Operation Tumbler-Snapper
1952
US Atomic Veterans
Robert Stroup
Robert Stroup sent email about Operation Tumbler-Snapper.
From: MDuqueMaddog@aol.com
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2000
Subject: Tumbler Snaper, Shot Charley
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
This is Robert Stroup. I was born on a kitchen table on a ranch in western Oklahoma, October 15, 1929.
In 1942 my stepfather moved us to Espanola, New Mexico. He worked at Los Alamos as malta tradesman in the building of Los Alamos. I later found out he cleaned and rebuilt the inside of contaminated labs.
My grandfather also worked at Los Alamos as a finish carpenter, cabinet builder.
I later found out he built containers for shiping the first bombs.
I entered service September 1948, jump school 1949. I was extended a year in the 1950 Korean outbreak. I was with Co. H, 504th battalion of the 82nd Airborne, September 8, 1948 to June 11, 1952. On January 15th, I went on manuvers to Fort Hood, Texas. I made a jump on the 13th of March and hurt my back. I spent two weeks in a field clinic. The company CO said I didn't need to travel back to Fort Bragg by jeep because of my back, that I would be going to
Las Vegas by air, and I would have plenty of time for my back to heal.
An army bus took us to Camp Desert Rock. We were housed in squad tents. The next week
we were brain washed extensivly. Just like the December before. Not to devulge
any infomation whatsoever, not even to our wives, that we could be tried as a spy.
On April the 22, early morning they brought us fresh starched fatigues and caps and we went to breakfast. After breakfast we were told to take a medicine from a small paper cup and they told us that our pictures would be taken.
Then we were loaded on trucks by manifest. Then they took us to Frenchman's Flats to a
hill side where they had dug trenches. There was a bunker directly behind us with I
suppose bullet proof glass that was heavily tinted. It was about 50 yards away. I
noticed all the officers and civilians that went in the bunker had film
badges. We in the trenches had none.
At count down we were to lay flat in the trenches and cover our eyes with our hands. At count zero, I could see the bones in my hands and I could hear loud crackling noises. A metal
loudspeaker behind us told us to stand up and observe. The fireball was huge
and had all colors of the rainbow with lightning at its base and you had to keep
turning to keep from being burned. It hurt the eyes to look it.
I could see the shock wave coming and I turned my back to it. When it hit, it temporarily knocked me out. I do remember it moving me across the trench and back all in a split second. It was like being dropped from 20 feet up onto your back. It was a while before I could breathe. I watched it till it was a mushroom with ice on the top.
Then the officers and civilians came out of the bunker behind us. One of the civilians tried to tie a white hankerchief around my neck. It was too short so he tied it to the right button hole of my fatigue shirt. In other words I was flagged and told not to take it off until the test was over.
About half way to ground zero, there was sargeant with a jeep and radio directing traffic. Most of the troops went to the display area, a small town and airport with about ten planes. I was sent to ground zero and told to stay there until all the troops passed him. I was there an hour after detonation and spent approximately an hour at ground zero.
At ground zero there had been a tower with a blinking red light, it was gone. All that was left was three concrete pillars and they were badly damaged. About a hundred yards from
ground zero there was a bunker filled with electronic equipment.
I left ground zero and went to the display area. The town was still burning. Some of the buildings were demolished. They had goats, sheep and hogs staked out. Some
were in trenches, most were badly burned and the ones that were alive were
bleating. The aircraft were all damaged, some were broke in half. Most were
severly damaged. In town, autos were turned over, all had the glass broken,
there was broken glass every where. The town was a disaster.
The trucks back to Camp Desert Rock were at the top of a hill behind the mock
town. When we got back to camp we were instructed to strip, discard all our clothing in a large bin, take showers and walk before a man with a gieger counter. Then they gave us all new clothing, boots, caps, etc.
Two days later we were taken to Las Vegas to
board a troop train.The trains windows were sprayed silver on the outside so
we couldnt see out. My eyes felt like I had sand in them and they were sore and I
had floters or spots go across my field of vision, which I still do at
times. The forth day after the blast I began to get sick, throwing up and
diarrhea with a lot of blood.. you know what they said when I reported it? We were
all sick, its the train food. Any way I slept a lot and I thought I was
going to die for several days. I had no appetite and I was very weak. We were on
the train for two weeks. I ate very little. The last few days, I drank a
lot of milk. A couple weeks later I was discharged, with no medical officer
present. I went hone to Espanola N.M. I laid around for about six months till I
felt like working. First thing the Army told me was that my records were lost
then they said they were burned and thats a whole different and another story.
I have severe PTSD, and severe ear problems, also, eye
problems, bone and cartelage deteoriation, and nervous disorder. Five years after the
test a turmor in thr testicle sack, all blood vessels where ruptured. I would like
to have a mailing adress to send a complete statement of all the problems I've
had. It has been a life long strugle to retrieve the information I need to
make claims to the VA. Also I would like to have the videos. My shrink said it might help
to view them with my group.
Thank you,
Robert Stroup
Email: MDuqueMaddog@aol.com
Keith Whittle
October 31, 2000
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