The Day We Bombed Utah

by John G. Fuller

In May 1953, the Atomic Energy Commission conducted a "safe" nuclear test shot called "Dirty Harry" near St. George, Utah. Within a few days, more than 4,000 sheep were dead of a mysterious illness. Within a few years, a plague of cancer and birth defects had rippled through the area- a plague that may have caused the cancer-related deaths of John Wayne and over 100 other cast and crew members of The Conqueror, which was filmed only miles from the test site. And when the survivors claimed compensation, the government successfully denied all responsibility.

This uncompromising expose' of "the greatest government cover-up of all time" brings to light a shocking thirty-year conspiracy of falsified reports, suborned witnesses, and "lost evidence"- a record of shame that, like the testing itself, continues to this day.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Science, Politics

262 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

John Grant Fuller, Jr. (1913 - 1990) was a New England-based American author of several non-fiction books and newspaper articles, mainly focusing on the theme of extra-terrestrials and the supernatural. For many years he wrote a regular column for the Saturday Review magazine, called "Trade Winds". His three most famous books were The Ghost of Flight 401, Incident at Exeter, and The Interrupted Journey.
The Ghost of Flight 401 was based on the tragic Eastern Air Lines airplane crash in December 1972, and the alleged supernatural events which followed; it was eventually turned into a popular 1978 made-for-television movie.
Incident at Exeter concerned a series of well-publicized UFO sightings in and around the town of Exeter, New Hampshire in the fall of 1965 (see the Exeter incident). Fuller personally investigated the sightings and interviewed many of the eyewitnesses, he also claimed to have seen a UFO himself during his investigation.
The Interrupted Journey tells the story of the Betty and Barney Hill abduction. The Hills were a married couple who claimed to have been abducted in 1961 by the occupants of a UFO in the White Mountains of New Hampshire while returning home from a vacation. The book was the first to seriously claim that competent, reliable witnesses were being abducted by UFOs for medical and scientific experiments. The book remains one of the most influential in UFO history; and has been hotly debated since its publication. Like The Ghost of Flight 401, The Interrupted Journey was also turned into a made-for-television movie in 1975.
Fuller wrote The Great Soul Trial (1969) about the disappearance of Arizona Miner James Kidd and the later trial regarding his will, which left his fortune to anyone who could prove the existence of the human soul. The book was published prior to the final resolution of the case in 1971.
John was also married to a NorthWest flight Attendant who was the researcher mentioned in his book "Ghost of Flight 401" His book We Almost Lost Detroit deals with a serious accident at the Fermi nuclear power plant near Detroit. The book title was later the title of a song by Gil Scott-Heron on the No Nukes live album recorded by the Musicians United for Safe Energy.
He wrote two plays -- The Pink Elephant, which opened in 1953, and Love Me Little, which opened in 1958, both on Broadway.
His most important book was the fictional novel We Almost Lost Detroit. There is a song by Gil Scott-Heron, same title.
Fuller died of lung cancer in 1990.

Reviews

[Jeannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrifying and bone-chilling true story of our governments cover up of all the nuclear testing conducted in Nevada and Utah and the aftermath on humans, animals and vegetation. This book should have been titled...When We Bombed Utah...since it was done from the 1950's and is probably still going on. This book scared the hell out of me, it laid it all out there in black and white. This book is not only very well written but also draws you in with personal stories of the people who lived and still live in these areas. Instead of fighting in court and denying rights to U.S. citizens used and abused, our government should be deeply ashamed of themselves. Everyone needs to read this book!!

[David Corleto-Bales · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable 1984 classic by John Fuller about the horrific policies of the Atomic Energy Commission and the U.S. government's testing of nuclear weapons in the 1950s and '60s at the Nevada test site in southern Nevada, north of Las Vegas. The book starts in 1953 when the military started testing multiple-kiloton bombs that created huge amounts of fallout, (radioactive dust particles, dirt, etc.) that blew over parts of Nevada and Utah in dangerous amounts, killing sheep, cattle, horses, and ultimately, people. St. George and Cedar City, Utah were the epicenter of the fallout, (which eventually made its way all over the world) and years later were areas where cancer became routine. All of this was denied for years by the AEC, which fought tooth and nail any assertion that their nuclear tests were hazardous to the public. A disturbing book!

[Jen Ozburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Day We Bombed Utah makes a case against nuclear testing in the 1980s. By far, more U.S. citizens were killed and sickened in the Cold War by domestic nuclear testing than saved from foreign nuclear threats. Utah was especially effected, St. George and Cedar City in particular, with little to no preventative procedures to protect citizens from the dangers of fallout. This book was published in 1984 and so ends amidst increased legal action by Utahans who at that time were still without federal government apology or compensation. I'm going to do more research now to find out what happened to some of the specific cases still without resolution by the time of this book's publication.

If you are interested in this topic too, here are some resources I found doing some research on the internet this morning:

-HEAL Utah: http://healutah.org/news/downwinders
-"Nuclear Testing and the Downwinders" (Utah History Encyclopedia): http://historytogo.utah.gov/utah_chap...

[Aileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book, and you will know why the kids of the sixties never trusted the government. Every horrible thing done always boils down to money. If people die of radiation caused cancer, who cares? Can't lose that funding for bomb testing.

Everything. Even today. Children killed in elementary schools with weapons of war? Who cares? Gotta let psychos get weapons easily so politicians can get more money from the gun lobby.

Never trust the government. They lie for money.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing and scary because it is true, I lived in Southern Utah and never knew just how awful it really was, although I knew it was bad. the author did a good job finding the facts and bringing the true story to life.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chilling, and it had an effect in New York, too!

[Don Best · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although printed in 1984 and by today's standards is out of date, the story it tells is not out of date. It outlines the saga of atomic bomb tests conducted in the Nevada test range in the '50s and 60's...and the radiation exposure to civilians and animals downrange principally and directly in southwestern Utah....and ultimately to a lessor extent across the United States with notable hot spots scattered across the country including Troy, NY. The central point of the book concerns a series of tests call Upshot-Knothole in 1953 where the Atomic Energy Commission was doing a test a week for three months. During those above ground tests several of the bombs released large plumes of radioactive debris high into the atmosphere. The result of which rained down on the inhabitants and livestock ( mostly sheep ) in Utah. Despite being assured of the safety of the tests, the radiation burns, dying sheep, still born lambs, residents with "sunburns", nausea, loss of hair ( and later on cases of leukemia and other cancers ) all indicated the radiation exposure was not safe. When the ranchers and citizens pursued a legal claim for damages from the government, the coverup by the AEC was a criminal act versus possibly not understanding full implications of this new technology and its dangers. The court ruling at the time found in favor of the AEC. Decades later with new information released under the Freedom of Information Act and congressional investigation the coverup by the AEC became public. And the original judge overturned his original ruling which lead to an appeal to the appeals court. Who turned it down reverting back to the original judgment. There was no justice for the people of southern Utah who are probably some of the most patriotic people in this country. And here, we thought the enemy was only overseas.

[Jared · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good reminder of why we stopped testing nuclear weapons in the U.S. Written in 1984, but seems pretty darn accurate. Glad I stumbled onto this piece of history.

The perspective from Southern Utah and Nevada helped me understand why local communities are so distrustful of anything nuclear related. They’ve been through a lot!

The Atomic Energy Commission’s manipulation of information to protect nuclear testing was really discouraging and showed how easily science can be ignored to confirm what we want to believe instead of finding the truth.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the most terrifying thing I’ve ever read (and I’m a pretty big horror fan). Why is this not talked about? How is it possible that I new nothing about the nuclear testing that took place all over the world right up till the 1990s! This book should be taught in school to all students and a reminder that governments don’t care about their citizens. As a rancher my heart broke for all those who’s livestock were completely destroyed. The pain and suffering to animals and humans was hard to imagine, all at the hands of their own government. Completely and utterly disturbing read.

[Dean Monahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great job of research !
Trust the government !! After reading this if you had a tiny doubt? Bye bye !! What bastards
Destroy families !
Kill children !! ( get radioactive fallout at 3 grow up Marry have children , then die at 27 from cancer !!
Our government murdered 10,000's probably more !!!
And millions of animals... domestic <> wild
= what a fucked up species humans are !!😭

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in the 80s and it really made an impression on me. I highly recommend it.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good recap of 1950s radioactive fallout that caused so many issues in Utah and Nevada. Talks about some of the cases people brought against the AEC but was always shutdown.

[Trippie Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed this from the library, and I'm sad I have to return it, I wish this book was mine. This is well written and organized. There is literally so much detail in this book. Highly recommend.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book close to 40 years ago. John G. Fuller's books are based on his in-depth fact-finding, no one should doubt what he writes. I recall only bits of it but even today I feel I need to read it again. The shocking events of what happened to ranchers, livestock, actors, etc. still need to be released and verified. Reminds me of the Cold War when the government brought out the "Duck and Cover" nonsense to protect from fallout. Really? Who/what was being protected? I will review this book if and when I can find a replacement.

[Mrobison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enlightening (no pun intended) read about the nuclear tests in the Nevada desert during the 1950s and 1960s which sickened and killed residents of Southern Utah. Though the book's conclusion (there was a conspiracy in the Atomic Energy Commission to hide the effects of radioactive fallout from the public) is demonstrably true, there is too little documentation of sources and the writing is often too dry and lifeless. A good first text on the subject, though.

[Merry · Rating 4 out of 5]

My trust in the US Government took a plunge. They allowed nuclear testing to take place that was putting many people in Utah and Nevada at great risk from the fallout all the while they promised them that it was safe. They knew better and hid reports and testimony from people who said it was dangerous. They continued the testing for over 20 years. Testing those dangerous bombs was more important than the health of the population.

The book is well worth reading.

[Painting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is the sad and scary story of what happened to people and animals in the path of nuclear fallout during atomic bomb testing in Utah and Nevada from 1951-1969. Most of the story centers on the early propaganda about radiation exposure safety and the insidious cover-up that persisted for so long. I had no idea that some of the fallout rained down onto Albany and Troy, NY!

[Mommywest]

My mom is a "downwinder," and my dad found this book and recommended it to me.

[Del Lunde · Rating 4 out of 5]

shockingly apparent how we get lied to by our government

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

And this one I read in college. Fascinating look at the effect of nuclear testing.