JULY 16 WILL BE ATOMIC VETERANS DAY IN VIRGINIA THIS YEAR

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1 Members Publication of the National Association of Atomic Veterans VOLUME 2 SUMMER 2015 ISSUE 1 Gillie Jenkins JULY 16 WILL BE ATOMIC VETERANS DAY IN VIRGINIA THIS YEAR Del Roxann Robinson Virginia has designated July 16 as National Atomic Veterans Day in honor of military personnel who were involved in the development, or were affected by the deployment, of the nuclear bombs that ended World War II. (Continued on Page 2.) From the Desk of the Commander: NAAV is growing support of our campaign and membership. Our current checking account is rising. We have not needed to touch our saving account during the last year. NAAV is still 100% volunteers. No one here is drawing a salary. In visiting with Fred I found that we sustained close to 1430 members at the start of the year. Since the renewal of the newsletter, we have grown by some 30 to 40 new members. Fred continues by wishing to thank the Board State Commanders, Area Commanders and Newsletter Editors for all you effort. He wishes to let you know that without you we would not be here. I would like to prompt you that Commander Fred writes on our web-page ( Desk of the Commander. He keeps you updated with timely information and I encourage to read his messages. Change of Address, Membership or Renewal...Write or National Commander NAAV Fred Schafer 130 Cleveland Street Lebanon, OR Phone: derf@trcschafer.com Published quarterly by the NAAV Deadlines are the 1st of every 4th month and any material submitted after that time may be delayed until next issue. All submissions are to be ed to newsboynaav@gmail. com or mail to Darryl Hirst Managing Editor 1925 S. Saint Charles, Spokane Valley Road, WA All photos must be sent in JPEG format preferably at 300dpi or mail us an original and we will copy it and get it back to you. 1

2 National Association of Atomic Veterans Reunion 2015 Our Reunion will be held on September 17, 18 and 19th at the Doubletree by Hilton Washington, DC. Crystal City. The meeting agenda on Thursday from 4pm until 8pm will be the registration in the hotel Lobby (right next to the flags). The hotel asks that you make reservation by August 1, Let Gillie Jenkins know if you will be attending. On Thursday the 17th you may check in at the hotel. Friday the 18th can be used for a full day of sightseeing in Washington DC. The regular business meeting will be, at the hotel on Friday at 7pm. Everyone and their guests are welcome to attend the business meeting. The regular meeting will be held on Saturday the 19th, as will the dinner, in the Madison Room. Check out on Sunday morning. The hotel charge for 2 Double beds or 1 King bed is $109 plus tax. Parking Discounted self-parking at a special rate of $ Complimentary internet access in the main lobby. The Doubletree is located just across the Potomac from Washington DC and 2.5 miles from Reagan National Airport (DCA) with complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport. Gillie Jenkins is offering free NAAV a tee shirt to the first 50 registrants. You need to contact Gillie before attending the meeting providing the size of tee you wish M, L, or XL. Information Contact Gillie Jenkins, Director of State Commanders, , atomicgillie@verizon.net DoubleTree by Hilton Washington DC Crystal City 300 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, VA tel: Haskell Watts with Gillie Jenkins would like to share a few words about NAAV shirt sales. The shirts were definitely a challenge. They sold 78 shirts, from members in 23 states and coming close to their goal of raising $1,000 for NAAV. Haskel Hack Watts told me that, I m not sure we want to do this again soon. Then only to add,...maybe long sleeves next time. Thanks to Haskell and Gillie Jenkins, who like the rest of us are all 100% volunteers. Haskel Hack Watts And, one more item -- The NAAV store is getting several new items and decals. The store item page is now on the website. Check it out! We now have NAA & NV Life Membership Caps for $25.00 and License Plates for $ So go to the web-page and check it out. JULY 16th WILL BE AN ATOMIC VETERANS DAY Thanks to Gillie Jenkins, who has been instrumental in getting the State of Virginia to recognize the date. Which in part reads: Designating July 16, in 2015 and in each succeeding year as a National Atomic Veterans Day in Virginia. It is noteworthy to pass our thanks to Haskell Watts of West Virginia for spearheading action that saw West Virginia successful in passing Senate Resolution Number 69 naming July 16th, 2013 as Atomic Veterans Day of Rememberance. These two states among others have seen the necessity of having the words... and in each succeeding year placed into their legislation. Unfortunately, Proclamation National Atomic Veterans Day, 1983 which was signed by then President Reagan did not have any wording that would have made that day as.. and in each succeeding year. We are working, at this time, to obtain a National Atomic Veterans Day which would be in perpetuity. We will write more about this endeavor, as it unfolds. 2

3 BAKER ARTICLE Submitted by: Thomas Baker On April 22, 1952 my father, Donald Baker, witnessed the detonation of a nuclear weapon and was in the tactical operation phase of Exercise Desert Rock IV of the Charlie Shot of Operation Tumbler-Snapper at Yucca Flat, Nevada. The 31 kiloton bomb was dropped from a B-50 over Area 7 and detonated at 3,447 feet above ground at An hour after the detonation, he went near to ground zero to observe the destruction. Then they proceeded to march through to the other side of the detonation and back through ground zero. He was in the 140th Fighter Bomber Wing which was the only Air Force unit involved. Most of the troops involved were from either the Army or Marines. The event was called the atomic open house as 197 members of the media and 200 distinguished guests were invited and it was written about in the May 5, 1952 edition of Life Magazine. Senator Margaret Chase Smith of Maine who authored the book Hope and Fear wrote of attending the detonation with fellow Senators Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas and Leverett Saltonstall of Massachusetts. The whole event was well choreographed and achieved the unstated public relations objectives of making the testing more acceptable to the public and giving a false sense of security about the survivability of an attack. Photo from Life Magazine As written in the May 5th edition of Life Magazine, The first public performance of the bomb seemed safe and almost easy. The television broadcast was on the leading edge of technology as it was the first major event to ever be live nationwide. The technology was just becoming available and being tested beyond it s known capabilities. Unlike other nuclear detonations, the military personnel were encouraged to tell of their experience and not sworn 3 to secrecy. The letter he sent Mom on the 25th when he got back to Clovis AFB, NM. His drawing on the letter My dad wrote, I was among the GI s who were 3 ½ miles from ground zero. It was an experience I ll never forget. Believe me. I ll try to give you an explanation of the atomic bomb. We were dug in 3 ½ miles from ground zero in trenched about 4 ½ ft deep. During the last two minutes the radio was cut in on the B-50 and then came the countdown, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, bomb away. Then a silence, I can t explain. I had on all field equipment, helmet & covering for my eyes. I had my face in my lap, with a pair of leather gloves over my eyes, yet I saw the flash. Then 3 seconds came the initial blast wave and dirt was blown into the foxhole. The blast wave returned to the explosion area and rushed over, then the most horrid, wicked thunder followed like a million rain thunders in one. The ground began to tremble with a continuing rumble. This all happened in about 7 seconds. I rose up out of my shelter and saw the greatest, most powerful sight in the history of mankind. The fire-ball, dark orange was rising upward. The whole valley below me was in an uproar. Then the ball formed a giant ring going up 35,000 ft into the heavens. It almost took an hour for the valley to clear up. After word we hiked into the valley to ground zero. There was destruction that I can t start to explain. There were various tanks and armored vehicles, jeeps, goats, etc. twisted, burned to a state I can t start to explain. To be perfectly honest, I was never more frightened in my life during the explosion. Thank God we have this weapon on our side. I hope it is never dropped on human beings again. Floyd Boland went out to Operation Bigshot with my father and described the following. I remembered being out there for about one week staying in 16 man --Continued on Page 4--

4 BAKER ARTICLE (Continued) --Continued from Page 3-- squad tents at Camp Desert Rock as we had to go through indoctrination training classes on the affects and the process of what was going to happen. When we were off they provided shuttle buses into Las Vegas which ran until 11pm. We were up at 6 am for roll call and the paratroopers would go by at about 4 am trying to rouse them. One of the lieutenants hollered out, Pick up your feet, we are still trying to sleep. Needless to say there was a lot of interservice rivalry going on. The day before the blast, they took us out to see what ground zero looked like before the detonation. All of the equipment was new, animals were tethered in every 3rd to 4th trench and other trenches were filled with dummies. There was an M4 Sherman Tank that was set in the middle of an asphalt parking area about a city block square. The asphalt was the target for the detonation and painted with a bull s eye. The tank was painted green on the outside and white inside. The test site personnel dug trenches feet long, about feet apart from each other for the troops to get into. All of the electrical equipment and loud speakers were turned off after the bomb had been release because they were afraid that it might set it off prematurely. In preparation, we pulled up our collars, covered ears and hunkered down in the trenches. A couple of the guys from the unit didn t get into the trenches in time. Their exposed skin received third degree burns and looked red as a beet. Then the shockwaves came and flattened them which they described as like being hit by a semi. Needless to say they had to be sent to the hospital but I never knew what became of them. At 2 ½ miles there was a B17 that was buckled in two, at 2 miles the animals were burnt severely on one side and were dazed. At 1 ½ miles they were dead. Helicopters came over head with sharpshooters to put the animals out of their misery. The tank had been pushed about for about 300 feet to the end of the asphalt at the edge of the dirt. It had sank 1 ½ foot deep into the asphalt. The outside was a rusted color and the inside was black. After observing the damage, we were marched through ground zero and back again. physiological effects of witnessing a detonation and going into the impact area. It was also to prove to the public that a blast could be survived. There were some scientific experiments scheduled but were canceled at the last moment. The articles were saved by my father and are more propaganda pieces than actual reporting. On May 19 at Clovis AFB he went to see the movie Without Warning where a news reel of the atomic blast he had been at was shown. Watching it really gave him the shakes. The pictures below are of the actual detonation he witnessed. The stated reason the Charlie Shot was done was to measure the troop reactions and 4

5 OPERATION IVY 1952 Victoria Moore sharing a rare 1952 Operation Ivy Certificate issued to my father, Howard T. Moore, Chief Radioman on USS Estes. He was stationed at Oak Ridge from 1949 to1951 and then deployed with The Elegant Lady for all blasts in the Pacific Proving Grounds. USS Estes was the main command ship that also often carried the Scripps scientists and attending dignitaries. The radio operations which he oversaw as Chief from this vessel served communication command for all branches of the military in that theater of operations. He died following 17 years of fighting multiple cancers and putting his body up for research at Oak Knoll Naval Medical Center. Note the red faces and hands of the scientists in the lower right corner. OPERATION CROSSROADS Submitted by Joe Vance Today, I received the following letter from Joe Vance who lives in Texas. I am an 87 year old man. Probably one of the last survivors of the Navy s Operation Crossroads. Let me explain. Our group, about a dozen or so of able-bodied seamen. We were a very close and tight bunch. We followed orders and were dedicated sailors with an average age of about 19. Aboard the USS Nevada BB36 painted bright orange/red. We were the target ship for the U.S. Navy s Atomic warfare test and support group. Aboard the USS George Clymer PA27 to observe the surface blast. Back aboard the Nevada to test scrubbing the deck to see if the fall out would wash off. It did nt but it did wash off of us, the decontamination team. It was about one month later on on July 25, 1946 we witnessed the under water test Baker. Awesome! Still in the Bikini Lagoon. What I write here is a very brief time, during Operation Crossroads much has happened. Does any of this qualify me as a member of your National Association of Atomic Veterans? In Joe s attached photo taken while aboard the USS Nevada BB36 shows Joe at the very end (note the watch). He was a member of the decontamination crew scrubbing to see if the fallout would come off. 5

6 My Thermonuclear Summer --CONTINUED My Thermonuclear Summer-- The LST611 USS Crook County was contaminated by fallout and then subjected to decontamination procedures such as fire hosing, hand-scrubbing and hot-liquid-jet cleaning. Not all sections of the ship were washed on each cleaning. In a Veterans Administration form entitled Statement of Support of Claim on 6 September 2012 Haskell Watts wrote in character Darryl and I were also part of a man team to cover the trials. Our orders were to follow the fallout patterns and collect as much radiation as possible. It would bring on a major role in advancing our Weapons of Mass Destruction and our nuclear medicine capabilities. The total yield of the Redwing series was equal to slightly more than megatons or 16,250,000 tons of high explosives. (usually a tee shirt ) due to the warm and humid conditions. These were described as permanent badges issued with the instructions to be worn at all times. All film processing and record posting was done manually. Such operations were subject to many errors which were not always caught by the rechecks. A developing problem was the degradation of the film-packed in the dosimeters as indicated in Operation Redwing information that states operation or series badges initially issued in 4 to 6 week intervals. When unprotected, those badges used for longer periods showed frequent evidence of light leaks and water damage. There were several reasons for wearing personal dosimeters (film badges). The initiative was to monitor the radiation environment to provide reasonable assurance that exposures to individuals would remain below the applicable limits and to take corrective action if those limits were drawn near. The second aim was to make possible rough estimates of absorbed dose to critical organs of any people who might be inadvertently subjected to exposures considerably greater than the prescribed bounds. David Bradley speaking of Able Day May, 1946 Apparently the morality of the Geiger counters among the main task force from causes human and climatic has become of epidemic proportions. Haskell recently reminded me that on one night time patrol, while we were in the fallout line, we were having difficulties receiving radio communications with another ship. While the radiation was heavy and the topside sprinkler system was going, Hack, the Quartermaster, left the lead shielded control room and went on deck. He then broadcast a message by using the ship s signal light. The risk is well recognized. Today, Haskell and I are both members of the Ionizing Radiation Registry with the Veterans Administration. Each crew member also had individual dosimeters that were attached to our dog tags under our shirt (Photo shows my dog tags and dosimeter from Operation Redwing that were never taken.) I am one of thousands of Veterans who would like to have their story told. The average age of the atomic veteran is in the mid-80s. Starting with the first drop in August of 1945 there have been nearly 400,000 Atomic Veterans now less than one tenth of that number. 6

7 My Thermonuclear Summer The sand, the tents, the plants all had contamination. None of this contamination could actually be felt nor could it be seen. When we were living off LST-611, in AEC (Atomic Energy Commission) tenting, our trip to the beach and back was on that sand. Nothing was felt and nothing was seen. This whole business of fifty years of depressing secrecy can only start with the assumption that there has been an unbelievable amount of paperwork stored. The years of past members of the U.S. government, past Presidents, and others in leadership positions must have known of these secrets. A question could be demanded of those who kept these secrets from the Atomic veterans who were exposed to ionized radiation, if we didn t absorb enough radiation to be harmful then why were we not allowed to speak of our experiences until over 50 plus years past? It s not like others didn t recognize that the United States was working on nuclear weapons. Is it not true that radiation messes with genetics? Is it not true that many A-vets genetically transferred their disease to their offspring? Was the horror of this compounded through the cloak of silence? (Exposure to Nuclear Radiation and DoD Secrecy Agreement Section C. 13 FEB 1996) What is the effect of radiation on the human torso? Why do humans who know the same radiation not suffer the same issues? What are the effects of radiation on human DNA? Does it set up on succeeding generations? Does it contain a psychological force, emotional effect or an intellectual effect? I m exceedingly proud to be a Navy Veteran, extremely proud of being an LST sailor and extremely proud to be a Cold War Era Veteran, Korean Veteran, Disabled American Veteran and an Atomic Veteran. In a following paper entitled. In Defense of an Ionized Radiation Outliner, I question the accuracy of the reported lines of inaccurate fallout which were redrawn and years later corrected as well as, faulty dosimetry readings that over the period of years twice corrected but still not accurate in all cases. These particular items have had a dramatic effect upon the records of radiation, which have been reported, but not always corrected. Submitted by Darryl Hirst WHAT IS YOUR STORY? I would like for you to notice several stories from our members regarding their experiences and the effect stories are having. In this issue we have three stories that we will be able to get into print thanks to our layout man Bob Ruyle. We are currently printing eight pages quarterly, in both color and black and white. We are looking at increasing the newsletter to ten pages quarterly. (I would like to hear from you any commendations for the newsletter like you we are all volunteers.) At this time, I have in my possession four stories for placement in our Fall newsletter. The feedback I am getting is that you enjoy this type of a presentation. I wish to invite you to tell your story. They will be shared. You can contact me, either through newsboynaav@gmail.com or drop me a note addressed to Darryl Hirst, 1925 S. Saint Charles Road, Spokane Valley, WA ROLLING IN CASH! AND PETE PROVES IT! In our last newsletter the following article appeared. I must have sent the wrong amount of money to Pete Besas. Here is his photo holding 5-$100 bills. (NO MORE MONEY, I M BROKE.) Get you story in...okay, at least this time I don t have to make a remark like Way to go gang! No one replied. Pete Besas is the really big bucks guy by having gotten his story into the Newsletter. The money, 1953 Une Piatre, One Yi 1996 Yuan and a 1952 Hong Kong dollar. 7

8 The Admiral s Coxswain 1956 Submitter by Ron Bryan Ron Bryan has several interesting stories that I felt you will enjoy. While in the Navy he was assigned to Admiral B. Hall Hanlon s Barge. Admiral Hall was the Commander of Operation Redwing during Ron tells me that after the Navy, he taught school in El Cajon, CA for 26 years then for the National Park Service, as a park ranger, retiring in Montana. I plan to share, with you a follow up story to Ron experience in an upcoming issue. I am a Vet & proud of it. Going a little further I am as well an Atomic Veteran. A few years ago there were 250,000 of us. At a young age as all vets are, at nineteen I entered the U.S. Navy, soon to be on my way to San Diego, CA. I had enlisted for a four year commitment to which I knew nothing of what to expect for the coming years ahead. I was young and on my first trip alone heading west from Kansas City, KS to the Pacific Coast not knowing that for the next 55 years I would never go east of Kansas again except for five visits or business trips. My life and career responsibilities kept me in the west, to the islands of the Pacific, and the great Northwest of this great nation. At nineteen I was enthusiastic about my new adventure and my desire to see the world but that was not to be. The Korean War in 1953 was at a standstill with peace talks going on in North Korea. I was in awe as I got my first glimpse of the great Pacific Ocean from the train window as I was coming into the city of San Diego. Over the next 3 months I quickly fell in love with the ocean and decided that I wanted to spend the rest of my life here. But that was not to be because my God had other plans for me. Veterans Day is when we honor our military living & gone who answered the call to serve their country and to protect this great nation. I am proud to have been one of those not knowing what the next 4 years would bring into my young life after I enlisted in the U.S.N in I was chosen one of twelve out of boot camp in San Diego to enter into top secret work with AFSWP or Armed Forces Special Weapons project later stationed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I was to enter into the field of atomic weapons & would become an Atomic Veteran of which I am still proud today some 6 decades later. Little known to me at that time in 1953 that for the next 3 years I would be involved directly with the testing of atomic weapons in the state of Nevada as well as working and observing detonations of weapons in the Pacific Proving Grounds in the Pacific west of Hawaii. In 1954 our Navy unit at AFSWP moved to Las Vegas, NV. where a new base had been constructed called Lake Mead Base under much secret orders from the U.S. Govt. I was soon to find out that a unit of U.S. Marines also was stationed there for our top security. Our responsibility at this base was to put together atomic weapons, test them in the field by machines, then transport them to storage bunkers called igloos to await orders from our President to be put into operation in time of war. In the northern region of Nevada at that time there were testing sights where atomic weapons or bombs & warheads were conducted similar and more powerful than the two used on Japan to end WWII just 10 years before. I was soon to learn that I would be shipped to JTF-7 where I would witness some 17 of these weapons being tested during Operation Redwing in the Pacific. In February of 1956 I joined the Headquarters of the Operation to be the engineer on Admiral Hanlon s barge who was the Commander of the Operation on the Island of Kwajalein. I was part of 4 man crew to operate the barge which was to transport Commander Hanlon and his staff to the various islands on the atoll during the Operation. While in the Pacific I was privileged to meet personally some important dignitaries like the Asst. Sec. of Defense and many high officials of the federal government besides other generals, admirals, & captains of Hanlon s staff. --Continued on Page 9-- 8

9 --Continued from Page 8-- Operation Cherokee was the name of the test performed on Bikini, Atoll May 21, 1956 about 200 miles from Eniwetok. Our boat crew had to witness it that morning from the island of Parry just a few miles from Eniwetok where the Hdq. was but it still was a beautiful spectacle as we watched history being made. It was an aircraft drop of a hydrogen bomb which, was one of only two ever tested, and I was there to observe some miles away. The Admiral s Coxswain Continued Crew Members of Admiral Hablon s Barge POCAHANAS Operation Redwing 1956 Pay Dues Now! If you haven t paid your dues then please, consider doing that now. It s an important way to keep informed. $25.00 annual or $ life. National Commander: Fred Schafer - derf@trcschafer.com National Vice Commander: F. L Grahlfs flg17@caa.columbia.edu Treasurer: H. Frank Farmer - hfarmer000@centurytel.net Secretary: Barbara Schafer - bnewt2025@yahoo.com Director of State Commanders: G. H. Jenkins - atomicgillie@verizon.net Director at Large ( ): Robert Pfiefer - oldreliable2@live.com Director at Large ( ): Steve Harrison - lojwaanimal@yahoo.com Director at Large ( ): Haskell Watts Jr. - hwatts4@frontier.com Editor-NAAV Newsletter Darryl Hirst - newsboynaav@gmail.com Newsletter Layout Bob Ruyle - bobruyle34@gmail.com 9

10 All NAAV members here is a list of all State Commanders as of 9 August Your Director of State Commanders Gillie Jenkins wishes for all members to be able to contact their State Commander for questions. Hopefully this will keep us together. If your state does not have a State Commander or to volunteer to be a State Commander in your state, call or write to Gillie. Director of State Commanders Gillie Jenkins atomicgillie@verizon.net Dakins Drive, North Chesterfield, VA National Commander Fred Schafer derf@trcschafer.com Alabama: Ronald H. Holmes sgme9holmes@charter.net Alaska: Terry T. Brady terrybrady9462@gmail.com Arizona: Robert Spires, 2301 S. Pima Dr. Lake Havasu City AZ robertspiers@frontnet.net Arkansas: W.C. JAKE Lamkins jake@lamkins.com California: Leo Bud Feurt bufeurt@yahoo.com Colorado: Beverly A. Gray th. Ave Greely, CO bevnan@comcast.net Connecticut: Ronald T. RONNIE Benoit H C atomicvet024@gmail.com Delaware: Position available Florida: Becky Miller beckymillr1@gmail.com Georgia: Kenneth P. Price ppprice@att.net Hawaii: Bob Kilthau RAKaloha@yahoo.com Idaho: Pete Besas Phbesas@aol.com Illinois: Bill Fish NukedApril181953@aol.com Indiana: Position available Iowa: Gilbert Amdahl naaviagfa@yahoo.com Kansas: Position available Kentucky: Position available Louisiana: Rodney L Guidry rodguidry@juno.com Maine: Ronald T. RONNIE Benoit H C atomicvet024@gmail.com Maryland: Position available Massachusetts: Ronald T. RONNIE Benoit H C atomicvet024@gmail.com Michigan: Position available Minnesota: Jim Hamman No or Keith Kiefer KIEFER4RAMSEY@YAHOO.COM Mississippi: Elroy Warren Ewarren63@hotmail.com Missouri: Thomas Bair tombair@hotmail.com Montana: Pete Besas Phbesas@aol.com Nebraska: Robert Ruyle cell bobruyle34@gmail.com Nevada: Position available New Hampshire: Bernard Wynn bfwynn1@comcast.net New Jersey: Rudy Florentine rnflorentine@msn.com New Mexico: Glen Howard Leprechaun40@juno.com New York: Ed Gettler pappypac@verizon.net North Carolina: Lee Meadows leemmeadows@aol.com North Dakota: Fred Hartleib ( lwingnbach@yahoo.com ) Ohio: Alan Miller: alm9th2@windstream.net Oklahoma: James Lazalier jhll@cox.net Oregon: Gary J Smith gjs659@centurytel.net Pennsylvania: Anthony Marceca ( anthonymarceca@earthlink.net ) Rhode Island: Ronald T. RONNIE Benoit H C atomicvet024@gmail.com South Carolina: Tom Botchie toppop59@gmail.com South Dakota: Position available Tennessee: Position available Texas: James Brettell jbrettellj@cox.net Utah: Pete Besas Phbesas@aol.com Vermont: Ronald T. RONNIE Benoit H C atomicvet024@gmail.com Virginia: Gillie Jenkins atomicgillie@verizon.net Washington: Pete Besas Phbesas@aol.com West Virginia: Haskell Watts Jr hwatts4@frontier.com Wisconsin: Jerome Gehl jmgwinery@wikdbkue.net Wyoming: Position available 10