5 Chapter Eight Return to ikon 89210058 | /7 Bikinians thus elected Lokwiar's son to stuc ceed fara AS Tp EEbe and lef the dispute over the chieftaimship unresolved. Rehabilttating Bikint Otticials of che ‘Truse Peritory, AEC, and agentes of thi Department of Defense (DOD) planned the rehabilitation of Biki Plate 15.) Aerial view of Bikini Island, Bikini Atoll trom che west, L904 The lagoonis to right, and the ocean is in the foreground and houzon. All palm trees are gone; only scrub vegetation remains, (Photo by Leonard Mason.) niin a two phase program. First, dhe AEC and DOD had the vel’ atively shore term but huge task of removing radioactive matea als, other debris, and scrub vegetation, and in so faras possible, restoring the nacural topography offislands. “Phe Trust Teratory assumed the responsibility for the second phase of the proprin Involving the longer range tasks of replanting the atoll, comstiaet inp housing, and relocating the communicy. The two phase. were toooverlap since replanting was to commence with the cemeosal of seu Ve pe atlon, months before the Presidential announcement. Juda’s son suc ceeded as head of his bamfi, but the chiefs death opened another ay Eni, che second largest island to the atoll located: south of the main ishund on the reef’s eastern rim (see Map 3, page U7), chapter in the Competition for power and influence in the com was selected as the base of initial OPCrabions becuse at had on munity. Vhe head of the junior Ujirik lineage renewed his claim aistop constructed dunmg the test period. that Juda bad never been the legitimate chief, village with an clectrical power plant, a water distillation sysceis, and a aomber of other modern conveniences were established on the island and weekly air service to Kwajalein was initiated, A task force of men outfitted with heavy equipment, a variety ol a | vehicles, and LST’s of World War H vintage bepan the cleanup op: From his pome of view, the time had come for the rectification of Past injustices and because he was of superior generational standing within the structure of the Ujjirik sub-clan, he claimed the right to succecd to thechieftainship. Predictably, and as Juda and Lokwiar had done in cartier years, the Jitoen headman also claimed the chict tainship because he was a member of the senior ranking tyirik lineage.! 4 . By 1968 both aspirants to the chieftainship were quite old. Because of their age and past self-assertiveness, neither bad the confidence of their fellow islanders. The office of magistrate pro vided an alternative that had noc been available in the past. The I Like Juda, two more of the alub did not survive to learn of their impend ing return homes One was Kili alub d, the head of a type-one bambi who was succeeded by his son. The second, alub C, was one of the old Bikini alub who headed a type-two bumli. More than a year after his death, its members had yet to select a successor. With the deaths of Juda and ulub C, only four of the eleven Bikini alub remained. By cally 1969 a cout eration. In June eight Bikini men were flown to the atoll to at with the work. It was projected that the actual resetdlement would be vccom plished over a period of eight or more years to allow for the mat uration of newly planted palins and other subsistence crops Ag cording to the administration’s plan, work crews of men from Ka lh were to bepin the planting under the direction of the Martial Islands District Agricultural Department. ‘The crews were to be employed by the administration and rotated every three months between Bikini and Kili so chat men would not be separated trom their families for extended periods of time. At an unspecitied date, family units would gradually be relocated until che entire community was returned. Buildings were to be constructed of concrete block and aluminum roofing to avoid the same detertor