Operation Dominic 1962
US Atomic Veterans
Lloyd Morris
Lloyd Morris sent email about his duty at Operation Dominic
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2002
Subject: Dominic I Story - Lloyd Morris
From: Darryl Morris dmorris@jonesborosun.com
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
My father asked me to submit his Dominic I story. He may also be contacted
via me at dmorris@jonesborosun.com
Thanks
Darryl Morris
OPERATION DOMINIC I
US ATOMIC VETERAN
Lloyd Morris
P.O. Box 309
Port Isabel, TX 78578
My name is Lloyd Morris and I served on the USS Reclaimer ARS-42 at
Christmas Island (1962). I was an FN in the shipfitter shop and while
underway I stood Badger Evaporator watches. Fresh water at sea is like
gold. There were times I was not very popular when the captain would call
down for me to close the fresh water showers and turn on the salt water.
When we got orders to be a part of GTF-8 at Christmas Island, I
remember the crew of about 70 of us went to school at Pearl Harbor for
radiation training and use of the MPDR-18 and MPDR-27 (MPDR is what I
believe they were called). The 18's were a rectangle box and the 27's were
more square with a probe on it. I can only remember one SA being traded
from another ARS because he was only 17 years of age.
After getting to Christmas Island some Air Force members from
CGTF-8 came out to our anchoring location to issue our film badges. They
started reading them on June 7, 1962 and took them up on July 12, 1962.
During this 36-day period we witnessed 12 nuclear blasts.
The day before an air drop the Reclaimer would go to the designated area and
drop an anchor that had a one-inch rope tied to it. Sometimes we tied a
marker to the line and other times we would tie the target to the line. I
remember that the targets were about 15-feet square painted international
orange. They had an Allis Chamler engine on them that powered a generator
for a beacon to let the B-52 Bomber know that it was the target and not us.
One targetıs engine died when we started to return to our anchorage area
about 24 miles away. Now this is at the dark of the early morning and the
sea wasnıt very calm either. Back over to the target in a rubber raft.
After drying out the distributor and hand cranking the engine it started and
we got back to our designated anchorage just as the shot went off. Not
knowing what to expect from our first shot (ALMA - intermediate range) we
all locked ourselves in like at general quarters. The chief at repair 3
locker turned on an MPDR-18 to see how much radiation would show up when the
bomb went off. Well the needle pegged out and as far as I know its still
going.
Four hours after each shot we would go to ground zero to retrieve with our
bear hands any debris in the area. Three times we found the end of the line
tied to the target anchor. We retrieved two of the anchors and the line
broke on the third one.
After that first nuclear shot we would stand out on deck for the other shots
with our backs turned toward the target area with our high-density glasses
on. After 10 seconds from the time the atomic bomb went off we could turn
around to watch the fireball form. When the fireball had gone away and you
could no longer see any thing through your density glasses you could take
them off. The atomic bombs had the sky lit up like high noon. A few
minutes later it would became dark again then about 30 minutes later the sun
came up for a new day.
While it was light from the bomb you could see the shock wave coming through
the air. Birds flying when the wave would hit them lost many feathers. At
that time you had best hold on. The shock wave is still unreal to me. How
something can compress that much air for miles around is amazing. Then back
to ground zero we would go with the biologists who wanted everything we
could lay our hands on.
Looking back today, I remember while standing evaporator watches
there were times I was not told to stop making fresh water until we were
almost at ground zero and started making and saving fresh water when we were
just leaving the area. We also were told that we could eat any fish that
was 10 lbs. or less. A few of us had fishing poles and we did catch fish to
eat. I remember one fish we caught that a shipmate from America Samoa
called an ALUA. The fish was to be eaten raw and we did while watching the
movie ³One Eyed Jack,² a western. It was the only movie we had for weeks.
We even watched it backwards while eating raw fish. We did at one time
catch a 215 lb. grouper with a big hook made from the shipfitter shop. It
was turn back after it was weighed with what I call a cotton scale that we
used to weigh our CO2 bottles aboard ship. On the way back to Pearl Harbor
we took time out to go across the equator since we were only about 80 miles
from it.
I have learned just recently that the Reclaimer was a part of
Operation Crossroads (1940ıs). That explains why before going to Christmas
Island you could turn on the MPDR-18 and it would move its needle off zero.
I now believe the ship was still hot. After living on board ship, I wonder
how much radiation rubbed off.
I was in the U.S. Navy from January 1961 to October 1968. The
Reclaimer, ARS-42, was my first ship and I believe your first is the one you
have good thoughts of. I can only remember bad duty on my 2nd ship the
Bolster, ARS-38. My next enlistment was first on the USS Ajax, AR-6, then
on to the USS Jason, AR-8. Those repair ships were good duty.
Admittedly, my health is not perfect, but I am a survivor.
Certainly, many factors have played a part in my deteriorating health, but
it is my firm belief that Dominic I those many years ago was a major
contributor. For years I have been fighting my own cold war with the
Veterans Administration in order to received service connected benefits.
The wall has not come down yet. The fact sheets from the Defense Nuclear
Agency Public Affairs office in Washington D.C. 20305, Subject: Dominic I
and also Subject: Radiation Exposure and the nuclear test personnel review
program should tell someone something.
Nonetheless, I still think the United States is the best place to live in
this world and if I had to do it again Iım sure I would. As my jar-hear son
would say, "semper fi mac!" Iıve been faithful. Now itıs time for some of
that fidelity to return.
Good Luck,
Lloyd Morris
P.O. Box 309
Port Isabel, TX 78578
Email: dmorris@jonesborosun.com
Keith Whittle
January 25, 2002
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