Re: 84th Engineers-Enewetak -Lojwa Animal -- 84th Engineer Battalion (Construction)

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 14:05:05 04/09/12 Mon
Author: jim barron
Subject: Re: 84th Engineers-Enewetak -Lojwa Animal
In reply to: Ron Gramazio 's message, "Re: 84th Engineers-Enewetak -Lojwa Animal" on 08:59:33 03/14/12 Wed

>
>I was a surveyor in the 84th out of Hawaii. I was the
>recon crew that explored and built the infrastructure
>that housed all the future workers. Good days. I lived
>on a 40 acre island with the highest elevation being
>14 feet. There was nothing but brush and birds when I
>got there. We lived in tents and had a simple mess set
>up near the bridge. Salt water bathing for the entire
>time. Eventually roads were built, water purification
>plant, power generation, and a baseball field...I did
>all this in early 1977. When I went to Runit for the
>first time I was given a pair of rubber boots and a
>pinch nose mask for protection. I believe there had
>only been less than a dozen visitors to Runit at that
>time. I held a small glass jar of plutonium 6 inches
>from my face....how many people have done that? I
>remember Marlin Perkins coming to see the islands.
>Nurse sharks and flying fish....I walked the reefs
>picking my way through thousands of "killer clams".
>While dragging for sharks on the way across the
>lagoon, we hooked up an eight foot barracuda. I think
>the advance crew was only 40 people, and it grew as we
>completed more of the infrastructure. Salt water
>cement....that was all we had for months. I still have
>my enewetok tshirt. I am guessing that it may be the
>only one in existence. It's in a box marked "sacred"
>along with my American Samoa shirt. I was also advance
>party there for the Mt. Alava road project. I was
>lucky....19 years old and experiencing indigenous
>cultures for the first time. I hated the military, but
>loved my experiences. Hence; all the article 15's I
>got. It didn't matter to my work crew....I was the
>best they had. My favorite line: evey time I saw Capt.
>Ono, I would salute and call him Capt. Oh...no. He
>hated me.
saved your ass one time thre away one of your ar 15s

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

Re: 84th Engineers-Enewetak -Lojwa Animal -- Fernando Lopez, 13:39:31 01/28/16 Thu