Ingram Chronicle
Vol. 3 No. 5
Continuing the experiences of the Atomic Veteran, with reference to "Operation Castle" and my experiences there, I need to review the experiences of some others, who were more seriously exposed after the very first event.
The USS Pasig (AW-3) had made a delivery of fresh water to the Air Force Base on Eniwetak Island and the Atomic Energy Commission contractor facility on Parry Island at Eniwetak Atoll. She was a special ship that was called on to ferry fresh water to ships and stations that didn't have adequate fresh water supplies of their own. She was sailing directly back to Pearl Harbor. She was scheduled to take on another load of water for the complexes in the test area. She was about 700 nautical miles down wind from the Ground Zero on Bikini Atoll, as the first test event took place. While we in the Sioux made our sampling runs under the fallout cloud, the Pasig was steaming serenely along, unaware of the load of radioactive materials accumulating on her topsides. After the Sioux had reported our experience of that day, the Pasig was surveyed, and discovered that they had a large amount of fallout on deck and in their living spaces, tracked in by crewmen doing their ordinary duties. They had to take some very serious work, to reduce the effected spaces. They were somewhat successful, without any crew members being severely injured by their exposure to the fall out.
About 50 nautical miles further away, from the Pasig, the Japanese fishing boat, Fortunate Dragon, was blithely fishing for albacore tuna, in the Central Pacific, in an area thought to be well away from the test zone. The crew of fishermen continued their labors, collecting a large catch of the tuna, and noticed the appearance of a flaky white powder on their ship and catch. They were sustaining themselves by eating some of their fresh catch—along with the flaky white powder—and ingesting very large doses of radioactive materials. Many of these Japanese fishermen died a horrible death from the ingested materials.
I don't remember the name of the small "jeep" carrier that was a part of the Task Group, but there were several helicopters from a Marine unit aboard her. The Marines were wearing their regular "fatigue" dress—with the wide band of fabric above the belt, with the tops tucked inside their pants tops. This produced an outward folding lip on their trouser tops, which became a perfect collection point for the "hot" fallout from the event cloud. Several Marines ended up getting an early release and quick flight back to the States, for emergency surgery, to remove the radiation burns that cropped up about their waists!
While out at Eniwetak Atoll, I was able to make a connection with the LDS group on the Air Base there, and to attend several Sunday services. I had the opportunity to exercise my Priesthood, as a Deacon, since most of the Air Force fellows were returned Missionaries, and had been drafted through Selective Services! I was the only AP there, and they were kind enough to allow me to be of active use as I was able to meet with them. That was a good time--since I was the only member of the Church on the Sioux! I did a lot of reading of the Bible and Book of Mormon while we were cruising there.
I was always glad to be able to visit with the Church in ports, particularly in San Diego--I usually visited the North Park Stake wards--I had encountered the members through their service, by assignment, to the Recruit Training Station, to provide services on that Naval Station. On the USS Haven, there were two of us, myself and the ship's Communications Officer, who was a full Lieutenant--we didn't have much to do with each other on board--Church-wise--since he was OIC over the radio and electronic people of the Haven.
While we were at sea, there were few opportunities to attend Church services--although we did have a Catholic Chaplain on the Haven, the Sioux was much too small to rate any such an officer. I had established some contacts with the Church in both San Diego and San Francisco, where I was able to meet with the good people whenever I was in either port over a Sunday.
I have to laugh at the turn of events at the Presidio in SF, where the OIC of the 6th Army Communications Center was a Colonel Stewart, who was LDS, and who was kind enough to take me on a tour of his huge radio facility there. He was a full "bird" and I was a Seaman Apprentice (E-2), at the time. While walking about the Presidio, he placed me under "arrest," which required me to remove my white hat and walk directly beside him, where he could immediately supervise me. This was the result of meeting all the junior Army officers and exchanging salutes. Such protocol! I really enjoyed seeing the types of equipment that the 6th Army was using to handle their traffic with the forces in the Far East and with the Pentagon in DC!