Murray was an interesting character. His brother was a Jesuit priest, and he was a prominent Catholic layman. He consulted several prominent theologians before accepting the post at the AEC, on the question of whether the use of nuclear weapons was morally justified in time of war. He concluded that, in the case of the USSR, waging nuclear war was not only "something we are morally permitted to do; it may be something we are morally obliged to do." But, apparently, not with 60-megaton bombs.
Murray was an interesting character. His brother was a Jesuit priest, and he was a prominent Catholic layman. He consulted several prominent theologians before accepting the post at the AEC, on the question of whether the use of nuclear weapons was morally justified in time of war. He concluded that, in the case of the USSR, waging nuclear war was not only "something we are morally permitted to do; it may be something we are morally obliged to do." But, apparently, not with 60-megaton bombs.
I'm surprised Curtis Lemay wasn't in on those calculations. He really liked to bomb civilian populations.
They left him out because they knew he’d just request they add a zero to all the megaton requests and the AEC would collapse from exhaustion.