WEAPONS TESTING eee 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 Ree eSeee (continued on page 20) $ BEER RRB SSE eaaananasee