yea that's pretty accurate.

This explosion occurred (specifically Tesla), and then my dad got out of the trench, 2,000 meters away, and walked forward towards the remnants of the tower.

http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Tests/Teapot.html

I turned out "sort of" okay.

Dad turns 80 this year. He has no ill effects from his time there. After retiring from 30 years of teaching he volunteered as a CNA at a local hospital in their cancer ward. Then was hired on full time with the American Cancer Society as a Washington Rep for cancer treatment statistics. Retired from that after 15 years and then was a disaster relief coordinator with the Red Cross until just last month.

Tough old dude, but quite the giver.

I remember standing in the bed of the truck holding onto dads open window looking out over the roof while we were driving down I-5... good times!

simpler times for sure!

It's $450 a kid plus reckless endangerment charges to let kids ride in the back of the truck. Plus you get a Barney Fife sheriff that pops a chubby thinking he hit the ticket lotto until you point out you are not on a county road.