David W. Hall
To: mohavedownwinders@kingmanaz.net
Mohave Downwinder Sheriff Porter.

In the course of updating my knowledge about the time I lived in Kingman and witnessed the bright flashes of light in NorthWest during atomic testing in Nevada, I came across your web site.

I am recalling Sheriff Frank L. Porter and the Short Creek polygymous community raid of August 1953, plus covering Sheriff Porter's exposure to the atomic testing as related by Helen Graves in the 50 years ago records of the Miner.

I was stunned to read under Hats and Boots of all my friends who are either deceased (for whatever causes) or else are recovering from illnesses possibly related to radiation. My doctorate in chemistry from Caltech is in organic chemistry, and my latest work was on chemical warfare agents, but I am still quite interested in the Mohave Downwinder situation because I live in Salt Lake City, where the Downwinder's in Utah have received a lot of recognition and federal compensation.

My two sisters, Norma Jean Rucker and Evelyn Rae Price, still live in Kingman. Both have given me their comments for my article in the past two days.

I note Jack Van Marter's comments on your site. I was about 5 years older than Jack and just barely remember him. However, his uncle, Lonnie Van Marter actually saved my life around 1937 or 1938 when he was visiting the ranch we rented and lived on in the Hualapai Valley. My Rhoad Island Red hen "Penny" was being towed in my little red wagon by me when we encountered a buzzing rattlesnake. I froze and simply screamed like crazy (which actually makes a lot of sense to me now!). Lonnie ran up and killed it and hung it on a fence. I still recall he told me not to go near it, that even decapitated rattlesnakes could still bite until after sundown. Weird as that might sound, modern Discovery Channel programs or Animal Planet concur in that. A head and neck can reflex bite for many hours.

If you have a way of contacting Jack, I would like to hear from him if he is up to it. My E-mail is David_chem @ msn.com and my phone number is (801) 463-4940.

David W. Hall, Ph.D.


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