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Missouri man remembers nuclear blast
At the time, Robertson said, military brass believed a nuclear confrontation with the Soviets was likely. They were intent on developing a group of troops hardened by repeated exposure to radiation. They thought exposure to radiation was like sunning on the beach: First you burn, then you tan.
"Today, you think, 'How would you ever harden troops to that?' " Robertson said. "It's not something that you can become accustomed to or environmentally be exposed to and continue to go on. That's just not a fact.
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In the coming weeks, Robertson and his men from the First Battle Group, 12th Infantry observed 12 to 15 nuclear blasts. Typically they waited two to four hours after the shot before they went to ground zero for maneuvers. Each man was given a tiny "film badge" to record the level of radiation he encountered
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"Were we guinea pigs? Yes, very much so. If that's the vernacular you want to use," he said. He and others just trusted their government. "You know you're in harm's way, but you assume that they're not putting you out there to absolutely crucify you."
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