This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human. This is Chelsea Handler from Dear Chelsea. After the big game, like most people, I kept thinking about the commercials, and there was one that stayed with me. It was from the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate, and it wasn't loud or flashy.
It showed a Jewish kid being targeted at school and another student who chose not to ignore it. As someone who is Jewish, that moment felt very real to me. Not dramatic, just familiar. And what struck me was how clearly it showed that hate doesn't always announce itself, but the impact is still huge. If you saw the blue square spot during the big game, it's worth thinking about.
And if you want to show support, sharing the blue square is one small way to do that. I'm Spencer and I work at United Healthcare.
So Spencer, why do you care? I care because my daughter, Adeline, has special needs. I am motivated by Adeline, who inspires me every day. I am driven to help families like mine navigate the healthcare system. I'm so blessed to lead an amazing team at United Healthcare focusing on the member experience and making that better.
I'm Spencer and I'm committed to care. Introducing Home Care Plus, a new subscription service from Lowe's that helps make life easier by giving members a hand with home maintenance. Let Lowe's tackle the tasks you keep meaning to do, like electric dryer vent cleaning, replacing hard-to-reach light bulbs, and more. Subscribe to Home Care Plus for just $99 a year and consider your to-do list. Done.
Members get more at Lowe's. Available in select Zip Code Zone. Cancel anytime. Non-refundable fee. Product purchase required.
Terms and service restrictions apply. Details at Lowe's.com slash terms. Subject to change. Struggling to see up close? Make it visible with Viz.
Viz is a once-daily prescription eye drop to treat blurring your vision for up to 10 hours. The most common side effects that may be experienced while using Viz include eye irritation, temporary dim or dark vision, headaches, and eye redness. Talk to an eye doctor to learn if Viz is right for you. Learn more at Viz.com. This is Lee Habib, and this is Our American Stories, the show where America is the star and the American people.
And to search for the Our American Stories podcast, Go to the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast. From 1945 to 1992, the United States conducted 1,054 nuclear tests. as a part of the nuclear arms race. with Soviet Russia. Many of these tests were conducted in Nevada, where soldiers were sent to be tested on by military scientists and upper brass trying to figure out the psychological and health effects brought on by the use of nuclear weapons.
One of those soldiers was Tobe Madrid. Here's listener Richard Munez. who worked with Toby. with the story of this atomic marine. The only two people I know of that ever heard this story is myself, and his son J.R.
As far as J.R. knows, he never told his story to anyone else. Yeah. Toby was in the Marines. And in nineteen fifty one, to 1957 Out the Nevada Proving Grounds there was a small camp.
It was called Camp Desert Rock. And it was barracks and mess halls and things like that, but it had one mission. One purpose. It was to support military personnel while tests involving the atomic bomb were conducted. Remember, Sheriff Toby to Madrid.
We were in his office. If you can call a broom closet with a light and a desk and an office. He had a cup of coffee. In his hands. And he has feet upon the desk.
I mean it was a totally laid-back attitude. But I could see the tension in his jaw. The funny part about it was, he wasn't looking at me, and he wasn't looking at JR. He was looking at the wall. I had this distinct impression that if he bothered to look at either one of us, would never hear the story.
He said they stuck us out in the middle of nowhere. And if you ever been out that section of Nevada, it's pretty much the middle of nowhere. And he went on to say that they told us we'd be part of an atomic bomb test.
Now the name of these tests that I looked up later on was called the Desert Rock Exercises. And this is what we call Desert Rock 4. Operation Tumblr Snapper.
Well, he said they took them out there and they were there for several days beforehand. The sheriff said they took him out there, had him dig trenches, they built defensive fortified positions, all that stuff.
Now the idea was they were to be able to stand in these or squat in them. provide for some cover. And then he said, I remembered as we were digging, there were trucks carrying tanks and jeeps and things like that.
Some of the vehicles were towing artillery pieces out there. And some of the Marines he was with went out with them. And they came back saying how they'd set up dummies that were in uniform and.
Some of them were standing up, some were lying down, that kind of stuff.
Now, I went on to research a little bit more, and it seems to be that he was out there for what they call the shot dog nuclear test. And this happened on may first, nineteen fifty two. and involved the dropping of what we call a Mark VII bomb.
Now the Air Force was doing the drops and they were using either B-50s or B-45s to do these.
So he said the day of the test, they got him up, they had breakfast, and they took him out there to the site. And they got in their trenches and so what they were told to do. they were told to crouch below the rim of the trench, Have their faces down and their eyes closed when the blast happened.
Now, they would get plenty of warning beforehand that this was going to happen. You know, give them a warning, the bombers, here the bombers come in, stuff like that, and they needed to be doing this. Uh So she said along around 8.30 or so, they heard the aircraft coming in and that's when the warning happened.
So they climbed into the trenches and they got the position they they were told to get into. He had said he was crouched down, he had his head down, his eyes closed. And even with this, all of a sudden he said there was light. He seriously felt that he had actually seen the blast of the bomb.
Now, what he had witnessed here was the detonation of a 19-kiloton bomb. and it exploded about a thousand meters above the ground. And then he went on to say that the light faded. But as it fainted there was thunder like it never heard before, and then there was wind. I mean the wind just came up.
and it was so intense it rocked him back against the back of his uh trench. And then the wind reversed directions, came back, and pushed him face forward into uh The front of the trench. And so then, a few seconds later, came the order to leave the trenches.
So they climbed out. And As he put it, we've all seen movies of the mushroom cloud an atomic bomb generates. Because seeing it in real life, it was like it just wasn't real. You know, you can't wrap your mind around something like this. And you sit there and look at it and say, Something humans built generated this.
And he said it was already towering up into the sky, and he compared it to something that was like a cloud that was bloating up from hell. And they told them to start walking forward, and they did. He went on to relate that as they moved along he started seeing some of the things that had been set up a few days before. Like for one location he remembered seeing the Sherman tank. He said, it looked like the Sherman tank had been swatted aside by some giant's hand.
And then they started encountering some of these dummies that had been set up.
Some were almost burnt up entirely, others were smouldering. He said they kept walking, they got within about three quarters of a mile of where the bomb had exploded, and they stopped them. They turn them around and march him back out of there. And he said he remembered hearing somebody saying it had gotten it was too hot to go much further. And what that basically meant was too radioactive.
They marched him to a certain site. There they swept him off, hosed him off. He says actually surprised by how much dust came off of him and his platoon. And rather than keeping the uniform he'd been wearing, he watered it up and threw it away. Yeah.
Like I said, that's the only time. That we know of, as myself and Jay are. That um Toby actually ever talked about the day of the bomb. A lot of people wound up getting sick and dying because of exposure to fallout. Thing is...
I don't think a lot of these people knew what they were headed for. They were at a pivotal moment in history and they didn't realize it. I know the sheriff didn't. And this is why we routinely celebrate our veterans on this show, because our soldiers serve in so many distinct and dangerous ways. And you just heard about one.
The story of Toby Madrid, the Atomic Marine. Here on Our American Story, Folks, if you love the stories we tell about this great country and especially the stories of America's rich past, know that all of our stories about American history from war to innovation, culture, and faith, are brought to us by the great folks at Hillsdale College, a place where students study all the things that are beautiful in life and all the things that are good in life. And if you can't get to Hillsdale, Hillsdale will come to you with their free and terrific online courses. Go to hillsdale.edu to learn more. Hey!
And Doug. There's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual, even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show. Hey, everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this? Your first date?
Oh, no. We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird. Yeah, the bird looks out of your league, anyways.
Only pay for what you need at LibertyMutual.com. Liberty, Liberty, Liberty, Liberty. Dryness is one of the biggest challenges for curly hair. And many products, they clock out after wash day. The new Ultra Moisture Collection was literally designed with our hair in mind.
Curls, coils, all of it. Powered by batana oil and Jamaican black castor oil, which means the science is actually doing the work. Clinically proven to help retain moisture for up to five days. This means non-stop moisture for up to five whole days. The shampoo gently cleanses without stripping.
The mask deeply conditions and helps reduce breakage. The leave-in adds rich moisturization with hyaluronic acid. And the curl cream wraps every curl in luxurious hydration with long-lasting definition. No sulfates, no parabens, no silicones, no mineral oils. Just nourishment without the compromise.
Because here's the thing, your hair deserves products that actually understand it. Moisture that starts at the root and keeps going well past wash day. That's the Ultra Moisture Collection from Can2. Explore their full line, built for every curl pattern. every hair routine.
Available now at Walmart. Go get it. This is Chelsea Handler from Dear Chelsea. After the big game, like most people, I kept thinking about the commercials, and there was one that stayed with me. It was from the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate, and it wasn't loud or flashy.
It showed a Jewish kid being targeted at school and another student who chose not to ignore it. As someone who is Jewish, that moment felt very real to me. Not dramatic, just familiar. And what struck me was how clearly it showed that hate doesn't always announce itself, but the impact is still huge. If you saw the blue square spot during the big game, it's worth thinking about.
And if you want to show support, sharing the blue square is one small way to do that. It's tax season, and by now, we're all a bit tired of numbers. But here's an important one you need to hear: $16 billion. That's how much money and refunds the IRS flagged for possible identity fraud. But it's not all grim news.
LifeLock monitors millions of data points per second and alerts you to threats you could easily miss on your own. If your identity is stolen, they'll fix it. Guaranteed. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit lifelock.com slash iHeart.
Terms apply. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human. Mm-hmm.
