William Keller, Enewetak Atoll (1979) 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 Veterans 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 William Keller

Branch: Army MOS: 62E20 Location: Lojwa Year: 79-80

Quote: “It was interesting doing what I was doing, nice not having to live in a tight military aspect every day of your life…”

“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.

It was June of 1978 and I was stationed in Hawaii when I first started hearing about Enewetak. My platoon sergeant had been over there long before I ever made it out to Hawaii, so sure, I’d already heard about Enewetak. When the opportunity came up, I volunteered to go. I’d already been in the service for five years at that point (was 20 years old when I first enlisted) and I didn’t like Hawaii, so away I went. My tour was originally only six months but I signed up for another one and that got me an extra six-seven months out there total.”

“We got down there and we had to go through this radiation orientation. It was a half day of old films about the nuclear blasts that had happened out there, and they also told us a little about the types of radiation there was...” Mr. Keller paused. “I started hearing rumors that the concrete slabs under our hooches were made with contaminated material from the islands but I didn’t care. I just wanted to get out there and start doing something.”

“I worked in the quarry section out there doing demo blasts but my job was operating heavy construction equipment. The first piece of equipment they had me on was a Five-Yard Michigan Loader, and safety gear? Yes, we had it; the banana suit. Wearing all that didn’t bother me because I was already acclimated to the heat. (I actually enjoyed heat.) I can’t remember a whole lot about running loaders since I only operated them for about two weeks but eventually I moved on to D8K Dozers. Our equipment wasn’t the best, like the breaks kept going out, and the ocean air was terrible as far as maintenance went but we did the best we could with what we had.”

“We did a lot of drinking. When you work in those kinds of temperatures for twelve hours a day, six days a week and there’s nothing to do until dark when the movies were put up and you were hot and filthy, there was nothing better than a nice, cold beer. I thought the work was interesting. It was nice to not have to live the military aspect every single day down there.”

“Why did I decide to share my experiences from Enewetak? I don’t know. Maybe I thought I was supposed to. I was old when I went into the military; 25. We were part of the demobilization crew. We were the last ones there, the guys who stripped things out of the hooches and stuff…I didn’t have time to really think all that much about the whole experience, really. I got onto the Facebook page pretty early on, like around 2012. I can’t remember exactly how I found it.”

“I am a veteran, and yes I was pretty proud of what I was doing, but I don’t wear my status on my sleeve. I have two grown boys in the military and I am more concerned that they get what they need and are taken care of.

"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.”

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