Operation: Greenhouse 1951 Teller checking equipment Operation: IVY 1952 OPERATION: Castle 1954 OPERATION: WIGWAM 1955 OPERATION: REDWING 1956 OPERATION: HARDTACK 1 1958 35 Detonations: Apr-Aug In 1958, with the enormous weapons production infrastructure and both weapons labs operating at full speed. Hardtack I included 35 tests, the largest test series so far. Partly this burst of testing activity was due to building pressure for an imminent test moratorium, leading the weapons labs to rush as many device types to the test range as possible. A total of 35.6 megatons were shot during this series. The extensive test schedule required the use not only of both Bikini and Eniwetok atolls but also included Johnston Island. 17 Detonations: Mar-Jul Atmospheric nuclear weapon test series held at the Atomic Energy Commission’s (AEC) Pacific Proving Ground (PPG). The PPG consisted of Eniwetak and Bikini atolls in the northwestern Marshall Islands in the Central Pacific in the Spring and Summer of 1956. It is believed Howard was still attached to JTF 7.3 as Radioman Chief for this event. While I have had a hard time online finding a text listing of the ESTES being at this event, this image on the certificate clearly places U.S.S. ESTES there with JTF 7.3 Again, Howard is still Chief Radioman the U.S.S. ESTES throughout 1956. 
I have no personal documents to support his presence at this event. 
It is assumed since he did not separate from his ship until at least the photograph in the ESTES Cruise Book for 1957 and probably until August 1958. Hopefully it will be revealed in his records if/when 
they can be accessed. The Estes is the Flagship of the operation with the Commander Task Group (CTG) aboard. 1 Detonation: May From an article: “Operation Wigwam: The Story of California’s Secret Nuclear War, the Enemy, 6,500 Americans,” prepared at the Center for Investigative Reporting in Oakland, allow me to cite from this eye witness account of the scientists and the military men involved. The task force of Scripps scientists knew that what they were readying was an experiment and an experiment involving human life. The area in the Pacific Ocean where the bomb was detonated was determined by the Scripps scientists to be a biological desert after the detonation. My husband said that after the detonation for as far as the eye could see the ocean was covered with dead marine life. AEC reports reveal that the detonation did break the surface of the water, sending a tidal wave of water over 600 feet high towards the ships. Veteran Narrative: They would tell you to go take a shower. It was recycled radioactive water, (Full article will be posted later with link to a separate page) Another Joint Task Force 7.3 Operation Still trying to verify with various sources. Our family lived off-base in San Diego at that time, 
as it would be a long attachment for him to ESTES and it was her home port. I have found that the U.S.S. ESTES is listed online as having returned to her home port of San Diego in May 1955, after an 11 month tour of Korea, Vietnam, and assisted evacuating the Tachen Islands and a goodwill tour in Japan. 1 Detonation: March March 1, 1954, a deliverable hydrogen bomb using solid lithium deuteride was tested by the United States on Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. By missing an important fusion reaction, the scientists had grossly underestimated the size of the explosion. The predicted yield was 5 megatons, but, in fact, “BRAVO” yielded 14.8 megatons, making it the largest U.S. nuclear test ever exploded. The blast gouged a crater more than 1/2 mile wide and several hundred feet deep and ejected several million tons of radioactive debris into the air. Within seconds the fireball was nearly 3 miles in diameter Test Bombs were: Bravo, Romeo, Koon, Union, Yankee, Nectar Shot: BRAVO Commendation Howard received this for his permanent record from the Rear Admiral of the U.S. Navy, R.A. Burton USN for effectively & materially contributing to the success of the mission during a 
communications disruption. I have read online that the ship my have been down mysteriously w/no power for as much a 3 hours just prior to 
the shot. 2 Detonations: October Mike Test The device detonated in the Mike (“m” for “megaton”) test, called the Sausage, was the first “true” H-Bomb ever tested. The enormous explosion was the 4th largest device ever tested by the U.S. & high levels of radiation blanketed much of the atoll following the test. King Test The device detonated in the King (“k” for “kiloton”) test was dropped by a B-36H bomber flying out of Kwajalein Island. The detonation occurred 20 feet lower than planned, with a circular bombing error of 570 feet +/- 35 feet. While perhaps not the largest deliverable fission bomb possible at the time, it was certainly pushing close to the practical limit. 2 Detonations: October Conducted at Eniwetok Atoll, it consisted of four relatively high yield tests: Dog, Easy, George, & Item. Dog and Easy were proof tests of two new strategic bombs. George and Item were the first true tests of thermonuclear fusion. Shot: DOG Howard had been all over and well familiar with these islands in his early WWII career. He had been involved in the bombardment of Guam, the Marshall Islands and Eniwetok when the islands were captured during the Pacific Campaign. He had joined the ESTES & Joint Task Force 7 in 
Feb 1951. This test was 9 months later this test was performed. Even if his ship was not attached to this mission, hard to believe the military would not have him in attendance as an operator or in training. Unless someone else can show differently, I feel it’s safe to assume he was probably here as well. My fathers repeated witness and participation in these Operations had deep impacts both physically & psychologically. It forever changed how Howard & Jeanne saw the world evolving and how they chose to live their lives. When my brother and I talk about our experiences as children with them, it was like we were raised by two entirely different sets of people. Being raised by them in that aftermath has been a unique experience. Describing it as a whole, or even random events has always been a wonderment to others. No children my age were having experiences like anything that resembled my life. I learned early not to discuss them with friends, mine or theirs. I was over-exposed to adults living a life like it could end tomorrow. Now I see why they chose that path. I was along for the ride... 
and more recently discovered, not only by accident, but against the advice of the military. After the early tests, Howard was informed, like many of the participants, that there could potentially be health impacts for future children. DNA issues, birth defects, deformities, etc. were outlined. I was “an accident on a 3 day pass” and had been told that as long as I can remember. I didn’t really know the significance of that until now. After all these years of trying to make sense of it, I now have the real framework to also understand it. As their ‘accident’ in the aftermath, I now understand that even at birth... I was crap shoot! I have definitively placed him at Operations IVY, CASTLE and REDWING. His ship was also at Operation HARDTACK while he was attached to it, and given his specified training and proximity of his ships base, it is hard to imagine that the military would not have him on-hand at Operation WIGWAM. The research is ongoing to determine his presence at these other two events. I included Operation GREENHOUSE. It was a precursor test that occurred while he was at the Naval Training Center staging area at the Atomic Energy Commissions facility at Oak Ridge, TN. Did they send him to observe or train at this one? Hmmmm. Seems quite likely. Not only were the secure communications critical, so was the cryptoanalysis. If he was at WIGWAM... I was concieved 4 weeks after one of the largest radioactive biologial disasters man delivered. Shot: MIKE Shot: KING Shot: KING Shot: BRAVO THis shows the U.S.S. ESTES location during BRAVO Shot. Shot: BRAVO Shot: BRAVO A portion of the U.S.S. ESTES re-fit during her decommissoning was to install unique & elaborate systems for communications, photographic and scientific instrumentation. While most other ships were turned sideways to the blasts, the U.S.S. ESTS was turned to face the blasts for photograhic documentation purposes. Shot: KING Shot: MIKE Photo Credits: Declassified by the by U.S. Department of Energy
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