Operation Ivy
US Atomic Veterans
Clarence A. Maudlin
Clarence A. Maudlin sent email about his duty during Operation Ivy.
Date: Tue, 09 Nov 1999
To: Keith pdxavets@aracnet.com
From:bmaudlin@wavecable.com
Subject: Re: Operation Ivy - USS LIPAN-ATF85
Keith, I was a ENFN on the USS LIPAN from early 1951 to mid 1953 and saw
action in Korea besides Operation Ivy. I have had recurring Melonoma for a
number of years. The VA said that I did not receive enough exposure to
receive a VA disability.
I witnessed two tests during Operation Ivy, one hydrogen bomb and one atomic
bomb blast and have a certificate signed by the task force leaders given to
participants.
As I remember, on the morning of the H-Bomb test everyone was inside the
ship with all hatches closed and the battle covers over the port holes. I
was in the mess decks which was amid-ship on the same level as the main
deck. After the initial blast a very strong wind came through causing the
ship to roll violently. A few minutes or seconds later the wind came
through from the opposite direction. After a few minutes we were told to go
outside and watch the cloud rise above us. We stayed outside and in the
area which was about 20 miles or less, as I remember, away from ground zero
for several hours. We then got underway and traveled about one hour and
anchored a few yards from the USS RENDOVA (CVE-114). This was a few more
miles away from the blast area.
The next morning we were underway again for
the blast area. We had some civilians on board with measuring equipment
with probes attached. They lowered the probes in the water and then the
ship proceeded into the ground zero area. The civilians threw explosives
overboard and after each explosion they took measurements. They said they
were trying to determine the size of the crater caused by the H-Bomb blast.
We continued this operation for most of the day after the blast. Later that
afternoon we went back and anchored off the USS RENDOVA again.
On the
morning of the third day after the H-Bomb blast we sailed to the same area
we were for the H-Bomb blast. This time an Atomic Bomb the same size as
used at Hiroshima was detonated. The same procedure was used, inside and
outside the ship after the blast.
We stayed in the general area
approximately one week and then headed for Pearl Harbor. The ship was
radioactive as we had to wash down the whole ship several times before we
arrived in Pearl Harbor.
We were not told of any of the dangers to
personnel before or during the operation. On the way back to Pearl Harbor
they told us that we may lose all the hair on our head and bodies and
possibly become sterile. Thank God this has not happened. They also
explained that very little was known about the possible long term effect on
humans. This is all I remember. We were not issued a film badge although
we did have several Gieger Counters aboard.
Clarence Maudlin
Email: bmaudlin@wavecable.com
Keith Whittle
November 9, 1999
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