GUESS THE SHIP................

[skeeter1024]

This one was special since it got Dad away from the sand hill family farm (which he never went back to) and
got him an all expense paid trip to Bikini Atoll and Operation Crossroads.

Mark

AGC-1 USS Appalachian

Appalachian class Amphibious Force Flagship:
Displacement: 12,690 tons (full load)
Length: 459'
Beam: 63'
Draft: 24'
Armament: 2 5"/38 DP; 4x2 40mm; 10x2 20mm
Speed: 17 knots (max); 12 knots (econ)
Complement: 31-54 officers; 442-579 enlisted
Geared turbine engines, single screw, 6,000 hp
Built at Federal Shipbuilding, Kearny and commissioned 2 October 1943



I vote for no more cargo ships, they all look alike and it took me 3 g** d*** hours to find this one.

Vern.

[Niner]

Did he have any after affects as a result of being near the atomic bomb experiments? I assume you are talking about being there when the US was doing some bomb testing after the war.

[skeeter1024]

He was there for the ABLE and BAKER tests. He did die from cancer but that was at age 79 and after smoking 2 packs a
day since his Navy days. The Appalachian was the headquarters for the Press. What was interesting was back in the '80's
when there was number of news stories about the atomic veterans he got most upset. There were a number of vets that had
commented about swimming in the lagoon after the tests or scrubbing decks on the contaminated vessels without any protective
gear. His comment was they were specifically warned to stay out of the water, stay away from the wrecks, and stay covered up.

Did he have any after affects as a result of being near the atomic bomb experiments? I assume you are talking about being there when the US was doing some bomb testing after the war.