The imminent establishment of the leprosarrum at Tinian was announced to the field on March 9, 1948 and administration officials
were directed to explain to the people the need for treatment at a centralized point and the possibility of cures in a goodly numberof cases.”
Construction of temporary facilities for 100 patients on government
held land was begunin the late spring of 1948. Working parties
from Saipan rehabilitated buildings of the former fishing base at
Garguan Point and constructed several new ones. By the fall of that
year the leprosarium consisted of fifty housing units. each ro by 16
feet, eight cookhouses, four pit type latrines, one boathouse, and two
buildings containing an office, laboratory, examining room, and operating room.”
Lieutenant (j. g.) Jack William Millar (MC), USN, requested to
be assigned as medical officer in charge, and after receiving special
training at the Kalaupapa Settlement, Molokai, Hawaii, and the Leper
Receiving Station, Oahu, Hawait, reported to Tinian in October 1948.
The first patients, 51 Yapese and 6 Palauans, arrived by ship at Tinian on September6, 1948. They were allowed to bring with them their
personal possessions and canoes, livestock, and food donated byfriends
and relatives. A Yap health aide, Gamed, who had cared for the
Yapese for many years, volunteered to accompany them and remain
on Tinian.
The naval vessel LST 1134 disgorged a bizarre cargo on the Tinian
docks that day: Yapese in their traditional dress, 50 chickens encased
in pandanas bags, 12 pigs, fishing gear, rice, coconuts, breadfruit,
squash and betel nuts. The Chamorros who had migrated from Yap
to Tinian in April 1948 and a contingentof navalofficials were waiting
to greet them and help them ashore. By the next morning they were
ready to start the normal routine of their life once more.
Some of the
men went fishing and others planted coconuts and betel nut under
the supervision of Gamed.”” It was a new, exciting experience in the
drab life of these unfortunate people and those who were physically
able exerted every effort to cooperate with the leprosarium staff in
improving the facilities and providing their own subsistence.
*
ng tCPack lt Med Off memo ser P 2-4 FFr2/46-rbs dtd g Mar 48,
*
i. DepHiComTerP: icls msg of 14 May 48.
ay MeNailly, GLC. The Tintin Leprosarium,’ MS. CNO files.
Encl (A), “Narrative Report, Establishment of the Tinian Leprosarium.” to CivAd Saipan
ltr ser 663 dtd 16 Dee 48.
903
500b0 43