Arizona Veteran & DAV Chapter 8 client says Palomares nuclear response exposed him to radiation, fights for VA benefits
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And the rest of the story...
During the January through April 1966 recovery operations of an American hydrogen bomb lost after a B-52 and KC-135 collided off the eastern coast of Spain near the farming town of Palomares, the USS Petrel was rerouted to take part in the salvage effort. As can be seen from the photographs of the hydrogen bomb recovery and inspection aboard USS Petrel, the sailors involved in the operation were wearing minimal protective gear--even less than that required in a hospital operating room--and supervisors wore no protective gear at all.
After recovery of the hydrogen bomb came the long trip back to the United States. During the trip, Bob Garvy and other sailors took turns standing guard over the secret weapon, spending long hours in an enclosed room with the bomb--again, with virtually no protective equipment against the radiation emanating from the bomb's plutonium payload...