Operation Crossroads
US Atomic Veterans
George Culley
From: george culley gdculley@email.msn.com
To: Keith pdxavets@aracnet.com
Sent: Monday, January 29, 2001
Subject: Nagato
Keith,
I came aboard the Nagato on Jan. 29, 1946 while she was anchored in
Yokusuka. I was on the USS Topeka and the call came out for a
Quartermaster First Class who could take starsights and had actual hands on
experience in navigating a vessel. I had this experience and was "elected"
or "volunteered", which one I cannot remember.
My first task was to inventory whatever navigation equipment was on hand
aboard the Nagato. That was fairly easy, as there was nothing!!!
Apparently the sextants, watches and other gear had developed wings and
flew away. I withdrew whatever was needed from the US Naval Base at
Yokusuka and started to lay the course for Bikini. I cannot recall who
"technically" was the Navigating Officer on the Nagato. All I can remember
was that I took all the sights and reported the noon position to Captain
Whipple.
When I went on board on 1/29/46, the Nagato was still being cleaned up. I remember that we had several hundred derelicts from the streets of
Tokyo and Yokusuka that came aboard daily to clean up the all the spaces that we were to live on. and the mess left from the bomb damage done by our Navy, and the stripping of the Nagato by the Japanese and Allied forces after the war was over. I guess they were paid something, but I remember vividly that they would beg for our garbage just to take home to the family.
I was told when I came aboard the "Nasty Naggy", (as we lovingly referred
to her) that, when the allied forces came aboard in 1945 there was one hold
that had an atrocious odor coming from it. Apparently, some men with gas
masks entered the hold but the smell overpowered the masks. As I understood
it, there were several dead bodies of the enemy in the hold, which had to be
sealed up (by welding shut, I guess). How many men, under what conditions
that they were there etc. I do not know. Anything can happen in
wartime.....
We did not have separate crew quarters on Naggy--rather we just took over
some of the officer's quarters, which had its own hot plate for cooking and
hot drinks. We were living high on the hog!!!!!!
I remember standing watch at night, and when getting off watch finding my
way to my quarters, it was really spooky going thru that big empty monster.
I remember wallowing around without any power for days and being on tight
rations. Those were the fun days---I was all of 25!!!!!
Regards,
George Culley
Covington, WA
gdculley@email.msn.com
--Keith Whittle
January 31, 2001
Operation Crossroads