From the
the final farcweli.
for senerations a church service nOlemninad
shore of the placid lagoon, @ constant flow of islanders carrying their
possessions went aboard the ship.
top deck.
Outrigger canoes were lashed firmly on the
The migrants, numbering 159, rolled out their sleeping sats in
assigned places on the deck of the loaded ship.
light of an uneventful voyage.
A movie was the only hizh
The next morning the Bikinians arrived at.
Rongerik.
~
As they entered Rongerik Lagoon the migrants saw, on the main island,
the tent dwellings which had been sect up for them.
allocated by Juda and the atoll council.
These were iuoediately
By that evening the islenters had
taken cheir possessions ashore and moved into their new quarters.
reaction of the people was not enccuraziag.
The inittal
However, conditions improvcu
somewhat as work progressed in layins cut a more permanent settlement.
The
Boer oe provided food for several wee
to obtain food locally by their customary techaigues,
On March 23 when construction at Ronserik was completed, all American
personnel returned to Kwajalein and the migvants, es thosa in any otner
[
¢,
fo
ct
t
my
fe
rf
M
0
wa
‘J
Ht
oO
sta]
fo
ry
C
{uu
ie
ts
O
bas
Li
oy
rt
News photosraphers, pres
(t
Lia
oO
7
o
ry
.
(
a
oe
cuties, and visitors frequantly arrivec.
Q
Rongerik offered welcome reiief from the pressures of military
H
bomb tests.
e0%
ie)
months were filled witn hectic activity as
ct
ry
At Bikini and Kwajalein the followin
wv
Marshallese comaunity, were on their own.
and even radio broadcasters traveled to Rongerik on the govarner’s tivitarion
fas
council as
a
a
Kywajaiein,
©
Unknowing press men, for example, referred to the local hea
b+,
t
7
and the Bikinians soon received a considerable
amount of questionable
publicity.
the atoll
"King" Juda, much to the annoyance of the paramount chier at
Te
eee
F oy por
A waat
of
1
- macnt
a.
-ts the
Feu
Auericans
really unccestocd
resettlement
community and most of them expressed only passing interest in “just another