Bob Jenkins sent email about his duty at Operation Castle.
From: MMJenks3635@aol.com
Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2003
Subject: Operation Castle
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
I was serving as commissary man on the USS Renshaw when we sailed from Pearl
Harbor for Operation Castle. When we sailed, we were told only that we were headed for the
Marshall Islands at Eniwetok. When we arrived, there were numerous and different kinds of
ships in the area. Our ship anchored approximately 30 miles off the island. We were
anchored for several days before Operation Castle began. During this time, we were enduring
extreme heat of 120-140 degrees. It was at the point of being unbearable. We were finally
informed that we had escorted the hydrogen bomb to the islands. The bomb was on the fantail
of a cruiser. Everything about the operation was, of course, top secret.
When the operation actually began, we were informed that there would be five or six bomb blasts conducted over a period of several months before the hydrogen bomb would be detonated. When it was time for the hydrogen bomb blast, part of the crew, including myself, were taken to the fantail of the ship and were told to sit down on the deck, facing away from the blast, place our heads between our knees and wrap our hands around our knees. The countdown went from 10 to zero followed by the most awesome blast you could ever imagine. I swear with my eyes closed, I could see the brilliant light through my eyelids. At our 30-mile distance, the Renshaw was contaminated with fine debris.
After all the bomb tests were over, we then had to evacuate many of the islanders from their homeland, which was quite an experience, believe me. While they were on the Renshaw, we cooked fish and rice for them, which they liked very well. But then we thought it would be nice to treat them with some ice cream. This was a huge mistake because we finally ran out of ice cream and they got downright mad about it. An interpreter had to be called in to explain the situation. It was quite an ordeal, and on top of all this, most of them weren’t wearing clothes. We took them to another island in the area for resettlement.
Shortly after, we headed back for Guam where our ship was decontaminated. We had used the water sprinkler system on the Renshaw right after the blast, but it didn’t do much good. By the way, a carrier, took about 1-1/2 inches of mud on its flight deck. It was contaminated so badly, they evacuated all personnel except for a skeleton crew.
Our ship doctor examined the members of our crew exposed to the blast. Most of us were told that we had some radiation exposure, but the extent was never mentioned. Since that time, I have been plagued with a red rash, which appears around my ankles and crawls up to my knees. When I came home, I saw a VA doctor about the rash, but he said it wasn’t from the bomb blast.
About six to eight years ago, I received a government report warning those exposed that they might watch for certain signs of cancer—40 years after the blast! I had prostate cancer when I was 60 years old. I understand that the crew of the USS Phillips seems to have experienced a greater number of cancer cases than her sister ship, the Renshaw.
Thanks for your work in documenting this major event.
This was, and still remains, the most awesome experience of my life.
Robert G. Jenkins
Email:MMJenks3635@aol.com
Keith Whittle
November 1, 2003
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