Imagine trying to remember a few months of my life that happened in 1954. I didn’t turn 21 until June after we returned from our four-month detail on Operation Castle. I had not given that part of my life a lot of thought until I received a letter from Sally Uehara asking for information on her husband. I have to say I didn’t recall him, but as it turns out we were on the same WB-29 flight crew. Through Sally I got in touch with Harold Wainscott and memories of Eniwetok and Operation Castle.

I enlisted in the Air Force in May 1952, completed basic training at Lakeland AFB, Texas and Radio Operator school at Keesler AFB, Mississippi and was assigned to the 57th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. There I was 20 years old stationed in Hawaii, an Airborne Radio Operator on WB-29’s. Now it seems like the dark ages, we communicated via High Frequency radios using Morse code. In January 1954 we were notified that nine flight crews would be detailed to Eniwetok for the atomic tests. We arrived on Eniwetok the beginning of February. Here I was a few months shy of 21, a kid from Brooklyn, who has spent the last several months on Oahu getting his first look at the Eniwetok.

One of the first things you notice is the size, Eniwetok is not a very large atoll. Our flight crew was assigned to the Quonset huts rather than the tents. They were strategically located just a short walk to Duffy’s Tavern, which with the outdoor movie was the major source of entertainment on Eniwetok. Duffy’s endeared itself to us all with two for one nights, half price drink nights so you couldn’t afford not to pass an evening or two with your peers. The outdoor movie again was a very economical event, since it was free. I spent many a night sitting watching a movie in the rain and drying my body at Duffy’s after the show.

Our squadron was commanded my Lt Col. Cometh (I am not sure of the spelling). I was assigned to Capt. Robert Diepenbrock’s crew. Rumor had it when Col. Cometh met with General Estes (Commander of Operation Castle) he semi volunteered to have us fly three weather missions a day, plus additional flights prior to, during and after all shots.

Our typical mission was approximately 12- 13 hours, so over the four months we were there we accumulated a lot of flying time. Sometimes during the flights we deviated slightly to investigate a small atoll that was on our flight path. This deviation consisted of descending from our altitude (our normal operating altitudes was 1500 feet, 10,000 feet and 18,500 feet) to make low-level passes over the island. I am not sure if we ever descending from 18,500 feet. One of my vivid memories is going to Kwajelain, to fly search missions for a Japanese fishing boat, having been on Eniwetok for approximately 2 ½ months arriving at Kwaj we checked in the Navy transient quarters in a large open bay with one light switch. Also we made a PX run and there we saw our first live woman since arriving on Eniwetok, she was a Navy dependent complete with the anchor tattooed on her bicep.

Besides flying and Duffy’s Tavern we passed a lot of time on the beach, the lagoon side, reading, complaining and timed the rain squalls as they came on shore as we raced to our Quonset hut. We did throw a baseball back and forth, from the ocean side to the lagoon side; we got pretty good and didn’t hit too many people. We had several crewmembers who were Japanese and they spent most of their free time in the water, spear fishing. They used the roof of our Quonset hut to dry squid and on occasion when retrieving them they left someone on the roof, usually Tommy Fujimoto (another WB-29 Radio Operator). Tommy was the smallest and they felt he wouldn’t collapse the roof. Another fond memory was the chow hall, it may have been the best one I ever ate in and I spent 22 ½ years on active duty. It must be noted that I never volunteered to return to Eniwetok so I could experience the good chow again.

Bernie Wynn
Email: bfwynn@sprynet.com

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