When I was a small child in Miles City, (this was probably early 50's); the entire city was made to take thyroid pills because of some air force tests going on nearby. I remember every man, woman and child took pills for this for a few months. Does anyone have anymore information or any specifics about this?

I was not born yet, but if you look at the fallout zones for some of the nuclear bomb testing that was going on then, there were a few that drifted this far north and into Canada. I would suspect it had something to do with that.

Way for the military to take care of its citizens, eh?

No mention that I noticed in the newspaper and you'd think it might have come up. I'll ask around.

Is it possible this was a "duct tape and plastic sheeting" sort of thing? Cold war paranoia ran high in th 50s.

I remember in the 50's in Minot North Dakota, waking up in the morning, go outside and find these metal aluminum strips, real small, laying all over. Nobody knew anything other than they had to have been dropped from a plane. The Air Force Base was there and I think it had something to do with them.. This happened many times up into the early 60's. Anything ever happen to them like this? Larry

This must be related to nuclear tests and fall-out. If you look at the following link, you can see that there were justified reasons for concern in Montana during that time. Tests were being conducted with the distribution of potassium iodide to control thyroid cancer. Interesting reading.

http://www.sci-journal.or...&c_check=1

Wow! Thank you Michael. That's exactly what I was hoping to learn! The milk consumed by the people of Montana may have contained isotopes that 10-40 years later may become a malignant tumor of the thyroid gland.
(or lung cancer) My brother died of lung cancer. I appreciate your help in clarifying this. Thanks!

These might just be the things that were distributed:

http://www.nitro-pak.com/...ts_id=1125

Cheers!
FH

Here are some maps of fallout patterns for those that may doubt most of the U.S., including Montana were/are effected by U.S. nuclear testing. Who knows what came over from the USSR, China, France, and the few other nuclear nations while above ground/water tests were being conducted.

http://www.survivalring....tests.jpg

More interesting info:

http://images.google.com...%26sa%3DN

http://www.cddc.vt.edu/h...map1a.gif

http://nuclearweaponarch...ndex.html

"I remember in the 50's in Minot North Dakota, waking up in the morning, go outside and find these metal aluminum strips, real small, laying all over. Nobody knew anything other than they had to have been dropped from a plane. The Air Force Base was there and I think it had something to do with them.. This happened many times up into the early 60's. Anything ever happen to them like this? Larry"



...sounds like leftover, early chaff (countermeasures). Creates radar echoes as this big cloud of twirling, tumbling metal foil slowly falls to the ground - making IT the larger target on a scope rather than the escaping aircraft.

...or debris from an exploded toilet from an alien spacecraft.

> ...or debris from an exploded toilet from an alien spacecraft.

(tries to imagine aliens that poop aluminum strips)

Major said poop.

Some of you folks might remember the Radar Base, The strips of foil were called chaff was dropped by aircraft trying to jam our radar it was measured in certain lenghs as to jam certain freq. it was dropped all around the MC area I know was there as a Radar Oper. 1959-61

Carl - Are you still in Miles City? I bet you have some interesting stories to tell from that era.

Bob: No not in Miles City I am in Cape Cod, Ma. but I have fond memories of MC as newly married was asigned to MC 902nd AC&W SQ. after returning from Iceland, my wife was an RN at the Holy Rosary Hosp. and my 1st born there the Dr. was a Dr. Treat, we still talk about the friendly folks of Montana and how well we were accepted. hopefully we will return for a visit while we can still walk without help.