SUBJECT: Last Duty Day During Uncle Test
From University Archives
Rad Bio Lab
Nevada Tests 1951November 5, 1951, Monday Afternoon
Hello everyone, hope you're all fine. I am feeling just fine at present, in fact I've been feeling just fine most of the time. An occasional food poisoning, but that comes and goes here, bout once a week.
As no doubt you have heard, as of late things hafe been popping down here. I believe in my last letter I told you about Able shot and the trouble that caused. When things started really rolling here they forgot all about the alpha, which is just as well, because they had only 3 alpha meters that would operate.
Sunday morning was quite windy. Shot was called for 0700 but another wind run was required so actual drop came at 0723. It was a beautiful shot, very pretty, and the shock wave was delivered to us in one sweet package, so it really left our ears ringing. It even set a few people back on their buckets around here. The wind was out of the Northeast so it put a little dirt down Death Valley Junction way. At higher altitude it fanned more west so Beatty got a good lick. I went in at plus one hour to three camera stations which we found relatively clean and clear.
Monday things got well cleaned up so we were dispatched on mobile monitoring in preparation for Charlie Shot. It arrived 0700 Tuesday morning (Oct. 30). We were at Overton, Nev. which is just off the north end of Lake Mead. That is a distance of about 90 air miles from zero. We saw the flash, and about 1 min. later saw the cloud climbing above the horizon. 8 min. after had six reports, so people came out of houses. It went up far enough so we could see the funnel. The wind decided to change at about that time so we were called to come on into Groom mine, which is northeast of the site, just on edge of the restricted area. There were very weak west surface winds so what came that way fell short of us on Groom Dry Lake. The upper winds went southwest and west, so they again picked them up at Death Valley and Beatty, also Los Angles as the papers announced. My team mate on Charlie was a deleted from the Ordinance, former C.O. at Umatilla, Oregon.
On Wednsday we got our mobile assignments for Dog Shot. Deleted a Ph.d in Physical Chem. from Univ. of Rochester was my team mate. We were sent to Death Valley Junction. At 0730 thursday morning we saw the flash and were in very good view of the cloud. I took a couple of pictures. The cloud took off P.D.Q. in a southeast direction so we had to hustle after it again. We started picking up fallout 40 miles north of Las Vegas. That was our high of 4.0 mr/hr. A monitor ahead of us got 7.0, there 1/2 hr. earlier. We continued on toward Boulder City and it gradually decreased to background. They also picked it up on down beyond toward Barstow, Ariz.
Because of blockhouse repair, and area to cool off Easy Shot, was allowed to wait until Monday, this morning. In the mean time we have been plenty busy, escorting work parties into the area, operating Check Point which is 2.1 miles out from blockhouse, operating Personnel Decontamination, etc. Yesterday I worked on Personnel Decontamination from 0600 to 1430. Yesterday afternoon and last night was spent in restful sleep.
This morning Easy Shot came free and easy. Drop was at 0830 from a B-45 (jet). This was largest for entire operation, infact largest of any fired in this country. It was beautiful. It had the ice cap and all other accesories except the Cloud Chamber effect. We were well braced for the shock wave but were disappointed, it hardly amounted to the one from Baker Shot.
I was on the blockhouse project in this operation so at H+2 hours we sailed forth. There were three of us in all. Blockhouse was well away from zero point but was still reading about 2.4 r. outside the door. We entered the vault and it was essentially background in there. At that position I picked up a dirt sample. We returned to Control Point after a short stay and passed clear, through Personnel Decontamination. We returned to blockhouse at H+6 hours. It would have been okay if we would have sat tight but the fellow in charge had to check an outside area so we got into a 14 r. area but came right back out. In addition, I was coaxing the weapons carrier all the way. To date I was almost a virgin on exposure, but I joined The Order of the Lead Brick today. The film hasn't been checked yet so I don't know my exposure. This was the last shot for the Buster operation. There is a short break coming up, but it looks like us out-o-towners will share the duty during the period.
Jangle Operation moves to a more northerly (also more out of the way) site for deleted and deleted. Schedule for deleted at present should bring it about Nov. 14. But, this date has to be very flexible, because the weather has to be more than just weather it has to be perfect. Deleted and deleted both require perfect weather.
Today, the fallout went south and southwest, so right here at control point we got our share of about 20-30 mr/hr.
Tonight I have night duty here at Control Point, it shouldn't be too busy because at present night parties are few. There are six of us here. I hope I can get a little shut eye tonight, because I have Check Point tomorrow afternoon, and that is usually a good busy spot.
On the 7th of Nov. I have a 24 hr. stretch of duty down at Rad Safe Office at Camp #3. When this cools off up here I should be able to get my sleep before deleted.
My mail was lost in wrong office so I just got monitoring card yesterday. Here is data Birth 21 Sept 1927 - Weight 180 - Height 72" - Hair color Lt. Brown - Eyes Blue - Scars on heel of right hand, Thank you Phlorence - I don't need the card down here.
I'll have better luck on my mail if Rad-Safe Unit is put in, in place of Project Hdqrs. My envelopes are holding up fine. Thanks for everything! Will write soon. Sincerely yours, deleted.
Editor's Notes: All the items inserted into the above letter by the editor are in italics. Document came to us with names and words deleted and we have noted such.
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