WEAPONS TESTING
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1954 continued
Bikini: JTF-? ships are located in mo-
Rongerik: The 28 Air Force and Army men,
nitoring positions about 40 miles east
of Bikini.
Within minutes of the explosion, Navy personnel see the eastward movement of the radioactive cloud
although providing hourly weather reports to Enewetak headquarters, are not
warned when Bravo will be exploded.
Within hours of the blast, 125 miles
and the ships begin to record a steady
away,
Air Force man.
3ikini: Hundreds of millions of tons of
material from Bikini's reef, islands
and lagoon are lifted into the air by
Rongerik: The weather station reports
the fallout to the Enewetak JTF-7 head-
Bravo. Approximately one and-a half
nours after the blast, a “gritty white
ash" begins to fall on the 22 fishermen
apoard the Japanese fishing vessei,
quarters but receives no instructions
about precautions to take.
A second
message is transmitted to Enewetak requesting evacuation, but headquarters
replies that there are no airplanes
zvallable to evacuate Rongerik.
che
The fishermen are un-
aware that the ash is fallout from 4
nuclear
test.
Soon atter the
fallout,
Utirik: Almost 275 miles east of Bikini,
they begin showing the effects or acute
radiation exposure:
sea and vomiting.
itching skin,
the Utirik people are the last to ex-*,*
nau-
>erience the fallout from Bravo.
The
Rongelap: About three to four hours af-
fallout begins late in the day and is
described as “mist like."
on Rongelap and the 18 Rongelapese on
ep, Rongelap, Rongerik, Taka, Wotho,
ter the blast, a white, snow-like ash
begins to fall on the 64 people living
Bikini: Ailinginae, Ailuk, Hikar, Liki-
Ailinginae, about 100 miles east of
3ixini.
The Rongelap peopie receive
no official warning of the 3ravo test,
nor any notification of precautions to
take
to protect
Utirik, Jemo and Mejit are contaminated |
with radioactive fallout from the 15
_megaton Bravo tese at Bikini Atoll.
MARCH 2 Rongelap: Radiation monitoring
themselves from the
rFallouc.
The radioactive cust soon
rorms a layer on the island < inches
deep.
It turns the drinking water a
brackish vellow and contaminates the
food.
Ry nightfsell, as a result of
their exposure, the people begin to experience severe vomiting and diarrhea.
~ersonnei
Rongerik: The weather station men continue sending radio messages to JIF-~?7
headquarters requesting evacuation.
Atomic Energy Commission press release following "Bravo" blast,1954:
“During the course of a routine
atomic test in the Marshall Islands,
28 United States personnel] and 236
residents were transported from
neighboring atolis to Kwajalein Isdand according to a plan as a precautionary measure.
These individuals were unexpectedic exposed
to some radioactivity.
MARCH 3 Rongerik: More than 48 hours
after their exposure,
the Americans are
evacuated from Rongerik by an Air-Sea
2escue plane beginning at approximately
22 noon.
2ongeiap: Joint Task Force-7 ships besin the evacuation of the 64 people on
Noncela. and the 18 Ronzelapese on Ai-
There were
-inginge Atoil.
nO burns.
All were reported well.
After the completion of the atomic
tests, =hs natives w:i] be returned
MARCH 4 Ucirik: Approximately 72 hours
29 thelr jAomes.”
a
from Kwajalein arrive by sea-
plane at Rongelap, spend 20 minutes
taking radiation measurements, tell the
seople not to drink the water, and
leave to report their findings.
4
“Lucky Dragon.’
radioactive ash begins falling on
them. "If you can imagine a snow storm
in the middle of the Pacific, that's
what it was like," said one Rongerik
increase in radiation leveis.
All men
are ordered below decks ani natches and
watertight doors are sealed.
bb! 100%
OS SS SS SD ASO AD ND NS SS DG SS GE DD UDDe
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