Operation Redwing
US Atomic Veterans
Lee L Whipple
Lee L Whipple contacted us by email about his participation during the Redwing atomic tests.
From: leelwhipple@cox.net
To: "Keith" pdxavets@aracnet.com
Subject: Atomic Veteran (Operation Redwing)
Date: Sun, 30 May 1999
Update: March 21, 2002.
Keith,
Name: Lee L Whipple
Rate: FA/E2
Ship: USS Knudson ADP-101
Operation: Redwing
Place: Pacific Test Range
Time: 1956
I reported to the USS Knudson APD-101 in January 1956 and started my duties
as a mess cook. I took an unauthorized leave in February. The ship departed
for the test area shortly after I returned. The ship stopped at Pearl
Harbor and I watched my shipmates take liberty. After a few days there we
sailed on to the Marshall Islands. I was seasick all the time during the
crossing. The day we arrived I told Mr. Mercellin where to park his boat.
Mr. Mercellin was the supply officer he did not like where I told him to
park his boat. I was sent to the Brig on Kwajalein for 3 months of hard
labor. My sentence was reduced to time served which was one month and I was
returned to the Knudson.
I was assigned to the forward engine room as a watch stander. I was also
assigned to a decontamination team. During the test all hands not on watch
were required to fall in at quarters muster, face away from the test area, sit
on the deck and cover our eyes with our arms and not look at the blast. We
were told when we could look at the fireball.
We could see the blast shock
wave as it approached the ship. I remember that the ball glowing a magenta
color. The ship always turned into the blast area. When we started taking
the fallout everyone had to go below deck so the wash down system could
spray away the contamination from the fallout. After the spraying system
was secured a team went out with Geiger counters and made a radiation
survey, marking all the hot spots then having the decontamination team use
scrub brushes and soap to remove the hot sports.
After we cleaned our ship
we went to help the decontamination of the ships that were in the target
zone that did not sink. I received many assignments as a decontamination
team member.
On one assignment we stopped off at Eniwetok for dinner, we
could not get into the mess, as we did not have film badges. The Sargeant at
the Provost Marshals office opened his desk and handed out badges for the
team. We had to give them back after we had our meal.
Why didn't we have
film badges? Our Commanding Officer, LCDR Robert B. Smith told me, "not to
take my badges and that the ships radiation alarms and our team monitor
would tell us when we were getting contaminated."
I don't remember how many
detonations there were. I was told that there were about seventeen. I did not
witness all of them, as for a while I was in the brig. I feel that I did
make up for the ones that I missed by the number of decontamination
assignments I received.
We did have a few beach parties. We had a cook-out on some of the islands.
Some of the crew ate some of the coconuts. We did some fishing, the fish
were strange. I did not eat any fish or coconuts. We found many glass balls,
Japanese fishing net floats. Many of the crew drank the one beer, different
at each party, which was provided by the ship, I guess the beer, was provided
by the lowest bidder. Gobbles, Pap's Blue Ribbon, Olympia, my being 18, I did
not know what good beer is. Well at 62, I am in the same boat, I don't know a
good beer from a bad one.
The personnel that I remember that I served with are:
LCDR Robert B. Smith Capt. of the Knudson
Lt. W. W. McClintock Jr.
BM1 Arthur Thoreen, Master at Arms
LtJg. Roger G. Mercellin, Supply Officer
CSC Marlin M. Coontz, Chief Cook
BM2 John H. E. Fuller, Master at Arms
SN Albright, Team member
SN Olsen, Team member
MM2 Glass, Forward Engine room Leader
MM3 Sanders, Forward Engine room
MM3 Metcalf, Forward Engine room, and Team member
Update:
Date: Sat, 16 Mar 2002
From: leelwhipple@cox.net
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
Subject: Adding to page
Keith,
I just made a copy of what we had on the WEB site and added some history
on the bottom of the page. Please read and edit as you need to.
Name: Lee L Whipple
Rate: FA/E2
Ship: USS Knudson APD-101
Operation: Redwing
Place: Pacific Test Range
Time: 1956
After my service onboard the Knudson, I was assigned to the Reserve in
Phoenix, AZ.
I returned to active duty in 1960 and reported to the USS
KOKA ATA-185 as a MM. My duties onboard the Koka were the water maker,
boiler and I was an engine room watch stander.
I was transferred to the Naval Hospital Corps School in San Diego in 1962. From Corps School as an HM3 I was transferred to the Naval Hospital Jacksonville, FL. My
duties in Florida were to the NP Ward for my first year then to Hospital
Personnel.
I was transferred to the Naval Air Station at Glenco, GA.
Where my duties were in X-ray, Lab and Pharm Tech. After two years I
returned to Arizona and the reserve.
I again returned to active duty and was assigned to the USS BELATRIX AF 62 in Alameda, CA. My duties as HM3 were on Independent Duty. I made a WESTPAC cruse to Japan, PI, and
Vietnam.
When I returned to CONUS I was transferred to San Diego Naval
Training Center and started training as a Field Corpsman at Camp
Pendelton with the USMC. I was then transferred to the Naval Support
Center in Danang, RVN. I worked in the Ortho Ward as (HM2) until Navy
Nurses were assigned. Then I went to Patient Personnel and made travel
arrangements for the wounded. I was later assigned to I Corps HQ at the
White Elephant in Danang.
When I returned to CONUS I was transferred to
the Naval Hospital Philadelphia, PA and attended x-ray School (HM1).
When my training was complete I was assigned to the Naval Station
Newport, RI and my duties were that of an X-ray Department Lead. I had
duties as Station X-ray Technician and was responsible for monitoring
the Industrial X-ray and well as the Medical X-ray.
I left the Navy and went back to school this time is Utah. I worked at the University
Medical Center in Salt Lake for a time and in 1973 I returned to active
duty and served on board the USS Enterprise CVAN 65. I was the Medical
Decontamination Team Leader and the Medical Training PO for the ship. I
was discharged from the navy in 1975.
I worked in the Offshore Oil Industry from 1976 to 1981.
I went to work at the Nuclear Power Plant in Taft LA. As a
Planner/Scheduler. A start in a new Career, I have worked at the Nuclear
Power Plants Waterford 3, Arizona PV 1, 2, and 3. SONGS 1, Diablo
Canyon, Quad Cities, NYPA IP3, Calvert Cliffs Power Plant, Hope Creek
Generating Station.
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Environmental Restoration Program,
several other Chemical plants and refineries. Microelectronics Fabs, and
Demilitarization of the Munitions at the Tooele Army Depot.
I am currently involved with Transportation. The construction of highways
Keith, I have many stories to tell. I hope I can tell them all when I
retire.
My exposure to the USN and all of the training that I received has been
a great benefit to me. The best thing I ever did is when I married a
sailor. But that is another story.
Lee L Whipple
Email: leelwhipple@cox.net
Keith Whittle
June 1, 1999
Update: March 21, 2002.
[ Operation Redwing ]