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

202 At 5:50 a.m., thePetrelbegan to raise: Deck logs of the USS Petrel, April 7, 1966.

202 Guest worried most: “William S. Guest Press Conference,” April 8, 1966.

202 one scientist paced: Red Moody interview, November 7, 2006.

202 looked sick to his stomach: Ibid.

202 “I'd prefer combat”: “William S. Guest Press Conference,” April 8, 1966.

202 the weapon came up so smoothly: Ibid.

202 Two of Red Moody's divers: Ibid.; Red Moody interview, November 7, 2006; Aircraft Salvops Med, Final Report, vol. 1, part I, chap. 2, p. 95.

202 Boatswain mates rigged the lines: Goode, “Postscript to Palomares,” pp. 51–52; author's interview with Red Moody, November 7, 2006.

202 Immediately, the EOD team: Dewitt H. Moody, memo to Commander, Naval Ordnance Systems Command, “Report of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Operation (OPNAV REPORT 3571-1),” May 10, 1966 (EOD U2, Post 46, Command Files, Operational Archives, Secret, NHC), p. 2.

202 It was 8:46 a.m.: Deck logs of the USS Petrel, April 7, 1966. The entry reads, “Weapon on deck with parachute.”

203 The rough ride: The condition of weapon number four comes from Moody, memo to Commander, “Report of Explosive Ordnance Disposal,” May 10, 1966, p. 4. The author also viewed photographs of the recovered weapon at Operational Archives, NHC. The weapon casings of bombs number one and four are now housed at the National Atomic Museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

203 The EOD team began to render: Ibid. and S. V. Asselin, “Notes on the EOD Render Safe Procedure of Weapon #4 (W28 #45345) Near Palomares Spain March 15, 1966” (Document no. SAC200118480000, Confidential, NNSA, FOIA). See also author's interviews with Oliver Andersen, January 22, 2007, and Red Moody, November 7, 2006, and Moody, e-mails to author, September 23 and 28, 2008. Funston's rig is called, appropriately, a Spanish windlass.

203 there were no shouts: Author's interviews with Oliver Andersen, January 22, 2007, and Larry Brady, January 31, 2007.

203 In the wardroom, the staff applauded: Red Moody interview, November 7, 2006.

203 “Thank God we finally did it”:Aircraft Salvops Med, Final Report, vol. 1, part I, chap. 2, p. 96.

203 Someone cut up the parachute: Author's interviews with Oliver Andersen, January 22, 2007, and Red Moody, November 7, 2006.

203 As Brad Mooney walked: Brad Mooney interview, March 30, 2007.

204 approximately a hundred newsmen:SAC Historical Study #109, pp. 344–345.

204 “under the Mediterranean sun”: “H-Bomb Recovered,” CBS News, April 8, 1966.

204 The embassy had drafted:SAC Historical Study #109, pp. 343–344.

205 held a press conference: “William S. Guest Press Conference,” April 8, 1966.

205 “a nightmare of the nuclear age”: Szulc, Bombs of Palomares, p. 253.

206 “made millions of people aware”: Joel Larus, Nuclear Weapons Safety and the Common Defense (Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 1967), p. vii.

EPILOGUE

207 After the press and VIPs left:Aircraft Salvops Med, Interim Report, July 15, 1966, p. C16; Memo, Moody to Commander, “Report of Explosive Ordnance Disposal,” May 10, 1966 (NHC), pp. 3–4; SAC Historical Study #109, pp. 60–61.

207 General Wilson had proposed:SAC Historical Study #109, p. 61.

207 the Navy loaded it: Deck logs of the USS Petrel, April 8, 1966.

207 The Air Force sent bomb number four: S. V. Asselin, memo to S. A. Moore, “Trip to Pantex, April 27 and 28, 1966,” undated (Document no. SAC200118240000, Confidential, NNSA, FOIA).

207 The engineers learned some lessons: Randall Maydew, oral history, conducted by Necah Furman, December 1991, p. 12.

208 The USNSBoycearrived:SAC Historical Study #109, p. 188; Emilio Iranzo interview, February 16, 2007.

208 The other two barrels:SAC Historical Study #109, p. 189.

208 He said he planned: Lewis, One of Our H-Bombs, p. 236.