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 Summary

Operation Crossroads was an atmospheric nuclear weapon test series conducted by Joint Army/Navy Task Force One in the summer of 1946 at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. This collection consists of a loading list for the Douglas C-54 Skymaster (A/C No. 9122) carrying official observers during the first detonation (Able) of Operation Crossroads, July 1, 1946.

 Biographical / Historical

Operation Crossroads was an atmospheric nuclear weapon test series conducted by Joint Army/Navy Task Force One in the summer of 1946 at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The series consisted of two detonations, a low altitude test and a shallow water test. The series was intended to study the effects of nuclear weapons on warships, equipment, and material. Staff Sergeant Loren L. Parmelee participated in Operation Crossroads, including serving as engineer on the Douglas C-54 Skymaster (A/C No. 9122) that carried official observers during the first detonation (Able) on July 1, 1946.

 Identifier

NASM.2023.0037

Date

1946

Provenance

SuAnn Parmelee, Gift, 2023, NASM.2023.0037.

Extent

0.03 Cubic feet (1 map folder)

Archival Repository

National Air and Space Museum Archives

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of a loading list for the Douglas C-54 Skymaster (A/C No. 9122) carrying official observers during the first detonation (Able) of Operation Crossroads, July 1, 1946. The typewritten list includes the crew and passengers which includes observers and a Congressional party. The list has been signed by most of the passengers and by two members of the crew. The list is part of an arrangement in a photo mat which measures approximately 15 x 23 inches and also includes a brief caption regarding the list and a short quote from Operation Crossroads: The Atomic Tests at Bikini Atoll by Jonathan M. Weisgall.

Arrangement note

Collection is a single item.

Rights

Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.

Restrictions

No restrictions on access

Citation

Operation Crossroads Loading List, NASM.2023.0037, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Topics

Aeronautics

Operation Crossroads, 1946

Type

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Ephemera