Operation Greenhouse, Ivy and Wigwam.
US Atomic Veterans
Bill Holeman
Bud Norris sent email about Bill Holeman's duty at Operation Ivy.
Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2000
From: Bud Norris cvnorris@worldnet.att.net
To: Keith Whittle pdxavets@aracnet.com
Subject: ATOMIC VETERAN
Hi Keith
A shipmate from the USS Curtiss AV-4 sent me this information on his
experiences aboard the ship during Operation Greenhouse, Ivy and Wigwam
and said to go ahead and use it as I wish. I thought you might like to
add it to the History Project along with the other stories.
Bud Norris
Hi Bud,
My full name is : Charles William Holeman. I went aboard the Curtiss in October of '47.
I was off to school or temporary assignments for a lot of the tests. But, was on board for Greenhouse, Ivy, and Wigwam.
During Ivy I was not assigned to any task during the H Bomb test. I went up to the Boat deck and watched the blast. I had 'Black Glasses' and a set of binoculars. When the blast went off I had the Black glasses on and my arm over my eyes. I saw the 'First little blast' through my arm. When the 'Big Blast' went, like a half second later, I was totally Blinded by the light. I was terrified, to say the least. However, in about 10 seconds my vision started to return. I could see the Cloud going up. I still had my arm over my eyes and my eye lids were shut tight and I had on the 'black'glasses. I could see the bones in my arm.
Another 10 seconds things went dark. I removed my arm, I was blinded again.
This time I put the binoculars up and focused them on the cloud. My eyelids were still shut. As things started to get dark I could see the blood vessels and veins in my eye lids.
I was told the 'radiation' I received during that incident was from Alpha
and Beta particles, and that they usually don't cause skin problems.
You can use this item in any way you want.
Thanks for getting this out. I hope it can help establish what we all went through in those tests. I know I was very ignorant about what was happening to us.
Respectfully,
C.W.(Bill) Holeman
Lt. JG, USN Retired.
Email:cwhi@iname.com
Keith Whittle
September 2, 2000
[ Operation Ivy ]