8. Air p;.
8 December 194\.
.drements were determined and forwarded to Admiral Denebrink on
9. Preliminary Plain for attendance of oRicial observers at tests were commenced on
12 December. Also, on this date the specially contrived drone-controlled tank for recovery of radiological ground samples was successfully tested at Aberdeen.
These and many other problems of equal diversity continued to occupy JTF Main during the remainder of December and January.
One of the problems that created considerable concern on the part of everyone, and the
Navy in particular, was that of moving the 142 natives from the island of Aomon, one of
the zero islands.
With approval of the President, the Secretary of Defense, Mr. Forrestal, on 25 November 1947 directed the Secretary of the Navy to have the natives removed.
Negotiations were opened with the natives on 3 December 1947 under the direction of
the Deputy High Commissioner of Trust Territory, Pacific Islands. On 4 December the two
native chieftains, Abraham and Johannes, were flown to Ujeland Atoll and made a detailed
inspection of the new village site on Ujelang Island.
The move was agreed upon with full satisfaction being expressed by the two chiefs.
Ujelang presented definite advantages. It provided a 200-acre tract against 130 acres at
Eniwetok. There were an abundance of coconut and fish. Breadfruit and pandanus were
to be had, whereas neither grew at Eniwetok. The two chieftains were returned to Eniwetok bn 5 December and the removal was accomplished on 20 December. The 142 inhabitants with their belongings were placed aboard the LST 857 and moved to their new homes
without incident, except for one, of which they probably were little aware. Overnight they
had become special wards of the United States Government.le
Another matter that had to be cleared concerned the removal of surplus property at
the site which had been purchased by the Chinese. It was felt that the Chinese would not
attempt physically to possess the property but rather would attempt to resell it for American dollars in an attempt to bolster the Chinese economy. Decision was reached on 17
December to exclude all activity of the Chinese or their agents from Eniwetok. This was
necessary for security ~easons. Substantial quantities of this surplus were used by Joint
,,
Task Force Seven.
By Christmas, 1947, construction material was arriving at Engebi, Runit and Aomon
in sufficient quantity to keep the construction program on schedule. Rehabilitation of living and messing facilities at Eniwetok wag well in hand and hospital facilities were available. Radio-telephone communication from Engebi to Eniwetok was in operation. The first
increment of the 2nd Engineer Special Brigade arrived on Christmas Eve. The 18th Engineer Construction Company of the 1220th Provisional Engineer Battalion commenced preliminary construction on Engebi on 27 December and in early January commenced AEC
technicaI construction. The other two zero sites, Aomon and Runit, followed roughly two
weeks behind these activities in construction.
By the end of December the footings for the 200-foot towers on the test-firing islands
and also for the land photographic towers had been installed. These 200-foot towers were to
ISJoint Task Force Daily RMord. Letter by Mr. Lilienthal to President Truman.
47