1958 - South Pacific Nuclear Testing

In 1958, from April through August, the government ran an Operation; Hardtack I. It was one of many nuclear testing operations between 1946-1958 in the South Pacific. 

If you can believe it, the US government shot off so many nuclear bombs on, under, and over the Bikini Atoll from 1946-1958 that the islands are still radioactive today. 

Hughie was assigned to a squadron in the Pacific for the atomic testing in 1958. Part of their responsibility was to shoo away other ships that wandered into the blast safety zone. 

So one time, at band camp...I mean, one time, when their job was done, they had nothing else to do...apparently, so they were placed on to the deck of a ship that was directly under an atomic bomb that was exploded overhead at night way up in the atmosphere. They weren't the only ones on the ship that night, by the way.

Hughie said they could read the newspaper for 30 minutes on deck after the explosion, it was so bright. (Of course, they had their eyes covered for the initial explosion. They wanted to be safe. Duh!) Hughie thought it was pretty cool.

The pic above is one of a nuclear bomb set off high in the atmosphere. Interesting.