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
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 3B
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
“When the shock wave hit us, it was as though a 60 mph wind smacked you in the face. 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.” U.S. Navy veteran Richard Watson looks at photos in his diary of his military service onboard the USS Lipan during the Korean War. Photos by Jordan Green/News-Journal Photo
- Richard Watson
In Memory Of
Dr. Joe E. Whetsell Navy
Dr. Joe E. Whetsell joined the Navy right after graduation from Medical School. He had 11 years of active military duty. He obtained his subspecialty in Gastroenterology while in the Navy. He came to Tyler in 1968. He joined the Navy Reserves and served 17 years. Total of 28 years of service. Retired as Captain.
February 8, 1931 - July 29, 2021 In Memory Of
Jim R. Gulledge
Richard L. Wilson E 7th G SGT Marine & Army
US Navy - World War II Served on USS Sperry Electrician 1st Class
N.g. Vietnam & Desert Storm Bronze Star and 7 other combat medals 1972 - 1993
Born Edom 1910 Died Tyler 2006
1941 - 1945
Barry R. Jacobs Served on Destroyer USS Witek. Although not deployed to Vietnam, he functioned during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He received Medals: “Armed Forces Expeditionary” and “National Defense Service” with honorable discharge in 1963. Today, Barry, is an artist and has donated paintings to camp “V”. He volunteered at Christus Mother Frances Hospital, and is neighborhood crime watch captain for “Texans Against Crime”. Served 1961-1963
W.R. “Bill” Watson U.S. Navy - Boatswain’s Mate 1947 - 1952
Bill served in the U.S Navy aboard the USS Columbus CA 74 and the USS Philip DDE 498. He served in Korea as a Boatswain’s Mate taking care of the ship and its sailors. He received numerous citations: Combat Action Ribbon, ROK Presidential Unit Citation, United Nations and Korean Service among others.
In Memory Of
J.C. Brown S.I. U.S. Navy 1945-1948 Know that we will never forget your sacrifice. Love, Your wife & children Ruby, Emma, L.C., James & Lonnie
Arpil 5, 1925 - July 6, 2017
Vernon Lee Henson U.S. Army - Vietnam Purple Heart 1967 - 1969 You have our heartfelt thanks for answering the call of duty, and for selflessly and bravely serving our nation. Know that we will never forget your sacrifices, for they have ensured our family and every American our many freedoms. You are a true hero! May God bless you! From Emma, Salenci and Ronald
Horace O. Abbott USAF Eielson AFB WB-29 Crew Member 1950 - 1953
In Memory Of
Andrew (A.D.) Christopher, Sr U.S. Army, Retired U.S. Air Force Tsgt. Andrew D. Christopher, SR., entered into the Armed Services in 1948 and retired after 21 years of service. He was a faithful servant as a deacon and head of the Trustee board of New Hope Baptist Church in Bullard, TX. He also was the President and sang with the Male Chorus until his death. One of the things I cherish most was assisting him with farming peas, watermelons, and corn. I also learned a lot about cattle farming from my dad. He was very inspirational in me joining the military which enriched my life tremendously. Son, Curtis D. Christopher
May 7, 1928 - January 1, 2008
Charles “Chuck” Pappas Marines, Corporal Charles “Chuck” Pappas of Tyler, TX. Served as a Corporal with the U.S. Marines in the Pacific Theatre. Originally from Texarkana, TX, he was at Camp Pendleton, CA., and then sent to Hawaii. He was at Iwo Jima and watched them raise the original flag. Then he went to Nagasaki after the Atomic Bomb was dropped. He stated “Everything was melted”. His brother Billy came home on the same ship, neither one knew it until they saw each other on the ship. Pappas stated, “The war made me grow up, I was proud to be a U.S. Marine.”
Jimmy D. Byrum Army, Private First Class 1969-1970
Jimmy D. Byrum, a lifelong Tyler resident, was inducted into the Army on January 9, 1969. He served in the Vietnam War as an infantryman until he was severely wounded. He received the Vietnam Service Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Combat Infantry Badge, the Sharpshooter (Rifle M-16) Medal, as well as the Purple Heart Medal. He was honorably discharged in October 1970.
RENOVATIONS continued from page 1B
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.”
In Memory Of
JERRY JOHNSON JR. Air Force, Senior Airman Jerry Johnson Jr. joined the Air Force on February 4, 2014. He was recognized in Security Forces with the AF Outstanding Unit Award with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, AF Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with ‘N’ Device, AF Longevity Service, and AF Training Ribbon. He was Honorably Discharged on July 30, 2019.
February 8, 1995 - May 21, 2021
George Ronald Gregerson Navy 1954 - 1974 USS Intrepid George Ronald Gregerson enlisted in the US Navy in November, 1954 in Urbana, IL. After boot camp at Great Lakes NAS he was sent aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, CVA-11. In 1956 the ship was called to the Suez Canal Crisis and he was awarded the European Occupational Medal. His last station was Jacksonville, FL, NAS. After 20 years of service he retired.
‘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 Watson, however, still has a certificate News reported in August that the VA has he was issued after the testing was over. granted fewer than 600 of the more than It explicitly states he was involved in 4,100 claims for service-related radiation the Army, Navy, Air Force and Atomic Energy Commission’s Operation Ivy. The exposure. Some veterans’ records of involvement in multicolored piece of paper — complete a nuclear testing have been altered, Watson red cartoon animation of a mushroom cloud said. Others were among the millions — fills up a page in his diary. destroyed in a 1973 fire at a federal building An Ohio native, Watson was drafted into the Navy and served in active duty from Dec. in St. Louis. “They actually literally wiped us out so 7, 1951 — 10 years after the Pearl Harbor that there would be no record,” Watson attack — to Dec. 7, 1955. He stayed in the said. 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.”
James I. Perkins, Jr. Officer in World War I and Commanding Officer of Company A, 143rd Infantry of the 36th Division of the National Guard. Judge Perkins was County Judge and City Attorney, President of the Chamber of Commerce, Church Board, School Board, Chairman of Citizens State Bank and Rusk Federal Savings & Loan. Wife, Morinne Taylor Perkins, 1 of 3 women to be a City Attorney in Texas. Children, Marylyn, 19 and James I. Perkins III, 15.
James I. Perkins Lieutenant United States Navy
Active Duty 1959 to 1961 Reserves 1955 to 1959 and 1961 to 1963 Served in the Atlantic, Pacific, Caribbean, and Mediterranean THANK YOU TO ALL MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVE OUR COUNTRY AND HAVE SERVED OUR COUNTRY, THEIR FAMILIES, AND FRIENDS! Perkins family (4 generations of military service)
In Memory Of BAINE PERKINS KERR Major United States Marine Corps
Wounded in Guadalcanal 1942 WWII - Marines’ Amphibious Assaults on Tarawa, Kwajalein, Saipan, and Tinian Born in Rusk, Texas Purple Heart Award Winner (Guadalcanal), Houston Law Firm of Baker Botts L.L.P., President of Pennzoil Family: Wife, Mildred Kerr, and children, Baine Kerr Jr., John Kerr, Rob Kerr, and Mary Winters.
August 24, 1919 - May 20, 2008 In Memory Of
Bobby Joe Seagroves
US Air Force
1963 graduate of Jacksonville High School He served in the U.S. Air Force from August 13, 1965 to when he was honorably discharged August 8, 1969; during this time, he served a tour of duty in Vietnam. “Integrity First, Service Before Self, Excellence in All We Do”
January 8, 1945 - January 22, 2016 In Memory Of
Sammy Gene Seagroves July 5th, 1943 - September 11th, 2022 1961 - Graduated Jacksonville High School, Enlisted in the Air Force, Basic training in San Antonio Texas - Lackland Air Force Base in Del Rio Texas SAC AF 1964 - SAC AF moved to Tucson Arizona (U2’S) 1966 - PAC AF (Vietnam support in Pacific) 1968 - Carswell in Fort Worth Texas 1970 - Honorable Discharge
In Memory Of
Michael W. Hodge Army 1965-2004 Retired Colonel
30 months Vietnam service as Air Cavalry Army Aviator UH-1-C Huey Gunships and OH-58 Kiowa Scout helicopters. Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star w/Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal (900 combat flying hours). Purple Heart, Army Commendation medal w/Oak Leaf Cluster. We also admire your devotion to volunteering to the Tyler Squadron Civil Air Patrol, invoking continued pride in our country to young men and women. Much Admiration and Love, Your Family
6/18/1939 - 12/29/2020