Dietrich's Claim:
In April 2018, an emotional (sobbing) Douglas Dietrich claimed his father was aboard an aircraft carrier in the Pacific near Bikini Atoll and Enewetak Atoll on March 1, 1954, and was a witness to the "Castle Bravo" thermonuclear weapon test.
Dietrich claimed that prior to the test, his father had witnessed a sailor (or two) disappear during a bar fight somewhere and said one was a "shifter". Dietrich makes a piss-poor attempt to associate his father with sailors affected by the "Philadelphia Experiment" who were suddenly appearing from nowhere in bars and starting brawls, and then disappearing.
Years later, he claimed to have observed the same "shifter" wearing a Naval Flag Officer's Uniform.
(That's Admiral/General rank for all you non-military folks).
The crew of the carrier were all topside and ordered to stand completely still while exposed to the blast. But just before the blast, his father tackled the "shifter" who then turned into a pillar of lead, shielding him from the effects while the others were fully exposed, and later died over time suffering from cancer.
Dietrich was likely inspired by a 2015 article by Paul Huard - "Those Who Witnessed Castle Bravo Looked Into Armageddon"
"Zero hour for Bravo was at 6:45 a.m. local time on March 1. From the moment the device detonated, many of the observers knew something had gone spectacularly wrong.
The flash from the nuclear explosion was overwhelming, even by the standards of nuclear explosions. Men saw their bones appear as shadows through their living flesh. Streams of blinding light shone through the smallest cracks and pinholes in secured doors and hatches.
Bravo’s thermal radiation was far more intense than expected. More than 30 miles away from Ground Zero on Bikini Atoll, sailors on board Navy ships said the heat was like having a blowtorch applied to their bodies". - Paul Huard
George Dietrich was in the Mediterranean Sea during the "Castle Bravo" test:
George Dietrich was serving on the USS Gilbert Islands (CVE-107) from April 1953 until March 1954 and upon returning from a cruise to the Mediterranea Sea, he then reported to Naval Attack Squadron VA-15 and was assigned to Navy Aviation Schools Command (NAVSCOLSCOM) Newport, RI where he was stationed until Dec 1954.
"The escort carrier stood out on 5 January 1954 for a Mediterranean cruise, returning to Quonset Point on 12 March 1954 for reserve training and other exercises."
There was not an aircraft carrier present:
Two ships were operating as the joint command during the test. The USS Curtiss (AV-4) and USS Estes (AGC-12).
"As 1954 began, ESTES, now with her elephant-ears removed, took her departure for the Marshall Islands for her second thermonuclear test series: "Operation CASTLE," serving as flagship for Joint Task Force 7. This protracted series of tests lasted until 16 May, after which ESTES escorted USS CURTISS (AV-4) back to San Diego."
US Navy Ships Affected:
The US Navy tanker USS Patapsco was at Enewetak Atoll in late February 1954. Patapsco lacked a decontamination washdown system, and was therefore ordered on 27 February, to return to Pearl Harbor at the highest possible speed.[46]
A breakdown in her engine systems, namely a cracked cylinder liner, slowed Patapsco to one-third of her full speed, and when the Castle Bravo detonation took place, she was still about 180 to 195 nautical miles east of Bikini.[46]
Patapsco was in the range of nuclear fallout, which began landing on the ship in the mid-afternoon of 2 March. By this time Patapsco was 565 to 586 nautical miles from ground zero. The fallout was at first thought to be harmless and there were no radiation detectors aboard, so no decontamination measures were taken.
Measurements taken after Patapsco had returned to Pearl Harbor suggested an exposure range of 0.18 to 0.62 R/hr.[46] Total exposure estimates range from 3.3 R to 18 R of whole-body radiation, taking into account the effects of natural washdown from rain, and variations between above- and below-deck exposure.[46]
Daigo Fukuryū Maru
A Japanese fishing boat, Daigo Fukuryū Maru (Lucky Dragon No.5), came in direct contact with the fallout, which caused many of the crew to grow ill due to radiation sickness. One member died of a secondary infection six months later after acute radiation exposure, and another had a child that was stillborn and deformed.[39] This resulted in an international incident and reignited Japanese concerns about radiation, especially as Japanese citizens were once more adversely affected by US nuclear weapons
A previous test in June-July 1947 involved 95 ships.
"The Navy placed 95 vessels, including aircraft carriers and destroyers, in Bikini Atoll’s lagoon, and hundreds of animals were strapped to the decks to monitor the blast’s effects. Thousands of U.S. soldiers were positioned on naval ships outside the blast zone and then brought in to survey the damage, retrieve the irradiated animals, and decontaminate the vessels that were exposed to high levels of radiation."
A previous claim:
Dietrich has also made the claim that his father was on Enewetak Atoll and killed MSgt John C. Woods in July 1950.
https://rkcolejr.blogspot.com/2021/07/dietrich-claims-his-father-killed-msgt.html
Sources:
(Note: The first link was available during the writing of this blog post and has since been made "private".)
Dietrich's Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_psl9j8sM0&list=PLpl4MhnOrJRKhel23ZddhakIwXD3OUshC&index=23
Dietrich's Inspiration: Those Who Witnessed Castle Bravo Looked Into Armageddon | by Paul Richard Huard | War Is Boring | Medium
Castle Bravo Detonation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4LqqA4GdsY&t=27s
Castle Bravo: The Largest U.S. Nuclear Explosion
Castle Bravo | Atomic Heritage Foundation
Castle Bravo revisited | Restricted Data
Joint Task Forces Served - MY ATOMIC LIFE
1954 - OP Castle-Bravo - MY ATOMIC LIFE
https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2013_03/No-Promised-Land-The-Shared-Legacy-of-the-Castle-Bravo-Nuclear-Test%20
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Bravo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VA-15_(U.S._Navy)
