During January 2000, Sam sent some more excellent stories about his atomic duty.
From: ABurffy@aol.com
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000
Subject: Re: Atomic Vets
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Hi Keith,
I mentioned performing Radiological Monitoring of our company area at
Eniwetok shortly after the H-bomb test. Though I no longer recall what the
readings were, I do know they were (at the time of the reading), negligible.
Captain Robbins our XO and later CO, and an officer much respected by the
men of our unit, was one of those who was always designated to wear a
dosimeter during tests. I am sure, he knew what his readings were and would
have taken appropriate action had we been subjected to dangerous levels of
radiation. However, I also mentioned the one time I remembered that swimming
in the lagoon at Eniwetok, and consumption of fish from the lagoon, were
prohibited. What I don't remember is if the water was contaminated, just the
fish, or both? If only the fish were contaminated then why prohibit
swimming, unless the fish were highlycontaminated with Beta or Gamma
radiation? However, if the water were contaminated, then we were also, by
the fact we consumed de-salinated sea water as a source of drinking and
cooking water. I know of no individual unit monitoring of the levels of
radiation we may have been subjected to by these sources. Though they are
probably a part of those compilations to be provided by official sources upon
request?
I hate to think of what has been spent trying to provide estimates (real or
imagined), of the exposure the military was subjected to during all of the
nuclear weapons tests. I do have some feel for what was and is being spent
to get a handle on the Hanford "Downwinder," area and the extent of exposure.
That isn't to mention the fact the US government is liable for all
litigation expenses in defense of the contractors who managed Hanford during
the periods under litigation, and also any damages that might be awarded to
the plaintiffs in the case.
As a matter of possible interest, I was recently contacted by a member of my
old unit, Ruben Martinez. Ruben and I have been burning up the wires with
e-mail, catching up on our reminiscence' of the "Good Old Days?" It helps to
bounce things off someone else who shared the same or like experiences, so as
to put things in proper perspective. A lot of the things I know/knew of what
went on outside our own little world of automotive maintenance, was hearsay
or vague rememberances. And since, at least as I recall, there were no local
news bulletins on the Island of Eniwetok or Desert Rock, hearsay as a source
of information, was rampant.
Ruben mentioned he had been contacted by you. Hopefully, you will soon hear
from Ruben about some of his experiences and rememberances of the period
1950-1953.
Thanks again for identifying those sources of information.
Sam
Email: ABurffy@aol.com
From: ABurffy@aol.com
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000
Subject: Re: Atomic Veterans
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Keith,
I have not yet read the story about the Nickajack Trail. I do remember the
old Japanese freighter there in the "Narrow Passage," at one end of "Wetok,"
(never could tell north from south or east from west there!). I couldn't
recall the name of the ship, but thought it was something like "Crackerjack
Maru," the Maru part I was sure of though. I do remember myself and a couple
of other guys wading over to that little island at low tide. Was that Parry?
We saw some of those big "harmless," Monitor Lizards on the Island ...
Harmless? couldn't prove it by me, they are like snakes to me, ain't no such
thing as harmless!
I don't know what type radiation was recorded officially for the operations
at "Wetok." I do know that when I took my team back onto the Island to
monitor our company area after the H-Bomb test, I was using an Army Navy
Protection Device Radiation, ANPDR 37-A (ble). This device recorded Alpha,
Beta and Gamma Radiation. The readings were as I recall, in
"Millirems," (Thousanths of a Rem). I no longer recall the reading I
obtained, or the type radiation the reading was in or, whether such is still
classified, but it barely moved the needle on the detection device. I will
agree however, that any amount of radiation might be hazardous to one's
health, in particular that which is, "ingested."
What I read on one of the websites about the hazards from debris, from the
various types of detonations at Desert Rock definately went against what I
was taught as to the type of detonation that spreads the largest amounts of
contaminated debris. It has been a while, but I recall being instructed
that; detonation a few hundred feet above ground level will cause high level
contaminated debris to be pushed out at ground level for miles, this debris
will be deposited coming and going as the debris is eventually sucked back
into the mushroom cloud and disseminated by the winds. It would seem to me
anyone going back into an area of arial detonation would have to carefully
monitor the area as they went. I can't imagine troops moving back into an
area the same day, the day after, or several weeks after an areal detonation,
as has been described by those men of the 186th AB Bgd. and others at Desert
Rock. I am not an expert, the forgoing is just my opinion based on training
provide me to perform the functions of a Radiological Decontamination Team
member/NCO. I don't think we were testing "Clean," Nuclear Weapons during
that period?
I don't know if it was you who e-mailed Ruben or if it was Bowden. No
matter, whoever it was, I think Ruben will be responding soon. Between the
two of us we remember quite a bit as pertains to incidents pertaining to
individuals of the unit, but as I mentioned, we were not informed much on
what was going on relative to the operations at "Wetok."
Regards
Sam
Email: ABurffy@aol.com
From: ABurffy@aol.com
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000
Subject: A Soldier's Sea Stories
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Hi Keith,
Since my original contact with you, and your posting some of my recollections
to your web site, I have been contacted by a former member of the 4th Trk Co.
We have been reminiscing some of our experiences, and I have a few more
recollections that might be of interest to you. This may not be exactly the
way the incident occurred, but is as I recall or heard of the incident:
Sometime in October, 1950, the night before we were to board a ferry on (I
believe), the Sacramento River near Pittsburgh, CA, some of us decided to
celebrate the occasion of our transfer overseas with "Mohawk," haircuts.
Nothing seemed to remain unknown to our C.O. for long, and before we knew it,
the whole company was ordered to fall out to stand formation. After the 1st
Sgt., reported the status of the company, the C.O. ordered everyone to remove
helmets, which we did. The C.O. looked us over, than stated, "I thought
so." "All you men with Mohawk haircuts, there will be another formation in
20 minutes, when you fall in you'd better have all your hair or none of it!"
The next day, (I don't recall the date), we caught a ferry for the piers in
San Francisco. At the piers (Pier 9 I believe), we loaded aboard the USS
General Fleming. I believe the General Fleming was a US Army ship, manned by
the US Navy. I remember going down, and down, into the hold of the ship to
what was identified to us as Compartment C-2, our living quarters aboard
ship. As I recall, we had just got settled in, when the loudspeaker
announced, "Compartment C-2. Lay down to chow!" Say what, lay down to chow?
The next problem was where in the H___, was the mess hall? We, I anyway,
was like a rat in a maze. Chow on board that ship was good. Lots of beans
but hey, you can't go wrong with beans!
I think it was a couple of days before we were allowed on deck. I don't know
if it was a safety precaution due to inclement weather, or just the normal
heavy seas that we seemed to experience close to landfall. Anyway, when we
were informed our Compartment could go up on deck, I started to go up.
However, I only got up the ladder a flight or so, others before me had been
sea sick, and the landings were strewn with upchucked hard boiled egg and
oranges! Although I never did get sea sick, this sight brought me close to
it, and I went back to the compartment. However, I eventually managed to
overlook the unsightly mess and make my way on deck.
On deck, I liked to lay near the edge of the deck (railing?), where I could
look down and see the ship rising and falling and breaking the water.
However, this enjoyable pastime was short-lived (naturally), and interrupted
by a whack on the sole of my boot by a sailor with a "Nightstick." It seems
(undoubtedly for safety reasons), we were not permitted to get within a
certain distance of the railing area. However, sometimes this would be
overlooked and was a pleasant way to spend time.
We hadn't been underway too long when I began hearing a metallic "tap,"
"tap," "tap." I couldn't tell just where this sound was coming from, it
wasn't loud, but very annoying, and from looking around, I knew it wasn't
coming from within our compartment. This sound seemed to follow me
everywhere, even on deck. It was driving me nuts, so one day while on deck
there it was, "tap," "tap," "tap." I decided then and there that I was going
to find the source of that noise. And I did. It was a young Marine on his
way to Okinawa. He had a large silver spoon "copped," from the mess hall
(Galley that is), and was gently tapping on the edge of a silver 25 cent
piece, from which to form a ring. This guy must have been billeted in the
compartment just above, or adjacent to Compartment C-2. I don't think the
tapping ever ceased while I was on that ship, but at least once I had found
the source, the noise didn't bother me so much. All in all, our trip over to
Eniwetok was an enjoyable one, for me anyway.
Shortly after arrival at Eniwetok, we all had to fill out these Personal
History Questionaires for security purposes. This was to be done on
"Banner," type paper, no lines, just plain blank paper!? Believe me, this
was a nightmare for me. At age 17, after getting out of high school, two
others and myself worked out way around the United States. We would work a
month, or two or three weeks, depending mostly on harvest and cannery work.
We worked our way east to New York, then down the East Coast to Florida,
winding up at a truck farm outside Homestead, FL. before returning to Oregon.
Our instructions in filling out the forms, were to indicate everyplace we had
lived, and all places of employment, to include dates, what a job. To make
it worse, we only had pencils, and no tables or desks to work on. I'd have
hated to be the ones in Army Intelligence who had to decipher those forms!
Shortly after we all had completed the Personal History Questionnaires, Army
Intelligence personnel descended on the 4th Truck Company. There was a young
S/Sgt., who as I recall had been assigned to the unit after we arrived
overseas. I guess he had been assigned to bring our NCO staff up to TOE
authorization. Anyway, he had reportedly indicated on the Personal History
Questionaire that he was an Atheist. In those days Atheism was synonymous
with Communism! I am sure the young man was not Communist, but he did not
remain at Eniwetok.
Here are a couple additional stories of incidents at Camp Desert Rock:
After returning from Eniwetok in June of 1951, an SFC was assigned to the 4th
Trk. He was of Filipino descent, and a heck of a nice NCO. I didn't see
this first hand but the following was related to me: The SFC had been to Las
Vegas, and on his way back in the wee hours of the morning had stopped at a
little diner someplace between Las Vegas and Indian Springs. The diner
apparently was also a truck stop, as the story was that several (the number 4
comes to mind), truck drivers started harassing the SFC, who was in uniform.
The SFC, who even in addressing junior enlisted men was pretty mild in
nature, is said to have taken this abuse for some time, then he invited the
truck drivers outside where he proceeded to teach them some manners. This
was way before Karate was in vogue, but from what I heard, this SFC knew more
than a little of it or something quite similar..
As a mechanic I had occasion to accompany a convoy of trucks to the Marine
Annex at Barstow CA. These were the old 1942 "Deuce and a Half," GMC's, and
we were to load them up with sand bags and barbed wire, which we did. On
the way back, I was riding "Shotgun," in one of these trucks. We started
down a long steep grade as the highway leaves California and enters Nevada.
Would you believe the kid driving kicked that truck out of gear!? Before we
reached the bottom of the grade, if I recall correctly, and I believe I do,
that truck's speed approached 80 mph! What held it together I don't know,
the Army didn't balance wheels in those days and that truck's front end was
shimmying and bouncing around something awful. Years later, in the late
1960's through the 1980's I saw many of this same model and vintage truck
still employed hauling sugar cane in the Philipines.
There was a time when the 4th Trk at Camp Desert Rock was the subject of an
IG inspection. I believe this was in conjunction (though I don't know), with
the previously mentioned incident involving a convoy to 3rd Corps HQs. I
recall we worked almost around the clock for several days, getting things
"spruced up." Then early one morning, it was still dark, we were ordered to
fall our for inspection. We were certainly a motley looking bunch of
soldiers, but when the General in command of 3rd Corps showed up, he looked
even more scrounge than we did in my opinion. He was probably putting in
more hours than we had. And I'm sure he had more important things to do, as
far as we troops were concerned, he just walked, almost ran down the front
rank, and was gone. Apparently we passed the inspection, for whatever
purpose it had been conducted.
Well, this should keep you busy posting to your web site for a while. It was
Ruben Martinez you contacted by e-mail. I am sure he has had some
interesting experiences related to the Nuclear Testing and hope he shares
them with you.
Regards
Sam
Email: ABurffy@aol.com
Keith Whittle
January 24, 2000
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