From: SRALSING@aol.com
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001
Subject: Christmas Island Reunion
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Attention all Christmas Island area 1962 Atomic Vets
Operation Dominic
Is there anyway you can post a reunion notice and notify your members of a 39
year reunion (before we get too old)?
Want to try to get together us guys that "glow in the dark" before everyone
forgets about us.
Black shoes, Brown shoes, and AF persons invited.
Cruise is on Princess from Honolulu 11/25, to Christmas Island and 3 stops in
Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea, ending at Papeete, Tahiti. ending on 12/7/01.
Stan Alsing
Email: SRALSING@aol.com
AO2, Crew 3, VP-872, JTF-8
P.O.Box 973
Helendale, CA 92342
Tel: 760-952-3852
Stan Alsing sent the following email about his service at Operation Dominic 1.
From: SRALSING SRALSING@aol.com
Date: Mon, 9 Mar 1998
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Subject: Dominic I - Christmas and Johnston Islands - 1962
I was in recalled Navy Reserve Patrol Sq 872. We arrived at Christmas Island
3 Apr 62 (I remember the date because it was my son's first birthday).
We flew the supression patrols to keep ships out of the danger area and were there for
19 of the blasts.
After the first one, we always went out to the airfield to
evacuate if necessary. It was quite an experience. We were relieved by VP-9
and then went to Johnston for (I believe) the 2nd high altitude shot. We had
landed too late to be evacuated to the USS Iwo Jima, so stayed below decks of
the docked ship we were billeted on. The missle was destroyed at about 5000
feet, and stuff rained on the island for about 5 minutes. The weapon itself
was between two of our planes surounded by guards.
We then returned to
Barbers Point to process for release from active duty. I happened to be it
town when one finally worked. It was about 2 AM and the streets lit up like
it was daylight.
I'll be 65 this year and, as far as I know, have suffered no
ill effects from being part of the tests.
Stan Alsing (former AO2)
Stan Alsing
Email: SRALSING@aol.com
Keith Whittle
March 15, 1998
[ Operation Dominic 1 ]