Operation Greenhouse
US Atomic Veterans
Basil V. Burrell
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005
From: "BASIL BURRELL" elba519@verizon.net
Subject: Operation Greenhouse Vets
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
You forgot to mention that there were about 12 Coast Guard personnel
involved in the tests at Eniwetok Atoll. I was one of them and we built
and operated a Loran Station on Eniwetok Island and a Loran Monitor
Station on Parry Island. I was there for the entire series of tests in
1951 on both Eniwetok and Parry Islands. As I remember most of
the people on Parry were civilian contractors. I also remember that
they ate very well and us Coasties shared in their good food.
I was an ET3 when I arrived to help build the stations and left in
November of 1951 after having my tour extended for two months
because there wasn't a replacement for me available at the time.
I retired from the Coast Guard in 1970.
Becky Miller gave me you name as someone that I should send my
information to.
I was stationed on Eniwetak and Parry Island for the Operation
Greehouse tests in 1951. I was there for the entire series of tests.
I was with the U.S. Coast Guard crew that built the Loran Transmitting
Station on the east end of Eniwetak and the Loran Monitor Station
on the south end of Parry Island and stayed to operate the system.
As I recall there were about 12 of us enlisted men and 1 Coast Guard
officer. We lived in tents on Eniwetak and had a bedroom in the
monitor station on Parry Island.
The Eniwetak Loran Station was part of a chain that consisted of three stations: Kwajalein where the station was on Ebye Island and a station on Wake Island.
As I recall there were four tests in the series that I observed. The day
after one of the tests I and another Coast Guard Electronics Tech,
got a flight with and Army or Air Force pilot in a 4-place Cessna-type
plane to the island where the test occured. I think the islands name
was Engibie.
Anyway, we were issued dark goggles and got to observe
all the tests. The devastation on the island we flew to was amazing.
The views of the explosions were unforgettable and the strange colors,
sound and heat can never be imagined from pictures or movies.
I don't recall if we had dosimeter badges or not.
I noticed from one web site that the presence of the Coast Guard was
not acknowledged. I hope that can be corrected.
Date: Thu, 10 Nov 2005
From: "BASIL BURRELL" elba519@verizon.net
Subject: Re: Vet issue
To: "Keith" pdxavets@aracnet.com
Yes I sent you the story of the 12 or so Coast Guard people who built and
operated the Loran Station on the east end of Eniwetok
and the Monitor Station on Parry Island. We started building the stations
about Nov or Dec of 1950 and they were operational
by January of 1951.
I was there for all the test explosions in 1951 and
left Eniwetok in November 1951. The dock where the
M boats landed was near the Coast Guard Loran Transmitting Station. We sat
out on the beach in front of the Loran Transmitter
building to watch the tests and were issued dark glasses to protect our
eyes.
I was also on the construction crew at Kwajalein Atol before being sent to
Eniwetok to help complete the construction there.
I caught a flight with an Army or Air Force pilot in a small Cessna type
4-place plane to what I believe was called Engibi Island
the day after a test on the island. I got to see the damage and lack of
damage to a number of structures there. The island was
still "hot" and there were a lot of radiation warning signs all over the
place.
Another interesting thing was the Bob Hope show came to Eniwetok while we
were there and Bob Hope and some of his
crew visited the beer hall on the beach near the Coast Guard Station.
Basil V. Burrell
CWO USCG (Ret)
519 Appian Way N.E.
727-821-7365
St. Petersburg, FL
elba519@verizon.net
--Keith Whittle
December 3, 2005
Operation Greenhouse