Johnston Atoll, Island of the Cold War
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ค. 2024
- Some 750 miles from Hawaii, tiny Johnston Atoll was developed into an airbase and seaplane base during the Second World War. After the war, the developed facilities on a remote base put Johnston at the center of Cold War programs from nuclear tests to spy satellites to storing leftover chemical weapons. The History Guy recalls the forgotten history of the world's most interesting wildlife preserve.
This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.
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Script by THG
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I’m a 69yo disabled veteran and retired pilot and when I got sent Johnston Island for 2 days to wait for another aircraft and then go to Kadena AB. I was told there was a woman behind every tree. We landed and when I exited the aircraft I realized there were no trees.
Ha! 🪖👍
My dad spent a few days there with the military back in the 80's. I still, to this day, have the Johnston island "Coldest beer for 800 miles" t-shirt he got me.
👍 Thanks, Dad! Frame that T-shirt and put it on display!!! 🍻😎
I was out there at the same time. My fave tshirt was "Ready or Not, We go Hot!" Great memento.
I was there back in the mid 80s. Playboys and jars of vaseline for the new guy. The GIs and natives. Hated each other
lol Only beer for 800 miles!
What a scarey thought!
@@thomasadams6968
Awesome line!
See my reply on this comment.
My dad was there for 1 year, 1971...he just past away at 85. A proud air force man !!
I was stationed there 1968 to 1969. 24th SS we supported the Vanderburg 25th ADS who were the Thor IRBM missiles. Best food in the military so the saying goes.
My grandpa was stationed on Johnston Island during WWll- he was a Sea Bee. I have a large hand-drawn map of the island showing and naming all of the military stuff ( buildings, runway, etc.). His buddy made it for him during their time there. It's done in that somewhat irreverent comic style that was popular during the war. Definitely one of the coolest things I own!
SeaBee 🐝 awesome 👍
I hope you will see that map go into a US Govt museum before you pass away, sir.
@@Axgoodofdunemaul a WW2 museum would take it. I’m sure.
Oh I am sure it's cool
All framed and hung up?
I muddled the acreage at the end. The military increased the acreage of Johnston island from 46 to 596 acres and the size of Sand island from 10 - 22 acres. Two smaller artificial islands were also created of 25 and 18 acres.
I would love to see a video of the DC-8 the broke the sound barrier intentionally.
How about mentioning all measurements in metric as well?
My brother lived on Johnston Island in the 80's for a few months, he was likely part of the JCAT's team. I forwarded this to him for some comment. Pretty cool. Thanks for your hard work. It was another fascinating episode.
You also, erred in that you said 596 acres equals 1.06 square miles, when in fact, that would convert to 0.931 square miles.
Loved the video, btw.
I love and appreciate your content! Have you ever thought of covering Robert Goddard? I went to a middle school named in his honor (Littleton, Co.) and always thought his story was pretty interesting historically. The school had a Nike- Hercules missile in front that was recently removed after 50 years. Thanks for your efforts!
In October of 1983, I was 26 and the first mate doing tugboat delivery for the Army. We had to stop at Johnston Atoll due to the failing engine on the Army tugboat. We almost wrecked on the reef surronding the Atoll, when the engine completely failed. Luckily our tow cable got trapped around a coral head and there was University of Hawaii tug close by that rescued us. Stayed there for 1 week while they fixed the big diesel engine on the tug. The first person aboard the tug when we docked was an army sergeant that taught us how to put on our gas masks and give ourselves a shot in the leg with Atropine. Met the Colonel that ran the base at a steak cookout and went diving with him and some other people the next day. I guess my BS in marine biology helped. Interestingly where we went diving, all the coral was dead and it was all bleached white, though there was still quite a bit of life around. Watching this video, I understand why. Got a good picture of a gigantic moray eel though.
My brother was a cook there before the island was closed. He told us about the terrible bird noise. The navy was destroying ordinance there. He had fun working at their radio station. He told about how you could go deep sea fishing but if you caught something, it had to pass the Geiger counter test or you had to throw it back. The men could have free phone calls to their families, so we got hear from him every month. He saved him money and moved back to the mainland where he could go to school and learn to be a long distance trucker. He enjoyed himself while it lasted.
I was there in the late 80's part of a USMC KC-130 Squadron. Had a propeller problem and went there. Stayed for several days until parts arrived. Great people there. We were challenged to a softball game, which I think they let us win, they had a rule that a runner couldn't slide into base because of the coral. Excellent chow in the mess hall and everyone looked forward to prime rib day. The base XO was our bus driver partly because he didn't have much else to do. Thanks for this look at its past.
That was too good of a dining facility to be called a mess hall that served chow. All you could eat and rarely an unsat meal.
Don't you wish you could have had a job in the military like that XO
This place IS NOT forgotten by many of us who served in Hawaii! Many of us had to do guard duty the in the 80's. I was one of them. We could only stay on the island for 72 hours at a time because of what we were told "exposure". We thought it was because of the chemical weapons and had no idea about the nuclear bomb tests. The island had no shade and we literally baked on the sand.
I have developed an odd cancer and have wondered if the was any connection to my time there. We were only there once and i am trying to find other Soldiers and Marines who may have also done time there in the 80's to see if they also have health issues. Not to place blame, but to try and get them covered by the VA. I have nothing to gain personally as I am 100% covered as an active duty retiree.
It is hard to say, but it probably didn't help. It may have been something else you were exposed to while in the service or may be totally unrelated. For all we know, there is a whole lot we still have to figure out. Hope things go well for you and the VA does its job!
Hard to forget something I had no idea of.
@phục êwê and the Russian military, and the British military...
If you don't mind me asking, what cancer do you have?
My wife's ex was on Johnston for 18 months in the early 70's working as a diver for the University of Hawaii. His job was to catch moray eels to send back for testing. As predators that would bio-concentrate anything in their environment, you can guess what the moray eels were being tested for.
I work on Johnston Island from “89 to “98. At the JACADS demilitarization plant. I learned to scuba dive and had a wonderful time. It has some of the most beautiful coral reefs and underwater life in the world. It was a great experience I will always remember and cherish. For such a small place it played a very important roll in our nations defense. And lead the way of getting rid of a horrible nasty weapon of war safely.
Pity the US is scared of the planet enough to do all it did does at places like Johnston..
But🙏 you for cleaning up that mess..., super important work to so many nations environments across such a wide area.., we only got one Pacific...👍
@@tigertiger1699 the Earth will recover and survive. But can man survive on this earth?
@@brucemace5404
😂😂👍 for sure the planet had going no where.., despite all the ads saying that we’re destroying the planet..
However we are changing environments & ecology all over.., can we survive ourselves/ our ....???
Unfortunately??, I don’t think we’re going anywhere else.. , all to far..space is deadly..
I guess we’re all greenies, I’m a trade engineer.., so know that everything is farmed or mined.., such is life.., but am concerned for my grandkids.. with are they getting to live in??
Can I ask your training/ expertise to work on the project at Johnston
@@brucemace5404
I shouldn’t laugh.., but F I live in a super “clean green”, “global back water” in NZ ..👍 were super lucky!!
But you can’t swim safely in most of our rivers, here in Auckland (absolutely beautiful.., watch Americas Cup)and the Capital Wellington.. and we get told we can’t swim in at beach, after storms of rain... sewage etc ffs, just BS , if we want to claim 1st world...
@@tigertiger1699 I work at the Demilitarization Plant destroying the Mustard gas HD, VX and GB nerve agents. On the videos I was one of the guys in the picture wearing Level B Gas mask rubber aprons, gloves and chem boots. It was a dog and pony show for reporters and special guest. We demonstrated loading fake chemical rockets on a conveyor belt I have same picture in a old Houston Chronicle newspaper my father had saved.
I spent a week on the island in the 1980’s consulting during the chemical weapons destruction project. Outside theaters, wonderful chow, tent housing, and the clearest water I have ever seen. Glad to see it is now left to the birds.
Hey Jim, me too. It was a life experience. Great scuba diving and snorkeling. Working 110 hours a week was tough. No a/c in our housing took some time to get used to.
My uncle was stationed on Johnston Island during WWII. He remembered two things vividly: watching Dauntless dive bombers practicing bombing and Japanese submarines shelling the food refrigeration unit on the island. He was a baker in the Navy.
My father was a baker also in WWII, served in the pacific on a DE.. DE-36
I got all his letters he wrote home to his brother when he was 18.
My grandpa Earl Bennett was a Seabed stationed there during WWII.
The capacity the Japanese had to expand if they won Midway was horribly exaggerated, but what they would easily be able to do is capture Johnston Atoll, which would make the South Pacific much less accessible to the US and pretty much prevent the Guadalcanal landings from happening.
@John Battista @Colleen Beyers and others, please, record and share your memories recollections, and accounts of your parent's and other relative's activities in the services. John, you've no content, and reading parts of the letters, or entire letters, perhaps 5 to 30 minutes per video or audio recording... would be great. Consider, please. Many didn't share much detail. Those who have received information, and recollections, please consider sharing. There is also a living history project too, that can accept your audio or audio video submissions.
@@dondassinger6202 --- Thank you for encouraging those who served to contribute to living history websites.
The historians draw conclusions, and academes will create theories about what happened & why,
but those who were on the ground know what happened.
Their firsthand testimony is priceless.
My uncle was there with the Navy during Nuclear testing and got a bit of radiation contamination. I never knew the full history of the island -thanks.
Did his head glow?
Your uncle, not you. We don't care about your uncle. Please.
Yes you Americas destroyed it as you do everything
@@glennso47 his junk turned black and fell off
My father in law was a missile tech in the early '60s and was there during the accidents. He fought cancer most of the rest of his life and passed away earlier this year.
I worked there for almost ten years. I left Valentines Day 2000 and still have fond memories and friends that will last till I die there.
Howdy Steve.
Spent 11 years of my life on Johnston Atoll. Started working in the dining hall, transferred to the laundry, then to maintenance, then to CSF and then to JACADS. Grateful for those years, the experiences and the friends that I’ve made.
Thank you for the history of Johnston Atoll. I was stationed there 1992-93 as the airfield manager. I was in the US Air Force , but the island was under the administration of the Defence Nuclear Agency as part of the Department of Energy. I knew some of the history, WWII Japanese shelling of the island, missle launches and Plotoic contamination, agent orange storage and JCADS. We were told 600k birds nest there every year. I remember helping Fish and Wildlife Service count eggs. The birds had no natural predator so they were not afraid of people. We would walk up the the nest (many of the birds nested on the ground) and put a stick under the bird on the nest and raise the bird up to count the eggs. I was there when they blew up the LORAN-C tower because soaring Frigate birds would dive for food and hit the cables shearing off they wings and killing them. It was a nice place for a one-year "Remote Tour".
I began my career as a scientific glassblower in 1978. One of the first apparatuses I made was a bubbler with glass beads inside. I later learned they were used in the detoxification process of nerve agent at the facility on Johnston Atoll. I made thousands of them over the early years. We also repaired them. Once, I received a large box with over 800 bubblers for repair. Some had a viscous amber liquid still in them, so I had to bake them in a kiln to get the remnants out. Not the best conditions for dealing with those, I'm guessing. The huge box was taken home, and I made a play house for my daughters from it. Such fine memories for such a dark time! LOL. I'm almost 63 now and still no noticeable aberrant medical manifestations. Great segment on history! Love this stuff!!
You've got some good genetics. Your body was able to repair the damage done or the viscous amber liquid in them was inert at that point
It seems like glass blowers would be susceptible to lung problems anyway.
A friend worked on Johnson in 1998, they were hiring college grads with a couple of chemistry courses under their belts, to work there for $30K a year. Every month or two, they could fly back to Honolulu for R&R. It was a great way to save money or get rid of student debt, because there was no place to spend money at Johnson. They spent their days incinerating the Army's many artillery shells that were filled with poison sarin and mustard gas. A constant wind blew the smoke west, away from the island. Everybody rode bicycles, and kept a gas mask close at hand. They lived in dormitories, and you had to have seniority to get a window air conditioner.
Fast forward to last year-another friend has been working at Johnson for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, restoring the land. All buildings are gone, save one for a hurricane shelter. They weren't allowed to eat any fish caught around the island, because of contamination. They arrived by boat and had to unload two months worth of food. A big percentage of the world's population of a certain seabird now nests there.
Which seabird are you referring to, kind commenter?
I was in the Air Force and stationed on Johnston Atoll from 1969 to 1970. Never was told about the radiation contamination of the atoll. Our favorite past time was watching the "Red Tail" North West planes land and pull away from the atoll. Always counting the days when we would be aboard leaving the island. At night we would listened to a station in Hawaii that you could call and requested a song to play on the air. Our favorites song was Unchained Melody. The food was the only thing we did not complained about, it was excellent. The mess hall was shared by officers and enlisted personnel. In the summer of 1969 President Nixon stop over on Johnston Atoll on his way to the Hornet, to greet the astronauts on their returned to Earth from their historic moon mission. Thank you for this short but concise history clip.
i was there at the SAME time, i saw Nixon, was there installing teletype in the tall building, tdy from Clark ab for about 3 months yes the food was great i gained 21 lbs also in air force
Same time Aug 68 to Aug 69. 24th SS. I was at the pool with Big Earl when some Nixon cronies stopped by. Tricky Dick made a pass by the chow hall in his jeep.
@@jkm49us25 i remember big Earl at pool, i was their to see Nixon also
Great story. As a former USCG Officer, Loran Station duty on those remote Pacific islands was both a leadership opportunity and a dreaded potential. Good piece. Thank you for this. Keep at it!
Was stationed there 8-86 to 11-87. Absolutely the best duty station a guy could have. Loved this place.
Hey Troy, Do you remember the band Hyperformance? We played several shows on a USO tour in spring or summer of ‘87.
I really like this particular subject video. You did a great job History Guy! I only wonder how many people ended up dying due to their exposure to some of the nastiest chemicals and radiation? I would guess that the US Military did not keep track of the people who were stationed/working there. I bet those numbers would scare us!! My best friend was a Marine in the late 60's and worked and flew on helicopters. Those helicopters were used to transport Agent Orange. He was never told to wear gloves, face mask/shield, nor respirator. He is slowly and painfully dying from that exposure right now. I want to cry every time I talk to or see him because of what it is doing to his body and brain. Human guinea pigs.
I served on Johnston twice while I was in the Air Force. Once in 1968 and again in 1969. I loved the place. Mixed drinks were 20 cents.
Was stationed on J.I. from August 1997 to August 1998. Assigned to the U.S Army Chemical Ammunition Company (CAC) part of USARPAC. Member of 1st Platoon, whose motto was “Raise Up”. Have great memories of that place. Saturday steak night at the Wak, scuba diving out out North Island, fishing for tuna in the Shark Chute at the west end (and seeing 12’ Tiger Sharks right at our feet), driving past the Plutonium Yard and Agent Orange area on weekly forklift “convoys”, and open air movies. Was a blast! Carton of Marlboro’s was $9.50 and bottle of rum was $6.00. Was E-4 mafia at the time and helped found the Crusty’s Pub school for miscreants and under-achievers! In this time period we were disposing of 8” GB (Sarin) artillery rounds. Worked 8 hours days, 6 days a week running a forklift in bunkers stacked floor to ceiling and door to back wall. Worked with some of the best soldiers I ever knew.
" Raise Up ", huh? Really tingles your spine, that one.
There in 75 and fished for 6 foot sharks using a 5 gal bucket for a bobber, big black and white manta rays swarming by the sea wall, big barracuda on the south wall near an old closed cryogenics plant. outdoor theater and running from the rain, a good dining hall and prime rib on weds night, and grilled steak on Saturday. Fishing and scuba or snorkeling. But it was 12 months long.
In May 1994 I was flying a 747 cargo aircraft for American International Airlines, “Kallita” . Our normal trip was Los Angeles to Honolulu and back.
On the 27th of May we were at KHNL and got instructions from our operations in Ypsilanti, MI to wait for a shipment of 80.000 pounds of fire bricks and 30,000 pounds of cement to go to Johnston Island. Neither of our crew had ever heard of Johnston Island, let alone where it was. Ops said “it’s about 2 hours west of KNHL! I told the Captain I didn’t think there was anything but water 2 hours west of Honolulu .
We waited for the cargo that arrived soon, however no cement. Ops said not to wait, so off we went with the bricks.
Upon arrival at KJON, there was a large (75) crowd on the ramp as we parked. The flight was 2.2 hours. The base commander was there to greet us.
The Commander said we were the first 747 to land at KJON! They had C-5’s, C-141’s, C-130’s but we were the first 747.
We stayed right with the plane as he described what they did there.... burned chemical weapons! The bricks were to re-line the furnaces of the facility.
The base had about 1200 personnel stationed there at that time.
If you search “Johnston Atoll” on Google earth you will see there is nothing there now.
Not sure if we were the last 747 to land there but we were the first. By the way our 747 registered as “CK702 is still flying and brought passengers back from China in this virus debacle.
RL Batch just searched on google earth. It’s there.
@@timnell207 No more structures and the airfield has decayed to the point it wouldn't be usable for aircraft.
Kallita air also flies cows from kona to los angeles. That must be one stinky ride. The pilots are a ruff looking bunch. when they come thru the airport they look like they've been on a binge. Shirts all wrinkled and 5'o clock shadow
Great story Uncle Richard...❤
Thanks for the full story of one of the strangest places I have ever flown scheduled airline service to. As a pilot for the Air Micronesia subsidiary of Continantal Airlines I made several flights through Johnston Island between 1984 and 1987. The island was a regular stop on our mid-pacific "Island Hopper" service between Guam and Honolulu with 727-100 combination aircraft. Due to security on the island only passengers with orders to the island, the pilots and our flight mechanic who handled the refueling were allowed off the aircraft during the normally 30 minute stop. The remain on board order was enforced by no nonsense Air Force security police stationed at the foot of the airstair checking everyone's ID before they stepped off the stairs. Kwajalein, 2 stops west of Johnston on that route also has an interesting and similar history, especially with the US military.
Keep up the good work, I have always loved history, especially the off beat and lesser known. Your work is just what I enjoy the most.
We used to watch the Air Micronesia planes take off from our barracks. Seems like they always needed every inch of runway to get airborne 😆.
@@marvoshita ehh, brah, those Micronesians are anything but "micro"
Marvnval, you are right, we normally used all the runway for several reasons. It is always hot and humid there which makes the engines less powerful. We were always heavily loaded with passengers and cargo, especially west bound. The remote location and single runway meant no alternate airport in case of bad weather or any problem that might close the runway so we carried much larger than normal reserve fuel loads just in case. Operating modern jets to remote and often primitive locations in Micronesia was some of the most challenging flying in my 41 year airline career. A great experience with great memories, lots of interesting history in those islands.
@kenneth Quick; my dad was with “Air Mike” from 1968 to approx 1977. We used to go from Majuro to Johnston and then for a few years while the nerve gas was there to midway instead. I guess the 727 couldn’t quite make it safely from Majuro to Honolulu without a stop.
I do remember though that in our day they walked us off the end of the staircase that came out of the rear of the plane down in to a bunker while refueling and back on board in single file.
Very cool for a young tween and teenager
I probably flew on your bird then captain...I was stationed there from 1985-1986
I worked on JI from 1997-2002 in the JACADS facility. Best time of my life- met some wonderful people and learned a lot about life. Thanks for sharing the history of a mostly unknown but fascinating place.
I was there in 03 working on the TU
I was stationed there from ‘88 to ‘89 as an MP. It was an interesting experience to say the least. I was part of the first group that was assigned there directly out of MP school. Wasn’t as bad as some would think. This was a fantastic run down of the history of the island, much of which I didn’t know.
I spent a week there as the chemical weapons disposal was winding down, I guess in January of 2000. I was a technician and had to repair some RF suit sealing machines for the chemical disposal protection suits. They had evidently fell from a forklift as they were being unloaded, and were practically destroyed. Got em up and running, and spent a couple of free days just hanging out. Watching the tiger sharks swim around one of the sea walls was interesting. Very interesting place. Interestingly enough, the super long plane flight cause a blood clot to form in one of my lungs, and I'm very lucky to still be here.
Thank God you survived that plane ride. Interesting story also, thank you, Steve
I worked on WAKE ATOL for a month in 1999 some people of ares were on johnsonatol when either the burn off furnace went out and Died there
I was there on a supply ship in 1980. I got to see the chemical warfare agent storage area, the missile launch site and the gigantic airstrip that made up most of the island.
One of the hazards there was that in certain weather conditions it was possible for traces of the chemical agents to leak, and there were electronic detectors here and there for that purpose. Rabbits were kept in some of the nerve gas bunkers as warning - as long as the rabbits were healthy the bunker was free of "leakers".
Of course the radioactive materials in the soil were presumably cleaned up, but on windy days that may have been a hazard also. It was an incredible adventure to be there, even if only for a couple days....
@@stevengill1736 Yeah, 2 hours was probably enough at THAT particular time. I’ve always wondered if that place would have been operated a “bit” differently now. Oh, and I’ve heard there’s giant rabbits there now with glowing laser eyes. And people thought Godzilla was scary 😉
I have been on midway when the goony birds were hatching out we were refueling and ran to the bowling alley and had some beers on are way to wake February' 16 and flew back to Hawaii on the 16 March the only bad thing on wake was seeing 50 yards of plastic and trash on peel Island
My Dad was stationed at Johnston Atoll in the early 50's for 1 year. My Mom, brother and I were able to accompany him there. I was about 3 years old. We lived in a Quonset hut. My Dad talked a lot about going over to Sand Island. His job was maintaining radios. Dad had a lot of pictures, one that I remember showed me standing in front of the Quonset hut with just a diaper on.
As an amateur radio operator i had a pleasure of talking to a guy from that base, in early 2000s, if i recall he was a USAF personel. Even got a confirmation card (QSL) and that is how i got to know a bit of island's history.
The antenna you displayed was for LORAN C. The LORAN A 500,000 watt antenna was next to the timer building in the middle of the causeway. The building you showed was the 1,000,000 watt transmitter building which was located on the south end of the island.. I was stationed there for 1 year as one of the LORAN C techs and communications tech. 1974-1975. Thank you for doing a piece on Johnston.
I used to work with an electronics tech guy here in hawaii. He repaired xray machines at the airport. He worked at Johnston in the early 80's as a communications guy. He built a small cell phone network for the island. He made a youtube video about his experience using photo slides. He always talked about Johnston and seemed to love his time there. Before i retired from the airport, i heard from his cowrorkers that he was having problem with his heart and walking and had to retire early
Also an ET from 1975-76 and one of the few people to climb that tower! If not for the military, was definitely a piece of paradise. I was probably your replacement.
@@richardgriesemer3864 I also climbed the LORAN towers. I left in April of 75.
@@richardgriesemer3864 Was the siamese cat still there?
@@999garyr Don't remember the cat, but the dog Sigmond that chewed the coral rocks. Were you the last to live in the barracks on Sand Island?
During my military service (Military Police) Johnston Island was used as a threat for reassignment for personnel who did not perform up to standards.
Yep, in the Navy it was Gitmo or Diego Garcia. 🙄
I was going to say what you did... Of course we didn't realize how bad fort McClellan was contaminated.
@@garybelcher8259 Yes they kept that secret for a long time. I didn't hear about it until a few years ago. So far I've been lucky to have not had health issues but have heard others have.
I was on orders for there in 1989. So glad I didn't end up going there. I figured there was bad stuff there that would make me glow in the dark.
@@WALTERBROADDUS Indeed. I've been to both though thankfully on a ship that was just passing through. I do recall being the one getting volunteered to get a "captains licence" so I (and a few friends) could rent out one of the pontoon boats and go out fishing (and drinking) in the bay at GITMO. I vaguely remember the EM club there, too. Vaguely... Hey, don't judge! That was almost 40 years ago!!!
Your docs are seriously the most interesting I've seen. I absolutely love this channel.
You always bring us such interesting stories. And you tell them so well? Thank you for bringing this to us. Keep up the great work.
My father worked there in the Mid to late ‘80s JACADS-they were there building the incinerator for nerve gas and agent orange destruction.
I worked that project for a year in 1991 with Southwest Research Institute.
J33pman68 there was enough agent orange developed by DuPont they were burning it till the 90’s?
Was on the island twice in the mid/late 80's, related to the design and construction of JCADS.
Thankfully for me, both trips only lasted a week.
The island was truly in the middle of nowhere!
We were issued a gas mask getting off the airliner, and you had to carry it on your person at all times, you even slept with it.
That was the danger of leaking chemical weapons stored on the island.
And yet donald trump reappeared.
@@PD-we8vf Dupont didn't develop Agent Orange or the two farming/ranching herbicides (2,4D and 2,4,5T) that are the constituents. And no, they were not still burning it in 1991.
I'm always amazed at how much useful information you pack into just 15 minutes or so. Extremely well done!
I was stationed on JI for one year between 1957 and 58 during the Hardtack nuclear tests. We were temporarily evacuated onboard the aircraft carrier "Boxer" during several detonations which occurred near midnight. The experience of seeing the blackness of a moonless ocean become the brightest noon imaginable in a millionth of a second is something I'll never forget and watching the shockwave racing across the water like a hurricane wind just before having the shock itself hitting us broadside is unbelievable.
Living on the island was another terrific memory. I still have a giant head of coral at my home to remind me of the skin diving in crystal clear water that we did every day. I worked at the weather station on the west end of the island.
Thank you for this and all of your shows. Keep up the great videos. All the best from Australia
Fascinating. There’s so much interesting stuff on those little islands.
Thanks for covering Johnston Atoll. I've been studying this place for years and find it fascinating that I always find something new about it.
During WWII my dad was an aircraft mechanic based in Honolulu. He was an expert in the C-54 Skymaster aircraft (4 engine cargo plane). One time one of these planes broke down and managed to land on Johnston island. Tey flew dad out via B-17 to repair and recover it. He was successful. From my dads perspective though, this was the closest he ever got to "the action".
Your programs rekindle my interest in history! You find so much interesting history and tell the stories in such an intriguing way! Thank you
You Sir are the reason I watch TH-cam. Straightforward information, well executed and read. Thank you!
I got to stay for a whole week on Johnston Atoll during plant commissioning of JCADS. Upon arrival there was a big sign "Welcome to Johnston Atoll, Elevation 6 Ft", someone asked if the elevation was at low tide or high tide. We were all issued gas masks and two antidotes that we carried with us at all times. There was a set of emergency horn blast sequences, a different one for each antidote. After the briefing, the guy next to me says "If I here any emergency horn blasts I am just putting one antidote in each leg, that way I know I am going to be OK." We got a tour of the island and Plutonium beach was pointed out, so we knew where not to go. Everyone worked 6 days a week and Sunday was the day off, there was much beer drinking on Saturday night. The mess hall always had great food and lots of it. After taking a water safety course and test in the full size swimming pool, we could go out on recreational boats to nearby isles and go swimming in the ocean when we had time off during the day. In all very memorable week in my life...
Love these videos. I always try to catch new videos as they become available. Thank you for sharing these important and interesting snippets of our past.
I served on Johnston Island 1996-1997 in USACAP and it was a very interesting assignment, and I'd never trade the experience for anything. Met many wonderful people and learned so mush about Pacific Island culture.
As someone who studied history but did not go on to become an historian, I just want to say what a great job you are doing to popularize accurate history. Well done.
Thank you for making this video! My dad was stationed there when he was in the airforce in 1964! I showed it to him and he was blown away :)
I said this before and I will say it again. Thank you so much for your contribution in keeping history alive. You are my favorite personality on TH-cam.
Thanks for the history I was stationed there in 84 had a great time they feed us well and the scuba diving was great
I spent way too much time on Johnston during nuclear testing stuff in the 1960s...I still have an "attaboy" letter from Operation Paddlewheel. That was a test that never happened, and for that I'm thankful.
You’ve seen and been a part of a very interesting part of U.S./ world history. Wish they didn’t nuke all those battleships and heavy cruisers.
My grandfather served there around 1948. He has great stories from his time as a naval meteorologist. I appreciate you making this video and have sent it to him.
You're a brilliant narrator. I'd never heard of this place. Well done!
Seeing all the comments of people that served on or visited the Atoll really makes your channel stand out and why I like watching it.
You can pick the most tiny or obscure topics. And give it such life and someone will see it and say, "Hey I have connection with it."
I hit thumbs down by accident. Please forgive me, History Guy!
Sir, as a active duty sailor I would love it if you could do a story on the USS Liberty event that happen on June 8th, 1967. And oddly enough a USSR ship actually saved it. I believe it's history worth being remembered.
Oh look, the Anti-S has their one story.
Good grief. Grow up. It's not 1939 any more, and eradication has gone out of vogue.
@@cheddar2648 oh look the S has their story, it's not the early 1940s anymore.
Must still be a sore spot for some people! But it is very important history! Like the Kennedy assassination, they STILL want to bury this story! Not many have the nerve to mention it! The Rothschild "Federal" Reserve is very powerful.
I was gonna ask for this story to be told as well! It takes nerve because it is STILL highly radioactive politically!
Look it happened, to forget history means you are doomed to repeat it. It echos even more now. I understand why it happened trust me I as a service member know that I’m “expendable” in a way. The short answer is someone has to do it. That is why I say you never cover up or forget events , dead or order of battle on both sides. Because if I’m to go I never wish to be forgotten.
Such an interesting piece! I haven't thought of Johnston Island in many years but your story jogged my memory of a conversation I had long ago. In the mid 1970's I was the production manager for a trade show and did a lot of flying from place to place in the mainland US. On one of those trips I was having a conversation with the person next to me who turned out to have been a pilot for hire for many years. He recounted an event that he regarded as one of the strangest in his career. I got the impression that his experience happened sometime between the mid 1960's and early 1970's but I don't know for sure. He was piloting an older airplane that was being moved across the Pacific when the plane developed mechanical problems and he had to find a place to set down. Johnston Island was his only hope and, although it was clearly marked as off limits in his charts, he attempted to hail them by radio to appraise them of his dire situation. At first he received no response but when he said he had no choice but to land now he received a terse reply instructing him how and where to go. Upon stopping at the designated place he was met with armed guards who escorted him and his crew in a blacked out vehicle to a building with no windows where they were held pleasantly but under armed guard while someone tended to their airplane. I believe he said that they spent the night there but were told that no matter what they would have to leave within 24 hours, even if they had to leave their plane behind. They were told that they could not tell anyone anything that they might have seen while they were there but one of the guards confided that there were people there that would never leave the island alive. Eventually they were escorted back to their airplane, now repaired, and told to leave the area as quickly as possible and not look back, which they did.
This gentleman thought it was perhaps the single weirdest experience of his life and wondered "what the hell is going on there?" I wish I could remember more details of our conversation but the years have taken their toll on my memory of more details. We landed and I thanked him for sharing that story and we parted and I've always wondered about the place. Your short documentary has told me more in 15 minutes about that incident than I've learned in the 45 years or so since that conversation! Thank you for all of your interesting and insightful snippets of history that otherwise would fade into the mists of time! We could all be in a better place if only we would take the time to learn the lessons of the experiences we have already had!
Cool story bro
Good
In the mid 70s they had one Thor or Atlas stored on its side. Their exercised to insure it could be raised to firing positon in a set amount of time. One of these videos implied more facilities and more Thor's came about after I was there. That is surprising as it seemed to be phasing out while I was there but I was not privy to that program. The story about being taken to a mysteroous bldg with no windows was just the main work building on base and a cool air conditioned place for them to wait instead sitting in the tiny terminal. Maybe he had some rank and a courtesy visit from the Colonel, etc. That bldg was the JSOC built in the early 60s (?) to run the nuclear atmospheric testing downrange at Kwajalein. 4 stories and NO windows for protection and flash. Rockets with nukes were fired downrange from JA . In early years, about 3 blew up on or over JA and contaminated the island. A rocket from JA and nuclear blast from over a thousands miles away would light up the heavens at JA. A contractor there in the 60s said it was spectacular and amazing.
BS
I've been there in the early 2000s. Nothing to see. It was a refueling stop for military aircraft traveling between Hickam AFB in Hawaii and Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands at that time. I didn't realize that it had such a rich history!
" a RICH history " ? The whole goddamned place is/was an abomination to Nature. It should have NEVER existed !
Just Awesome! Your delivery is Perfect! You have your own style, and ifs Great! Thank you
Interesting to say the least. I lived on Kwajalein. Many workers coming from the states routed through Johnston Atoll aka island before coming to Kwaj. I suspect it, the plane a 4 engine prop - supported both sets of islands as Kwajalein is an Atoll and is the largest in the world. Our plane flew to Hawaii and then Kwaj. Family members worked on the Kwaj island for 3 decades.
visited Johnston for 24 hours working for DoD. I'll always remember the gas mask fitting and safety briefing at the airfield immediately right off the plane. Also got to visit Wake Island, another time, which is more remote but less environmental damage from the military and no gas masks required
My dad was the commander of Johnston Island in the early ‘90s and the XO in the mid 80s. He loved working on the island tells some great stories from his time there.
Your dad was one of my favorites--friendly and personable. I spent eight years total on JI and my first PCS stay was 1989-1994.
Thankyou again Mr. HG, for your dedication and detailed research.
Hope ye be well.
I found out about Johnston Atoll by complete accident about 5 years ago while scrolling around on Google maps. I saw this island that was shaped like an aircraft carrier, and it intrigued me. I think learned about and knew most of these facts in my research, but 5 years ago there weren't any good videos on TH-cam about the Atoll. It just randomly popped into my head this morning, and I searched it up and found this video. Thanks for making it, I don't think many people are aware of its existence and the roll it played.
I was a working foreman on the JACADS project. We were tax exempt Federally until the end of 1986. Made a lot of money in a short time and changed my life.
Marvnval, it was back in the '90s that I met a fellow in San Luis Obispo who said he worked at that Johnston Island chem weapons disposal facility. The first time I ran into him his Yamaha sportbike had a strange cylindrical device fastened above the tail section, when asked about it he claimed it was a solid fuel rocket-assist bottle! The guy said he planned to light it off someday to see how fast he'd go. He was a trip. I remember him saying that he made a lot of money on Johnston, which paid for splurging on high performance motorcycles and watercraft when he and his Asian lady friend came stateside. I have not seen him in a long while though, maybe he lit that rocket motor off after all!
@@RickyJr46 Hmmmmm .... I remember something about someone doing that ... I have a vague recollection of it not going well ... but ... can't recall ...
Google only got me Cars with JATO units on them.
.
Very interesting! Thank you for your research and posting this piece. I had always heard about Johnston Atoll as a place for chemical weapons incineration/destruction. Your more complete story really added context and background to the history of the Atoll. Good job.
What an interesting topic! Always heard about the Johnston Atoll, here and there, now I got the full picture. Thanks so much!
This one brought back memories. Thanks. Also, the Crazy Ant Strike Team project, CAST, is a story in itself. Typically a team of four to six young volunteers will spend time on remote islands. The Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument runs the program and advertises for volunteers. What a way to spend a summer!
In 1999 I was on a United Airlines island hopping flight on my way to the Marshall Islands and Micronesia when the flight made a stop over on Johnston Atoll. A few military personnel got off the flight but the rest of us were not allowed to get out. Looking out the windows of the plane there was not much to see. I've always wondered what went on there. Thanks for the history lesson.
I was Military Police on JI for 2 separate tours in the 1990’s. And I worked part time at the Marina. It’s a home full of amazing memories and I revisit it in my dreams often. Thanks for making the documentary!
My dad part of the chemical disposal team back in the early 90s. He loved that job safety getting rid of bombs. Proud of his efforts. Great video.
I worked there under contract for the DoD back in the mid 90's. Good job right after I left the Navy. As "luck" would have it....I was stationed at Diego Garcia while IN the Navy. Now THAT would be an interesting story to tell!
Want to share?
Love the research that went into this. Well done!
Another fascinating piece of history that deserves to be remembered. THIS is the History Channel.
My father passed away from cancer in 1980 and after his death while going through his papers we discovered a certificate thanking him for his participation in an Operation Hardtack with a background of a mushroom cloud on it. So thanks to you we know more of this story.
My dad passed in the 80s also a as part of hardtack. Cancer was his cause of death.
@@santas2carve I am sorry to hear that Cancer was also your father's death.
@@anthonyalbrecht7406 to u as well
My husband got bone cancer from being there and congress refused to compensate him or recognize that Chemical weapons were stored and dissembled there. It shows in my husband med records in 2002 he complained about having many symptoms and one Doctor wrote in his notes that it might be multiple my Loma. The VA in Hawaii said he has to prove he was there, which he did. Then in 2008 or 2009 , Obama closed the island and made it a bird sanctuary. My husband has been sick since 2002 and is still fighting. His white blood cells are very low, he has to wear a mask all of the time and so do I so I don’t get sick and infect him.
@@miawarren8735 I am sorry to hear about your husband's health problems but I am not surprised by the military's response. When my father died we were told we would have to get the Air Force's permission to sue the military's doctors for malpractice and then if we won at most we would be awarded $25,000.
Funny how it became, in the end, what it was designated to be a century ago: a bird sanctuary.
A bird sanctuary with a runway! Not to mention the island was much bigger after all those expansions. So the birds were the real winners;)
Poor birds.
That is how government rolls
Naa-ah, them birds are now "gainfully employed;" it should take them hundreds of years to cover it with guano again.
An extremely toxic bird sanctuary?
There is so much history that as fascinated me about Johnston. You did an outstanding job for 16 min. Have you ever seen the pics of the underground hospital?
As always a great bit of history. Just a little FYI - Johnston also supported a remarkable albeit relatively unknown project known as Project 505 or Project MUDFLAP prior to the Thor ASAT program. I really enjoy your channel and keep up the great work! HISTORY DESERVES TO BE REMEMBERED!!!
Ricky...
Thank you Sir for your excellent research and presentation regarding this small bit of real estate. I was stationed there in the mid 60's as a Navy pilot. We were assisting in the development work of the dispersion of chemicals that the island has become famous for. Lots of secret and strangeness accompanied our time their. The good news is the chow hall had some of the best food ever, a morale builder. The outdoor movie theater was famous for not lasting very long. Seems some of the long term residents (two years) who had not seen a girl in that length of time, would simply run/walk through the screen thinking the lady on the screen was the real thing. Theater was closed until a new screen could be found.
Beach was shared with sharks and the only indulgence was a pair of great tennis courts. My squadron did have some cases of disabilities relating to the chemicals involved. The VA did not recognize or assist those afflicted. Thanks again for the memories.
My husband was an engineer who worked on Johnston Atoll as part of the 80's "clean up". Those working on the atoll at that time were required to wear hazard suits and to have with them, at all times, quick injection pens with antidotes for exposure to biological agents. The first two days of his assignment was training for any possible accidents.
His conclusion to all that was if there was an accident, just turn around and kiss your butt goodbye.
I am so happy to learn that the atoll has returned to the birds.
Really ? At what price ? Just how ' decontaminated ' can it possibly be ? I'm fairly certain the wildlife have experienced considerable DNA damage.
@@mikelockey2857 It is still very contaminated as the concrete dome covering the waste pile is being washed out by the waves and storms.
Fascinating story. Thanks once again History Guy! I remember being on the island of Guam in the mid 80's (NAVCAMSWESPACGUAM) and hearing a news radio report stating PCB'S had been found on nearby Saipan, left over from WWIII, that was nothing compared to Johnston Atoll!
The outro's back! Hallelujah!
It started as a bird sanctuary and ended as a bird sanctuary. I'm glad. I really love that sort of closure.
I'd like to go there someday.
Lots of info and history in this video. I had a stopover on Johnston Island in 1977 on the way from Hawaii to Micronesia. Being a former CBI officer during the Vietnam War I was surprised to see all the nerve gas bunkers. Johnston Island is a good place to store CBR type ammunition; however, the salt air makes quick work of metal storage containers.
A few years back, we took shelter at the island from a tropical storm. Several other small craft pulled in around the same time to shelter. We were met by a small research ship that warned us that, while welcome to shelter from the storm, we were not allowed to land on the island. I cannot remember of we landed or not, but it was a rather interesting experience. And I do not mean the storm....
They claim they are "protecting the birds" but I think that is BS.
Thank you for sharing background on cold war utilization of Johnston Atoll. My ship was of the same class as the one that begins at 12:10 DER 324 USS Falgout. I had been briefed on shipboard monitoring of telemetry of missile testing during the period but was unaware of the chemical and biological testing. This is very informative.
I visited the island in 2009-2010 while in the USCG. We had to decommion all of the navigational aids in the water. Such a eerie yet intersting place!
Visiting the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas I learned much about the space race and nuclear arms race of the cold war.
I would recommend the museum to anyone interested in history.
Check out the Titan II museum in Arizona and the Minuteman museum in South Dakota, both are worth it.
InsideOutside UpsideDown I have been to the Cosmosphere and the Minuteman Museum. The Cosmosphere is an incredible private museum and a hidden gem. It’s home to the Apollo 13 command module and an SR71 that hangs in the front lobby.
I wish you would do an episode on Camp Forrest here in my hometown of Tullahoma, TN. Most of the American training for DDay happened in Tullahoma and Franklin County. I was tickled when you talked about the Ceebees who died from drinking their own hooch. There were quite a few stills out at Camp Forrest back in the day.
I'm really glad you did a piece on this speck of an atoll. I had to make an emergency landing on the atoll on my way to Australia from Oakland, CA ferrying a PA-31-350 Chieftain in '89. What a lonely posting that had to be while it was still the go-to location to decommission chemical weapons.
When flying air evacuation for the USAF I found myself on Johnston Atoll. A fascinating history. Thanks for providing the full picture.
I remember getting to land on Johnston island quite a few times as a kid living out in the South Pacific. I grew up out in the Marshall islands and got to visit bikini atoll
A very good and informative video. I have reviewed Wake, Midway, and Johnston Island recently and it seems like there are fewer military islands anymore and becoming more wildlife refuges. Thank you for the video !
Fantastic, really enjoyed that, many thanks and keep up the good work!
I forgot one other thing… My father said that a lot of the equipment that was sent there for the JCADS facility was addressed to “Bureau of Indian Affairs” Johnston Island. Interesting the avenues of government funding.
If by interesting you mean subversive.
Sounds like misappropriation of federal funding. That sort of stuff still goes on today--even though it's now more difficult to hide because of how fund codes are used to account for dollars in the budget.
Perhaps he's confusing the Bureau of Insular Affairs, now called the Office of Insular Affairs, which has charge of similar territories?
I had the opportunity to go to Johnston island numerous times, and a brother who was involved with the shipments from Okinawa to there. I believe in addition to a bird sanctuary, it was also declared a turtle reserve. Interesting place. Definitely a place that deserves to be remembered and thanks. Ever do anything on Kwajalein?
Yes he has to include roinamor
I know a guy who grew up there on the marshal island. He says he spoke the native language before he spoke English!
@@yooyoolah5550 Roi-Namur was also interesting, I went to about half the islands in the atoll. But that's Kwajalein and a ways away...but has its own strange history.
after the vietnam war they buried 50 gallon barrels of agent orange in okinawa. They really needed to clean up okinawa after the mess they made. I can't imagine what the story in vietnam was like but they probably buried it there too
While there in the 70s, I never saw one turtle on the beach laying eggs, but did see a few very large in the water. Not much sand for them, but sure there were some successes. I watched a Hawaiian guy casting a large treble hook from shore and hook a big turtle. He then used a small boat and lots of help to land him The Rigger's Loft club for Hawaiian contract workers, would have turtle for a week. The Loft also had the best fish such as mahi-mahi, alua, tuna, rainbow runner, wahoo, etc. Taking turtles was probably illegal or was stopped at some point in the 70s.
I knew about the nuke portion of the history of johnston isle. the rest of the history has now been brought forward thanks to you. I find it very interesting that it started as a wildlife refuge and had ended as one as well.
Got there myself in the late 1990s you summed it up nicely. Between the Housing, Air strip, and Nerve Gas incinerator it was pretty full.
My minesweeper transiting from Vietnam refueled there on or about 10 June 1968. The island was other worldly in appearance, with white multistory buildings. The water was crystal clear. I told everyone it reminded me of a futuristic movie set.
This is cool. I have a plug-in in Chrome that shows Radom background satellite images. Just yesterday the image of Johnson Atoll came up.