Earl Wuchter A veteran of the Upshot-Knothole tests. Contacted us here in Portland about his experience at the Nevada test site.
From: Earl Wuchter earlw@enter.net
To: histgaz@aracnet.com (web editor)
Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997
Subject: Re: Atomic Veteran (Upshot-Knothole)
Keith
Thanks much for the prompt reply.
It looks like it must have been shot Annie I attended because
the postcard I sent home was dated much too early for Nancy.
But if the shot was on Tuesday, March 17, and we were on our
way home a day or two later, I can't figure out how the
postcard was postmarked March 22, unless I "mailed" it from
camp Desert Rock and it didn't get to the Las Vegas post office
until several days later. ??
Incidentally, the postcard photo was of an atomic shot at
Frenchman's Flat. It is a red stem and fireball with a
yellow-white center against a dark background (but then,
aren't they all?). It was sold by Desert Souvenir Supply,
Boulder City, Nev.
You mentioned having some extra info about Annie. I would be
grateful for anything I can get, just out of curiousity.
The reason i got interested in the subject is that in the past
year there have been several TV programs about the tests, and
I also bought the "Atomic Bomb" video (certainly worth the
$20).
I am 68 years old, but because of the activities I participate
in (cycling, etc) most of my friends are much younger, many in
their 30's and 40's and they were not yet born when the tests
were taking place. It is a bit of history they never knew much
about and they are interested to hear about it first-hand.
The story of how I got to be in the test is somewhat ironic.
I was a PFC in a Preventive Medicine company based at
Fort Meade, MD and was only about 2 months away from being
discharged. A friend and I saw a notice calling for volunteers
for the test. We decided to volunteer because we had never
before volunteered for anything and we knew that being
short-timers, we would not be wanted.
How wrong can you get? I believe we were exactly what they
wanted. After the test we could go home and tell everyone that
what was being taught in the schools was correct - just keep
your head down under the desk and you will be OK.
I live on the east coast, in Catasauqua, PA (look for
Allentown/Bethlehem). The closest I expect to get to Oregon
is when I open a bottle of Three Fingered Jack microbrew from
Saxer in Lake Oswego.
I believe that I spent most of a week at camp Desert Rock.
There were several days of indoctrination before the shot and
we left for home a day or two after the shot.
I went to town (Las Vegas) at least once in the days before
the test shot, but don't know if the postcard was bought and mailed
from town or from a PX (I'm assuming there was one at the camp).
I remember the actual test and the events leading up to it
(going into the trench, kneeling, counting seconds after the
flash, experiencing the unexpected earthquake (did they warn us
about that?), jumping out of the trench and seeing the whole
sky on fire.) I can still visualize that.
I believe that the 5-foot deep trench was about 1.5 miles from
ground zero. There was also a fortified bunker staffed with
volunteer officers that was closer.
The bomb was located on a 300 or 500 foot high tower.
I seem to recall, but can't be sure, that we were told that the
bomb was the largest test to date, and that we were situated
closer than any others before us. It could have been BS.
Not long ago on TV I saw part of a show where a prominent TV
reporter (Dan Rather?) was describing his experience of
attending an atomic test. His description and my recollection
were identical.
Earl Wuchter
Email: earlw@enter.net
PS. I have a tee-shirt showing a mushroom cloud with the words
"I survived Yucca Flat, Nevada, 1953"
and below it, "So far"
Earl