According to Dad’s brief written account of his involvement in the top secret mission known as Operation Castle: On March 1, 1954, the first test of an operational thermonuclear bomb was dropped from a U.S. Air Force bomber and detonated in the atmosphere above Bikini Atoll in the South Pacific Ocean. This device, known as a hydrogen bomb, was so powerful that it made the world leaders realize that they must work together to make sure that this bomb would never be used against mankind.
Working as a clerk for the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict, Dad was stationed in the Marshall Islands on Eniwetok Atoll, a veritable paradise of native flowering plants, palm trees, beautiful beaches, and coral reefs flush with exotic sea flora and fauna that thrived in the tropical biosphere, about 180 miles away from where the military was performing its testing.
On the cover of the welcome brochure that Dad received upon his arrival to Eniwetok, someone has stamped with red ink the words: RESTRICTED SECURITY INFORMATION. The Section I Greeting reads: “The armed forces are here for one purpose only - to assist the United States Atomic Energy Commission in developing atomic weapons.” It goes on to warn: “Security is of the utmost importance here. When you write home mention nothing regarding our operations. Your life and the security of your country may depend on what you write.” On Page 13 it further states: “As this atoll is the site of the Pacific Testing Area of the United States Atomic Energy Commission, all operational activities here are classified.” The rest of the brochure breezily relates the history of the WWII Battle of Eniwetok, outlines the religious activities available there for the men, gives an account of the recreational facilities, the hobby shop, and athletics, and provides the hours of operation for the post office, main store, barber shop, mess hall, officers club, and both Duffy’s and Swimmer’s Taverns.
Dad’s written account goes on to explain the difference between the two atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, during the summer of 1945, and the hydrogen bomb being tested during his service: Each atomic bomb had an explosive force equivalent to 20,000 tons of TNT. The hydrogen bomb had an explosive force of 15 megatons or 15 million tons of TNT, which is 750 times more powerful than the atomic bomb that leveled the Japanese cities. When recounting the story to me over the years, Dad explained that an atomic bomb was used to detonate the hydrogen bomb. He went on to write: The hydrogen bomb dropped by air over Bikini Atoll weighed 23,500 pounds. It was three times more powerful than the scientists had calculated. The rain of radioactive ash covered 7,000 square miles. Radiation fallout covered a Japanese fishing boat 85 miles from the blast site resulting in radiation sickness to the crew causing an international incident. The blast created a fireball that was as bright as the sun lasting about 35 seconds before dimming. It sent a shockwave across the South Pacific waters to Eniwetok Atoll, 180 miles away. The shockwave sounded like a loud gong when it hit the metal buildings where I was stationed. It passed right through us. The test I witnessed on March 1, 1954, was the most powerful thermonuclear explosion that has ever been detonated. In other words, a WMD witnessed by a handful of men, most of whom are no longer alive to give testimony as to the hydrogen bomb’s truly apocalyptic capability.
The folder of information Dad left behind includes photos of him and his fellow servicemen in both formal and informal settings, certificates of participation in the operation, various news clippings about the mission that appeared over the years in newspapers, and the by-laws and minutes from a few Coral Island Club reunions, which he attended in an effort to keep connected to the men with whom he shared this common and extraordinary experience.
The incident continues to crop up in the news today. As I am writing this post, the January 27, 2017, issue of the New York Times, has just run an article about the troops that arrived in the 1970s to clean up the still radioactive islands. It’s an interesting albeit sad read.
Copyright DJ Anderson, 2017
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