Operation Crossroads, Lest We Forget! An Eyewitness Account
42,000 men. 95 target ships. 2 atomic bombs. One atomic veteran’s story.
The countdown had begun.
“A sobering, but entertaining read.”
– Mark Barnes, War History Online
On 1 July 1946, a remote Pacific lagoon became the stage for a dangerous experiment of the Atomic Age. The world held its breath and millions waited anxiously by their radios for news of Operation CROSSROADS—the first atomic bomb tests of the postwar era. No one knew what to expect.
Among the 42,000 servicemen, scientists, and civilians at Bikini Atoll was 20-year-old U.S. Navy Gunner’s Mate William L. McGee, stationed aboard the new heavy cruiser USS Fall River (CA-131). His assignment: position the fleet of 95-plus target ships in Bikini Lagoon for the two atomic bomb tests—Able from the air and Baker from underwater.
What McGee and his shipmates witnessed from 10 to 15 miles away was both frightening and spectacular, and with consequences some would not survive.
Inside the book you’ll discover:
- A personal account of daily life aboard the Fall River during the tests
- Firsthand testimonies from sailors who witnessed the blasts
- Original ship’s log entries capturing the Navy’s daily reality
- Vintage photographs and illustrations that bring the events to life
- Early opinions from the media and experts
- Later opinions on the use of nuclear power
A gripping blend of memoir and history, Operation Crossroads, Lest We Forget places you on deck, in the blast zone, with a front-row seat to the dawn of the Atomic Age.
