From: Keith Lamb
To: hrw@dcr.net
Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2003
Subject: Father was stationed at Eniwetok

Submitted by D. Keith Lamb of Columbus Ohio

Tom Lamb's Wetok Tour

"I was not drafted, joined the ROTC at MIT, last two years I think. Had to undergo some training and exercises, got some pay ($30/mo??), agreed to serve two years, entered service as a 2nd Louie.

Near the end of basic training the Army needed a replacement for an outgoing Fixed Station Radio Officer on Eniwetok. I was about the head of my class, due to my ham experiences and general brilliance, and was offered to volunteer to go to Eniwetok serving as above. Never heard of it, and was not told anything about it's being bombed. Don't know just what I was told.

The alternative, which befell the rest of the class was to go to Ft. Huachuca NM. A very hot place 35 miles from any town, and generally frowned upon. I took Eniwetok. Could probably look up a date, but probably 55.

I had to get Top Secret clearance. Funny thing, much later I checked and none of my references were checked.

Home contact - as I recall were letters only, were censored I think.

As you probably know Eniwetok was the staging area for the Bikini tests. Not sure when I found this out. The isle had Army and AF bases. I was in charge (under a Major) of the fixed station radio equipment, including the Comm center (LOTSA RTTY machines etc). There was an antenna farm of rhombics you would not believe, but mostly to maintain continuous contact with Hono.

The receive antenna farm was on another isle (Japtan) about 5miles away to maintain RF separation. I did not go there often. Off the Comm Center was the Crypto center. Even with my Top clearance I was not allowed in there. There was a separate Crypto Clearance that few had.

While Eniwetok was barren sand/coral, I did not know the reason til many years later. There was no mention of radiation on Eniwetok. I should have been curious as Japtan was a jungle.

Some time later I got the impression that the Bikini blast, which I missed by a few weeks, was the first H-bomb test, guess not. I wanted to see the blast (200mi away) and even scrounged the dark glasses, but due to wx they kept postponing it. I kept extending my stay to see it, about two weeks I think. I was the only one who ever volunteer extended. The blast finally went off a week or two after I left. Bummer.

There was a BIG armada of naval ships (JTF-7 (Joint Task Force)) in the bay. Don't know why so much support was needed. Think there was at least one sub.

The army did what it could to make life pleasant. Classed as a "hardship" post due to no family/girls. Very good food, all the ice-cream you could eat, a library, use of LSI boats for fishing, some scuba gear (which I inherited when the captain left), sports etc. Fitted my Hermit lifestyle very well. I enjoyed my stay. Got to fly to some of the other islands. No xmitting radios or cameras were allowed. A Sgt was found with a RC airplane xmitter, I was called to give my " expert" opinion to it's range. We just confiscated the equip and hushed it up."

Best wishes,

D. Keith Lamb
Columbus, Ohio

From: Rhoderic@aol.com
To: hrw@dcr.net
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2002 10:32 AM
Subject: What I remember from "tok"

I was on Eniwetok in 1957 as a weather observer. I only spent two months on the "tok" as I got transfer to the University of Hawaii as a plotter for a special research project on clear air turbulence. I was a A/2c then.

I remember when I got to "tok" the first night I was taken to the local airmen's club and treated to a royal night of drinking and looking for the lights of San Francisco in the distance. I think the drunker everyone became the more they thought they "saw the lights." I didn't learn until the next week the reason my fellow wx observers were so glad to see me was because they had been working 7 day shifts and never had any time off. I of course was given the 11-7 shift, which was OK. My favorite time was spent snorkling in the lagoon. I also walked/swam to the next door little island where the civilians were working on something. Also remember the dogs taking the island bus back and forth. Friday the weekly plane came in with fresh meat and Friday or Saturday nights we always had steak & French fries. I looked at the pictures on your web site and for some reason I don't remember the softball games. I do remember, I think, the guy holding the plaque in a squatting position. I don't remember his name but his face is familiar.

When I was on the island in '57 the only trees left were two at the chapel and there also was the only grass on the island. I remember my room mate used to go to the movies everynight and after a while he would memorize the dialog and talk along with the movies. I only had three choices to choose from when I exited wx school in Rantoul: England, Spain and the "South Pacific." Being from Pennsylvania I didn't want England, couldn't speak Spanish and the only pictures I saw of the island life were from Hawaii and how could you turn that down?

Anyway the reason I even found your site was I need information on my military because the records section of military archives burned in St. Louis and we have to prove we were in the service so we are compensated for additional social securty monies. It isn't much since I only served four years in the USAF but it comes to over $360 a year which is OK considering time served. Never got to see a blast. I think by the time I got there the nuke treaties were in force.

William R. McIntire
Sarasota, FL

Email: Rhoderic@aol.com

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