Worked on the closing team with Nupercon, I was the tools and equipment boss and wrote up alot cargo manifests. Nov 2003 to June 2004. One of the highlights of my career. Big thanks for this amazing video.
Some of this man's recollections conflict with what I know. Operation Dominic was in 1962. Within the past week I have seen at least one video was on the internet describing that operation including film of the rocket blowing up on the launch pad in July of that year. It did contaminate that part of the island. I was there between June and Aug 1963 on a project for the AEC to measure the ocean currents over the reef while other members of our group were on a ship outside the reef measuring currents there. There did not appear to be much going on, A small contingent of Navy personnel was there and several hundred contractors working for Holmes and Narver. My quarters were a deserted multi unit apartment building,. We each had our own. There were several to choose from. It was just a place to sleep and bathe. When we first arrived, I had no what they did on the island or of the accident or just why we were measuring currents on this remote atoll. When I learned of the accident I did wonder how they dealt with the radioactive contamination. Someone had said they disposed of it by bulldozing it into the ocean. Why we were there was starting to make sense. Where would that radiation go if it was in the water? Two of jxus would spend 30 hours at each location on a very primitive pontoon boat made from 55 gallon barrels welded together measuring currents at various locations in the atoll. While off duty it was common to go swimming so I swam in a number of locations over the reef. No one suggested that might not be a good idea. In hindsight, I wondered if I had become exposed to radiation. We were informed that there was an area of the island we were not allowed to go but there was no mention about the water. At the time I only had a secret clearance and determined 'I did 'not have a need to know'. The area where the explosion occurred was clearly marked off limits and special permission was needed to go there. A senior member of our group and a good friend was asked to go into that area for a reason unknown to me.(Didn't have proper clearance) About 15 years later we had gone our separate ways but I would learn he had died of cancer in his early 40s and his son was born in 1966 with a minor birth defect. I wondered if there was a connection to his entering into that area. I never experienced any problems, until perhaps now. I have CLL. Probaby totally unrelated. Maybe not. In exploring what is now available on the internet I saw just recently that after 25 years, 30 people who had been tasked to deal with the contamination had died of cancer. I don't know if my friend was included in that group. Maybe he should have been. He had no direct role in that: Just gone into the area , on two occasions, if I remember correctly. We were in Honolulu in August writing a report on our work for the AEC when the nuclear air test ban treaty was signed. Was there another launchpad explosion in 1964? I have no idea. I do know. To me it seems unlikely. Wouldn't rule it out either. In 1964 dredging expanded the island to more than double the size when I was there to it's present size. Would they be doing atmospheric testing while that was going on? Or perhaps another explosion is why they dredged more 'soil' to bury contaminated debris. The only launchpad explosion I am aware of was prior to the test ban treaty. I would not be surprised if the total investment over 80 years in that Atoll exceeds a trillion dollars. Until I discovered recent videos I was mostly unaware of Johnston since my time there. I did see Walter Cronkite standing in front of rows and rows of stack barrels of agent orange on the evening news one time. I never expected I would see a reporter doing a story from there. I smiled when someone mentioned Wednesday was still Prime Rib night years after my time there. We planned that after being out on the raft for 30 hours, we would be back ashore for that. Sure beat cold cuts and a can of pineapple juice we might have on the raft.
I was stationed there from January 1997 to December 1997 as the Detachment Sergeant; such a unique place; remember being the first HR person to complete the "Red Hat" course.
@@timothymcclaire3276Hey Tim, man what a small world! You are right… you left me that bike and TV and that was awesome! I did the same thing when I left.
Wow! I never expected you'd reply!! I'm glad you enjoyed the bike and TV! That was a unique assignment and I'd love to go back for 2 days just to see how nature reclaimed the island.@@robertlambert1440
Yeah believe it or not I think anyone that is a Johnston Island Vet (Civilian or Military )wouldn't mind going back for reunions or just a blast from the past. I'd go back for a week.
@@ajaxmaintenance3894 do you have any idea how contaminated that island is, the mortality rate of people who worked on that island is over 4K percent greater than the median, they were exposed to some pretty nasty chemical and radiological agents. The only people who suffered a higher mortality rate than those who worked on the Johnston atoll where the cleanup crews who tried to clean up the radiological mess created by all the nuclear testing at the marshall islands
@@dannelson8556 Did tearing down the buildings that didn't house any of the radioactive material help the radiation go away or would it have eventually gone away anyway? Or were all the buildings permanently contaminated?
I find it insane all those billions om infrastructure were torn down out of some myopic post-Cold War view that war and major power competition were over. With a rising China and lack of Pacific bases our too small forces have to be dangerously concentrated in the few remaining installations. Midway, Shemya, Clark, Wake, and, yes Johnston, among others, need to be reactivated and returned to operation.
I was just a passenger landing there on the way to majuro and final destination of chuuk(truk) in the 60s. Last visit was in 72 or 73. Back then, everything was still secret and no pictures allowed. Yea, the airline was air mic.
Chris and his bud (can't remember his name) greeted us when we flew out to JI (1987 -1990 for me) in the C-12 and G-159. LTC Cole, B. Baskett, J. Ware, D. Houston, S. Felix, M. Thomas, and others. We really appreciated the support!
Thanks. Now if we can all survive the exposure we received while there. Look at the money wasted over the last 80 years on that small group of islands of a few acres each.
The reason they tore it all down, and abandoned JI is the place is contaminated with radiation from a couple of failed nuclear missile launches in the early '60s. The onboard self detonation devices were activated over the pad. They had navy all hand working party clean ups; they just dozed the contaminated debri into the ocean (channel reef). The sailors were from nearby ships. Dillingham Co., and their Hawaiian Dredging & Construction company were the civilian contractors. The island is man made; it was less than 40 acres initially. Now JI s over 600 acres with concrete seawalls in places. After the failed launches the contaminated materials were dredged, and thrown back on the island having spread contamination. The ground is contaminated; it will be for centuries. The situation is like a very "dirty bomb" scenario in real life. They left the main building which is basically a museum of a real SAC missile ground control; it contains the original equipment still in place on the upper floors.The only other untouched structure is a small monument for remembrance of a popular nurse that drowned in the reef. Anyway they couldn't allow people to repopulate, or recreate in a place with such a history, and deadly contamination. I mean aside from the nuclear contamination from weapon grade plutonium, the place was used to store & disintegrate old WMDs; weapons of mass destruction from world war era. I mean old leaking nerve & blister agents ... mustard & chlorine gas ordinance. Furthermore, a lot of nuclear detonations took place above, and near JI back in the '50s, and early '60s. In fact all of the US air & atmospheric burst testing took place on the island; they occurred up to the first SALT. Moreover, tactical launch testing also took place on the atoll. JI is now just another bird sanctuary.
Thank you. The first satisfactory explanation I've heard that explained why they had to tear down such an amazing place. I didn't know the actual land would be contaminated for centuries...
Sadly, that's it, and much more. For one year, I ran around the island 4.9 miles) passing the destroyed launch facility (fenced off and - they said - sprayed yearly (?) with lead paint/ whatever and we weren't supposed to worry about it😮I I often wonder about the health issues, ESPECIALLY, for the hundreds and hundreds of Holmes and Narver employees who worked for many, many years there...,some longer than 20 years? Who, if anyone, followed up on there health issues? Me, I'm 78 now and have 28 doctors so can't really pin down any specific diseases that can be tied in to anything ....other than Prostrate Cancer but just about any guy can come down with that.
I spent a year there from Nov. 74 to Nov. 75 while in the Air Force. A lot of good memories from there. It would of been nice though if the powers to be would of told us about the Island being radioactive [still is today]. Sure was a wake up call when upon landing there the first time you were issued a gas mask and two suicide injectors in case of chemical spill!!!
Hi all: just want to let you know there are some great "history" comments (not just mine😂) if you click on all the comments made to other comments. In 26 years on active duty, I never once ran across someone who was also stationed there. Before all the "old heads" pass on, perhaps someone can start a new thread in chronological order so we can all " track" what happened and when? For example, I was there from Jun 1970 to Jun 1971. While there, I worked in JOC and part time unloading the first barge that arrived with supplies to build the storage bunkers for the chemical munitions, worked the asphalt crew, worked a month or so as a night watchman on the dredging rig leased (I think) through Dillingham Corp, sold popcorn and beer at the outdoor theater, and - briefly - helped the club NCO keep his files and books straight. And YES, I did get some work done at my Air Force job🤗👍
I been Johnston is. twice in 1964. this is incomplete story of Johnston is. it was mostly eyes only at that time right after the explosion on the pad. also this is. has been implicated as an alien visited place. I want not privy to the high level meeting concerning this. only I know what I saw underground there in 1964. every thing was mostly underground really! there is a real story here to be written. maybe someone will one day. I have been waiting for yrs. I see a lot about area # 51. But this history could be more interesting???
Marvin Cadden, thanks for your comment, I saw something interesting when I worked on JI in the 1990's. Would like a conversation partner if you are up for it. Be well.
Worked on the closing team with Nupercon, I was the tools and equipment boss and wrote up alot cargo manifests. Nov 2003 to June 2004.
One of the highlights of my career.
Big thanks for this amazing video.
wow some great pics. Loved the chow hall and fishing for sharks. Was TDY there in mid 70's
ps. great music
Agree USCG 1976
Some of this man's recollections conflict with what I know. Operation Dominic was in 1962. Within the past week I have seen at least one video was on the internet describing that operation including film of the rocket blowing up on the launch pad in July of that year. It did contaminate that part of the island. I was there between June and Aug 1963 on a project for the AEC to measure the ocean currents over the reef while other members of our group were on a ship outside the reef measuring currents there. There did not appear to be much going on, A small contingent of Navy personnel was there and several hundred contractors working for Holmes and Narver. My quarters were a deserted multi unit apartment building,. We each had our own. There were several to choose from. It was just a place to sleep and bathe. When we first arrived, I had no what they did on the island or of the accident or just why we were measuring currents on this remote atoll. When I learned of the accident I did wonder how they dealt with the radioactive contamination. Someone had said they disposed of it by bulldozing it into the ocean. Why we were there was starting to make sense. Where would that radiation go if it was in the water? Two of jxus would spend 30 hours at each location on a very primitive pontoon boat made from 55 gallon barrels welded together measuring currents at various locations in the atoll. While off duty it was common to go swimming so I swam in a number of locations over the reef. No one suggested that might not be a good idea. In hindsight, I wondered if I had become exposed to radiation. We were informed that there was an area of the island we were not allowed to go but there was no mention about the water. At the time I only had a secret clearance and determined 'I did 'not have a need to know'. The area where the explosion occurred was clearly marked off limits and special permission was needed to go there. A senior member of our group and a good friend was asked to go into that area for a reason unknown to me.(Didn't have proper clearance) About 15 years later we had gone our separate ways but I would learn he had died of cancer in his early 40s and his son was born in 1966 with a minor birth defect. I wondered if there was a connection to his entering into that area. I never experienced any problems, until perhaps now. I have CLL. Probaby totally unrelated. Maybe not. In exploring what is now available on the internet I saw just recently that after 25 years, 30 people who had been tasked to deal with the contamination had died of cancer. I don't know if my friend was included in that group. Maybe he should have been. He had no direct role in that: Just gone into the area , on two occasions, if I remember correctly. We were in Honolulu in August writing a report on our work for the AEC when the nuclear air test ban treaty was signed. Was there another launchpad explosion in 1964? I have no idea. I do know. To me it seems unlikely. Wouldn't rule it out either. In 1964 dredging expanded the island to more than double the size when I was there to it's present size. Would they be doing atmospheric testing while that was going on? Or perhaps another explosion is why they dredged more 'soil' to bury contaminated debris. The only launchpad explosion I am aware of was prior to the test ban treaty. I would not be surprised if the total investment over 80 years in that Atoll exceeds a trillion dollars. Until I discovered recent videos I was mostly unaware of Johnston since my time there. I did see Walter Cronkite standing in front of rows and rows of stack barrels of agent orange on the evening news one time. I never expected I would see a reporter doing a story from there. I smiled when someone mentioned Wednesday was still Prime Rib night years after my time there. We planned that after being out on the raft for 30 hours, we would be back ashore for that. Sure beat cold cuts and a can of pineapple juice we might have on the raft.
I was stationed there from January 1997 to December 1997 as the Detachment Sergeant; such a unique place; remember being the first HR person to complete the "Red Hat" course.
Small world man. You replaced me in the S1 and apparently Elwood as Det Sgt.
@@timothymcclaire3276Hey Tim, man what a small world! You are right… you left me that bike and TV and that was awesome! I did the same thing when I left.
Wow! I never expected you'd reply!! I'm glad you enjoyed the bike and TV! That was a unique assignment and I'd love to go back for 2 days just to see how nature reclaimed the island.@@robertlambert1440
Just visited. Never would hv guessed. Nature has taken over . Birds every square foot
How did you visit might I ask?
Would love to tour some of these islands at some point and Johstone has fascinated me for quite a while now.
Yeah believe it or not I think anyone that is a Johnston Island Vet (Civilian or Military )wouldn't mind going back for reunions or just a blast from the past. I'd go back for a week.
@@ajaxmaintenance3894 do you have any idea how contaminated that island is, the mortality rate of people who worked on that island is over 4K percent greater than the median, they were exposed to some pretty nasty chemical and radiological agents.
The only people who suffered a higher mortality rate than those who worked on the Johnston atoll where the cleanup crews who tried to clean up the radiological mess created by all the nuclear testing at the marshall islands
@@dannelson8556 Did tearing down the buildings that didn't house any of the radioactive material help the radiation go away or would it have eventually gone away anyway? Or were all the buildings permanently contaminated?
I find it insane all those billions om infrastructure were torn down out of some myopic post-Cold War view that war and major power competition were over. With a rising China and lack of Pacific bases our too small forces have to be dangerously concentrated in the few remaining installations. Midway, Shemya, Clark, Wake, and, yes Johnston, among others, need to be reactivated and returned to operation.
😆
I know...it's a real pisser offer
I was just a passenger landing there on the way to majuro and final destination of chuuk(truk) in the 60s. Last visit was in 72 or 73. Back then, everything was still secret and no pictures allowed. Yea, the airline was air mic.
I would go, hard to believe it's not there, remember the tiki bar?
Chris and his bud (can't remember his name) greeted us when we flew out to JI (1987 -1990 for me) in the C-12 and G-159. LTC Cole, B. Baskett, J. Ware, D. Houston, S. Felix, M. Thomas, and others. We really appreciated the support!
MP 1991-92 at JI. Best duty ever!!!
It's a shame they torn everything down that was there, it could've been converted into an island resort/something useful, such a waste
Z3CHYD I Think It Should Be A Retirement. Center. What A Life And A Great Place To Live An d In Die In Peace....Lol
Except for the launch area where a Thor rocket with a nuclear warhead exploded on the pad. Radiation escaped during the resulting fire
@@luciusvorenus9445 Did that permanently contaminate all the buildings on the island?
@@Foldisfitch Weapons Grade Plutonium contamination remains an issue to this day.
Ty mark I work in mess hall 92 93 raython
Is any buildings still standing after leaving the islands? Is there still high levels of radiation is why they abandoned the base?
Is that the Corwith Cramer at 6:40?
Thanks. Now if we can all survive the exposure we received while there. Look at the money wasted over the last 80 years on that small group of islands of a few acres each.
@@ajaxmaintenance3894 Were you there?
The reason they tore it all down, and abandoned JI is the place is contaminated with radiation from a couple of failed nuclear missile launches in the early '60s. The onboard self detonation devices were activated over the pad. They had navy all hand working party clean ups; they just dozed the contaminated debri into the ocean (channel reef). The sailors were from nearby ships. Dillingham Co., and their Hawaiian Dredging & Construction company were the civilian contractors. The island is man made; it was less than 40 acres initially. Now JI s over 600 acres with concrete seawalls in places. After the failed launches the contaminated materials were dredged, and thrown back on the island having spread contamination. The ground is contaminated; it will be for centuries. The situation is like a very "dirty bomb" scenario in real life. They left the main building which is basically a museum of a real SAC missile ground control; it contains the original equipment still in place on the upper floors.The only other untouched structure is a small monument for remembrance of a popular nurse that drowned in the reef. Anyway they couldn't allow people to repopulate, or recreate in a place with such a history, and deadly contamination. I mean aside from the nuclear contamination from weapon grade plutonium, the place was used to store & disintegrate old WMDs; weapons of mass destruction from world war era. I mean old leaking nerve & blister agents ... mustard & chlorine gas ordinance. Furthermore, a lot of nuclear detonations took place above, and near JI back in the '50s, and early '60s. In fact all of the US air & atmospheric burst testing took place on the island; they occurred up to the first SALT. Moreover, tactical launch testing also took place on the atoll. JI is now just another bird sanctuary.
Thank you. The first satisfactory explanation I've heard that explained why they had to tear down such an amazing place. I didn't know the actual land would be contaminated for centuries...
Sadly, that's it, and much more. For one year, I ran around the island 4.9 miles) passing the destroyed launch facility (fenced off and - they said - sprayed yearly (?) with lead paint/ whatever and we weren't supposed to worry about it😮I I often wonder about the health issues, ESPECIALLY, for the hundreds and hundreds of Holmes and Narver employees who worked for many, many years there...,some longer than 20 years? Who, if anyone, followed up on there health issues? Me, I'm 78 now and have 28 doctors so can't really pin down any specific diseases that can be tied in to anything ....other than Prostrate Cancer but just about any guy can come down with that.
There was a black gentlemen by the name "TC" who I played racquetball with, he was really good; wonder if anyone knows his whereabouts.
I would really think that DOD would leaving certain bunch of buildings up for any future needs. Such waste of tax dollars.
I spent a year there from Nov. 74 to Nov. 75 while in the Air Force. A lot of good memories from there. It would of been nice though if the powers to be would of told us about the Island being radioactive [still is today]. Sure was a wake up call when upon landing there the first time you were issued a gas mask and two suicide injectors in case of chemical spill!!!
Hi all: just want to let you know there are some great "history" comments (not just mine😂) if you click on all the comments made to other comments. In 26 years on active duty, I never once ran across someone who was also stationed there. Before all the "old heads" pass on, perhaps someone can start a new thread in chronological order so we can all " track" what happened and when? For example, I was there from Jun 1970 to Jun 1971. While there, I worked in JOC and part time unloading the first barge that arrived with supplies to build the storage bunkers for the chemical munitions, worked the asphalt crew, worked a month or so as a night watchman on the dredging rig leased (I think) through Dillingham Corp, sold popcorn and beer at the outdoor theater, and - briefly - helped the club NCO keep his files and books straight. And YES, I did get some work done at my Air Force job🤗👍
What a colossal waste of resources. Everything on that Island is now gone.
WORKED ON JI 1991
I tried to get out their on a contract job back in the early 1990's, but I ended up getting married and that ended that opportunity.
I been Johnston is. twice in 1964. this is incomplete story of Johnston is. it was mostly eyes only at that time right after the explosion on the pad. also this is. has been implicated as an alien visited place. I want not privy to the high level meeting concerning this. only I know what I saw underground there in 1964. every thing was mostly underground really! there is a real story here to be written. maybe someone will one day. I have been waiting for yrs. I see a lot about area # 51. But this history could be more interesting???
Hello Marvin, i was a young sailor on that white cargo ship on the picture "Dock View 1964"
Marvin Cadden, thanks for your comment, I saw something interesting when I worked on JI in the 1990's. Would like a conversation partner if you are up for it. Be well.
like the rockets come out of ground right next to barracks ..i was there in 1969..saw Nixon..good food
USCG 1976 I also wonder of the underground complex. The farthest I ever got was the hospital. Verrrry interesting!