The Day We Lost the H-Bomb: Cold War, Hot Nukes, and the Worst Nuclear Weapons Disaster in History

75 “the only friend we really had”: George Landau interview, August 9, 2007.

75 Muñoz Grandes's decree: Author's interviews with George Landau, August 9, 2007, and Joseph Smith, January 23, 2007. See also Lewis, One of Our H-Bombs, pp. 98–99, and Howard Simons, “Some Experts Fear Strategic Loss if Curbs Are Put on Nuclear Routes,” The Washington Post, February 27, 1966, p. A1.

76 Believe we must be prepared: Cable, Embassy in Madrid to the Department of State, January 22, 1966, #871 (LBJ).

CHAPTER 5: PARACHUTES

77 Joe Ramirez pushed aside: Joe Ramirez interview, January 27, 2007.

79 had found the combat mission folder:SAC Historical Study #109, pp. 39–40.

79 General Wilson realized: Ibid., p. 75.

79 “Until every avenue of search”: Ibid.

79 Hundreds of searchers: Ibid., pp. 81–82, 89–90; author's interviews with Robert Finkel, April 4, 2007, and Phil Durbin, March 15, 2007.

80 Wilson's men got organized: The ground search is described in SAC Historical Study #109, pp. 95–98; see also author's interviews with Walter Vornbrock, April 23, 2008, and Phil Durbin, March 15, 2007.

80 a reservoir — a piece of a bomb:SAC Historical Study #109, pp. 42–43.

80 a searcher found a round metal plate: Ibid., pp. 40–42; Cable, from 16th AF Torrejón AB Spain to RUEKDA/Secretary of Defense, January, 1966, #61642 (LBJ); Randall C. Maydew, America's Lost H-Bomb! Palo mares, Spain, 1966 (Manhattan, Kans.: Sunflower University Press, 1997), p. 54.

81 The engineers at Sandia: The background on Sandia comes from author's interviews with William Barton, January 22, 2004, and October 23, 2006; William Caudle, January 22, 2004; Sam McAlees, October 23, 2006; William Pepper, October 21, 2006; and Rebecca Ulrich, October 24, 2006. For additional information on the history of Sandia National Laboratories, see Necah Furman, Sandia National Laboratories: The Postwar Decade (Albuquerque, N.M.: University of New Mexico Press, 1989), and Leland John son, Sandia National Laboratories: A History of Exceptional Service in the National Interest (Albuquerque, N.M.: Sandia National Laboratories, 1997).

81 he called Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara: Letter, Bill Moyers to Flora Lewis, August 11, 1966. The author found no record of this conversation in the Johnson telephone archive, but not all telephone calls were recorded.

81 Word was passed to Jack Howard: Author's interview with Jack Howard, April 3, 2007; Memo, R. C. Maydew and W R. Barton to G. A. Fowler, “Chronological Summary of Significant Events in the 9300 Participation in Broken Arrow Operation,” March 29, 1966 (Randall Maydew files, SNL).

81 Pope called Randy Maydew: Randall Maydew, oral history, conducted by Necah Furman, December 1991, p. 5 (SNL).

82 High-energy and hyperactive: The background on Randy Maydew comes primarily from author's interview with Jean and Barbara Maydew, October 21, 2006. Additional information is from interviews with William Barton, January 22, 2004, and October 23, 2006; William Caudle, January 22, 2004; and Sam McAlees, October 23, 2006.

82 when he got the call: Maydew, America's Lost H-Bomb, pp. x, 43–44, 54; Randall Maydew, oral history, conducted by Necah Furman, December 1991, p. 5 (SNL).

82 The parachute question was critical: The explanation of the Mark 28 parachute system comes from Maydew, America's Lost H-Bomb, pp. 21–24; “Description of Normal Operation,” document #SAC200118830000 (NNSA, FOIA); Randall Maydew, oral history, conducted by Necah Furman, December 1991, pp. 2–3 (SNL); Gibson, Nuclear Weapons of the United States, pp. 99–100.

82 Sandia had developed this “laydown system”: Furman, Sandia National Laboratories, pp. 648–660; Johnson, Sandia National Laboratories, pp. 63–69; Randall Maydew, oral history, August 22, 1985 (SNL).