The small Bikini community had developed a close in-group feeling during the years of relative isolation prior to the ‘coming of the white man and found satisfaction and security in their closely knit personal relationships and communal life. -Worlid War II and the Bikini People The Bikini people were directly affected by World War II in that three of their young men who had been attending the Japanese government school on Jaluit Atoll were drafted as laborers and sent to Enewetak Atoll. They were later killed there in the American bombing and bombardment of that huge and important Japanese military base. There were only six Japanese soldiers at Bikini, however; wireless station operators also manned the ammunition stores. American bombing and shelling. These men were all killed by Little damage was done {o Bikini, however, and the Bikini people were much better off than Marshallese in areas such as Jaluit, Enewetak and Kwajalein, where heavy fighting occurred. The Bikini people suffered as aia the other Marshallese, from the cut-off of supply lines from Japan with the resultant cessation of imports of necessary consumer goods and exportation. of copra. Communications were re- stored and wartime hardships were alleviated when the American armed forces captured the Marshall Islands early in 1944, The ‘ 1 ey serious hardships of the Bikini people were yet to come however.