Operation Crossroads 80th Anniversary Memoir Recounts 1946 Atomic Tests

Eighty years after the first postwar atomic bomb tests, a memoir offering an eyewitness account of Operation Crossroads has been reissued. William L. McGee's 'Operation Crossroads, Lest We Forget! An Eyewitness Account' provides a firsthand perspective on the two nuclear tests conducted at Bikini Atoll in July 1946.

Operation Crossroads consisted of two atomic bomb tests, 'Able' and 'Baker,' aimed at studying the effects of nuclear weapons on a fleet of ships. McGee, then a 20-year-old U.S. Navy Gunner's Mate aboard the USS Fall River (CA-131), was among the 42,000 servicemen, scientists, and civilians present. His vessel played a key role in positioning the 95 target ships within the Bikini Lagoon for the tests.

Participants were bound by a secrecy oath that prevented them from discussing their experiences for 50 years. Following the repeal of this oath, McGee, who had become an award-winning author, documented his experiences along with those of his shipmates. He passed away in 2019, but his widow, Sandra V. McGee, has updated the memoir for its 80th anniversary.

The book includes interview excerpts from fellow witnesses, entries from the Fall River's logbook, historical images, and analyses of contemporary military and media opinions. Sandra McGee noted that many Crossroads participants, including her husband, succumbed to illnesses now linked to radiation exposure during the tests. The memoir is available in paperback and as an e-book.