How I got to Wetok was real interesting. I was a retread from WWII. I graduated Flight School as a Flight Officer in 1943 and was relieved from active duty in mid 1946. I had requested a couple of schools before I was released. One, Air Weather Forecaster School, and the other was Intelligence school. In 1947 I was recalled to active duty to attend both schools. First, Intelligence school and then the Air Weather Course at Chanute AFB. After completing the Air Weather Course I was assigned to the 31st Weather Squadron at Hickam field. Since I was a F/O in WWII they commissioned me a 2nd Lt., I became an overage in grade officer, therefore, low man on the totem pole. So when the Korean conflict broke out I was sent TDY with the 92nd Bomb Group to Japan as there Weather Officer. I spent time with the 98th Bomb Group and 51st Fighter Group before being returned to the 31st Weather Squadron in Hawaii. Well once again being the low man on the totem pole, I was immediately assigned to command the 31-1 AWS detachment on Eniwetok. Thus began my tour on the Rock. Greenhouse was to begin in a few months and it was my job to get the Weather Station in shape to be assigned to the Task Force when it arrived. My biggest problem was that I had no training in Tropical Meteorology so I was at a loss in forecasting for the area. Thank God for M/Sgt Dyer, the only forecaster at the station. He taught me all he knew and without him I would have been lost. I also knew very little of the practical part of an R section workings. Again, with the help of the section chiefs I got a 2-month education. I even pounded tanks and rode the bedspring antenna. I had an excellence group of people there. They worked hard and played hard. I have two incidences happen which were wild. First, I had to explain how I could have 2 men go AWOL from this Rock. A couple of guys decided to take a stroll to Perry Island at low tide and got stuck on Perry when the tide came back in. They had to stay overnight and the H&N people treated them as guests. They did not call and tell us the problem and thinking that they could get back before roll call, but it didn’t happen. They had a long tour of pounding tanks. Second, I am the only commanding officer that had to explain how 2 of my people came down with a case of the clap on the island. These people were not to be part of my R&R to Hawaii, but had changed places with someone else, so they got lost in the shuffle. I had a hell of a time explaining this. Prior to the project we were a once a day forecasting, 24-hour observing and 6 hour schedule for balloon runs. After the JTF took over we became a 24-hour stating and normal balloon runs plus others at call of the JTF staff. I was regulated to being the Supply Officer and Fallout Forecaster for JTF staff. Low man on the totem pole again. By this time I had been promoted to 1st Lt. but I was still low man. During all the shots I was out side with the R section supervising the balloon runs. Things were real wild for the shots. I was at the take off end of the runway so I got to see all the fun. The one where the T-33 got away and went into the lagoon, I did not see the wing drag but it still banked hard left and climbed. I was told that the Large Search Radar caused the problem with the drones on a 2nd or 3rd harmonic frequency. During the duty with JTF, I was treated as one of the Field Grade Officers since I was considered as Permanent Party on the Island. I did not have to live a tent like most of the other persons did. I also got a lot of flying time in by flying the Island Security Patrols. I also got acquainted with the Island Fighter Squadron who were from a California National Guard. Bob Love was one the pilots and I have kept in touch with him for years until recently. He became an ACE in Korea. Although I never got checked out in the P-80 there, Bob taught me enough so when the time came I had no trouble. I think that all of the stories, which happened on Greenhouse, have been written. It was a great experience but I would not want to do it again. After JTF left the Island I put the 31-1 back together again and went back to our old ways. Because of the Task Force the Weather Station and R section gained a great deal of equipment that other weather stations did not have, like 2 GMD-9 (I think that is what they were called, auto tracking R systems) and a whole lot of Helium, so no more pounding tanks for awhile. My father passed away in July the 1951 and I ask for leave to help my mother at home but the thing called a CO of the 31st Weather Squadron Refused it. He and I went around and around over this and finally I was relieved from Eniwetok in August 1951 and returned to Hawaii. I was immediately granted 30 days R&R to the states. I was to be returned to Hawaii to complete my 24-month tour but the Port Of Embarkation said I had enough points to stay in the states and was sent to the Pilot Training Command. I would have liked to have gone back to Hawaii but with the CO and the fact that Ivy was in the picture, I am sure I would have ended up on it. I stayed in the states. One nice thing about this is I got promoted. I was released from active duty in 1956 and I enjoyed my military service and training. Since then have been a Test Pilot (production), Flight Test Engineer, Missile Test Engineer, National Sales Manager for a large computer company. In closing the only thing I can say about Wetok and Greenhouse is that I hope for all the suffering and pain the project put us through, I HOPE IT WAS WORTH IT !! Robert G. Eskridge USAF Eniwetok 31-1 Det Commander October 1950 - – - August 1951 Staff Weather Officer JTF 3.5.8, Project Greenhouse Email:stormy76@home.com

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