Hardtack 1958
US Atomic Veterans
Thomas J. Hanlon
Thomas (Jerry) Hanlon sent an excellent hand-crafted book containing his personal military recollections about his duty at Operation Hardtack. It also contains many certificates, orders, cards, and pictures. I posted only a few excerpts. Just follow the links below.
From: Hanlon937@aol.com
Date: various dates.
Subject: Re: Atomic Veteran
(Operation Hardtack)
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Hi Keith,
I was in the Marshal's the first half of 1958. We had to cancel due to
protests. We then went to Johnston Island and fired the Orange and
Teak high altitude tests, July-August of 1958. Operation Hardtack phase II, Joint Task Group 7.2.
I was one of a 16 man crew that was charged with the manufacture of and
loading the Jupiter rocket(s) with LOX. I was with the 76th Engineer Company
(Support) Redstone, United States Ballistic Missle Agency. |
Photo from Tom J. Hanlon.
|
Thank you again for corresponding,
Thomas J. (Jerry) Hanlon
Email: Hanlon937@aol.com
Operation Hardtack
Joint Task Group 7.2
As recollected by
Specialist Thomas J. (Jerry) Hanlon RA 19554224
United States Army Ballistic Missile Agency
76th Engineer Company (Support) (Redstone)
Written in 1991, revised and printed in 1998
Introduction
This is one soldiers account of his enlistment in the United States Army, advanced training, and training and preparation for Operation Hardtack, the 1958 series of nuclear testing.
I left my hometown at 18 years and returned at 21, a seasoned veteran as well as one of the several thousand known as "atomic or nuclear veterans
The 1946, 1951, 1953 and all but two of the 1958 series nuclear detonations took place at Eniwetok Proving Grounds, Marshall Islands, South Central Pacific Ocean. Operation Hardtack, "Newsreel" (code name) was carried out at Johnston island, 1500 miles closer to Territory of Hawaii.
During Operation Hardtack, Pacific Theater, (there were also Operation Hardtack tests being conducted in the Nevada desert), the United States tested 35 nuclear devices, more than all previous years testing combined. The tests were on land, under water, and above water surface detonations. The two rocket borne, high altitude nuclear detonations that carried the code names "TEAK" and "ORANGE", were the ones I was involved with. These two tests were the largest magnitude above ground nuclear blasts that the world has ever had; even to this day.
The information contained in this writing is my own, from my personal records. There might be factual or historical inaccuracies, however none were intended.
Thomas J. (Jerry) Hanlon
Photo Page
Chapter 4
Chapter 8
Keith Whittle
March 5, 2001
[ Operation Hardtack 1 ]
