(Scuterent of
Bikint£ Ato.
conccening exr-cherscs on “Operatioa Castle"
(
54)
: oe
PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REMOVED
“Exposure #1:
Tncrmo-nuclesr shot, ahouc the third or fourth detonation
in the serfes.
I was convinced to go on the prenise that I would set up
my radfo, check ic for operation and evacuate aboard ship at sca.
How“ever, when the time cam2 the selentists did not think it a good idea to
run the shot without a radio technician because of so many delays already
cue to other failures.
I refused to stay on shore.
I was promised evac-
uation if the radios would work over the remaining time left before 6:00 p.c,
. departure of all personnel and ships.
The ships ceparted abour 3:00 p.m,
“without me and I was then told I could leave with the coptors that were
flying the sclentists when they left after arming the bomb.
Sometime around
midnight the sctentists returned to the bunker after releasing the copters
and said they did not know I was supposed to’ go back with the copters etc.,
. etc. and so I was "volunteered" to stay 20 miles from ground "O" wich a
‘1§ megaton thermonuclear device that was experinentally "souped up" co
produce twice that, however later results snowed three times or almose §0
megatons.
Ac briefing time before shot hour we were all told what to
expect and whac to do and not o pantie because the ships were close by and
“we would be evacuated if need be:
.
Shot goes off about 6:00 a.m. so good pictures can be taten.
We are all
shook up considerably end scared stiff!
At 6:16 a.m. the coor is opened
and we go out to s22 results. We have no protective clothing and I have
on "T" shire, shorts, shore sle-ve kheki shirt and khaki bermudes and GI
shoes.
ror detection I have culty 2 film badge and a pocket dasciciter because Iwas not supposed co stay.
Several minutes zfcar leaving bunker
someone yells “everybody dack in, Hurry-! A fine mist ts falling end highly
tadicactive Sasause the geiger counters 2re climbing rapidly. 3efore we can
mn
Of
= 0
vec to che cunker sand and debris are velting us lightly.
We go back {in the
bunker and report fallouc ro ships.
‘hile contemplating a ds
fon for
evacuation, che ships starc getcing fallout and they decide =
0 CO se2 60
@s not to endanger che ships 2nd people on them. Abouc 9:00
a.m. no more
ship radio contacc. about 9:30 a.m, we have power feilure and thus razto
failure.
~N
me
“At this tine the geifger counter at the inside of the door cas pegzed 3t
500 Rt, the room we were in was reading over 10R so ve scughs 2 "sooler™
area. he found the only roc: left to us was reading abdovr St ik.
So iights
cosnenication witr ships, no air and the radiacticn Level unxnowa
yecause 3.2 the meters want te peg on hi scale except one.
“We wate Jesperate!
Estimstio> of ships return with loss of communicctions was
three co
feur hours.
Estimatics of anyone surviving outside exposure was 18 minutes and cut co
22 nrnutes for safety factors.
we all drew straws (9 of us) to see in what
order we would go out, one every hour with a walky-talky co call the ships
. ,* for 12 minetes nemimum wrapped up in a bed sheet and was #5, we startec at
-ot2700 pom. at 3:00 p.m. we used 4% and he contacted the ships finally.
-.
They sent us two copters for men and classiried junk. We wrapped ourselves
with the only protection Wwe had.
Bedsheets:
We murmy wrapped each other
and fastened {t cown with masking cape.
Wa used our two sheets each and iefs
- only eye noles co see and small ones at that. The copters buzzed the bunker
‘on the way to the landing pad. We all got in abandoned two vehicles and
.
. erm
mR me
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ooo 7 WOE ARCHIVES Co ST Ts
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