Havasu veterans | Owen “Ole” Olson: Navy veteran conducted classified nuclear testing as a young sailor

When his decision to join was made, Olson traveled to a naval training facility located in Great Lakes, Illinois. He was then sent to Long Beach after receiving the assignment for his ship, the USS Cabildo. During his service, Olson worked in the ship’s engine room as a machinist’s mate.

While in Long Beach, Olson and his crew traveled through the Panama Canal and landed in Jamaica. The sailors had deployed with the U.S. Marines in tow to stand guard during the Bay of Pigs Invasion in April 1961. The units were given orders to intervene if the situation in Cuba escalated. As the incident dissolved, the Navy and Marine units were sent back to their stations without having to interfere.

The following year, the USS Cabildo was scheduled to set sail to Japan for a WESTPAC cruise. Once the ship entered into international waters, as Olson describes, his unit instead traveled south of the Equator. The sailors landed at Christmas Island, just below the Equator, to begin testing nuclear bombs.

At the time, the mission was deemed classified. Olson worked alongside pilots from the U.S. Air Force for approximately five months. After the sailors placed targets in the water, pilots would then fly over the ocean and drop atmospheric bombs above the areas to collect readings.

“The following day, we would go out and retrieve that target,” Olson recalled. “I was there for like, 23 of those tests.”

The reason behind the testing, according to Olson, was due to the tense U.S.-Russia relations. When Russia carried out certain movements, the U.S. would then “experiment with nuclear bombs.”

Witnessing the explosion of nuclear bombs left Olson impressed with the way they looked. Being a certain distance away, the crew members protected their eyes by wearing high-density goggles.

With directions to turn around after the pilots flew overhead, Olson and his crew were then ordered to cover their goggles with their hands. Although not facing the bombs directly, Olson says he could see still beams of light through his fingers. He regarded the moments of the bombs’ detonations as being “intense.”

After a period of time, Olson and his crew were granted permission to turn around and watch the bombs, which the men did. The aftereffects created a series of colors from white, red and even purple. The standard mushroom cloud as well as a shockwave that caused a ripple effect across the water stood out to Olson.

“When (the shockwave) hit the ship, it sounded like a shotgun going off,” Olson described. “It hit Christmas Island behind us, same thing – bang!”

At the end of his service, Olson was discharged in 1963 and went back to South Dakota for a few months’ time. Anticipating the area’s below 50 degree weather, Olson packed up and headed to where he was previously stationed in California.

Upon meeting his wife, Peggy, while he was in the Navy, the two soon married after his relocation back to the golden state. Olson then went on to hold various positions within several businesses. The first job he held after the military was at a telephone company, which he remained at for five and a half years.

With the notion of “saving the world” in his mind, Olson changed careers and became employed with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office. He worked for the department for 25 years with three years set aside for reserve time.

When his years in law enforcement were complete, Olson spent time working in the field of private investigation. The next career change saw Olson and one of his two sons working together for his bail bond business.

In 2005, Olson and his wife landed in Lake Havasu City. For a short while, he worked in the real estate industry and as a part-time security guard. Around this time is also when Olson first became involved with Havasu’s Marine Corps League Detachment 757. He spent seven years serving the city before making the decision to leave due to health concerns.

Despite having to perform classified tasks, Olson managed to find a sense of camaraderie within his naval unit. The men would lower the back end of their ship and jump off of the sides into the ocean. The gunner’s mate aboard the ship would often be tasked with searching for nearby sharks.

“They did shoot some sharks,” Olson continued. “Actually, they threw something out into the water, you’d see the shark coming up and when it got there, you shot him.”

The few years that Olson spent in the Navy taught him to become a more reliable, respectful and responsible man. These traits carried over to one of his sons, who later enlisted into the U.S. Air Force.

Being cognizant of the military obligations in foreign countries, Olson believes that U.S. citizens could benefit from serving in their country’s armed forces.

“I think everybody should do that in this country,” Olson added. “It turns you into a person, it gives you some direction.”