Search and Rescue Mission – Day 32

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We are but a few of the Survivors of the 1977-1980 Enewetak Atoll Atomic Debris Cleanup Mission in the Marshall Islands.

Our main focus is to help each other with information and moral support during challenging times of our declining health.

Our secondary focus is to urge Congress to change the current laws and recognize soldiers of the cleanup mission as “veterans who participated in radiation-risk activities during active service.”

We have a new mission. However, this time, it is your choice to accept or refuse this mission.

As of Day 32, we have 44 brothers on our list of atomic cleanup veterans to locate from the nine Atomic Cleanup Brothers who accepted our mission to list those we remember from our mission. Plus the brother of one of our fallen Atomic Cleanup Brothers has requested more information about his older brother who died during our mission. I believe he deserves answers.

I am happy to report one of the veterans listed on our Remembered Atomic Cleanup Veterans List has found us and signed our Roster of Known Survivors.

Dan Collins has found us. He was the C Company Commander of the 84th Engineer Battalion during the beginning of the mission in 1977 and returned as the Lojwa Operations Officer later in the mission.

Some of our memories have blurred over the years. It is ok to provide partial information and misspelled names. We can correct the information as our information grows.

You too are encouraged to list every 1977-1980 Enewetak Atoll Atomic Cleanup Mission Participant you remember.

Review this list of 44 remembered atomic cleanup veterans and let us know what you can contribute to our knowledge database.

  • Aguon, David E., SSG, last seen 1992, CSM, Karlsruhe, Germany [dc 10/27/2014]
  • Behrens, Maj, Army, S3 Operations Officer, 84th Engineer Battalion, Enewetak, last seen by gfb3 at Enewetak ~1978
  • Bourne, Robert, SGT, A Company, 84th Engineer Battalion, drove transit truck and operated crane late 1979 – 1980 [wok 10/26/2014]
  • Bruce, Guy, Manager, Holmes & Narver, last known location was Andalusia, Alabama, last contact via phone by gfb3 ~2004
  • Butler, Hugh T. “Motor Mouth” – Navy, 1979, Lojwa [gcp 10/27/2014]
  • Buzzard, Lt, Army, S3 Operations, 84th Engineer Battalion, last seen by gfb3 at Enewetak ~1979
  • Castle, Art, Army, 84th Engineer Battalion, last seen by gfb3 at Hawaii ~1980
  • Chadwell, Mike, Army, 12B10, B Company, 65th Combat Engineer Battalion, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Enewetak, Lowja-Sep. 1978 -Feb. 1979 Worked at batch plants as a bagger. – last seen by kbb at Lojwa February 1979
  • Cofran, Lee “Butcher”, Navy?, 1979, Lojwa [gcp 10/27/2014]
  • Collins, Danny, Army, Cpt, C Company Commander, 84th Engineer Battalion, last seen by gfb3 on the internet ~2000 [Update: Dan Collins signed our roster 11/19/2014.]
  • Devault, Joseph, CWO [smr 11/7/2014]
  • Foland, Michael, CPT, A Company Commander, 84th Engineer Battalion, arrived late 1979 – 1980 [wok 10/26/2014]
  • Gallerane, Mark G. “Maddog” – Army, 1979, Lojwa [gcp 10/27/2014]
  • Green, “Cotton Top”, Army, 1st SGT, C Company, 84th Engineer Battalion, (kept his word that if I volunteered to go to Enewetak, I would do drafting work at Enewetak after Cpt Collins wanted me to go to Lojwa. Top Green arranged my transfer to headquarters s3 – gfb3), last seen by gfb3 at Hawaii ~1980
  • Haliczer, Douglas “Oak Loaf” – 1979, 43rd Engineer Company, Fort Bliss Texas, last seen 1980 [dc 10/27/2014]
  • Huffman, Eugene “Bruce”, Army, Draftsman, S3 Operations, 84th Engineer Battalion, last seen by gfb3 at Hawaii ~1979
  • Jarvis. Timothy Paul – US Army Corps of Engineers, 1977-78, Enewetak Atoll, Reported “deceased” to our family in December, 1978. We were told “he was lost at sea, and his remains were unrecoverable.” However, have always believed he was involved in a radiation accident. 8.) 5′ 10″, blonde hair, blue eyes, his rank was private, promoted to corp at death. He was stationed in HI, just prior to being sent to the Marshall Islands. 9.) I am his younger brother, I was in the 7th grade when he died, now I’m 47. We never received his body. Are family was told by the US Government to stop communication with other families, whose son’s were supposedly lost at sea with my brother. That’s why we never believed his death was the result of a sailing accident. [ci 11/8/2014]
  • Kehe(sp?), Ernest, Army, 84th Engineer Battalion, last seen by gfb3 at Enewetak ~1979
  • Krouse, Frank, Army, Mail Clerk, JTG, last seen by gfb3 at Enewetak ~1979
  • Lang, Ronald W. “Bandit” – Army, 1979, Lojwa [gcp 10/27/2014]
  • Lewis, Army, 84th Engineer Battalion, last seen by gfb3 at Hawaii ~1980
  • Martin, Dan (Marty), Army, Lojwa, A Company, 84th Engineer Battalion [sh 10/27/2014]
  • Mattlab, Wheeler, SSG, last seen 1979 [dc 10/27/2014]
  • Morgan, Wendell “Mongoose” – Air Force? 1979, Lojwa [gcp 10/27/2014]
  • Neel, Gary D. – 1979, 43rd Engineer Company, Fort Bliss, Texas, last seen early 1980’s [dc 10/27/2014]
  • Pearson, SGT, Army, Squad Leader, B Company, 84th Engineer Battalion, Lojwa [sh 1027/2014]
  • Perry, Robert from Texas [mb 10/26/2014]
  • Pinegar, Ron, SGT, A Co, ran batch plant, stateside unit was 8th EN, 1CD late 1979 – 1980 [wok 10/26/2014]
  • Riggs, Gene “Rags” – Army, 1979, Lojwa [gcp 10/27/2014]
  • Roberts, O.C. “Black Beauty” – Army, 1979, Lojwa [gcp 10/27/2014]
  • Robertson, Harrol L. “Easy Rider” – first name may be Harold – Army, 1979, Lojwa [gcp 10/27/2014]
  • Simpson, Bob “Scrapper”, Army, B Company, 84th Engineer Battalion, Arrived and left with gcp (Apr to Oct 79), 62E10 (Heavy Junk Operator), last I knew he returned to his unit in Panama Christmas of 79, We were brothers from different mothers; The picture I posted of me holding a bottle of Bacardi, Bob is the other guy holding a fifth. – last seen by gcp ~1979
  • Singer, SSG, Army, Lojwa, Platoon SGT, B Company, 84th Engineer Battalion, Lojwa [sh 10/27/2014]
  • Spooner, John A. – Navy, 1979, Lojwa [gcp 10/27/2014]
  • Stafanco, Richard, (5th Grp SF) Army, Lojwa B Company, 84th Engineer Battalion [sh 10/27/2014]
  • Stein, Lee, CWO [smr 11/7/2014]
  • Suzzo, Frank, unknown branch, last known location: Myrtle Beach, SC – Army, 1979, Lojwa [gcp 10/27/2014]
  • Tracey, Sean II “Sleeper” – Medic, Fort Hood, Texas – Army, 1979, Lojwa [gcp 10/27/2014]
  • Tucker, Col, Army, Commander, 84th Engineer Battalion, last seen by gfb3 at Enewetak ~1978
  • Ulrigg, Ron “Warrior”, Killeen, Texas – Army, 1979, Lojwa [gcp 10/27/2014]
  • Verdugo, first name unknown, 43rd Engineer Company, Fort Bliss, Texas [dc 10/27/2014]
  • Walker, Ken, Army, Administration, JTG, (gfb3 enjoyed many scuba dives with Ken – at least one involved sharks), last seen by gfb3 at Enewetak ~1979
  • Wolfe, first name unknown [dc 10/27/2014]
  • Yoakum. Marc “Mammy” – Army, 1979, Lojwa [gcp 10/27/2014]

The above information was provided by the first nine who accepted the challenge to participate in our Search and Rescue Mission: Charles Ikner (ci), Daniel Cisneros (dc), Gary Pulis (gcp), Girard Bolton (gfb3), Kevin Bartlett (kbb), Michael Boyd (mb), Steve “Harry” Harrison (sh), Steven Rebbe (sf), and Wm. O. Keller (wok).

It is our hope to find as many of the 8,000+ participants of the atomic cleanup mission as possible.

You to can fill out as much of the information requested in the form below. No worries if you only remember partial info. We can add your info to others who accept this mission.

Within a short time, we should have an overabundance of information. Then the real work begins.

Decide now to help find every “Lojwa Animal”, “Runit Rat”, “Medren Rat”, etc.. you remember from “The Rock” or more commonly known as Enewetak Atoll.

Your Mission Continues Now.

We urge our supporters to encourage their politicians to create legislation which will include Enewetak Atoll Atomic Cleanup Participants in the U.S. Government’s definition of a veteran “who participated in radiation-risk activities during active service.”

Article written by Girard Frank Bolton, III. 1977-1979 Atomic Debris Cleanup Participant with C Company and HHC S-3 (Operations) of the 84th Engineer Battalion (Combat Heavy) (Fwd) Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands.

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