In March of 1944 , Whitemore was hired by the U.S. Geological Survey to edit classified reports in the one-year old Military Geology Unit . By September of 1945 , he had become chief editor , supervising four geologists and 15 typists and draftsmen . Whitmore moved to the Engineer Intelligence Division , Southwest Pacific Area . His position as scientific consultant on terrain intelligence took him first to Manila , where he organized the Natural Resources Section of the General Headquarters of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers , in preparation for the occupation of Japan . After two months , he relocated to Tokyo , where he served as chief of the Engineering Geology Unit , Natural Resources Section . He supervised the field checking of terrain intelligence reports and consulted with the U.S. Army on foundation conditions , location of construction materials , and selection of airfield and port sites . Whitmore became a commodity specialist in precious metals , compiling data on gold and silver production in Japan . As Whitmore tells it , " Since I was the paleontologist and did n't know much , they looked around for the least harmful thing for me to do . That 's how I was put in charge of the precious metals . My job was mainly to hold audience with Japanese gold and silver mine operations and tell them ' no , ' they could not mine gold . It was the perfect bureaucrat 's job , sitting there all day saying ' no . ' I was also in charge of the vaults of Japan , where I saw more money than I will ever see again , with piles of sheet gold one meter on a side . " There were also stacks of platinum crucibles and " buckets of diamonds . " One example the unit 's work was the identification of where Japanese Fire Bomb Balloons were being launched . From late 1944 until early 1945 , the Japanese launched over 9,300 of fire balloons , of which 300 were found or observed in the U.S. Despite the high hopes of their designers , the balloons were ineffective as weapons ; causing only six deaths ( from one single incident ) and a small amount of damage . Some of the ballast sandbags dropped by the balloons were taken to the Military Geology Unit for investigation . The geologists began microscopic and chemical examination of the sand to determine types and distribution of diatoms and other microscopic sea creatures , and its mineral composition . They determined that the sand could not be coming from American beaches , nor from the mid-Pacific . It had to be coming from Japan . The geologists ultimately determined the precise beaches in Japan where the sand had been taken . In 1946 the U.S. Army recognized his work with the highest civilian award the United States bestows , the Medal of Freedom
Medal of Freedom
Medal of Freedom (1945)
Frank C. Whitmore Jr.