ Is responsible and shodd co~e~ati for his
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hydro~on bomb testing during 1954. Patient stitcd he did not drink, oczional Gocial drinking. He ms on DBI SO milli~rams txico a day, Benemid four tixcs a day. Family histir~ wx not rezurkable. In 1951, he had spinal ncriineitis hyroidism amd Ebut sinco 1963. Ho had an a??cndec’tir~ and tinsillecti~ arid in tio history of present” illness. On physical cxaninationj ho was a well-d~volopc ligcnt. Blood prcssuro was 140/100 richt am rocunbent position, puke 89 md throat u“mination revealed prominent conjunctival, sclerao clear, pupils rc~c~~ had small ml+&plo uudatas, bilateral, more on tileleft side. Uvula and soft. ‘- palate midline. Tongue well papulated and midline. - Neci: - JV? noi distindcd; carotids eq~,. no bmits; no lymph nodes p~pable; thyroid barely palpfi. ‘Iho chest was clear b percussion ad auscultation. Hearti revealed ?~I fi~possibloto palpable. Skeleti system none. l{eurological examination revealed left lC ‘:r extremity smaJ3 deficit of sensory and position sense on the left. Xotar sys ‘.--z illkct. Cranial nerves” normal. Cerebral sys ‘AT normal. Gait and speech no.~~. Reflex es”witiin”normal linits. F&a+mation of the skin reveals a few multiple freckles and ncvi over ‘the back,aver the frent arid’around the neck. The various. tive, occasional red blood cell; rare white blood cells. ‘Culture and sensi~~~OY Las essentially negative. Later on, the urine exa.riinationrevealed 10 h 12 ~titi moro tilcm1.5,000 colonies, prodctinantly Strop ticocci, not ontcrococcio ktlito - Mphocytis 37, monocytis 3,,eosi-nophi.les,platelets 204,000. Electrolysis: c%
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of the” spine “’and tho Xlignrmnt and interspacing of the vertebrae appeared wititi “of dcnervation ‘of the left tibialis, extensor hdlucis and gas tron”c.miusrmcles. .l)exna”tilogy”conmltition was .of the opinion the patient had freckles and neti “ovor”the body and fieir opinioh wore that tiey are ~eni’gn l lletabolic “and cridoctie within’ riormal limits as recorded; tiown to have the’diabetes which was trcatid .. DBI tid WaS-will controlled: Or’thopodiccon~ultation for his left lowor w.tromity and back -pain was of tie” opinion that tho pain ia duo ,ti nono root deficit at h-isconsidered. The patient has seen by E4T Service” for his hearing probla on ‘ -the left side %hich has reportzd as norm-l. He had an episode of epistz:is while 1on the floor and was”seen again by tie ENT Service and there Was no bleedirg whfle Scon. Other tests were rocorxended to the-patient, like Ll_(!:ti~-test, but tie patient refused to undergo thoso tests, so he left the hospital before those ““ ‘tests-could be done. Audiologic tost done to ‘6vaJua’tehis hearing problem uas ‘theti-consultiAiion” was not “returned at this .&C&&LtiOn; this will be sant when
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in the series. I was coaviaccd to go on [he p:c~lse that I would set up run the shot wichocc a radio tec!]nicfsnbccausc of so ~any delays already uacfon if the radios would wo~k over the rcmafnfnz time lcf: before 6:00 P.C. departure of all personnel and ships. ihe shi?s departed about 3:00 ?.m. without me and I was then told X could leave with the COptO~S chat were flyin~ the scientists whca they left afccr arnin~ the bozb. Sonetinc around ai:c!ni~h:the scicncis:s returned to the bunker after rel?asfng the copzers and said they did not know I was supposed to’go back with the copters ccc., etc. and “so I was “volunteered” co stay 20 ~iles from ground “O” with a produce twice that, however lacer results s’nowcd chrec tfmes or almost SO megatons. AC briefing tirm before shoe hour wc .~ere all told what to cxpccc and what co do nnd noc to pJrIic bccausc the ships werz close by and only eye holes to see and snail onzs J: that. The copcers bczzzd the kar.kec d “on the way co che landing pad. I:e all got in abandoned t~m vehicles and
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.“... .. ..rcachcd the copters safe, boarded, and returned to the ships. It was co-d Sratcd companion way that s~rctched over opcr.sca and we were salt water s“nv~- I hod no ocher clothes and was of~cr~d none so I rc-dre~scd in nly old clothes, Xc cook about 12 hours to return CO home base Eniuctok from 2ikinf. I slept . on the first han~or deck with the wheel of a copter for my pfllow chac night. ReCurncd to my squadran and reported on my assfgnncnt. On the gcco;d day after “O” I started to feel feverish, light headed, no appetite, -const~nt headache. Very little sleep tha~ ni~hc. On the third day after O, I had severe headache, a ti~ht forcbca~ with loss and blurry visicn, feverish and very nauseous. I w~-t to the orderly room to report for sick call aboct - I cold him. lie asked if I was de-contaminated. I told hi= about che sea water shower and the ~eiger councer check.’ He ac!vised Chat I go to the Eniwoeto2 c?ccoa station first and then sick call. A check for gamma shovs some meter movazznt. ‘! ‘-- “ A check for Alphz shows 9. . . They send me co che sho’..srto W3S5 off. I go zind~ask md alsc lose fistfulls co the showcz with a brush and scrub brush qy head till i Sm sore. I noa read abcuz 75 12. Again I go to the shccer and stand under fc for z long time, letting the water hit my hea2 becacse it is so sore fzm acrubblrg. so-a “nore hczdache, dlzzincss, fever, nochin~; like I’m veil again. In fact I -fraculously recuperactd so I do noc go to sick call. . island antiwas sup?osed to be safe now.
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shorts undcrrtcath, Xo mcasurfn~ devices given EC. Return to squadron Esnosurc 43. About the 7th or gth shot in the series I was ac iinivccok visabls) told CO so c!o~<nto avocv watczs cd~e on the beach and lie face znd over our ears. This shot wc all felt” the heat of the fire iall ant? : Eniweto!i lagoon. I don’: remember the distance and wc all wore long pants and shirt fatigues plus T shirt and shorts. Only a fey people had projective goggles. I did not get a pair! RO c!etcctionde*xiceswere given to anyone either! .This was a 30 co 50 K atom bozb. Ex?osure <4. On the very last shoe I was ordered to ~o co AEC islan~in the Eniwe:ok atoll. It was about 35 miles a’.~ayf=om Enowetok Air 3ase. This shot I was about 80 miles frofi ground O with 2 20 to 30K atom bomb. The shot time minus 1 ninute everybor!y (scientists) scrambles outsi<e the door and dives for cover. i arcshoe’kedand flat>ezgasced ant?~o, to tunedoor seconds, LOG l~te to ge: under any co’:e:,.felt the heat af :l,zfire ball of djmanite and I felt my ears pop like riding in a~ airplan= 3133s vith mY I was stationed at Eniweco!c-3ikini for five months. .4fte: =ecc:n to 21 and being a youp.s bachelor I discovered i was inpotenc f~r Chrze =C?.:?.S. . sensitive, f~2sh bulb sensitive, extre=ely nervous foz a long tine af:ez. @ril”196L I have a healthy, p~rfcct nine pound baby girl. Ko defec:s or
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About 1957-1958 discovery of dark skin discolorations on torso only, then zr= neck, face, lower limbs in that order. Loss of re~z!r.cd hair on to? of head. Voracious appetites (mostly at night). Poor sleep (tois and turn to distraction with heavy sweating episodes). Hezvy water clrlnkic~ at night, heavy urination at night : broken sleep. Extreme loss of znezgy. Occasional- tones and whistles in left eaz, lioven~er1963 discovery of diabetes, hypo &hyroidisrn and acute gout =hile in has?iczl for Iuxbar sacral strain, .- Cannot digest aaimal fat. August 1964 pinc!]cd sciatic ne:ve in left leg by acute lumbar strain . tiss of partial use of left leg. Occasional fluttering of left ear drum and steady tones present, ——.— Deterioration of diabetic condition. skin discolorations increasing all iwer body and face. Tiny skin poly>s growing on botfi sides of ~eck. Rccurn of loud noises sensitivity. Atrophy of left .lCG muscles. I