| I'm a World War II Veteran. My time in the Army was spent at Camp Ellis, Illinois, the largest military training center in the U.S. at that time. My job there was as an instructor and prisoner-of-war guard (German and Italian). I was "lucky," I guess, not to have been called for overseas duty. A few years after the war was over, however, I had an opportunity to go to Eniwetok as a civilian working for Holmes & Narver, a construction/engineering company that was under contract with the Atomic Energy Commission. . I jumped at the chance to at least see where some of the action took place. I ended up spending about eight years at Eniwetok during the period 11-49 thru 7-61 plus six months at Johnston Island in 1964/1965. My first trip to Eniwetok was in November 1949. We flew out of Hickam on a MATS C54 complete with "litter' seats. Remember them? We stopped off at Johnston Island. That was before the landing strip was extended. Landing on and getting off Johnston Island at that time was a scary process. When ready to takeoff I swear the tail of the plane was hanging out over the water so that we had as much of the runway to use as possible. I'm sure the engines were revved up to full power before the brakes were released. It took the entire runway to get airborne. |  Click on the picture for a larger view. Foreground: Kaiser Concrete Barge. Background: This is not the setting sun. |
Our next stop was Kwajalein for a short layover before departing for Eniwetok. You can imagine what the trip from Johnston to Kwajalein was like sitting on litter seats in a C54.
As we approached Eniwetok I couldn't believe how beautiful the lagoon and surrounding islands looked. The lagoon was a deep purple. The light green color surrounding the islands reminded me of Lime Jello. As beautiful as it was, I looked down and realized that this "spot" on earth was going to be my home for a year. Strangely enough, after spending time there, it seemed like a nice little world after all. Swimming was great! Fishing was great! The food was great! What more could you want?
Our temporary living quarters on Eniwetok consisted of quonset huts left over from the war. The laundry facility was a one-man, one-clothes washer operation. Your clothes got washed once a week. Drinking water was produced from sea water using Badger 200 distillation units. Bathing was done in the lagoon using sea water soap. The weather was a constant 81 degrees year round, day or night. The food was plentiful. All you could eat (steak, fresh vegetables, and fruit). The only thing not too good was the eggs (or whatever it was).
We commuted between Eniwetok and Parry Islands (our permanent home) by LCM. We called them "M" boats for short. Our first job was to build housing, messhall, office, and warehousing structures; a fresh water, salt water, and sewer distribution system. We moved to Parry during this process, living in 8-man tents until the Pascoe aluminum buildings were erected to house us.
Subsequently we constructed the wood piers at the mid-point and the north end of the island. If I remember correctly there was a existing pier toward the south end. We built the power house toward the south end of the island and a water distillation plant in Camp.
When we first got to Parry we were shocked to find all sorts of ordnance just about anywhere you looked. Dud mortar shells still stuck in tree trunks. Fifty caliber (I think) bullets laying all over the place. Every now and then a phosphorous bomb would explode down along the beach. There were any number of small Japanese tanks along the ocean side of the island. Along the lagoon shore line and at the north end of the island we found Japanese graves with thin wood markers still standing. Near the lagoon shore line we found parts of Japanese planes that had been shot down. We uncovered full wings with the Zero markings. On occasion we would hear a loud explosion coming from our dump site at the north end of the island. We were told that a live bomb had exploded while debris was being burned. Fortunately, no one was ever hurt when these incidents occurred .
During the installation of underground utility lines we ran through many a Japanese grave, uncovering swords, bottles of Saki, pieces of clothing, and, of course, skeletons. The war was not so far removed in 1949 that the bitterness toward the Japanese didn't still remain in the minds of all of us. Needless to say, these remains were not treated with much respect.
Several of the islands in the atoll were storage places for military equipment left behind when the war was over. Runit, for example, had 50 LCM's stored bow to bow on a sand spit at the south end of the island. Most were in usable condition. Their 250 HP diesel engines could have been made operable. We pulled them off the beach and sunk them in the lagoon. At the north end of Parry we found a couple of monel hulled Picket boats. One of the job superintendents almost got one shipped home. He had actually gotten it on the deck of a freighter docked at the north pier. The AEC said it belonged to them, so off it came.
We had "scrounge" privileges. If we found something we could use, it was ours during that first year. There were many jeeps that were restored and used by us. After that first year we had to turn them over to the AEC.
Across the deep channel from Parry Island was Japtan Island. For whatever reason, it apparently was not part of the destruction that most of the other eastern and northern islands sustained. The coconut trees were all standing in there designed pattern (more about this later). The island was occupied by a Navy BiMed Unit and a series of dog runs. A unique thing about this island was that it had large lizards (one-of-a-kind species). They were as big as six feet long. You rarely saw one even though it could have been only two feet away. They lay on the palm branches or hung vertically on the trunk. You could walk around the trunk and as you walked they also moved around. We finally caught on and two of us would walk on opposite sides of the trunk. Then they would drop off the trunk and run into the jungle. The Navy guys would catch them, kill them, skin them and make wallets and belts from the skin. The Navy finally put a stop to it when it was discovered that the species was becoming extinct. After the Navy gave up this island, it became a place for recreation for all to use.
When we made our first trip to Parry we noticed that there was a ship aground at the north end of the island. Across the channel was another ship also aground. One of these was called the Nickajack Trail. I've always thought that the Nickajack Trail was the ship at Parry, but I recently read an article by Dick Dunlap that disputes that. The story we were given was that these two ships were heading into the lagoon and were told to "get out of the way" because one or more Navy ships were on their way out. They had no choice but to veer off to either side and go aground. We salvaged paint and rope and other materials from the ship at Parry.
We had a doctor on the job but no dentist. Anyone having tooth problems had to be flown to Kwajalein. At Kwajalein they had female dental assistants. Since there were no females at Eniwetok you can imagine how many toothaches and other dental problems developed.
Our mode of transportation between islands was by "M" boat or aircraft (L5's or L 13s). There were also helicopters later on (H1 9's and H21 's). The L 13's were a unique aircraft. The leading edge of the wing had a double foil for extra lift. In a strong wind it could almost take off like a helicopter. The story we had was that when it was demonstrated to the Air Force it took off from a 15' square airstrip in a strong head wind. We had a number of them crash while trying to land in a cross wind. The air strip at Runit, for example, was designed to use the natural trade winds. If an L13 got caught in a squall and had to land, it usually tore out the landing gear.
Speaking of "trade winds," all of the coconut trees planted on most of the islands (Japtan included were layed out in such a pattern so as to let the trade winds blow between the rows. When the Germans held these islands they imported soil from the Black Forest in Germany, ship load after ship load. They planted the trees and grew them for the copra and any other by-product derived. The stakes the natives used to split the coconuts by hand and the piles of coconut shells remained.
The second half of my first year was spent on Runit. We built that camp to construct and support certain test facilities. At the same time, we supported the sites at Aomon and Engebi. We commuted by "M" boat and shipped material by LCT ("T" boats).
During the years at Eniwetok I saw many tests. More than I can now remember, in fact. I missed Ivy. I was home on leave. The one that stands out most vividly in my mind was Hardtack "OAK." The morning of that shot we gathered near the dock in the middle of Parry. The shot was across the lagoon about 20 miles away. We wore clothing that covered our skin. We were instructed to wear our high density goggles and sit on the ground facing away from the shot. When it went off you could feel the heat against your back. After counting "10" we took off our goggles and saw a most amazing site. The color was sort of a fading violet glow. You could see the column of water and debris shooting skyward at a rate, we were told, of 200 MPH. Then the earth shook. Reminded me of when I was young and living in California during the many earthquakes I had experienced there.
We were told to prepare for a tidal wave. I got up on the catwalk of a large Marion crane, about five feet above ground. As I watched the mushroom cloud form I was also looking at the lagoon. There were a number of "M" boats moored a distance from shore with their sterns turned toward the beach. All of a sudden they began to swing around on their hooks. The water line at the ramp next to the dock began to recede. It went out further and further until you could see the lagoon floor. Then it returned and kept coming on shore until it went under the crane I was standing on. This was repeated about six more times, each time with less force.
Before I got into a supervisory capacity my work included being a member of a team that went to the site prior to a test and one-by-one retrieved all of the equipment on the island not part of the test. This sometimes took 2 or 3 days and was performed on a tight minute-by-minute schedule. All equipment was loaded aboard "T" boats for transport back to Parry or some other location.
After the test a team of us went back to the site to retrieve whatever might be left of the monitoring equipment. We wore coveralls taped up the front where the buttons were, at the sleeves where they met the gloves we wore, and at the ankles where the canvas shoe covers met the legs. We also wore a surgeon's cap and mask. The Radsafe people walked near us checking us periodically for radiation contamination. When you reached 200 milliroentgens (per day) you were pulled off the island and sent back to Parry by boat. When I look back it appears that we, as civilians, were fairly well monitored, but I don't know that for certain. I do wonder sometimes, since these were "test" projects, whether the scientists understood all they knew about nuclear radiation.
The dock I mentioned before that was located toward the southern end of Parry was converted into a decontamination facility. When we arrived back at Parry we stripped off our clothing on the dock then proceeded to the showers. After a shower we were checked for any contamination residue. It can accumulate in your hair, eyebrows, fingernails, ears, etc. If you weren't "clean", back you went to the shower. This was repeated until you no longer were contaminated. A record was kept of your exposure. As I understand it, if and when you reached 10 roentgens you were immediately sent home (Stateside).
The Holmes & Narver photographer was a friend of the AEC photographer and he was able to get a dramatic photograph of a "white squall." The original panoramic view was made in 5 sections. I was able to get 3 of the sections. The other 2 were classified. I remember when the squall came through. I was sitting in my office in one of the metal buildings across the road from the boat ramp and pier. On the horizon, about where Igurin Island is located (west side of the wide passage), I saw an unusual buildup of clouds. It kept building, getting wider and darker by the minute. As it approached Parry it was a black, churning mass of clouds spreading as far north and south as you could see. The temperature dropped 15 degrees and the prevailing wind shifted 180 degrees. Strangely, not much rain fell but it was much windier.
The only other severe weather conditions we experienced were a couple of typhoons in the area. Parry is about 3' above sea level and I think Eniwetok is even less. On one occasion when I happened to be on Eniwetok, the ocean water actually flowed from the ocean side overland to the lagoon about mid-island. Another time on Parry we were on 24-hour patrol because the typhoon was not all that far away. I remember driving along the shore line at the north end of Parry where the deep channel is and it appeared like I was looking "up" toward the top of the swells coming through the channel. Thank God it was only an illusion.
Well, that was life for me at Eniwetok Atoll. I hope my story gives you an appreciation of the things you saw and did while you were stationed there. Frankly, it was the best and most interesting experience of my life and, like you, nothing I'll ever forget.
When I first drafted this story over a year ago I said, "I can't say that I have developed any physical problems from that experience." I'm 76 years old now and have gone through radiation treatments for cancer in the neck area. This after surgery to remove the Iymph nodes, tonsil, and some muscles from the right side of my neck. It's been over a year now since my surgery and so far so good. However, I have recently developed a thyroid problem.
When I learned that the DOE was going to provide benefits to certain people who had worked around nuclear radiation I became interested in learning more. The program is called the "Energy Employees' Occupations Illness Compensation Act." During the process of developing this program I found that the Marshall Islands were not included in the list of beneficiaries. I started writing congress people in August of 2000 who I learned were interested in the program I also wrote to Bill Richardson at the DOE. I received a letter from the DOE dated 2-28-01 in which it stated, "You asked that those who participated in the atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons in the Pacific be included under S. 1515, the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) Amendments of 2000. Under other legislation also passed last year, victims of radiation exposure from the atmospheric testing at the Marshall Islands are eligible for compensation benefits similar to those under RECA." A subsequent letter from the DOE included a "Notice of Listing of Covered Facilities." Sure enough, there it was...."Eniwetok Test Site - Marshall Islands." I hope I had something to do with it. I don't know how this affects the military atomic Veterans but it certainly must have some related significance which should be pursued.
Philip Drake
Email: bravo1432@earthlink.net
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