Operation Plumbbob
US Atomic Veterans
Fred Greaves
From: Nukevet@aol.com
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2000
Subject: Re: Atomic Veteran (Operations Plumbbob and Hardtack)
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Keith,
I joined the Army in October 1955 right out of High
School. Took Basic Training at Fort Jackson, SC with the 101st Airborne. Then spent six months at Fort Gordon, GA., at a Field Radio Repair School. Around June of 1956 I received my
permanent assignment with the 1st Radiological Safety Support Unit (1st RSSU) or USSR as I
used to call it. Often wondered if there ever was a 2nd RSSU.
When I got to Fort McClellan the
majority of the unit was in the Pacific for Operation Redwing. They got back around August or
September of ’56. That’s when I first realized what the unit was all about, by listening to the
stories of the (Vets). I thought they were all exaggerating the experience, I would soon learn I
was wrong.
During the period between Redwing and Plumbbob, my duty was to repair and
calibrate radiation monitoring equipment for use at the base. I remember a huge gym like
building that was round and had a basketball like floor, in the middle of the floor was a lead
canister that was attached to a chain and hoist. Inside the canister was a known source of
radiation, probably cobalt. We’d place the instrument we were calibrating on a concentric line
that was a known value and remotely control the hoist to lift the lead canister. We would then
proceed to calibrate the instrument in fields of anywhere from 1 to 500 Roentgens (now known
as REMS) per hour. This process could take anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes if I remember right.
After the instrument was calibrated at the scale of interest we would lower the lead canister and
place the instrument on the next closest line and start the procedure all over again. Yes we wore film badges and dosimeters, never was told how much absorption we got.
Around June of 1957, we proceeded to the Nevada test site for operation Plumbbob. There were two locations at the
NTS for billeting, Camp Mercury and Desert Rock, I was unlucky enough to be assigned to
Camp Desert Rock which was nothing but Squad Tents. I remember the peaceniks that used to
gather at the entrance to the NTS, I thought they were crazy at the time, now I’m not too
sure.
The first Shot I witnessed was Pricilla on Frenchmen’s Flat. I was in fatigues and wearing a
steel pot. We were told to turn our backs to the shot and not turn around until told to. I remember feeling the heat on the back of my neck, which was a tingling feeling like someone was holding a 500 Watt light bulb right at the edge of my hair. Then we were told to turn around and I saw the most beautiful and awesome sight I had ever seen, yes these things were actually beautiful to see.
Then came the shock wave. It felt like your eardrums met in the middle. It was not a typical explosion like sound, rather a sharp bang and it was gone. The shock wave tore my steel pot off my head because I was to stupid to have the strap fastened. As I turned around to retrieve it, a second shock wave hit and knocked me for a summersault. This was my introduction to Nuclear Testing. The only reasons I can imagine for the double shock wave are 1. There were two fireballs or 2. We were inside of the reinforcement area of the shot, meaning this device was on a tower, and when the detonation occurs, the blast is 360 degrees around the device. The line of sight wave is the first one to hit you, the second is the reflection wave from the ground directly below the device at ground zero. This wave eventually catch’s up to the primary wave and reinforces it. My vote is for number 2. If so, we were too damn close. We never were told exactly how close we were to any of the shots.
Date: Wed, 6 Sep 2000
Subject: Bob "Dusty" Rhodes
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Keith thanks so much for posting the notice of Dusty's passing. Would you do
me one more favor?
I believe that this quote from an article in the September Readers Digest
says it all. Maybe you can find a place and way to put in on your page.
"You can't make old friends, you can only lose them. And in losing them, you
lose part of yourself."
We, who participated in the "tests", I believe and so did Dusty, have a
special bond,
We Are All...."Old Friends" whether we knew each other or not.
Warmest Regards and a special thanks for what you do.
I am looking for members of 1st RSSU, 56 to 58, Operations
Plumbbob & Hardtack, for a reunion.
Thanks
Here is info about the US Army First Radiological Safety Support Unit
Fred Greaves
Nukevet@aol.com
Keith Whittle
February 27, 2000
Operation Plumbbob