The job at Eniwetok Atoll was to clean up the tons of radioactive sand and debris from 43 atomic and thermonuclear explosions. Eight detonations were fired on Runit and two craters created from the LaCross, April 5, 1956, and the Cactus detonation were used to bury contaminated soil from all over the atoll. Part of this clean up was building a massive concrete dome over the Cactus crater, from the explosion on May 5th, 1958. The crater was 30 feet deep and 350 feet across.
Thousands of tons of radioactive debris were bulldozed into the crater and it was finally capped with 358 panels of concrete. According to an article in National Geographic, there is still plutonium scattered over Runit. Food grown in experimental plots with 15 inches of top soil removed still showed high levels of Cesium 137. Concrete Dome (Picture) on Runit
U.S. Atomic Veterans
| Wetokian Clean Up Certificate
courtesy Grant Carson |
Girard Frank Bolton III, Draftsman/Operations/Mail Carrier, HHQ, 84th Engineers.
Scott McKenzie was a 1LT, Platoon Leader, B Company, 84th Engineers.
Edward J. Blas was a Como.Sgt. with the Co. C 84th Engineer Bn.
George Duncan was with the Co. C 84th Engineer Bn.
Mike Dager was with the 84th Engineer Bn.
Jeff Logan was Ops NCOIC for Alpha Co.
Sam Marler was with Hqs Co. 84th Engineer Bn.
Larry Kotz worked for the scrap outfit Kolar Inc.
Tom Parrish was a Carpentry / Masonry Specialist with B Co. 84th Engineers.
Steve Duncan was a Boat Coxswain with Assault Craft Unit One.
Johnny Deardorff was assigned to Fwd Unit, Co. A, 84th Engineer. Bn., Batch plant.
Daniel Rose was assigned to 1st Combat Platoon B Co. 84th Engineer. Bn.,
R and R crew (rock and rebar).
Robert J Barrall Jr. was TDY to Headquarters Co. Maint. Platoon.
Ian Jackson was TDY to 65th CBT Engineer Bn.
Don Clifton was attached to the 84th Engineer Battalion.
Richard Masculine was a Dump Truck Operator on Janet.
Ben Rush was attached to the 84th Engineer Battalion.
Grant Carson was assigned to the Aviation Detachment 84th Eng. Battalion, Body Snatchers.
David E. (Gene) Ingram was with the 29th Engineer Battalion and part of the survey crew.
Wm. O. Keller was an NCOIC and part of the quarry section at Runit.
James Savage was with the A. Co. 84th Engr Bn (Fwd) (Prov).
Ray Hampton Jr. was stationed at Enewetak from December, 1979 to June, 1979 with the US Army.
Ed Robbins was a metalworker with the 84th Engineer Battalion at Eniwetok in 78.
Ron Madden was with B Co., 548th Engr. Bn. at Eniwetok in 78-79.
Darrell January was a Navy Photographer at Eniwetok in 1969.
Robert Celestial was attached to the 84th Engineer Battalion.
Dale Johnson a "Crater Gator" did a tour on Lojawa and worked on Runit.
Dan Collins was the CO, for C Co., 84th Engineer Battalion.
Peter Moreno was on duty with Harbor Clearance Unit One, Clear Water, Beach Clean-Up team.
Gary Pulis was attached to 84th Engineer Battalion out of
Schofield Barraks, HI.
Patrick O'Reilly was attached to Harbor Clearance Unit Two out of
Norfolk VA.
Steve (Harry) Harrison was attached to B. Co. 84th ENGR's in September of 1978
Joe Henderson was the USAF Action Officer for the radiological cleanup of Enewetak.
Dave Port was stationed at Enewetak from January, 1979 to June, 1979 with the USAF radiation team.
Harry was with the US Navy loading equipment used in the Clean-Up onto ships during the roll-up.
Steve Donald was stationed with the 326th Engineer Battalion, 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Ky.
Don Norton was assigned to Assault Craft Unit 1, out of San Diego, CA.
Wetokian
Eniwetok Clean-Up . . .by Pat Broudy
WW II -- Battle Of Eniwetok
