[MUSIC PLAYING]
NARRATOR: From 1951 to
1957, Multiple tests,
under the codename Desert
Rock, attempt to prepare troops
to fight this new kind of war--
boots on the ground of
an atomic battlefield.
Camera crews capture troops
piling into trenches,
just a few thousand
yards from ground zero.
And turn the footage
into training films.
In 1953, there's
still a lot they
don't know, especially about the
effects of radiation poisoning.
For thousands of troops,
the Desert Rock detonations
are the ultimate leap of faith.
Stationed in trenches
right out of World War I,
waiting for hours
in the Nevada sun
for the inevitable
countdown to Armageddon.
The stage is set for the Desert
Rock atomic test in Nevada.
 Down, and stay down.
Training films made from
operations like this,
prepare troops for both
the military tactics
and emotional impact of fighting
on an atomic battlefield.
SPEAKER: The biggest
value of the operation
is for us to prove to
ourselves that it can be done.
And find any weak
points in the training.
NARRATOR: Even as the
effects of radiation
become a subject of
concern and study,
it would still be years before
its full impact is understood.
SPEAKER 2: As they enter the
blast area within an hour
after the detonation,
they realize
the danger of radiation sickness
from an air burst is slight.
SPEAKER 3: There
are early episodes
in which radioactive
fallout is dismissed
as not a major health concern.
Something that could
be handled very easily.
SPEAKER 2: A thorough
head-to-foot examination
will reveal any accumulation
of radioactive material.
Vigorous sweeping with a broom
removes contaminated dust and
dirt from shoes and clothing.
NARRATOR: In the
end, Desert Rock
is comprised of five
different test operations,
each with multiple detonations--
69 in all.
More than 50,000
troops participate--
guinea pigs in America's
new atomic age.
SPEAKER 2: As exercise
Desert Rock is concluded,
initial reactions are it
is possible to utilize
an atomic weapon in close
support of ground troops,
in those cases where the
conditions surrounding its use
are carefully considered.
