The Battalion departed from Fort Sill on 5 February, 1950, for Camp Stoneman. We remained there approximately one month, preparing supplies and equipment for the operations on Eniwetok and performing miscellaneous engineer tasks assigned to us. On 4 March, 1950, the main body boarded a ferry enroute to Oakland, California, our port of embarkation, and from there we boarded the USNS General Brewster and set sail for Eniwetok Atoll. On 6 March, 1950 nine of our officers and one enlisted man, who had remained behind to depart by plane, left from Suisan Airfield by a USAF C-54 for the Atoll, which was to be our new home. They arrived on 10 March 1950 and were on hand to roll out the welcome mat when our main group arrived on 16 March 1950. March 17 was spent in unloading personneled equipment and readying living quarters. On March 18, the work began in full scale. Each company was assigned a project, and the remaining unloading and new construction progressed simultaneously.
From the outset, the project of building a new installation moved along smoothly despite shortages of supplies and personnel. The inevitable difficulties which any project meets were experienced by out battalion and were defeated. As completed, the project include air strips, hangers, water distillation facilities, enlisted men and officer clubs, and all types of prefabricated buildings for use as barracks and offices. During our construction period on the Atoll, the peninsula of Korea gained world wide attention. On 25 June 1950, South Korea was invaded by the communist governorment of North Korea, and shortly thereafter United Nations troops were sent to Korea in a Police Action (Hell it was War!) to seek the aggressors.
On 19 October 1950, our mission was accomplished on Eniwetok Atoll, and out battalion boarded the USN Lieutenant Raymond L. Beaudoin enroute to Camp Fuchinobe, Japan, which was our first stop until our next assignment. While there we engaged in reorganization, re-equipping, and training. - Excerpt From: Bobby Thompson, History of the 79th Engineer Battalion
"I was in Japan Jan. 1949 to Nov. 1951. During that time Gen. Mark Clark declared the 79th Engr. Bn.to be the BEST Engr. Bn. in the Far East. They had just returned to Japan from Eniwetok" - Clyde Keene
The First H-Bomb
"The Battalion was reactivated as the 79th Engineer Construction Battalion on 28 February, 1949, at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. We remained at Fort Sill, attached to the 17th Field Artilley Group, until February, 1950.
The Battalion was then notified that it had been chosen as part of Task Force 3, which was to take part in "Operation Greenhouse."
Our mission was to destroy existing buildings on Eniwetok Atoll and erect new installations for a garrison of a permanent nature." - Bobby Thompson
On May 9, 1951 at 9:30 local time George was fired. A tremendous 225 kilotons yield was achieved, the largest yield to date. The cloud reached an altitude of 56,000 feet. Excellent weather conditions elimated immediate downwind fallout on the atoll and no secondary fallout occurred. George created a crater 1,140 feet in diameter with a depth of 10 feet.
No comments:
Post a Comment