May 17, 2010
COLD WAR HERO: Huntington’s Veteran’s Hospital Once Was Headed by Manhattan Project Pioneer
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Huntington, WV (HNN) – When attending elementary school, I recall that my father, who worked at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital, attended classes on nuclear fallout scenarios and once hinted a plant in Huntington made it a primary target for missiles. During his “annual leave,” he took me on a tour of a tunnel --- between the administration building and the recreation hall --- where I got the impression we would be taken if the unthinkable happened.
Vaguely I remember him speaking of a “Dr. Lyon.”
Little did I know then (or until a week ago) that the doctor had been a primary consultant on the Manhattan Project and nuclear weaponry. After the bomb was used on Japan, Dr. Lyon, working in the Central Office of the VA, insisted that research must be done on offensive and defensive postures to nuclear radiation, including treating those exposed.
According to a letter issued by Dr. William B. Middleton dated May 13, 1959, recommending George M Lyon for the Administrator’s Exceptional Service Award, he had been a safety officer in the first atomic test at Alamagordo, New Mexico and personnel safety officer for the Joint Task Force One in Operation Crossroads (Bikini Tests) in the summer of 1946.
“All of this made him extremely aware of the potential hazards connected with nuclear disaster whether in peacetime or as a result of enemy action… he brought favorable publicity and distinction to the Department of Medicine and Surgery and Veterans Administration … in preparing the nation for sound and sensible action in the event of disaster.”
The award recommendation covered Dr. Lyon’s service from July 1947 through February 1956 at the VA Central Office and his work as Director of the Huntington Hospital beginning in 1956.
Lyon’s work in atomic medicine continued when he was appointed Chief Medical Director for Atomic Medicine on July 2, 1947, after which an advisory committee was established fifteen “radioisotope laboratories” at various hospitals. Since the committee “felt it unwise to publicize unduly the probable adverse effects of exposure to radioactive materials” for fear of “jeopardizing future developments in that field.” As a result, Lyon maintained classified medical records from the Atomic Energy commission and the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project which were “essential” to radiation injury claims against the VA by former members of the Armed Forces engaged in the Manhattan project.
Dr. Lyon served on a Department of Defense group which issued the “Civil Defense for National Security” report (“Hopley Report”) in 1948, which was “the first authoritative survey of the problem of Civil Defense.”
As early as 1949, Lyon and others considered legal responsibilities for worker injuries that reached beyond Workmen’s Compensation laws , since most universities, colleges and hospitals (at the time) were non-profit or charitable institutions. In some states the laws did not apply to professional staff, technicians and employees which led to discussions with private insurers to cover radiation injuries (“greatly increasing the premiums which such individuals may have to pay”).
At the same conference, a paper was presented by Dr. J.F. Ross (Framingham Hospital) outlining treatment of 60 cases of leukemia, which emphasized the significance of the radiological units.
“An attempt is made to maintain the amount of radioactive material inside the patient at a fairly consistent level on a weekly basis… the results in the treatment of chronic myelogonous leukemia have been fairly successful. “Probably we have a better opportunity for dosing this on a coordinated basis than any other organization in the country. Granted, it may be just the relationship of dosage to response of the white blood count, but that in itself would be a valuable bit of information,” Dr Ross stated.
In August 1950, Dr. Lyon organized a conference at the VA Center, Martinsburg, WV, of representatives working in radioisotope centers. Lyon outline a plan to train physicians and non-physicians to serve as radiological monitors. Over seven years , 400 monitors were trained.
“This group constituted the only organized nucleus of trained personnel within the U.S. available for radiological monitoring. These facts were known to AEC and to Civil Defense officials. Qualified persons in VA Hospitals served as essential elements in local civil defense planning,” the letter stated.
When he took the helm of the VA Hospital in Huntington, Dr. Lyon’s tasks were to “revitalize and modernize” the hospital, while consolidating the out-patient clinic of the Regional office. While serving as director, the Huntington hospital added research space , a program of surgical medical research and set up a radioisotope laboratory.
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COLD WAR HERO: Huntington’s Veteran’s Hospital Once Was Headed by Manhattan Project Pioneer
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Huntington, WV (HNN) – When attending elementary school, I recall that my father, who worked at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital, attended classes on nuclear fallout scenarios and once hinted a plant in Huntington made it a primary target for missiles. During his “annual leave,” he took me on a tour of a tunnel --- between the administration building and the recreation hall --- where I got the impression we would be taken if the unthinkable happened.
Vaguely I remember him speaking of a “Dr. Lyon.”
Little did I know then (or until a week ago) that the doctor had been a primary consultant on the Manhattan Project and nuclear weaponry. After the bomb was used on Japan, Dr. Lyon, working in the Central Office of the VA, insisted that research must be done on offensive and defensive postures to nuclear radiation, including treating those exposed.
According to a letter issued by Dr. William B. Middleton dated May 13, 1959, recommending George M Lyon for the Administrator’s Exceptional Service Award, he had been a safety officer in the first atomic test at Alamagordo, New Mexico and personnel safety officer for the Joint Task Force One in Operation Crossroads (Bikini Tests) in the summer of 1946.
“All of this made him extremely aware of the potential hazards connected with nuclear disaster whether in peacetime or as a result of enemy action… he brought favorable publicity and distinction to the Department of Medicine and Surgery and Veterans Administration … in preparing the nation for sound and sensible action in the event of disaster.”
The award recommendation covered Dr. Lyon’s service from July 1947 through February 1956 at the VA Central Office and his work as Director of the Huntington Hospital beginning in 1956.
Lyon’s work in atomic medicine continued when he was appointed Chief Medical Director for Atomic Medicine on July 2, 1947, after which an advisory committee was established fifteen “radioisotope laboratories” at various hospitals. Since the committee “felt it unwise to publicize unduly the probable adverse effects of exposure to radioactive materials” for fear of “jeopardizing future developments in that field.” As a result, Lyon maintained classified medical records from the Atomic Energy commission and the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project which were “essential” to radiation injury claims against the VA by former members of the Armed Forces engaged in the Manhattan project.
Dr. Lyon served on a Department of Defense group which issued the “Civil Defense for National Security” report (“Hopley Report”) in 1948, which was “the first authoritative survey of the problem of Civil Defense.”
As early as 1949, Lyon and others considered legal responsibilities for worker injuries that reached beyond Workmen’s Compensation laws , since most universities, colleges and hospitals (at the time) were non-profit or charitable institutions. In some states the laws did not apply to professional staff, technicians and employees which led to discussions with private insurers to cover radiation injuries (“greatly increasing the premiums which such individuals may have to pay”).
At the same conference, a paper was presented by Dr. J.F. Ross (Framingham Hospital) outlining treatment of 60 cases of leukemia, which emphasized the significance of the radiological units.
“An attempt is made to maintain the amount of radioactive material inside the patient at a fairly consistent level on a weekly basis… the results in the treatment of chronic myelogonous leukemia have been fairly successful. “Probably we have a better opportunity for dosing this on a coordinated basis than any other organization in the country. Granted, it may be just the relationship of dosage to response of the white blood count, but that in itself would be a valuable bit of information,” Dr Ross stated.
In August 1950, Dr. Lyon organized a conference at the VA Center, Martinsburg, WV, of representatives working in radioisotope centers. Lyon outline a plan to train physicians and non-physicians to serve as radiological monitors. Over seven years , 400 monitors were trained.
“This group constituted the only organized nucleus of trained personnel within the U.S. available for radiological monitoring. These facts were known to AEC and to Civil Defense officials. Qualified persons in VA Hospitals served as essential elements in local civil defense planning,” the letter stated.
When he took the helm of the VA Hospital in Huntington, Dr. Lyon’s tasks were to “revitalize and modernize” the hospital, while consolidating the out-patient clinic of the Regional office. While serving as director, the Huntington hospital added research space , a program of surgical medical research and set up a radioisotope laboratory.
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