Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2000
From: "D.C. and Ramona Johnson" dcramona@yahoo.com
Subject: Dominic I participant
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
I was aboard U.S.S. Taylor DD-468 on July 09, 1962. It was a night that
I will never forget. After several aborted attempts, the rocket was
again scheduled to take off. Of course we all wanted it to be
successful, because then we could return to our home port of Pearl
Harbor. It was a typical calm and very clear night. Anyone who was not
on watch was allowed to watch it, but we had to follow some
instructions.
I was with a group on the starboard side of the O1 deck,
and we were to turn away from the bomb, close our eyes, and pull our
eyes into the crook of our arms as tight as we could. When the bomb
went off we were not to turn around or move until the all clear was
given. Some folks on the bridge that had dark glasses would be allowed
to look after 20 seconds, and the all clear for everyone else was
scheduled for 30 seconds after the blast.
The fantail of the ship was
rigged with some antennae equipment used by a small group of civilians
on board. We watched the rocket (or at least the tail) as it headed
into the sky, and then when ordered we turned away, and just like the
movies, we listened to a countdown broadcast over the 1mc.
When it
reached "zero" I saw the bones in my arm. When I turned around, it was
just like broad daylight at 11pm at night. As time went on, this huge
bright ball just grew larger and larger, (and dimmer too). I came out
whenever I got a chance, (I must have gone on watch at midnight - the
crew was pretty much standing port and starboard watches I remember).
Before dawn the sky was just a reddish tinge but the tinges had fingers
that reached out over the horizon, on both sides. I was told that part
of the test was to see how the magnetic lines of the earth would affect
radiation dissemination.
I have had a couple of melanoma skin cancers removed from my upper back
in the past several years. I have never been one to "sunbathe" but the
military doctors who I have dealt with say that is the most likely
reason for getting melanoma.
In my recollection of 09 July 1962, I forgot to
include that after one of the aborts, the USS Taylor DD-468, got to
come in and drop anchor, and a group of us got to come ashore for a
beer ball game on Johnston Island. It was a nice break from the routine
of the ship, but had an unusual occurance (to me) during the game. We
had to all go hide behind the grandstands and they brought out this
little missile (maybe 6 ft tall, and skinny) and set it up in the
outfield. Had a countdown on the island speakers, and - poof, it was
gone. They said it was a little rocket to check weather.
DeWitt C Johnson
ETCS
USN Ret.
Email dcramona@yahoo.com
Keith Whittle
March 20, 2000
[ Operation Dominic 1 ]