Anonymous

As a matter of privacy I do not wish for my name or e-mail address to be disclosed other than for your information and my participation in the nuclear detonation of the atmospheric shot over Johnston Island on 9 July 1962.

I have read enough of the stories of other Atomic Veterans to know what they mean when they are trying to deal with the Veterans Administration concerning the exposure to nuclear radiation.

I was onboard the USS Taylor (DD 468) and at first I was given an exposure rating of 3.0 Rems (one of the highest given during the detonation I witnessed). I have health problems, but can prove no relation to the exposure I received, but the mere mention of being exposed to nuclear radiation during the testing of weapons, raises eyebrows and disbelief. By the way, the Defense Nuclear Agency sent me an updated letter last year claiming I was not exposed to any radiation and that the dosimeters worn during that test were inaccurate and unreadable due to the length of time they sat in some warehouse in Hawaii.

I still remember the day that the nuclear explosion took place as if it were yesterday. There had been many countdowns before the actual explosion took place and each time we prepared by going above deck and getting briefed as to what we were to do.

On the day that the THOR rocket actually took flight we were told to shield our eyes by placing our heads in the crook of our arms. When the bomb was detonated I thought something must be wrong because I could see every bone in my arm. I dismissed this phenomenon as a figment of my imagination until I began to read of other Atomic Veterans discussing their own experiences.

When this story is told to the average person they look at you with dismay or disbelief. But for me and the other Atomic Veterans we know what we saw and you can’t take that away.