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

125 The only other sub: The description of Aluminaut comes from Aircraft Salvops Med, Final Report, vol. 4, appendix B, pp. 19–24; “The Aluminaut Story,” March 6, 1986; Reynolds Aluminum, “Aluminaut: The Deep Diving Aluminum Submarine,” undated. The Aluminaut is now housed at the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond. The author toured the vessel with Art Markel on September 25, 2006.

126 “The Old Testament promises”: Reynolds Aluminum, “Aluminaut: The Deep Diving Aluminum Submarine,” p. 11.

126 During 1965, it completed diving trials: “The Aluminaut Story,” March 6, 1986, pp. 3–4 (SMV).

126 theAluminautcrew was eager: Author's interview with Art Markel, September 25, 2006. Markel's opinions about Aluminaut's status are clear in his many letters to Reynolds headquarters during the mission in Spain. The letters are stored at the SMV.

126 Guest was quickly disillusioned: Author's interviews with John Craven, April 19, 2007; George Martin, May 9, 2007; and Brad Mooney, March 30, 2007.

126 “no great shakes”: Letter, Earl Hays to Paul Fye, March 8, 1966 (WHOI). Hays's full quote: “The Admiral here is no great shakes — sort of a scream and holler man. I think we have him convinced that we are reasonable people and are interested in doing all we can, but that we are not in the Navy and not likely to be.”

126 but their limited navigation:Aircraft Salvops Med, Final Report, vol. 1, part I, chap. 2, p. 29; Aircraft Salvops Med, Interim Report, pp. 76–77.

126 Alvin used a crude: William O. Rainnie, “Equipment and Instrumentation for the Navigation of Submersibles,” undated (DSV Alvin Records, 1949–1998 AC 18, Box 17, Folder 23: Navigation, General, WHOI), pp. 6–7.

126 the system could directAlvinto within four hundred yards: Ibid. and Aircraft Salvops Med, Final Report, vol. 2, part I, chap. 8, p. V4.

126 none of the surface ships on the scene: Letter, Lewis Melson to Adm. Leyton, February 15, 1966 (author's collection).

127 Alvin's mechanical arm: Ibid.

127 he suggested they drop: Ibid.

127 “What did he ever have to do”: John Craven interview, April 19, 2007.

CHAPTER 10: GUEST CHARTS A COURSE

128 Mooney reported to the USSBoston: Mooney's encounter with Admiral Guest comes from Brad Mooney interview, March 30, 2007.

129 At the time of the Tonkin Gulf: The explanation of Guest's role in the Tonkin Gulf incident comes from author's interview with Edwin Moïse, August 16, 2007. Admiral Guest was more involved with a third, lesser-known incident on September 18, which didn't result in any retaliation and had little bearing on the escalation of the war. For more on the incident, see Moïse, Tonkin Gulf and the Escalation of the Vietnam War (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1996).

129 “was an extremely important mission”: Author's interview with Douglas Kingsbery, July 27, 2007.

129 Guest was deeply affected: Robert Kingsbery interview, July 19, 2007.

129 “like a ray of sunshine”:Aircraft Salvops Med, Final Report, vol. 1, part I, chap. 2, p. 35.

129 Red Moody was also impressed: Red Moody interview, November 7, 2006.

130 Mooney had orders to report: E-mail from Brad Mooney to author, June 20, 2008.

130 On February 17, 1966, he laid it out: Guest's letter to the CNO is discussed at length in Aircraft Salvops Med, Final Report, vol. 1, part I, chap. 2, pp. 28–36.

130 adding paint cans, soup cans: Author's interview with Jon Lindbergh, July 11, 2007.

130 “We enter this phase”: Quoted in Aircraft Salvops Med, Final Report, vol. 1, part I, chap. 2, p. 29.

130 Guest laid out his four search areas: Ibid., pp. 32–34.

130 the four search areas encompassed: Lewis, One of Our H-Bombs, p. 159.

130 Guest's team created a 132-square-mile grid:Aircraft Salvops Med, Interim Report, p. 23.