East Texas vet took part in first hydrogen bomb test BY JORDAN GREEN
Report for America/Longview News-Journal
He’d already been exposed to too much radiation, and the monitoring badge on his chest showed it. It was late 1952, and 19-year-old U.S. Navy engineer Richard Watson was in charge of operating the boiler onboard the USS Lipan, a ship involved in nuclear weapons testing near the Enewetak Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. The military’s solution to his radiation overexposure, Watson said, was to issue him a new radiation badge and throw his old one overboard. “That was what they knew about radiation and the effect that it had on people in those days,” he said. “They did not know what was going on with us.” To this day, the federal government still maintains that service members such as Watson were exposed to low
levels of radiation and have “a low risk of health problems,” according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Yet many of the men onboard the Lipan, including Watson, have battled cancer and other medical issues linked to radiation exposure. Unlike most of his Korean War-era shipmates, 91-year-old Watson, a resident of Emerald Bay near Bullard, is still around to tell his story. Seated at his kitchen table as the sun shined through the windows on a recent Tuesday, Watson described in vivid detail the mushroom cloud that he saw billowing toward the sky on Nov. 1, 1952. It was an explosion unlike any that came before it. It was the U.S. government’s first hydrogen bomb test. Watson raised his eyebrows and said: “You don’t ever want to go through one. It is not pretty. It is amazing what one
U.S. Navy veteran Richard Watson holds a map showing where his adventures in the military took him. Watson, who lives in Emerald Bay near Bullard, was involved in the U.S. government’s first hydrogen bomb test in 1952. Photo by Jordan Green/News-Journal Photo
of these things does.”
A FIRST OF FIRSTS The test was called Operation Ivy, and the 140,000-pound bomb was named Mike. It was too large to be dropped from a plane, so it was built in place on Elugelab Island. The blast was 450 times more powerful than the atomic bombs the U.S. dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II just seven years prior, according to Atomic Archive, a website dedicated to nuclear history. Watson was in the Lipan’s mess hall, about 26 miles from the blast site. Sailors asked a scientist onboard if they’d live through the blast, Watson wrote in a 107-page diary for his family. The scientist’s answer: “We just don’t know!” The captain prayed the Lord’s prayer, and then the bomb went off.
The sailors survived, and 30 seconds after the blast, they went out on the ship’s deck, Watson wrote in his diary. A bright, white light was still visible from where the bomb went off. Suddenly, a wave of water raced toward the ship. “When the shock wave hit us, it was as though a 60 mph wind smacked you in the face,” he wrote. “I was knocked against the bulkhead, and some guys lost their white hats off their heads. All this time, the mushroom cloud was rising higher into the air. Even though we were 26 miles away, the noise was terrific.” The island was gone — obliterated. “It really was quite a spectical [sic],” Watson wrote in a letter to his mother, “something I will remember for quite a while.” Just as memorable, though “as different as night and day” See VETERAN, Page 4B
Arthur Lee Davis Army 1952 - 1954 8057th Transportation Port Company Arthur Lee Davis served as a medic with rank of Corporal in the Far East Command in Inchon, Korea then Ascom City. Awarded Korean Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation, and Bronze Service Star.
Jack D. Leak, Sr. Navy, Boiler Technician Second Class 1967 - 1971 USS Tattnall Owner of JDL Enterprises, Longview
James T. Jones Navy, Seaman USS Tattnall 1982 - 1986 Manager of The Arcade, Longview
In Memory Of
James Vestal Leak Army, Second Lieutenant World War I, Meuse-Argonne 308th Infantry Regiment, 77th Infantry Division
July 21, 1889 - June 14, 1942 In Memory Of
Joe D. Jones Marines, Private First Class World War II, Pacific Theater
June 20, 1926 - April 2, 2012
J. M. Jones Navy, Seaman 1st Class Navy, Journalist Second Class 1969 - 1975 & 1977 - 1994
Honoring Our Heroes and Family In honor of Veterans Day and in heartfelt gratitude, Simple Custodial Services extends our warmest appreciation to the selfless service of our beloved family members and all veterans who have served our great nation. Cory Whitworth • US Navy Veteran • Years of Service: 1992-1995 Leon Simkhayev • US Marine Corps Veteran • Years of Service: 2019-2023 Edd P Shewmake • US Army Veteran • Year of Service: 1944 -1946 Your dedication and sacrifice have shaped our family and our country. We are immensely proud of you and your unwavering commitment to safeguarding our freedom. At Simple Custodial Services, we understand the importance of maintaining a clean and safe environment for our community. We're committed to delivering topnotch cleaning services that meet the highest standards of excellence, just as our veterans have met the highest standards of service to our nation. To all veterans and their families, thank you for your sacrifices and your service. Your bravery inspires us every day. Contact Simple Custodial Services: 903-900-1001 www.simplecustodialservices.com
In Memory Of
David Byron Bussey
Major John D. Meadows Air Force
Major, Special Forces,
Born April 5, 1924. Graduated from Longview High School in 1942. Joined the Air Force in Dec. 1942 and became a pilot. Served in WWII, Korea & Vietnam. Flew “The Hump”. Retired a major. Years of service from 1942 to 1984.
13 years, 2 Tours Vietnam, 102nd Airborne
August 31, 1927 - May 5, 2006 In Memory Of
major Martin Batts
William Edward Bussey
Dr. Martin Batts, Major with the United States Medical Corp.
Army, Captain Two Years Us Army Dental Corps, Ft. Lewis, Wa Years of Service 1969-1971
Serving Honorably during WWII ∙ 1942-1944 Dr. Martin Batts, Major in the United States Medical Corp. during WWII. Major Batts died an untimely death in 1944 at the age of 36 due to X-Ray induced Leukemia while serving on the front lines in New Guinea. He left behind his widow and three young children. He was a dedicated father and committed Christian.
Arrival 1908 - Departure 1944 In Memory Of
G. A. Bobo Jr. Lt. (j.g.), Navy, WWII Pilot, Pacific Theater 1943-1945
David Byron Bussey Major, Special Forces, 13 years, 2 Tours Vietnam, 102nd Airborne
March 28, 1922 - February 7, 2022 In Memory Of
Emmett Smith, Jr. WWII - 2nd Armored Division “Hell On Wheels”
41st Armored Infantry Regiment, Co. C Tank Destroyer Battalion Nov. 16, 1942 - Nov. 12, 1945 H served in Sicily, Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes - Battle of the Bulge, Rhineland, He and Central Europe. He was awarded the EAME Campaign Medal with 6 Bronze Service Stars, Good Conduct Medal, Victory Ribbon, and 5 Overseas Service Bars.
June 27, 1922 - April 5, 2012 May we never forget the men and women who gallantly defend our freedom and our way of life. Let’s pray for their safe return, that they may enjoy the life for which they fight.
Happy Veterans Day
104 N Green St, Longview ngview | (903) 212-7720 20
Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear boots, fly planes, drive a boat But they all mean the same. They are old and young. Present and past fight for freedom often taken for granted. Not all heroes wear capes but the uniform of the U.S. Military.
Thank You Veterans,
Tommy N Thomas & Associates
Happy Veterans Day
Thank you for bravely doing what you were called to do so we can safely do what we're free to do. We want to help you move! All-N-One Moving 983 Cal Young Rd, Hallsville, TX 75650 (903) 918-2424
FOREVER
Grateful
Serving our Military Since 1954
bfcu.org | 800-647-2328
FEDERALLY INSURED BY NCUA
RENOVATIONS
Glenn Moore
continued from page 1B
1972 to 1974 SP4 Stationed in South Korea
from the hydrogen bomb, was an atomic bomb test about two weeks later. Watson’s ship was exposed to more radiation than the others during that test, and the most highly radioactive piece of machinery onboard was the evaporator — which was used to turn sea water into fresh water for sailors to drink. “We had a cantankerous boiler that made the steam [for the ship], so myself and my assistant ran the boiler,” Watson said. “So, we were a little ways away from the contamination. The guys that ran the evaporator all died very young, and some of the deaths were not pretty. … Really, literally, two of us survived out of the engine room.”
‘WIPED US OUT’ Watson has had prostate cancer, heart issues and cataracts that he believes were caused by radiation. He sought treatment outside the VA. For years, troops have struggled to get VA health care for those issues. NBC News reported in August that the VA has granted fewer than 600 of the more than 4,100 claims for service-related radiation exposure. Some veterans’ records of involvement in nuclear testing have been altered, Watson said. Others were among the millions destroyed in a 1973 fire at a federal building in St. Louis. “They actually literally wiped us out so that there would be no record,” Watson said. Watson, however, still has a certificate he was issued after the testing was over. It explicitly states he was involved in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Atomic Energy Commission’s Operation Ivy. The multicolored piece of paper — complete a red cartoon animation of a mushroom cloud — fills up a page in his diary. An Ohio native, Watson was drafted into the Navy and served in active duty from Dec. 7, 1951 — 10 years after the Pearl Harbor attack — to Dec. 7, 1955. He stayed in the reserves until 1959. He and his wife, Cindy, have lived in Texas since the 1970s. He had a long career as a mechanical engineer before retiring. Watson has been through a lot, from nuclear blasts to cancer bouts to a recent broken hip, he said. “I’m sitting here today … because there’s somebody behind me that says, ‘We are not quite done yet,’ ” Watson said. “If you don’t believe in God’s grace, you’re probably talking to the wrong guy. I’ll just kind of let it go at that.”
YOU DESERVE
Quality HEALTH INSURANCE
Copeland Insurance Group has no government affiliation.
Thank You for your service ~ Willie Moore In Memory Of
Robert Taylor US Military From February 26, 1969 Until February 20, 1971 Stationed in Hawaii
Thank You for your service ~ Willie Moore November 11, 1947- July 10, 2014
Calvin Moore
US Military Stationed in Germany 1973 to 1975
Thank You for your service ~ Willie Moore Edmund Roy Jones Army, Specialist E-4 1971-1977 Edmund Roy Jones was inducted in the US Army on March 23, 1971. He served in the Vietnam War from March 1972-June 1972 as an Assistant Gunner. He received the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service medal with Bronze Service Star, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal and Marksman (Rifle). He was in the Army Reserves until March 1975. He was Honorably Discharged on March 22, 1977
Thank You for your service! ~ Willie Moore U.S. Navy veteran Richard Watson and his wife, Cindy, pose for a portrait Nov. 1 at their home in Emerald Bay near Bullard. Photo by Jordan Green/ News-Journal Photo
Medicare Advantage Enrollment Period is: October 15th December 7th
Are you receiving all the benefits you deserve? Call a Licensed Agent to learn about the plans available in your area.
CALL TODAY!
903.295.4300
Calling the number above will direct you to a licensed sales agent. Not affiliated or endorsed by the Government or Federal Medicare Program.
VET HONO
In Memory Of
Y A D S N A R E
L WHO RING AL
SERVED
In Memory Of
Karl K. Cunyus
In Memory Of
Jack G. Leak, Sr.
Air Force, Lieutenant Colonel
Troy D. Gable
Vietnam
Army, Sergeant Quartermaster Corps
Retired From Service
World War I
February 9, 1932 - November 12, 2018
Carlos B. Griffin, Sr. Air Force, Captain 1954 - 1960 Trained pilots for Saudi Arabia’s air force. Patriarch of Griffin Ranch, Kilgore
Navy Pacific Theater, Construction Battalion “SeaBees”
March 21, 1895 - July 30, 1980
March 13, 1915 - January 21, 1996
In Memory Of
In Memory Of
Jack G. Leak, Jr.
Walter Holloway “Hollie” Cunyus
Navy, Seaman 1st Class World War II, Pacific Theater
Marines, Warrant Officer Four World War I, World War II Retired From Service
January 11, 1897 - February 19, 1994 In Memory Of
George Earl Cunyus
October 19, 1923 - October 6, 2009
George E. Albert
Army, Sergeant
Major, USAF Retired
World War I, Ambulance Driver
Years of service from 1955 thru 1976 Served in numerous countries: Okinawa, Germany, Goose Bay-Labrador, Canada, Thailand and USA. As missile combat crew commander he participated in 13 Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles test launches including first Demonstrative and Shake Down Flight for Boeing Company Minuteman III. Retired as squardon commander at Biloxi, AFB, MS with responsibilities for USAF Drum and Bugle Corp. and prior service airmen.
October 14, 1891 - August 30, 1995
In Memory Of
Col. John C Dalton Ret. USAF Years of Service: 1962 - 1990 B-52 Pilot in the 96th Bomb Wing & 99th Bomb Wing, 1st Combat Evaluation Group division, NEACP. More than 7,000 flying hours, six ARC Light and Bullet Shot tours. Military decorations: Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross with one oak leaf cluster, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with one leaf cluster, Air Medal with 19 oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Metal.
6/18/1939 - 12/29/2020
WE’RE HIRING! · Detention Officers · Nurses · Paramedics · Med Techs · And more!
CONTACT: LIEUTENANT EDDIE HOPE 903-234-3118 Eddie.Hope@co.gregg.tx.us