Bikini Atoll, July 1946 Shot Able Shot Able The story of the Crossroads tests as once secret documents reveal, and history has recorded, is that the U.S. Navy stationed itself in close proximity for the sudden release of the new atomic genie. As the brightest light the world had ever seen and the great mushrooms smoke and blast faded away, the atomic genie had changed form yet again. This time the American Navy faced a new enemy it could not see, it could not destroy, and would not go away. The Navy brass were learning the lessons of a terrible new danger very different from any they had faced before. From the August 19, 1946 Life magazine. ". . .But what they had learned was summed up last week in the heartfelt comment of Admiral William H. P. Blandy: 'It's a poison weapon.'. ." Baker Shot Click on any of the images on this page to see a larger view. Bomb and Fleet Photos from Bill Cunningham Target Fleet The young sailors of Operation Crossroads are now in their late 70s and early 80s. There are many widows now that tell the stories of their veterans. Half of the 42,000 personnel who took part in the tests in 1946 have died. U.S. Atomic Veterans Howard L Watson was an AETM3c on the USS Avery Island. Richard D. Cusolito was an AF Electrician with the 393rd Bomb Squadron. Aubrey C. Fisher was a S1/c Radioman Striker aboard the USS Apalachian AGC 1. Frank West was an Ensign attached to the USS Achomawi ATF 148. September 2, 2003-- Duane "Whitey" Coker who served on the USS Lamson and Clamp during Operation Crossroads has passed away. Charles Decker was Pharmacists Mate on the USS Bountiful. Don Byers was a Navy photographer on the USS Wharton. Herb Doering, was a gunners mate, stationed aboard the USS Flusser. Jack Jordan was a Radio Operator aboard the USS Wharton. Cecil Herald served aboard the ATA 124 Harold Bakke who served on the USS Dixie Nuell W. (Bill) Paschal was Quartermaster on the USS Fall River CA131. Richard V. Fisher, Calif., sent us two stories about his experience at Operation Crossroads, Bikini Diary and Bikini and the Atom Bomb which is an excerpt from his book, Out of the Crater, Chronicles of a Volcanologist. Alice A. Parson, wrote an excellent new book about her brother Ed Alton. Ed served aboard the USS Benevolence and USS Haven in the Radiological Section. Bikini Diary: Proud To Be Chosen is pictured with an excerpt. Boley Caldwell III, was for several years the NAAV Medical Data Base Custodian and was a Radiation Monitor at Operation Crossroads has passed away. Tom Hawkins was aboard the USS Rockwall APA. Robert S. (Bob) Rhodes served aboard the USS Geneva APA 86. Thomas R. Eberspecher served aboard the USS Saidor CVE-117. Anthony ( Tony ) Milici served aboard the USS Trippe DD403. Lonnie Hanks served aboard the USS Arkansas BB33. Russell Mathuss was an SKD3 on the USS Walke 723. Giuseppe S. (Joseph) Cappelli was an F1C assigned to the Nagato. Donald Knapp was a GM3/c on the USS Charles P. Cecil DD 835. Edward J. Cushing was an ET 2/C on the USS Barton DD-722. Leland Michelsen a SF1/C, served aboard the LST 388. Rufus Whitfield was aboard the USS Chowanoc ATF 100. April 7, 2001--Dr. Oscar Rosen, past National Commander of the National Association of Atomic Veterans, USN, and was a participant in Project Crossroads has passed away. Fred Kinzel was the Butcher aboard the USS Pensacola CA 24. Bill McGee served aboard the heavy cruiser USS Fall River and wrote an excellent book titled Blue Jacket Odyssey. Joseph K. Jordan was an EN 1 aboard the USS Cebu ARG 6 George Culley was a Quartermaster on the USS Topeka and the Nagato Dennis Bentley was a Fireman 1/c on the USS PGM 25. Marvin A. Van Sickle served aboard the USS Shangri La CV 38. Walter Kropf was a Pharmicists mate with the 53rd Seabees. Photo Album Glen Pense served aboard the USS Wilson DD 408. Clifford A Hylden was an was an electrician on the USS Dixie. Thomas J St. John Jr. was a MM 2C, on the USS Shangri-La CV38. William (Bill) Kessler was an electronic technician assigned to theNagato Thor Weatherby was Fire Controlman 3/c aboard theUSS Dixie, AD-14 James Alwyn Dorow (Winchester) was a radarman board the Trippe DD403 Stan Smith was aboard the Saratoga and Fall River. Frank Gagnon was a shipfitter aboard the APA27 George Clymer and USS Kenneth Whiting. W.G. "Mac" McCarley was a Signalman aboard the USS Presque Isle APB44. Melbourne J. LeMaitre was aboard the Prinz Eugen and Rockingham. Hermon Weeden was aboard the Prinz Eugen and Rockingham. Photo Bill Cunningham Frank Boeglin was aboard the USS Ajax (AR-6) Norman Hardy was aboard the USS Fall River CA 131. Rod Van Ausdall was aboard the USS Salt Lake City and the LST 861. Stuart Bigler was an Aerographers Mate aboard theUSS PCE 884. Willie Mixson was aboard the YW 92. Hal Williford was aboard the USS Fallon APA 81and USS Bexar George G. Wilson was a seaman first class aboard the USS Presque Isle APB44 Edward L. Rutkowski served aboard the USS Rhind. Wayne Fitzgerald served aboard the USS Fall River CA-131. Carl Oscar (Bud) Matison served aboard the USS Salt Lake City. Leon Haubenstein served aboard the LST 52 and USS Rockwall APA 230. March 4, 2004-David Thomas, of Cape Coral, Fla., passed away. Back when David first contacted us in 1997, he sent us the Task Force 1 souvenirs pictured here on this page. Click images for larger view. Crossroads Id-Card Organization List All Hands USS Achomawl Able Shot Coral Reef Tavern Short Snorter Short Snorter David Thomas met with one of his shipmates from the USS Achomawi, Howard (Bud) Burke. They sent us some letters home from Burke at Crossroads which carried the Atom Bomb Test stamp cancellation. Letter Home with Atomic Souvenir Cancellation April 6, 1998--David Thomas put us in contact with Mildred McGirt Dudgeon a Navy Lieutenant, served as a nurse aboard the USS Bountiful during WW II and was at Bikini for both shots of Operation Crossroads. HT (Pete) Chambliss served aboard the USS Wright AV-1. Charles A Shepard a BM1c, served aboard the USS Salt Lake City. James Burton served aboard the USS Allen M. Sumner DD692. Dave Jacobs was a crew member aboard the USS John Blish AGS 10. James H. McCulley was a crew member aboard the USS Independence that was used during the Able and Baker tests. Dale Vantrease arrived at Bikini aboard the USS PGM 23 for scientific support. Richard Chiappetta was assigned to the 4th division as a deck hand on the Prinz Eugen Robert Bridgman Carpenters Mate 2/c, served on the San Marcos LSD 25. George Carr served on the USS New York as part of task group CTU 1.2.12 amunition disposal and at Headquarters, Kwajalein David Jordan served on the Cumberland Sound AV-17 as Seaman 1st Class assigned to the First Division. Edmund Sullivan was an 18 year old sailor onboard the USS Gilliam. Robert Willson was a Pharmacists Mate onboard the USS Ablemarle. James A. Moehrle served as Ships Cook 3rd Class aboard the USS Bottineau, APA 235 CR Wilki served aboard the USS Sphnix ARL24 Jim Bloodworth was a Yeoman 3C. onboard the USS John Blish AGS-10 Richard Critchfield served on board the firing ship for Shot Baker, the USS Cumberland Sound AV-17. George E. Briggs a Radio Operator on the USS Ajax. Andrew M. Schmalen served on the U.S.S. Independence Charles Prange was Watertender on the USS Mt. McKinley. Fred Herschler sent us the story of the Last Trip of the Nagato. Fred Gear served on the USS George Clymer APA 27 during his atomic tour of duty. Comment made during 1997 interview about his atomic duty. "No sense talking to your neighbors, or anything like that, cause that just goes in one ear and out the other."   --Cecil Herald U.S. Navy veteran, Jim Vasko, sent us the Crossroads history of the USS Current. Vasko served aboard this ship in the 1960s and became aware of its past participation in Crossroads. We appreciate his contribution. An insightful excerpt from the book Operation Crossroads, by Johnathan M. Weisgall shows how the comfortable theories created in the calm, academic atmosphere of the weapons laboratories, turned into a real-life nightmare of military application for the soldiers, thr sailors and the chief radiological safety officer, Col. Stafford Warren of Operation Crossroads. Courtesy: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists web site Atomic Veterans Photo Album: Operation Crossroads [ Home Page || What's New || Email || Family Mail Call || Notes and Hints ] [ Atomic Veterans, Atomic Test Series and Dates ] [ Videos ] || WW II -- Battle Of Eniwetok || Information about the National Association of Atomic Veterans [ The NAAV Story || NAAV Medical Data Base Information ] Atomic Veterans History Project ©1997--2007 For use of the material found on this web site, please send us an email with your request.