Vern Bates, Enewetak Atoll (1978) Glimmer of Lights

Introducing a series of narrative articles about the Atomic Cleanup Veterans of Enewetak Atoll.

The following are first-hand accounts told by comparatively few survivors of the Enewetak Atoll Atomic Debris Cleanup Mission, Marshall Islands; a mission that took place from 1977-1980. Their stories appear as told to T-M Fitzgerald(published author, veteran, veteran advocate) because theirs are tales needing to be known.

Read - H.R. 5980: Mark Takai Atomic Veteran Healthcare Parity Act.

Introduction: “Where in the World is Enewetak?”

Enewetak is just one of many atolls and islands in the Pacific Ocean’s Marshall Island chain. Located about 2,365 nautical miles SW of Hawaii (just north of the equator), the Marshall Islands were once a major testing ground for nuclear weapons post WWII. This island chain is also home to the project called Cactus Dome, a 350’- wide blast crater located at the northern end of Runit Island that has become known as the ‘Nuclear Trashcan of the Pacific.’

Between 1948-58, forty-three nuclear weapons were detonated over Enewetak and its sister islands. Among these tests were ‘Ivy Mike’ and ‘Castle Bravo’ (a device 1000X as powerful as the bomb ‘Little Boy’ which was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan post Pearl Harbor.)

In 1977, a coalition of United States military forces and civilian support teams were sanctioned to ‘clean’ the islands of residual radioactive fallout. Men, many who were mere teenagers back in the day, were tasked with cleaning the contaminated fallout from the nuclear testing that occurred throughout the previous three decades. Keep in mind, that as recent as 2012, the United Nations reported that the cumulative effects from all that nuclear testing had effectively caused near-irreversible environmental contamination. There was a problem beginning in 1977 and currently, effects from that exposure have begun to manifest, taking toll on many surviving Enewetak vets and contractors today. Four decades later, survivors are telling their stories because the world needs to know.

Personal story by Vern Bates

Branch: US Army MOS: 61C10 Transportation Battalion LARC Mechanic(Light Amphibious Resupply Cargo Location: Marshall Islands Year: 1978

Quote: “It seemed we left more contamination than what we really cleaned up…”

“We are but a few of the Survivors of the 1977-1980 Enewetak Atoll Atomic Debris Cleanup Mission in the Marshall Islands.

One focus of this group is to help one another with information and moral support during challenging times.

A secondary focus/goal is to urge Congress to change current law and recognize the Cold War Era soldiers of the Enewetak Cleanup Mission as “veterans who participated in radiation-risk activities during active service.”

By obtaining this second goal, individuals experiencing health complications due to radiation exposure at Enewetak Atoll will be eligible to apply for funds that have already been set-aside for other Atomic Veterans who have previously been recognized and acknowledged for their service.

“Going to Enewetak? All we knew was that after seven days in Hawaii, we were in the Marshall Islands. We went to an in-processing deal and were told about the dangers of the sea life, not to eat the fish and not to eat any of the natural stuff from the islands.”

“When we first arrived, we were stationed on Enewetak. We ended up over on Lojwa but were moved back to Enewetak for what they called the ‘southern cleanup’. The thing is, they had the Air Force guys over there too for decontamination detail. It stood to reason then that there had to have been some kind of contamination present. So you’d think we’d have had some kind of protective gear to wear, but no. The only time we had anything was in the very beginning: banana suits they called them. We messed with those one time and that was it. We never saw any major protective gear; boots, shorts, and maybe an occasional T-shirt. We were told there weren’t any safety hazards to worry about. Never mind the fact that we dumped a lot of hot stuff (radioactive/contaminated) over there, especially into the lagoon.”

“When did I suspect anything was wrong with this mission? Well, that’s a tough question. I never really suspected anything while I was there. It was more after the fact. Myself, I really didn’t feel like I was in any kind of trouble. I mean, I trusted the government. (Maybe I shouldn’t have done that.) As you know, we just had one of our LARC guys pass recently; Todd Lentini. Todd was a mechanic, too. He was there when I was and went back for another tour. Last Christmas he was diagnosed with cancer and by February he was gone.”

“They had civilian contractors over there that did the cooking for us. We had been told in safety briefing that we weren’t supposed to eat anything from the islands but those guys cooked stuff from out of the lagoon quite often. I never ate any of it, but some guys did.”

“I thought I’d share my experiences at Enewetak because of all the health problems popping up among the other guys who served there. That, and the fact that the VA doesn’t want to help anybody. I mean, I don’t know if I’ve got any condition related to the time I spent there: I have some cardiac issues but not sure if that’s related to Enewetak.”

“As LARC guys, we were TDY. We were there to support to the 84th Engineers. Ours was a small group compared to them. So while I may not be as actively involved as some of the guys, I want to help. Many of my brothers are fighting some serious battles….”

"The primary focus for this group is to urge Congress to change legislation and recognize soldiers of this seemingly forgotten cleanup mission as “veterans who participated in radiation-risk activities during active service.”

Follow our cause: Atomic Veterans of Enewetak Atoll