Eniwetok Clean-up
1977-1980
U.S. Atomic Veterans
Steve (Harry) Harrison
Steve (Harry) Harrison sent email about his duty at Eniwetok.
From: Ikauris@aol.com
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1999
Subject: Lojwa Sept '78-Feb '79
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
I was with the 65th Engineers from May of '78 to April of '81. I went to
Enewetak in Sept of '78 attached to B. Co. 84th ENGR's. Truly a LOJWA ANIMAL.
Other than no women, rat infested, typhoons, coconut crabs and sharks it was a beautiful place.
We worked up on Enjebi (Janet) picking up rock and rebar. On the LCU's rain
or shine every morning but Sunday. Hooch 9 was the place to go on a Saturday
night, or down to Hotel California. Usually the guys I ran with stayed clear
of the "Lojwa Sand Castle."
I was fortunate, after a few weeks they turned me loose with a bucket
loader, that beat humping rock. Made one trip to Runit (the dead island) with
a hot load on a five ton in one of the little LCY's. Went on a dumping trip
out in the lagoon on a LARC once. That was different. Dumping cold stuff,
concrete and rebar.
I believe the lunch shack was called the "hard on cafe" on Janet. That's
usually where the Air Force guys hung out.
Steve
From: Ikauris@aol.com
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 1999
Subject: Lojwa
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Keith,
I'm really overwhelmed at the stories and information that has been gathered
for this sight.
I was talking about the islands with a friend of mine at work today about
the goings on there. We are both appalled at the Governments shear lack of
safety for the men and women that were involved in the testing and clean up
operations (he had not served). I've had a cold chill after rethinking what
kind of exposure I may have had from my time at Lojwa and the surrounding
islands.
In your e-mail back to me you asked why Runit got the name the dead island.
I can't tell you for sure, but a buddy of mine (Dan "Marty" Martins) was
there from B. Co. 65th ENGR's, he comes to mind. He worked on Runit, he had
told me nothing grew there. I always assumed everyone called it the dead
island ... we did. He was in the banana suits. The group I was with up on
Janet once or twice wore paper masks. We had set a large c-4 charge up on the
end of Janet 2 days before and those steel guides had rods set in to the
mother coral of the island. That second charge punched a hole right to sea
water. That was spooky because the reef was a 1/4 to 1/2 a mile out from
there. After a big charge we would wait a day for the dust to settle. That
was one occasion they gave us the masks.
As I said in a previous e-mail I operated one of the loaders on Janet. There
was this huge mound off hot dirt on the beach on the lagoon side. The LCY's
would bring up the 20 tons from Runit to be loaded and sent back for burial.
I filled in on occasion to load the trucks, the loader there wasn't mine. I
can remember climbing up in the seat and grabbing the rubber dust mask from
the headache board and putting on. After I was finished it went back to the
headache board. That's where it was kept ... just hanging there in the
elements. Who knows when and if the filter cartridges were ever changed.
Young and extremely naive.
I think it was before I was running the loader we were out humping rock, one
of the guys hefted up this piece of mangled steel and attempted to throw it
in the 5 ton. It glanced off the side board hit the ground (concrete pad) and
under one of the duels. Needless to say that baby shot out of there like a
missle, glanced off another guy named Steve and nailed me right in the right
shin. Twisted me right to the ground. I got to go for a ride in one of the
wailers back to Lojwa. The Doctors there looked at it took some readings
(with the help of the Air Force meters) and told to take a shower.
I was bleeding like a stuck pig. That apparently brought down the rads down
to a tolerable level.
I understand that the EOD guys got extra pay for blowing up the explosive
devices that WE FOUND. We were told to walk and if it wasn't natural to pick
it up and put it in the truck. Some stuff was partially buried so you'd give
it a kick to loosen it out of the sand. The crap we found ... what looked to
be morder rounds, a porcupine sea mine, jap machine guns with rounds, air
plane engines. One guy found what he believed to be a marine dog tag. I
myself found a Japanese Navy tea cup, had the rising sun with an anchor on
it. Like a fool I left it in the hooch when I left.
Keith thanx again.
ESSAYANCE
P.S. I would like to know if any one who spent time on Janet (Enjebi) knows
what the big sealed concrete bunker looking thing on the lagoon side was for
and or is.
Thanx
Steve (Harry) Harrison
Lojwa Sept '78-Feb '79
Ikauris@aol.com
Keith Whittle
April 28, 1999
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