A mentor of mine was involved with the project. One way he knew who had been aboard or not was what he referred to as "mint jelly" — I think he meant Vick's Vapo-Rub or a similar OTC preparation.
You see, many of the Soviet sailors didn't die neatly, and while the Agency crew treated what Soviet remains they were able to gather up with as much respect as they could, various bits and pieces started to rot as sections of the sub were exposed to warm air. The corpse smell was masked by the judicious use of Vick's (or something similar) under one's nostrils.
You see, many of the Soviet sailors didn't die neatly, and while the Agency crew treated what Soviet remains they were able to gather up with as much respect as they could, various bits and pieces started to rot as sections of the sub were exposed to warm air. The corpse smell was masked by the judicious use of Vick's (or something similar) under one's nostrils.