hapter Two Environmental asl Phscore al Sa anny ceam frons Washington, D.C. arrived on March 2, the Bikinis had Jearned the meaning of the motion picture camera and were enjoying the novelty of posing for photographers. Ou Sunday, March 3, photographers recorded the last church service performed on Bikini, and the islanders cooperated by repeating the service three times before the camera men were satisfied. One of them later commented that the people were in the process of becom. ing movie actors: " The young gitls were especially susceptible and giggled and posed as soon as a lens was turned their way. However, by the third day of our stay, there were so many photographers around, all shooting at once, that the girls hardly knew whomto pose for. As soon as one of the professionals settled on an angle, several ofthe amateurs fell in around him, and after much discussion of exposure, fila specd, etc., there was a fusillade of shutter clicks (Markwith 1946; 109): * ations with the people were te enacted for che pPladpraphers the community's cemetery was cleaned and decar ated with flowers and palin fronds, and a ceremony was held co bad farewell to the Bikinians’ ancestors and to entrust their souls ¢8 the care of Cool, Phe purpose of the ceremony was inarred whea the camera con sclous Bikinians vied for positions immediately im front of the cameras, and it was Necessary to repeat the perf ormance fora second filming (see photographs in Markwith’s aracl e in the A tonal Geographic Magazine July, 1946) * By the afternoon of March 7, the ishimders lock dowded thor Personal possesstons, neatly one tan of put as chateh pra dD, and Canoes on board the LST. They crow ded the rails of the main lech ay the vessel departed Bikini’s lapoo n. Some san songs of farewell. Most were stlent; some wept (Mason 1954 2/6). A photographer whe accompanied the Bakinians on thea Apparently, the military government had originally planned to move the Bikinians on March 6, buc che demands of the news agencies and navy photographic team caused a one day delay in hazglags the loading of the LST which had returned from Rongerik. he military governor's February 10th visit to Bikini and his negoti- ME, church service on Bikini, 1946. (Work! Wide Photos.) Plate 4. Bikinians loading their personal possessions aboard EST LOB don the move tu Rongerik, 1946. (Photo by Carl Mydans. Vime Life tae if