Del Ritchhart had a fascinating and distinguished twenty-four-year Navy career. He served most of it in Naval Intelligence, primarily in anti-submarine warfare. This cat and mouse game with the Soviets took him all throughout the Pacific. He finished his career as Deputy Chief of Legislative Affairs in Washington, DC. One assignment in this long career involved something that very few people ever experienced, watching the detonation of an atomic bomb.
Navy Veteran Del Ritchhart
Del didn’t experience just one, but over twenty tests. This was part of Operation Dominic, a series of tests where bombs were dropped mostly from B-52s off of Kirabiti Island. Del and his crew’s job was to fly throughout the danger zone looking for and warning any maritime vessels that they needed to get out of the area before the detonation. His description of the blast is chilling. He said once back on the island you are issued protective eyewear and told to stand facing away from the blast, as looking at the initial blast would burn your corneas.
Although looking away, the first thing you notice was everything lit up. Next you felt the heat on your neck, followed by the burst of wind, and finally the boom. This was all felt from 35 miles away! When he was airborne (safely away) during tests, they pointed the plane away from the blast to make a smaller profile. He said the churning of the mushroom cloud and the ice crystals that formed on the outer edge of it was surreal. Thank you for your service, Del!
Brad Hoopes has a passionate project of preserving the stories of veterans. You can watch Del’s and other stories by going to: www.youtube.com/@rememberandhonorstories.