Hardtack 1958
US Atomic Veterans
Doug Ashby
Doug Ashby sent email about his duty at Operation Hardtack.
From: "Doug Ashby" oldsol67@hotmail.com
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Subject: LCU 666
Date: April 2, 2007
Hi Keith
I was an Engineman Fireman on the 666 at Eniwetok Operation Hardtack 1958.
I'm not sure how many tests we viewed but I would guess about 22 to 25. To a young man of 19 I would have to say that the tests were very impressive.
I remember that our Chief was a Crawford from Rome Ga. and the first class engineman was named Wildes.
On one of the tests we were at anchor and were having trouble getting the anchor engine started as we always were running the boat to be able to face the right direction for the blast. We had our back to the blast with the pilot house to our back and we also were wearing dark goggles which when we looked at the sun, we saw black, we also placed our arm against the goggles and when the blast occurred we were able to see light through the lens of the goggles. After a countdown the Chief told us that we could look at the blast. It was amazing the size of the mushroom and the color of the fireball. It's something a person remembers for the rest of their life.
Another time we trying to hoist our rear anchor and the flute of the anchor had snagged a cable on the bottom and after some time we were able to shake it loose.
I have e-mailed a person that was on the ship that ran aground on the reef at enewetok which only the bow was left in 1958 The name of the ship was the Nickajack.I had been swimming about 150 feet from the bow and the bottom about 8 feet deep was clear of sand and the coral was clean,I was wearing a pair of diving goggles and looking at the coral and spotted a small spent bullet lying in a pocket ,I swam down and still have it today and often wondered it it had passed through someone on the way to the pocket in the coral.
I would be interested in knowing if any more shipmates are still living from the 666.
Doug Ashby
Email: oldsol67@hotmail.com
Keith Whittle
April 3, 2007
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