Al Rachel, Sr., Enewetak Atoll (1977) Glimmers of Light

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 Veterans Healthcare 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 Al Rachel, Sr.

Branch: Air Force MOS: Telecommunications Operator Location: Enewetak Year: 1977

Quote:“We were out there trying to live up to America’s promise to clean the islands and give them back to the Marshallese.”

“I am but one of a few of the survivors of the 1977-1980 Enewetak Atoll Atomic Debris Cleanup Mission that took place in the Marshall Islands.

A major focus of this group has been to help one another with information and moral support during some of the challenging times we’ve encountered following our time in service at Enewetak.

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

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

“I had no idea I was going to be a part of history when I enlisted all those years ago. I was a young airman, planning on getting married but my girl and I decided to wait until I got back from Enewetak to do so, you know, save some money. Well, while I was down there, instead of getting married, I got a ‘Dear John’ letter instead. That was tough. I wasn’t that thrilled about being down there while I was there. Like I said, I was just a young airman and we had no clue that things were going to get as big as it ultimately did.”

“Before I found this Enewetak group, I was kind of in a slump. I was going through my military records and saw the group online and asked to join. It’s been absolutely amazing. I’ve friended some of the guys and we communicate pretty regularly. It’s pretty neat how we’ve bonded just by serving in a certain place together.”

“I volunteered to go down to the islands to make some extra money. I had no idea where the Marshall Islands were before I went. I processed through Hickam in Hawaii and knew it was going to be hot when they handed me my gear. After that, it’s all history.”

“I worked in the communications center the entire time I was down there. I guess you could say I had it made. We were responsible for the message traffic for all the agencies working down there including Holmes and Narver, the Army and Navy and everybody else. We used a patch cord to Hawaii and ran the island switchboard. It was all radio, similar to MARS but we didn’t have to dial in the frequencies. It worked quite well actually. As far as protective gear, I wore no protective equipment whatsoever.”

“When did I suspect anything was wrong? It was always in the back of my mind but I never really pursued it. After I ran across the Atomic Cleanup Veteran’s s site and started talking to the guys and reading all of the posts, it made me start questioning if maybe my son obtained his cancer from me. As far as my own health, I’m 63 years old and don’t even take an aspirin a day. I’ve never been a sickly person or big pill taker anyway. I mean, I know if something’s not working right. I’ve had health issues, sure but nothing related to The Rock that I know of. I worked on Enewetak the entire time I was down there so I think that has something to do with my not having issues. Many guys bounced around the different islands while we were there.”

“It’s become a broken record: ‘Take care of the vets. We need to take care of the vets.’ The VA system is broken, plain and simple. My daughter’s ex-boyfriend from years ago has really climbed the ladder in that system and has established a lot of contacts. I’m getting ready to see if he can help us out in our quest. He might be able to help put some bugs in the right ears.”

“I’ve always thought of Enewetak as a unique, ‘once in a lifetime’ experience that I was afforded. I saw things that people had never seen; old Japanese tanks in the lagoon, clams and sharks. I think it was a very enlightening experience, almost spiritual. I mean, I’d go out on the flight line at night and lay out there just looking up into the heavens. There was no light pollution and you could see so much. It was breathtaking.”

“Ultimately, we were out there trying to live up to America’s promise and clean the islands to give them back to the Marshallese. We were just doing our job.”

"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