Operation Castle
US Atomic Veterans
Ed Ries
Ed Ries sent email about his duty at Operation Castle.
From: "Ed Ries" fishned@bigvalley.net
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Subject: CTG 7.3 Boat Pool member
Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2001
Hi, Keith
Am really pleased to discover your organization. I was in CTG 7.3 Boat Pool for nearly six years and pariticipated in four test series at Eniwetok-Bikini: CASTLE, WIGWAM, REDWING and HARDATCK. Have already written up my memoirs for WW II and hopefully the info I can learn from contacts provided by Atomic Vets will help me with my nuclear testing story. Thanks for your good work. More later....
Ed Ries,
BMCM,
USN Retired
Operation CASTLE
On 6 April 1953 I was transferred to CTG 7.3 Boat Pool at Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado, Calif. I didn’t have any idea what I was getting involved in or that I would spend six years in that assignment. The DNA says I received a total of 7.045 REM of Gamma, so why am I still alive at 82? I have had cancer of the prostate and recurring non-malignant skin cancers, but health is generally good for an old geezer.
Officer in charge of the boat pool was a mustang, LT B. R. Watkins, usually known as “Skins.” Other officers were warrants. My first weeks in the BP were taken up with classes on Geiger counters, compass adjustment, survival swimming, etc. and paperwork for Top Secret Q clearance. As a newly promoted BMC I was the low man on the CPO totem pole and was sent out to Eniwetok in November to take charge of the small advance party and boats already deployed. Transport was USNS AINSWORTH. I thought it very ironic since I had served on Eniwetok in WW II and when I left that miserable rock was happily certain I would ever see it again. The Army issued me some shorts and short-sleeved khakis suitable for the tropical climate. All newcomers to the island were known as “white legs” but it wasn’t long until we were as sunburned as the rest. I remember being surprised by some Army guys saluting me when my shiny CPO collar and cap devices fooled them. One improvement over the wartime scene was the good food available, which we didn’t have during the hostilities. Still bunked in a tent, though.
A couple of months went by and an LSD arrived in the lagoon at dusk with a load of LCMs for the boat pool. I went aboard and found Power, BM1, in charge of the boats. The LSD captain, eager to be on his way to Wespac, dumped the boats as fast as possible and took off. By this time it was dark and the tradewind was blowing strongly. I spent nearly all night chasing drifting LCMs and towing them to a mooring area. Couldn’t have done it without the able assistance of Power, an excellent seaman and PO.
The one boat we were able to man had extra coils of rope, etc. that we used to make towlines. The nicely painted boats got all banged up as we had to do alongside towing.
The rest of the boat pool arrived in January and I went up to Bikini in USS BELLE GROVE (LSD 2) and served as a dispatcher and relief skipper of LCU 1348 when her crew got too much radiation. Will never forget the first shot I witnessed on 1 March. So bright was the flash that sitting on deck with hands over closed eyes I could clearly see the bones in my hands in x-ray fashion. Then the shock wave came racing over the sea like a strong wind. Nothing I saw afterward made the impression on me that Bravo did. There was a lot of fallout and washdown going on. When I got my allowed rad dose I was sent back to the small Eniwetok detachment again and had a fairly easy time until the operation ended. We hauled liberty parties to their beer orgies and always returned a load of drunks to their ships. In the tropics a couple of beers is all it takes for some to feel their oats. Also got in a little fishing when I took one of our boats trolling around the lagoon. Caught some nice coronation groupers, a brick-red fish with blue spots.
On 3 June 1954 returned to Phib Base. So ended first deployment.
Respectfully,
Ed Ries
Email: fishned@bigvalley.net
Keith Whittle
October 31, 2001
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