Letters from Under the Mushroom Cloud

By Ray Hoy

Ray Hoy is one of the dwindling number of so-called “Atomic Soldiers” who provided support for the nuclear bomb tests at Camp Desert Rock, Nevada in the 1950s. While there he began writing letters to his late father, describing the awe-inspiring above ground nuclear detonations he witnessed, and what life was like in what he called, “The Mushroom Garden.” Unlike thousands of his fellow soldiers, Hoy has lived to tell about his experiences in this poignant collection of letters to his father. “On several levels, Letters from Under the Mushroom Cloud brings into play the practical spiritual tools that all of us need in order to get through life’s most challenging moments. Well written, concise, and a delightful read.” — Barbara Dan, Historical Romance Author “Ray Hoy’s Letters From Under the Mushroom Cloud captures an unforgettable moment in time during a military stint on a nuclear test site, but more than that his book is a testament to the endurance of respect and love that keep alive people we have lost. You will be moved in ways you can’t anticipate.” — Laura Belgrave, The Claudia Hershey Mysteries “Letters From Under the Mushroom Cloud by Ray Hoy is a poignant representation of the early years of the atomic age as seen through the eyes of a young soldier at Camp Desert Rock, Nevada’s above-ground nuclear test site. Dubbed “The Mushroom Garden” by soldiers in Hoy’s unit, bright mushroom clouds often blossomed from the desert floor. After the passing of his father, Ray (“Bud” to his dad) wrote him letters about life in The Mushroom Garden. Beneath the simplicity of these letters, Ray reveals an era nearly forgotten, a national mindset never to be seen again. Written by one of the few remaining survivors of The Mushroom Garden, this book is an historic treasure. A must-read for everyone. — Reenie Nattress, The Keeper of Time “Every American should read this. The book is a collection of letters to a deceased father about the life of a soldier who served and experienced, first hand, atomic bomb testing back in the fifties. The author, Ray Hoy, shares his priceless collection of heartfelt correspondence with his father. Thankfully, Ray has captured a piece of history about some very unfortunate tragedies. Many suffered and lost their lives to cancer and other diseases related to being too close to the testing of the atomic bomb or were overexposed. The letters all reflect the fondness Ray felt for his father and others. They conclude with a reflection upon the loss of quality time with people. The sound bite mentality seems to have found its way into our daily lives. Letters from Under the Mushroom Cloud is a worthy read and will become a catalyst to reflect on what is meaningful about life.” —Bob Weinstein, Lt. Col., USAR-ret. (“The Health Colonel”) “The year was 1957: The U.S. and the Soviet Union were in a mindless race to see who would be the first to develop nuclear weapons destructive enough to blow the civilized world off the face of the planet. This was the setting for a warmly personal autobiographical book titled, Letters From Under the Mushroom Cloud. Ray Hoy, the author, was stationed at Camp Desert Rock, Nevada, the site of a series of above-ground nuclear tests. Two months after Ray entered the Army, his dad passed away. To cope with his loss and the strange world in which he found himself, Hoy began writing letters to his deceased father, telling him of the goings-on in his outlandish world. The letters are warm, personal and factual; they speak of love and of the dangerous place the world was in in the late 1950s. This small volume is a journey into a grieving young man’s soul, and a cautionary history tale. I am the same age as Ray Hoy, and I found myself continually dabbing the moisture off my cheeks as I read this volume and walked with Ray, half a century ago.” — Richard Herman, Lazlo’s Fire “Woven into serviceman Ray Hoy’s collection of very human letters is a sadness of lost opportunities caused by the prem

• Language: English
• Publisher: TheFictionWorks
• Release date: Oct 13, 2011
• ISBN: 9781581242881

Ray Hoy

A hopeless romantic, chaser of rainbows, lover of dogs, and reluctant realist, Ray Hoy has been a professional writer, editor, publisher, and producer for six decades. During his long media career he also managed to spend twenty years as a casino marketing consultant working with major Nevada gaming properties. He retired from the "casino wars" in 1997. Jack Frost is a composite of three Special Forces men Ray met when he was in the casino business. Those men are gone now, victims of their chosen profession. They were amazing warriors doing an amazing job. Frost's sidekick, J.T. Ripper, is based on a real Doberman by the name of Scorpio. Ray was introduced to that monster dog by a friend who knew he was in the process of creating a Doberman character for his Frost books. Scorpio is gone now, too (as so many real warriors are), but J.T. Ripper carries on. The Ripper that Ray created gets more fan mail than Jack Frost does. Ray has no idea why, because the Ripper he created was born pissed, and he pretty much hates everyone and everything - everything except an occasional shooter of Scotch. And Ray defends Ripper's Scotch habit: "We all know that dogs should be kept away from alcohol of any kind, but since Ripper is not of this world, he can do whatever he damn well pleases, and believe me, he does. Truly a fun dog to write about."

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