Roland Pronovost Letter to Anita Gendron, March 29th, 1955
Nuclear weapons testing victims--Correspondence; Veterans--Chicopee, Mass.; Nevada National Security Site (Nev.)
A letter written to Anita Gendron, Roland Pronovost's fiancee, following his second time witnessing an atomic bomb test in Nevada during his army service. The letter reads: 29-Mar-55 Dear Nita, How’s my very own Nita tonight? Your Roland is just fine as always. Right now it’s 9:30 PM + a guy just handed me your fudge. I didn’t get any letters, so now I’m sure of some tomorrow. Last night I got 3 letters, 2 from you + one from Jean Cote. Your fudge is very good as always, I wish you could have put yourself in the box too. That would really be something. Thanks for the fudge + remind me once again to give you a big kiss for that, HA as if I’d forget HA. I just got out of bed about a half hour ago, to write this letter, + then I’m hitting the sack again when I finish. That’s really being lazy isn’t it? But I’m tired as usual, I always have some excuse HA. I got the night off tonight be- [2] cause I didn’t get any sleep at all last night. Remember I told you not to worry about me being near another blast, well well honest, I wasn’t lieing (sic) to you. I never lie to you + I never intend to either. But the way this happened, I couldn’t tell you about it any sooner because I didn’t know it myself. First of all, you remember me saying that Lt. Northrop was suppose (sic) to go back to Desert Rock Mon. + then they changed it to Thursday. Well last night we were in the Las Vegas Police Station pulling our regular duty, + the Lt got a phone call. It was from our CO at Desert Rock + he said that another bomb was going off, + that some Col. in charge wanted Lt. Northrop to witness it. That’s why they wanted him back there Monday in the first place + our CO changed it to Thursday. It was 11 PM + he was given a [3] direct order to go out there. Normally he needed a driver so he asked me. He said I didn’t have to go if I didn’t want to, but he did want me along. I told him I didn’t care to be anywhere near another one of them but I’d take him there anyway. When we got to Desert Rock I intended to stay there + wait for the Lt to come back, but they weren’t sure of what this bomb would do so the [sic] got all the guys up ready for evacuation. When I saw that I said to myself, here’s my chance to prove to myself I’m not a coward. I called the Lt over + said I’d go out there with him. They put us in a trench 3500 yards from ground zero. All the time out there, we weren’t sure if it would go off or not. Then one hour before the scheduled time, they set off a charge of TNT to test their instruments, then we were sure it [4] was going off. We were instructed what to do + every 15 minutes they announced the time over a P.A. system they have set up. The trench is 6 ft deep + about 2 ft wide. They said for me to get down on one knee + not to look up. I got plenty scared as usual + said my prayers. The last 2 minutes they counted off the time second by second. When it went off I was looking at the ground + even in that hole, it blinded me. Some guys had their hands over their eyes + still saw the flash through their palms. The next thing I felt was the heat + I was afraid to move. Then the worst part came. That shock wave hit us. Honest, I thought the world was at an end. It bounced me from side to side of that trench just like a rubber ball + the side of the trench was falling in on us. [5] It only lasted a few seconds, but it was like a lifetime. Afterwards we jumped out of the trench + looked at the mushroom. Its quite a spectacle. Fifteen minutes after the shot we walked out to ground zero to observe the damage. At different distances, they had set up buildings, jeeps, trucks, + tanks, to see what would happen to them. The tires + seat coverings were all burnt to a crisp. A little closer the vehicles were turned over, + on fire. There was nothing left to the building except tooth picks. They had one tank, 500 ft from ground zero, + that was pushed over 100 ft + it looked like a smashed up stock can instead of a tank. Afterwards, we were all checked for radiation + none of us had too much. We got back to Desert Rock about 8 AM + they [6] scheduled an air drop at 10 AM. The Lt had to go see that one too but this time he stayed about 10 miles from it. I decided I had enough for one day so I stayed back + waited for him. Well, now at least I think I could face combat, but I still wouldn’t be brave about it. In fact I know I’d be just as scared. That definitely should be my last blast, + I hope it is. But honest, I didn’t know I was going to be out there until 11 PM last night + I didn’t know I’d be that close until about 3 AM, if I had known, I would have told you, believe me. You know, its amazing to think of how powerful the hand of God is, if humans can do as much with as little as they have. Yet, they say this bomb wasn’t very big, they say it was a smaller one than I witnessed at 15 miles. Now I have something to tell my children HA. [7] Well that was really a long story + I even had to change paper HA. It was 1:30 this afternoon when the Lt + I got back so we both took the night off. When I got up a little while ago ago I was hungry, so your fudge really hit the spot. Man, am I getting a good cook. How can you have so many wonderful virtues + still be marrying me? Your just the “Greatest” thats all. Regards to your folks + take good care of yourself. Love + xxx Roland P.S. I hope you’ll be as happy after we’re married as I want you to be. I’ll try my best, the rest of my life. I’m really lucky getting you + I’ll never be able to thank God enough. How I wish I were with you right now. I love you with all my heart. Good-nite. DIDAHDIDIT [This is the letter “L” in Morse code] XXXXX THANKS AGAIN FOR THE FUDGE XXXXX
Veterans--Chicopee, Mass.; Korean War (1950-1953)
A photo album page with 4 black and white images of a mountainous landscape beyond a body of water; images were taken during Pronovost's service in Alaska during the Korean War.
Photo album page with Nevada images and news clipping
Nuclear weapons testing victims--Nevada; Nevada National Security Site (Nev.)
A photo album page with 2 black and white images and a newspaper clipping. One image is of a man (Roland Pronovost) in uniform standing in front of a building. He is wearing an MP armband and is standing at parade rest. The other photo is of a single-story building with a sign identifying it as "Company C 505 MP BN." The newspaper article is hand-dated as May 16, 1955, and is about the presence of military police at the Camp Desert Rock atomic testing site in Nevada, and includes an image of PFC Norman S. Mills with a bomb blast in the background.
Veterans--Chicopee, Mass.; Nuclear weapons testing victims--Nevada National Security Site (Nev.); Atomic bomb--Blast effect--photographs
A single black and white photograph of a mushroom cloud. Part of Operation Teapot in 1955, this was one of the tests of the atomic bomb in 1955 witnessed by Chicopee resident Roland Pronovost during his service at the Nevada National Security Site.
Veterans--Chicopee, Mass.; Nuclear weapons testing victims--Nevada National Security Site (Nev.); Nevada National Security Site (Nev.)--Photographs
A black and white photograph labeled "Flats." The image is of an arid-looking landscape, likely part of the Nevada test site.
Veterans--Chicopee, Mass.; Nuclear weapons testing victims--Nevada National Security Site (Nev.); Nevada National Security Site (Nev.)--Photographs; Atomic bomb--Blast effect--photographs
A black and white photograph of a mushroom cloud. Part of Operation Teapot in 1955, this was one of the tests of the atomic bomb in 1955 witnessed by Chicopee resident Roland Pronovost during his service at the Nevada National Security Site.
A black and white photograph of a glowing mushroom cloud. Part of Operation Teapot in 1955, this was one of the tests of the atomic bomb in 1955 witnessed by Chicopee resident Roland Pronovost during his service at the Nevada National Security Site.
A black and white photograph of a mostly-dissipated mushroom cloud. Part of Operation Teapot in 1955, this was one of the tests of the atomic bomb in 1955 witnessed by Chicopee resident Roland Pronovost during his service at the Nevada National Security Site.
A black and white photograph of a bomb in the early stages of detonation. While the surrounding area is barely visible, the glowing mushroom cloud is vivid. Part of Operation Teapot in 1955, this was one of the tests of the atomic bomb in 1955 witnessed by Chicopee resident Roland Pronovost during his service at the Nevada National Security Site.
A black and white image of three men standing outside near a vehicle, with tents and buildings in the background. The man on the left is wearing a baseball mitt; the man in the middle has a cigarette in his left hand; and the man on the right has one hand in his pocket. All three are wearing "casual" uniform and looking more or less at the camera. The back of the photo reads "Aug. 54; Me; Joe Martin." While it is not clear from the label who's who, the man in the middle was identified by his son as Roland Pronovost, suggesting the man on the left is Joe Martin. The third man is not identified.
A black and white photograph of a group of men in uniform posing in front of a single-story building. Most of them are wearing garrison caps, but some are wearing helmets. Seven are kneeling or sitting on the ground in front; ten are standing; and two walk by in the background. None of them are identified, but the back of the photo reads "Guess who?"
A black and white photograph of a small plane, with "Safeway Airways Alaska" painted on the side. The plane has a white nose and white stripe down the side, twin propellor engines, and small pontoons under the wings. The back of the image is labeled "Widgen." Though undated, this was likely taken in 1953 or 1954 during Pronovost's time serving in Alaska.
Draft Registration Card, Roland Pronovost
Veterans--Chicopee, Mass.; Draft registration--Chicopee, Mass.
A battered Selective Service System Registration Certificate for Roland Pronovost, dated September 17, 1948. Though aged and quite damaged around the edges, the information written in is still clearly visible, and provides his personal information and a generic description of him at the time of his draft registration, as well as his signature.
Nuclear weapons testing victims; Nevada National Security Site (Nev.); Veterans--Chicopee, Mass.
Images of an exhibit at the Chicopee Public Library from December 2024-July 2025.
Exhibition created by Kate Ouimette, CPL Archivist