Last month my brother, Russell, gave me a copy of my dad's personal history. It is so interesting to read. As I was reading it last night, I was struck by some of his experiences while he was in the Navy. I just have to share this part of his history because I am pretty sure none of us has ever witnessed an H-bomb. This is what it is like:
(in my dad's words)
"I went on board ship in December 1951. As soon as the ship got out of dry dock we started getting ready to go to Marshall Islands. No one knew exactly what for, but rumor was we were going to a big test of some sort. We were there for 3 months. The ship took 2 weeks to get there and 2 weeks to return. We had 3 destroyers and one anti submarine screen escorting us. We had about 20 or 30 technicians and a half dozen scientists on board who were involved in that test. When we got there we discovered they were going to test the first H-bomb on one of the islands. When they had the test I was one of those that got to see it. It was the most awe-inspiring and terrifying spectacle I have ever witnessed. We were more than 25 miles away from it and it still looked like we were too close for comfort. Since I didn't have special glasses that I could wear to watch the blast (only VIP's and officers got those) all [of us] enlisted men stood with our backs towards the blast and buried our faces in our arms. Still the flash was so intense--so bright--that everything went white. With the flash from an H-bomb you don't need to be looking at the flash, just having your eyes open is enough. After the flash we were told to turn around and we could see the fire ball and mushroom from it as it went up. We could see palm trees, water and dirt from the island falling out of the mushroom. I'd have been scared if I'd had time to think about it. Several minutes after the blast itself, while the mushroom was going up, we heard the sound--a loud rumble and a strong rush of air like a sudden breeze...."
These are the two tests that he witnessed:
Operation Ivy in 1952
And Operation Castle in 1954
I am so amazed that he lived for another 26 years after witnessing these tests, what a blessing that is.
3 comments:
that is so cool!! I think i would like to witness something like that. it might scare the heck out of me, but it would be and awesome experience
I wouldn't wish that on you Billy. I think reading about it, and looking at pictures is the way to go. I would rather not die of cancer from the radiation, but that's just me.
My dad also served in the Navy on the aircraft carrier "Boxer" during 1945-46. Your dad died so young.
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