Operation Tumbler-Snapper
1952
US Atomic Veterans
Paul R. Gustafson
Paul R. Gustafson sent email about Operation Tumbler-Snapper.
From: GUSSY4501@aol.com
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2000
Subject: Atomic Veteran-Tumbler/Snapper Series
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
I was in Company E Shore Battalion, 369th Engineer Amphibious Support
Regiment. We were assigned to Camp Desert Rock in December 1951 and returned
to our base at Fort Flagler, Washington a sub post of Fort Worden, Washington
June 4, 1952.
Our mission was to build a theater, mess hall, water tower and
supply line to the camp, install power and phone lines to the tented area.
I personally was assigned to a Chemical, Biological and Radiological Warfare
team functioning as a forward area monitor checking radiation half lives of
previous blasts.
On the day of a blast my responsibility was with my company
and to monitor the level of radiation following the blast to determine how
long we could remain in the area within the established safety guide lines
set by the AEC and Sixth Army. Equiped with an Ion Chamber, film badge and
pocket dosimiter I would be in the fox hole at four miles from ground zero.
Following the blast I was then given the task to keep track of the level of
radiation and inform the company commander of our alloted safe time to be in
the area. It was an eerie experience to say the least because the only
thing letting you know where we stood in terms of exposure and time was the
Geiger Counter.
There were so many things unknown about this exposure to
gamma rays and who knows what else and just how it might affect us health
wise later on. How do you know after all this time what did or didnot cause
or contribute to poor health later on?
Thank you for this opportunity to speak out. I wish I would have had a
computer sooner and known about all of you out there who have responded to
the Atomic Veterans group efforts. We certainly deserve something for being
such duped pawns by our so called responsible leaders. Too bad they couldn't
have sat in on a couple of blasts themselves at four miles or closer and
found out what it was really like.
Sincerely,
Paul R. Gustafson
Gussy4501@aol.com
Keith Whittle
March 30, 2000
[ Operation Tumbler-Snapper ]