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Milton R. Knight
My stepfather Col. Milton R. Knight was stationed there for the tests.
1960-Nov1 Washington County News, St. George Utah
Col Knight Retires From U.S. Air force
Oct. 31, 1960, marked the end of an outstanding military career in the United States Air Force. With service time totaling 21 years, Col. Milton R. Knight received ,his certificates of retirement during ceremonies conducted in the Wing Commander’s office, Nellis AF Base, by Brig Ken, John N. Izwbank.
Colonel Knight was born in Hinkley, Utah. He 'spent his childhood in that area and graduated from Hinkley High School. He attended Brigham Young University for 3 years before the ward called him to serve his country. He enlisted as an aviation cadet in March of 1940. From April 1941 to Sept. 26, 1947, he served in many assignments with principal duties as bombardier instructor and staff bombardier.
During. this period he served in the Western Pacific Campaign, Japanese Air Offensive Campaign and Eastern Mandates Campaign, flying 163 combat hours in B-29 type aircraft in the Asiatic Theater of Operations.
After World War II Col. Knight participated in the atomic bomb tests which were conducted in the Pacific under the "Crossroads Project" during the summer of 1946.
Subsequent military assignments included duty with the Strategic Air Command, Headquarters U. S. Air Force in Europe, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Headquarters U. S. Air Force.
In July of this year Col. Knight returned from Turkey where he has served three years with a NATO organization, the 6th Allied Tactical Air Force.
Upon arrival at Nellis AF Base, Col. Knight was assigned to the 4520th Combat Crew Training Wing as special assistant to the wing commander.
Colonel night’s awards and decorations include the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three Bronze Service Stars, Air Medal, Purple Heart, American Defense Service Medal, WW II Victory Fedal, Distinguished Unit Citation, Commendation Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, and the Air Force Longevity Service Award with four bronze Oak Leaf Clusters.
Colonel Knight and his family selected St. George as their retirement home because of the mild
climate, beautiful scenery and the wonderful hunting and fishing opportunities in Southern Utah area.
www.osti.gov/opennet/manhattan-project-history/Events/1945-present/crossroads.htm
Milton R. Knight
Bikini
My stepfather Col. Milton R. Knight was stationed there for the tests.
GEOLOGY OF BIKINI ATOLL
Bikini Atoll is about 26 miles long from east to west, 15 miles wide from north to south, and is roughly oval in shape (fig. 6). Its marginal reefs are continuous except on the south side, and they range in width from less than a quarter of a mile to more than a mile, averaging about half a mile. The lagoon covers 243 square miles, with a maximum depth of 32 fathoms and an average depth of 25 fathoms.
The 26 islands, all located on the marginal reef, have a total area of about 3.4 square statute miles; omitting intertidal areas the islands cover about 2.4 square miles. The largest ones are Bikini, Enyu, Enirik, Namu, and Aomoen, and these contain most of the coconut trees, some of which rise to 85 feet above sea level. Most islands are only 8 to 12 feet above lowtide level, but parts of Bikini island are 16 to 19 feet high, and on Romurikku island the top of a dune lies 23 feet above the reef flat.
A number of passes penetrate the reef. The widest of these is Enyu Channel on the southeast which is 9 miles wide but only 4 to 10 fathoms deep. All the other passes are on the southwest side, and none of these is wider than about 1 mile. Enirik Pass is the deepest, reaching a depth of 30 fathoms between Enirik and Eninman islands. All the passes are navigable but except for Enyu and Enirik Passes they are crooked and fringed by shoals.
Mean high spring tides rise 5K feet while mean high neap tides rise 3% feet according to "Sailing directions for Pacific Islands." This Hydrographic Office publication states that in 1930 there were 127 inhabitants, mostly on Bikini island. During the early part of the war the Japanese maintained a meteorological station at Bikini, but the atoll was bypassed and later taken over by United States forces in 1944 with no struggle. The only visible evidences of the war were the wrecks of two planes—one a U. S. Navy PBY, the other a Japanese bomber—and a monument to two Japanese airmen. Early in 1946 the 167 inhabitants were moved to Rongerik Atoll in preparation for the atomic bomb tests.
Bikini Atoll is about 26 miles long from east to west, 15 miles wide from north to south, and is roughly oval in shape (fig. 6). Its marginal reefs are continuous except on the south side, and they range in width from less than a quarter of a mile to more than a mile, averaging about half a mile. The lagoon covers 243 square miles, with a maximum depth of 32 fathoms and an average depth of 25 fathoms.
The 26 islands, all located on the marginal reef, have a total area of about 3.4 square statute miles; omitting intertidal areas the islands cover about 2.4 square miles. The largest ones are Bikini, Enyu, Enirik, Namu, and Aomoen, and these contain most of the coconut trees, some of which rise to 85 feet above sea level. Most islands are only 8 to 12 feet above lowtide level, but parts of Bikini island are 16 to 19 feet high, and on Romurikku island the top of a dune lies 23 feet above the reef flat.
A number of passes penetrate the reef. The widest of these is Enyu Channel on the southeast which is 9 miles wide but only 4 to 10 fathoms deep. All the other passes are on the southwest side, and none of these is wider than about 1 mile. Enirik Pass is the deepest, reaching a depth of 30 fathoms between Enirik and Eninman islands. All the passes are navigable but except for Enyu and Enirik Passes they are crooked and fringed by shoals.
Mean high spring tides rise 5K feet while mean high neap tides rise 3% feet according to "Sailing directions for Pacific Islands." This Hydrographic Office publication states that in 1930 there were 127 inhabitants, mostly on Bikini island. During the early part of the war the Japanese maintained a meteorological station at Bikini, but the atoll was bypassed and later taken over by United States forces in 1944 with no struggle. The only visible evidences of the war were the wrecks of two planes—one a U. S. Navy PBY, the other a Japanese bomber—and a monument to two Japanese airmen. Early in 1946 the 167 inhabitants were moved to Rongerik Atoll in preparation for the atomic bomb tests.
1960-Nov1 Washington County News, St. George Utah
Col Knight Retires From U.S. Air force
Oct. 31, 1960, marked the end of an outstanding military career in the United States Air Force. With service time totaling 21 years, Col. Milton R. Knight received ,his certificates of retirement during ceremonies conducted in the Wing Commander’s office, Nellis AF Base, by Brig Ken, John N. Izwbank.
Colonel Knight was born in Hinkley, Utah. He 'spent his childhood in that area and graduated from Hinkley High School. He attended Brigham Young University for 3 years before the ward called him to serve his country. He enlisted as an aviation cadet in March of 1940. From April 1941 to Sept. 26, 1947, he served in many assignments with principal duties as bombardier instructor and staff bombardier.
During. this period he served in the Western Pacific Campaign, Japanese Air Offensive Campaign and Eastern Mandates Campaign, flying 163 combat hours in B-29 type aircraft in the Asiatic Theater of Operations.
After World War II Col. Knight participated in the atomic bomb tests which were conducted in the Pacific under the "Crossroads Project" during the summer of 1946.
Subsequent military assignments included duty with the Strategic Air Command, Headquarters U. S. Air Force in Europe, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Headquarters U. S. Air Force.
In July of this year Col. Knight returned from Turkey where he has served three years with a NATO organization, the 6th Allied Tactical Air Force.
Upon arrival at Nellis AF Base, Col. Knight was assigned to the 4520th Combat Crew Training Wing as special assistant to the wing commander.
Colonel night’s awards and decorations include the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three Bronze Service Stars, Air Medal, Purple Heart, American Defense Service Medal, WW II Victory Fedal, Distinguished Unit Citation, Commendation Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, and the Air Force Longevity Service Award with four bronze Oak Leaf Clusters.
Colonel Knight and his family selected St. George as their retirement home because of the mild
climate, beautiful scenery and the wonderful hunting and fishing opportunities in Southern Utah area.
www.osti.gov/opennet/manhattan-project-history/Events/1945-present/crossroads.htm
Milton R. Knight