Operation Redwing
1956
US Atomic Veterans
Doug Beggerly
From: DJB1022@aol.com
Subject: Atomic Veteran
(Operation Redwing)
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Hi, Keith
At a recent "Canberra" reunion at Wright-Patterson AFB, there were two other pilots that participated in "Redwing" and we decided to write up the experience, but we need more details and pictures. I was Flight Commander of six B-57s from Langley AFB to Eniwetok via Hickam, Midway and Wake. The Patch was given to me after Operation Redwing. | 
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Operation Redwing
May 1956 - Eniwetok/Bikini Atolls
Douglas J. Beggerly,USAF (Ret)
I volunteered to pilot a Martin B-57 aircraft in 'Operation Redwing' into a thermonuclear cloud over Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands, South Pacific Ocean, in May 1956. I was assigned as flight commander of five B-57s made up of three aircraft from Langley AFB, Virginia and two aircraft from Blyethville AFB, Arkansas. The aircraft would participate with a pilot only. our navigators were left at home. We would ferry the aircraft, first, to McClellan AFB, Sacramento, California for outfitting with fuel ferry tanks and cockpit radiation measuring instruments, and then to Eniwetok by way of Hickam AFB, Hawaii, Midway Island and Wake Island. Prior to our departure, the aircraft had been stripped of 'night intruder' black paint back to the original bare aluminum skin to lessen radiation absorbtion. The aircrews were not issued any special protective gear. Standard issue flight suits, jackets, gloves, helmets, etc., were to be worn during the tests. Also before our departure from home bases, the pilots were sent to Albuquerque(Sandia), New Mexico for special physical examinations.
The Langley and Blytheville aircraft proceeded to McClellan AFB, California After several days we departed in formation for Hickam AFB, Hawaii. We climbed to 45,000 feet and arrived Hickam approximately after 5 1/2 hours without incident. The flight continued on the next day for Midway Island at 44,000 feet and arrived after 3 hours, 10 minutes. One aircraft scraped a tip tank on landing and was left behind to wait for replacement tank. We continued on the same day and landed at Wake Island after 2 hours, 5 minutes. The flight RON'd (Remained Overnight) and continued to Eniwetok next day, arriving after 2 hours 45 minutes. After arrival, the aircrews were briefed on the missions and assigned quarters awaiting their scheduled missions. Each individual pilot / aircraft was assigned to participate in a particular 'shot' (nuclear explosion). Detailed briefings would follow on the morning of 'shot'. I was assigned the first 'shot'. My altitude would be 42,000 feet and I would penetrate into the cloud 11 minutes following detonation. The other B-57 pilots were assigned following 'shots' at different altitudes and times of penetration. At the same briefing there were other pilots flying different types of aircraft. A B-36, B-52, B-66, F-84, F-101 were parked near the B-57s. The F-101 was going to make a supersonic penetration; the B-52 would make an actual airdrop of a weapon; the B-36 was going to sample air in a wide radius around the detonation.
Eniwetok is a barren, scrubby island that was a Japanese airbase during WWII and was the scene of heavy fighting. The clear, blue water around the island has hundreds of Japanese and U.S. military vehicles, ships, aircraft lying on the bottom of the lagoon, clearly visible from the shore and to the many snorklelers. The Bikini test site lies about 200 miles west of Eniwetok. Eniwetok was the primary base of aircraft and ships participating in nuclear tests.
Two days before my scheduled flight, a test shot was fired on Bikini to measure tides and shock travel. The weapon was a 210 kiloton (Hiroshima was 18 kiloton). Everyone present had been briefed on time and expected results. We got up at 0345 hours. It was dark and cloudy with threat of rain. After breakfast we were issued dark glasses and positioned ourselves on beach facing Bikini. A 30-second countdown was started at 0415 hours, and even though it was pitch dark, the explosion flash lit up Eniwetok Island like it was high noon on a clear day. After about 1 minutes we felt a strong shock-wave, followed approximately 4 minutes later by heavy crashing of waves on the beach. The bright flash lasted several seconds, the shock wave a few seconds and the crashing waves about 7 or 8 minutes.
On the morning of my flight I was awakened at 0330 hours. I suited up in regulation flight suit, boots and jacket and newly issued dosimeter. After breakfast I reported to the briefing room and was briefed on take-off time, final procedures for contacting my orbit controller and details of entering the cloud, emergency procedures and recovery decontamination after landing. It was still 1 hour before sunrise when I took off under the direction of my primary radar controller Zephyr. After reaching 42,000 feet, Zephyr placed me in a racetrack, left-hand pattern in my orbit area about 15 miles east of the detonation site. My callsign was Bravo 02. At approximately 18 minutes before detonation, a countdown was started on participating aircraft frequency. I was still under the control of Zephyr and was given a new altimeter setting and told to maintain my current heading. My penetration time was confirmed as 11 minutes following detonation. My orbit took about 6 minutes each time around and I was starting on my third orbit when the countdown reached minus 1 minute. I was in the clear at 42,000 feet and could see the glow of lights at Eniwetok and the running lights of surface vessels on the water. I could also see the running lights and flashing beacons of other aircraft in orbit at altitudes below me.
At 30 seconds before detonation I had completed my turn and was heading directly towards the detonation site. I attempted to contact my controller and request I start a turn to place me facing away from the blast. Primary controller came on the air and requested aircraft make no further transmissions as the countdown reached 15 seconds. I lowered my visor and was just starting to turn away when the detonation occurred. I was heading straight towards ground-zero and saw the initial detonation, blinding flash of the fireball and rising column that turned into the mushroom cloud. The colored helmet visor helped keep me from losing my complete night vision and I just stared at the site in awe. There were some ships anchored near ground-zero and they were tossed about like toys. one of the most amazing aftermaths of the explosion was the formation of full-blown thunderstorms all around the base of the cloud stem. These thunderstorms were complete with lightning, and I'm sure there must have been rain showers. The thunderstorm heights immediately reached heights of 20 to 30,000 feet. I watched as the fireball diminished and the huge mushroom spread. When I was steered to my penetration point 11 minutes after detonation, the cloud was above my altitude of 42,000 feet.
When I entered the cloud it was very turbulent and dark. I remained on instruments and after flying on a heading of 270 degrees for 2 minutes, I made a proecedure turn of 180 degrees and exited the cloud. It may have been my imagination, but during my flight in the cloud I thought I smelled gunpowder. I had my oxygen mask on and was on 100 percent oxygen, so maybe it was my imagination. During my time in the cloud my radiation instruments registered a maximum of 42R and an average of 7.5R. I had remained in the cloud 5 rninutes, 25 seconds.
I made a radar approach to Eniwetok under direction of Zephyr and was handed off for GCA landing. I was directed to decontamination parking and was told to raise the canopy, shut the engines down. I was cautioned not to touch any part of the aircraft outside of the cockpit. I unfastened from my parachute and stood up. A forklift was moved alongside the aircraft and I stepped from the cockpit onto the forklift platform, then was lowered to the ground. The decontamination crews were all in yellow rubber decontamination suits with hoods. They motioned and pointed me towards a small building with a shower. After removing all my clothing (which I never saw again), I showered and I was met by some other Yellowsuits who began monitoring me as I stepped out of the shower dripping wet. The guys in yellow went over my naked body with geiger counters and as the counters made clicking noises, I was sent back to the showers. I came out again and was told to go back in, I was still radioactive. I took four showers before being declared free of the radioactive bugs. My aircraft was given several soap and water showers followed by high pressure steam rinsing. I was given all new flight clothing, boots, helmet and dosimeter and taken to debriefing. When I told them I was facing ground-zero when the blast went off, I was sent to the flight surgeon for an eye exam. Everything was OK and I was cleared to go home.
| I took one last snorkle swim around the lagoon with a friend (Rule: you are prohibited from swimming alone and at no time more than 100 feet from shore), said my farewells and headed back to the land of the big BX. |
Redwing Certificate 1956. Photo from Doug Beggerly
Click on photo for a larger view.
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I stopped off in Albuquerque for a followup radiation exam and was told someone wouldbe monitoring my health status annually from the Pentagon. My squadron flight surgeon thought that was the funniest joke he had heard in a long time. He gave me a check for radiation effects during my annual physicals and marked my medical records with a notation to my next flight surgeon when I was transferred. To my knowledge there has been no radiation damage to my body as a result of the exposure at 'Redwing' 43 years ago. I was recently notified by DOD to report to nearest VA hospital for examination as a result of possible exposure to 'Agent Orange' in Vietnam. I mentioned that I had been exposed to radiation and was given a separate exam. Both 'Agent Orange' and radiation exams were negative. I am a survivor!
Douglas J. Beggerly,
USAF (ret.)
November 18, 1999
DJB1022@aol.com
--Keith Whittle
November 23, 1999
Operation Redwing
