Mike Hill sent email about his duty at Operation Dominic.
From: Mhillictks@aol.com
Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2001
Subject: (no subject)
I served aboard the
Princeton during the spring and summer of 1962 while she was the Flag Ship of
Joint Task Force Eight - Operation Dominic. I was an E-3 Seaman assigned to
the Supply Office.
I remember we were all excited when we were allowed to
observe our first blast. It then became an everyday happening that I and
others did not bother to get up in the middle of the night to go topside to
observe.
The lasting memory I have were the night tests. With goggles on,
setting on the flight deck with our faces buried in our arms, the immediate
brightness, as if it was high noon, not getting up untill the shock wave
hiting the ship, then and only then were we allowed to remove the goggles and
move about.
I firmly believe if everyone could watch what we watched there would
have been no cold war. Also, we aboard the Princetion had no idea what was
going on stateside with the Bay of Pigs and the crisis with Cuba.
Days long ago still remembered.
Mike Hill
Mhillictks@aol.com
Keith Whittle
January 16, 2000
[ Operation Dominic ]