Operation Crossroads - Lest We Forget!: An Eyewitness Account, Bikini Atomic Bomb Tests 1946 - Softcover

McGee, William L.; McGee, Sandra V.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0970167857 ISBN 13: 9780970167859

Publisher: BMC Publications, 2016

Synopsis

In July 1946, millions of people around the world waited anxiously by their radios for the results of the first postwar atomic bomb tests code-named Operation CROSSROADS.To commemorate the 70th anniversary in 2016, William L. McGee has written his eyewitness account in Operation Crossroads – Lest We Forget! An Eyewitness Account, Bikini Atomic Bomb Tests 1946. Bill McGee was one of the 42,000 military, scientists, and civilian personnel assembled at the Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands for Crossroads. After fighting in the Pacific in World War II, McGee, a Gunner's Mate in the U.S. Navy, was assigned to postwar duty on the heavy cruiser USS Fall River (CA-131), destined to become the Flagship for the Target Fleet at Crossroads and responsible for the positioning of the 95 target vessels in the Bikini Lagoon.McGee, an accomplished World War II military historian, known for his spare and straightforward writing style, provides a detailed account of his participation in what scientists considered the most significant event of the twentieth century – from daily shipboard life, the detailed plan for Crossroads that was comparable to a major wartime battle plan, the rehearsals, and finally the tests themselves: Test Able on 1 July 1946 and Test Baker on 25 July 1946. McGee adds to his firsthand account with details from the Fall River ship logs and interviews with Fall River shipmates and other Crossroads participants.McGee includes the commentary of three esteemed Crossroads historians about the all-important later lessons learned about the devastating effects of radiation on man, animal, and ships – that no one saw coming:- Foreword by Dr. F. Lincoln Grahlfs, a Crossroads participant and later Vice Commander of the National Association of Atomic Veterans (NAAV)- Operation Crossroads by Oscar Rosen, Ph.D., a Crossroads participant and longtime advocate for atomic veterans- Bikini Witch's Brew by Jonathan M. Weisgall"I wrote this book to help preserve a part of history few know about today. The subject is timely. When I was writing the Preface in April 2016, the Nuclear Security Summit was wrapping up in Washington, D.C., proving that the threat of nuclear warfare is very much in the news today. We have to learn from history – lest we forget."- William L. McGee, AuthorBill McGee is a Lifetime Member of the National Association of Atomic Veterans (NAAV). He and his co-author/wife Sandra live in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. They may be reached at mcgeebmc@aol.com or on their website at www.WilliamMcGeeBooks.com.

About this title

About the Author:

About the Authors:
William L. McGee has garnered critical praise for his World War II military histories including his memoir within a history, "Bluejacket Odyssey, 1942-1946: Guadalcanal to Bikini," and the acclaimed Pacific war trilogy, "Amphibious Operations in the South Pacific in WWII." The author welcomes reader comments on his website at WilliamMcGeeBooks.com.
Sandra V. McGee has co-authored eight books with her husband.

About this edition

• Publisher: BMC Publications
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0970167857
• ISBN 13: 9780970167859
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 134