Operation Buster-Jangle and Tumbler-Snapper
1951 and 1952

Portland Oregon Atomic Veterans

Marvin "Pat" Campbell

Marvin "Pat" Campbell, a veteran of the Buster-Jangle and Tumbler-Snapper tests, contacted us after an article appeared in the Oregonian about the A-vets reunion.

I asked Pat, "When were you at the test site?"
" We were there in 1951 and 1952. I was in an outfit, it was the 3623 Medium Maintenance Company, and we were out there for the purpose of keeping all the rigs running. We did everything from small arms up to tanks.

"We had sections that took care of everything. We also helped set up a lot of those tests from ground zero out to tanks so many yards from ground zero. We had some airplanes: B-29s, B-17s. We would set those up.

"Then, after the blast we would take VIP's back in there to look at things and take pictures of what had happened during the blast. I remember one tank we set up at right angles to ground zero, there wasn't a whole lot of that left after the blast."

I asked, "Did you see all seven shots of Buster-Jangle?" "Yep." "How about Tumbler-Snapper?" I asked. "The whole series. I been through a few of 'em." I ask, "Where were you positioned when it was time for the shots." "We were at different places. For the first shot in 1951, we were five miles from ground zero on the side of a hill."

Easy Shot, 31 KT

I knew from Bill Bires experience at Buster-Jangle that this was the same hill Pat was on. Here Bill and Pat, both now living in Portland were on this same hill in Nevada during the first test in 1951. "And they told us all to turn around with our backs toward it, crouch down and put our hands behind our heads."

I ask Pat how he got stuck for two of the tests series? "For the Sixth Army we were the only maintenance outfit for the southern district. And, whenever some camp or post, got behind in their maintenance work we moved in to help 'em catch up on it. So every year when the tests came up they moved us out there."

"Were you reluctant to go again after going through Buster-Jangle?" "No, not really, I just thought it was a real interesting thing to be associated with. We supplied the trucks and transportation for the guys who were setting up the instruments. We would go in there at the beginning of the season and we were generally the last ones out of there."

Shot How, 14 KT

Charlie 2, 31 KT

I said, "Tumbler-Snapper was a series of airdrops and tower shots wasn't it?" "Yeah, I've seen airdrops and tower shots and Uncle (Buster-Jangle) underground, the villages and then one time, right after the shot, we were involved in bringing the infantry in and walking right through all that dust and to see the effect and everything.

"I know one time, I had a jeep and had two captains from Washington D.C and they wanted to go out and see a certain area. So we went out to have a look at it, and my geiger counter went off scale and my dosimeter registered too much. We had a film badges on our hat. He wanted to go closer and closer and I wouldn't do it. He was giving this little corporal a bad time. When I got back, I turned in my badges. The next day I got called in on the carpet, they were too hot. I burnt myself out for three days. They wouldn't let me go back in. About a week later I had to go see Col. Keen, the Commander. When I got in there, here these two officers were and he read the riot act to them. He said this guy was to protect you while you were out there and you gave him a hard time. So, that was a little bit different.

"When we came out on top of the hill, at the decon station, you had to get checked out before you could go on. Sometimes you got scrubbed down, sometimes you even lost your boots and your shoes, they would take 'em away from you.

I asked him if he remembered any shot in particular. He said, "First shot I really remember, was the one with the tanks and the airplanes setting out, which I believe was a surface shot. The tank was a Sherman and it fused the turret right to the bottom part of the tank. It was fused right together.

Fox Shot 11 KT

I had mentioned a squad tent being blown down at one of the Buster shots on the hill side where Bill had been, and Pat said, "I know that when we were on the hillside. We were supposed to turn around and squat down close to the ground and one guy didn't do it. He just turned his back and hunched over and it flattened him. It was just like a blow-torch going across your neck. You felt the heat off of it and pretty quick the pressure hit."

He asked me to order the Buster-Jangle and the Tumbler-Snapper videos and get some documents from the government computers and we'll arrange a meeting when they arrive. I asked about his health and he said it was good and hadn't suffered any problems.

--Keith R. Whittle
July 21, 1997

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