Operation Dominic 1962
US Atomic Veterans
Thomas J.J. Di Giorgio
Tom Di Giorgio sent email about his duty at Operation Dominic
From: "Thomas J.J. Di Giorgio" tdgiorgio@juno.com
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2005
Subject: Re: B57 Pilot report
My participation in Operation Dominic as a B57 pilot began in January
1962. At the time I was flying the F89 interceptor for the 103FIS (PANG)
at the Philadelphia International Airport. When a request came down from
Wing Headquarters for volunteers to go on a classified mission to a small
island in the South Pacific, three other pilots, and I signed up. Our
first stop was Louisville KY, where we checked out in the B57. Two weeks
later we were on our way to the 1211th test squadron in Albuquerque NM.
Where we flew several missions learning how to do air sampling.
Then off to Hickam Air Base, Hawaii where we practiced until we learned
that we would be going to Christmas Island to perform air sampling
missions during the atomic bomb testing. We then flew our B57s to
Christmas Island. Once the bomb testing started we took turns flying
through the mushroom cloud immediately after the detonation. Most
detonations took place about 20miles downwind of the island. A transport
ship was moored off the island should the winds suddenly turn around
during a test. . (It never did)
A typical mission went like this. Each pilot would have a specific
take-off time. It could be five, ten or fifteen minutes before
detonation or immediately after detonation time. We would climb to a
designated altitude and toward the mushroom cloud. (If we took off
before detonation we would make sure we were heading in the opposite
direction at zero time). Another B57 pilot with an engineer in the back
seat would join up with us for a few minutes to give us an exact heading
to hold while we flew through the cloud. We would also be given an
emergency exit heading should the cloud become too hot. We would know
this by the reading of the radiation detection instruments, which were
installed in the back seat. My navigator would read these gage numbers
over the air as we flew through the cloud. I would be responsible for
opening the air sampling valves on the empty tip tanks. If the gages did
not max out I would hold the heading until I came out the other side of
the cloud, I would immediately head back to the airstrip, land, and taxi
to the decontamination area.
After shutting down the engines, I would raise the canopy. This allowed
the decon specialists, who were dressed in white protective gear and
wearing big gloves, to drive a forklift with a raised wooden platform on
its tongs to the edge of the cockpit. An airman on the platform would
first lift the navigator, then me out of the cockpit. This procedure
prevented us from touching the outside of the airplane. The only
protection we wore was a lead vest over our thin summer flight suit.
Instead of the usual heavy flight boots, we wore light athletic sneakers.
The reason for this was that after we were taken to the decontamination
building we discarded all of our clothing into a large empty oil drum. I
guess these were then washed and used again. We were then directed to
the shower area where we used some strong hard soap to wash off any
external radiation we might have accumulated. After drying off we were
checked with a Geiger counter and if the numbers were too high we
returned to the showers until we got the numbers down to a safe? Number.
Normally two showers would suffice, but I heard the record for one crew
was seven showers. Short hair was a must, as hair would trap the
radiation.
To measure how much radiation each crewmember accumulated, we would wear
a dosimeter attached to a string around out neck and would also swallow a
radiation detection pill. It was about one inch long and shaped like a
football. It was hinged in the center to allow a dosimeter in its center
to be read after retrieval. The method of retrieving it was not
something we looked forward to.
Meticulous records were kept and if a crewmember had high accumulations
of radiation he/she would not be allowed to continue the air sampling
missions. I never accumulated more than ten Roentgens. Some years
later the Atomic Energy Dept sent me documentation of my radiation
exposure during operation Dominic. Included was a list of possible
health hazards associated with exposure to radiation received while
flying through atomic bomb clouds. Fortunately, to date, I have not
experienced any those symptoms.
Tom Di Giorgio
1211th Test Sqdn.
Lt Col. USAF(Ret)
Email: tdgiorgio@juno.com
Keith Whittle
February 5, 2005
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