Operation Upshot/Knothole
US Atomic Veterans
Wm. E. (Ed) Griffis, Jr.
Tennessee State Commander,
National Association of Atomic Veterans
From:atomicvet38305@charter.net
Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2001
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Subject: UPSHOT-KNOTHOLE, Shot GRABLE
I am now into 9 years fighting prostate cancer and the VA. I have many
interesting replies on VA letterheads. Just one as an example:
Defence Threat Reduction Agency, 9-13-00.
"Your closest approach, more than one hour after detonation was
approximately 1,500 yards from ground zero." Therefore, "due to the
distance of Mr. Griffis' unit from ground zero, he had virtually no
potential for exposure to neuton radiation."
Regarding the above, many atomic veterans will remember the pamplet #12
given to the troops before the shot, ( I still have mine), You and
Atomic Warfare, tells us there is nothing to fear---the way the
atomic bomb kills is by heat & blast-----radiation will be gone by the
time we are ordered into ground zero!! BUT,
it also says, "If enough radiation is received, it can be FATAL. From a
bomb, however, this FATAL amount of radiation can be received only
fairly close to ground zero. Distances practically never exceed ONE
MILE."
The last time I checked, there is 1760 yards in a mile ------the DTRA
admitted the records show we were called in , the mission scrubed, at a
distance of 1,500 yards, why called off? Because of "hurricane-force
winds and dust"--of course we all swallowed radiation dust in this
process but Hey that doesn't hurt you does it?
Since we World War II, Korean & "atomic veterans" are now dying at the
rate of more than 1000 a day, I thought it well to share the fairness
the VA has shown the atomic veterans who at one time were only young men
that obeyed orders when our government knowing sent us in harm's way.
Mine final thoughts are---if ordered to do it again----I would--America
is worth it!!
God bless America,
Wm. E. Griffis, Jr.
Jackson, Tennessee
atomicvet38305@charter.net
The unique factor of UPSHOT-KNOTHOLE,
Shot GRABLE, 25 May 1953, would be a 15 kiliton atomic shell was fired
from 7 miles from ground-zero by a 280 mm cannon--the only cannon shot
in the NTS.
From a participant's view we knew something was wrong because the
blast wave had "hurricane-winds and a dust storm." The 180 mph winds
that struck our skirmish lines knocked many troopers off their feet and
the return wave knocked some down again. All these occurrences were
verified by GRABLE's,
Wm. J. Brady, Senior Health Physicist, 21April 1998, before the US
Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Brady referred to GRABLE's
"hurricane-force winds and dust storms" many times. He also said "much
more dust and dirt than a simple dust storm."
We heard rumors in Camp Desert Rock that the proximity fuse of
the shell mis-fired and instead of detonation at 524 ft. the shell had
detonation at less than 150 ft. Thus more dust & dirt . I have never
found documentation of this fact. I do know these facts; the operation
was called off because of "winds & dust", many troopers didn't hear the
recall and were found in ground zero and beyond., and we were ordered
never to tell what we saw or there would be severe punishment given.
In closing, I've been fighting prostate cancer and the VA since
1992. Surely eating the dust of GRABLE as well as GRABLE stirring up
all the radiation participles from all the previous shots have a bearing
on my battle today. The VA feels GRABLE was a walk in the park and we
were not sent in harm's way.
God bless America,
Ed Griffis
Jackson, TN
atomicvet38305@charter.net
I don't recall a Doom Town. We did have a "dry run" the day before
GRABLE and I did observe destructive evidence still in place from
previous shots of houses, palm trees in cement, etc.
I do remember a train locomotive with box cars, various military
vehicles, jeeps, duce & 1 halfs and a number of civilian cars. The day
of GRABLE the "hurricane-force winds & dust" cut vision compared to
being inside a black cat so at 1,500 yds we had a recall. I didn't see
much of what we saw the day before. However, on the edge of our
approarch I saw two displays that are still with me today. There were
cages of white rabbits, all had their heads stabilized to face ground
zero. The attraction was alarm clocks on top of the cages. In the warm
desert the rabbits would doze off, so this being some sort of eye
experiment AEC wanted to be sure their eyes were open at detonation
time. The animal rights of today would have a fit!
Another amusing item considering today's military camouflage dress,
there were posts in the ground facing ground zero with ordinary playing
cards tacked on. The flash of the detonation burnt the black image
several inches into the post while there was no damage to the white
part., otherwise say there was the 7 of spades burnt in the face of the
post! White clothing in an atomic blast would be best, not camouflage!!
In researching my memory for this e-mail, I've over looked another
event. In this dry run before GRABLE we did visit the site of 32
kiloton HARRY fired 6 days before GRABLE.
We troopers walked right up to the crater of HARRY. This was later known
as "Dirty Harry" because it kept the government in court for years over
many sheep that died downwind of "Dirty Harry." The wind and dust were
bad that day--no one knows (or cares) how much dust we swallowed from
"Dirty Harry"--could be of more danger than 15 kiloton GRABLE.
God bless Amerca,
Ed Griffis
Jackson, TN
atomicvet38305@charter.net
--Keith Whittle
March 18, 2000
From:atomicvet38305@charter.net
Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001
To: PATBNAAV@aol.com
Subject: Bottom Line
Gathering up 8 years of paper work (appeals, VA Letters, letters to
Congress, Etc)
I find it measures a foot in height. Repeatedly I find the name of
PATBNAAV@aol.com with such nuggets as:
"from your doctor stating it is at least as likely as not that your
illness is caused by your radiation exposure. As silly as it sounds
those words must be on his/her letter head."
I did take this to my treating urologist (who is the senior UR, the
godfather of URs in this area) and he wrote the letter you suggested.
My VA track record: denied 9/1993
denied 6/1996
prostate cancer denied 9/2000
The disappoinment 9/2000 just about did me in.
Then I found where PAT said never to give up. So, I used 8 pages of
"Statement in Support of Claim" and filed an appeal of 9/2000 direct to
the Board of Veterans Appeals, Washington, D. C.
I consider the following a victory--perhaps as close as I'll ever get
but like you helping others maybe my efforts might help some in the
future.
If you haven't got the drift so far I'm giving you a Tennessee thank
you.
12-12-2000 from Board of Veterans' Appeals, Washington, D. C.
excerpts: words I've never seen before.
#1 recognizing prostate cancer as a radiogenic disease.
#2 appellant was exposed to ionizing radiation.
#3 " has presented a plausible claim of servce connection.
#4 exposure to ionizing radiation is well grounded.
#5 This amendment created a new basis of entitlement.
#6 prostate cancer is subject to service connection 38 CFR 3.31
(b) (2) xxiii
#7 Thus, the Board finds that the appellant has presented a well
grounded claim for service connection for prostate cancer as a result of
ionizig radiation.
#8 well grounded the VA is obligated to assist claimant in developing
the facts pertinent to his claim.
#9 the appellant submitted documents which have not previously been
considered (PAT like your suggested M.D. letter)
#10 appellent obtained a report from Wm. J. Brady--GRABLE--10 rems per
hr at 500 yards from ground zero.
#11 will accept "buddy statements" (which I sent in)
#12 forward to the DTRA evidence--conference presentation by Wm. J.
Brady--Problms with Radiation Reconstruction.
#13 consideration given the benefit of the doubt rule.
#14 In this respect, the Board notes Mr. Brady is a retired Principal
Health Physicist who worked for Reynolds Electric Co. which was the
prime support contractor of the DoD at the NTS.
#15 The DTRA should be requested to specifically address theappellant's
assertions.
#16 this claim must be afforded expeditious treatment by the R.O.
So, there you have it PAT, I've not set myself for any false hopes, I've
had plenty of that before, but I can't help but want you to know you
deserve much credit for this AV to receive this kind of letter. It may
be all the above is fine but the VA hasn't any $$$$ for this--I suspect
this might be the case----my latest PSA and other signs are telling me I
might not see all this come to past but others might.
If you don't get your reward here I'm sure it is waiting for you in a
far better place.
Ed Griffis
Jackson, TN
atomicvet38305@charter.net
Operation Upshot/Knothole