Page 57 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2021- Online Magazine

NAVY

ships – ARLs [Auxiliary just sold for scrap. We
Repair Light] – designed would tow in crippled
for repairing the ships, like an aviation
damage that frequently barge that still had fuel
occurred to smaller in it. Some we towed to
vessels.) Kwajalein or transferred
to an LST (Landing
After arriving in Ship, Tank).
Kwajalein, Marshall
Islands, in March, “When we headed back
the Creon took part in home to Long Beach,
“Operation Crossroads”, California, we were
part of the Navy’s hit by a huge storm en
atomic weapons testing. route, and it took us 28
Only seven nuclear to a platform 90 feet below the days to get back The
bombs existed in July 1946. surface of the water. Several Creon had a pretty flat-bottomed
Robert recalled, “We were going more ships were sunk. One hull. The bow would go down
to watch the testing of three heavy cruiser
atomic bombs, known as Able, was so hot
Baker, and Charlie. (The first test from radiation
was named Able. The bomb was that we had to
named Gilda after a 1946 movie sink it. Charlie
starring Rita Hayworth. The was never
second bomb was called Helen dropped. Too
of Bikini because it was dropped much damage
on the evacuated Bikini Atoll.) had been done
Gilda was dropped (from a B-29 to the target
Superfortress) and exploded ships.”
(500 ft.) above the target. They
told us to squat down behind the Trained as a
ship’s rail and cover our heads Shipfitter 3rd
with our hands. When the bomb Class, the rest
went off, I stood up and looked of Robert’s
right at the blast. I could see service was
fireballs in the mushroom cloud. spent “picking
We were supposed to be eight up a lot of
miles away from the blast but damaged
had drifted to within six miles. equipment
The shock wave really rocked us. left over
I lost my footing and cut a place from WWII,
over my eye when I fell. Several like a rocket
(decommissioned or captured) launcher that
target ships were sunk. Bomb we repaired,
number two, Helen, was attached and the Navy

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