to proceed at once as best we could until the trust officials arrived or if necessary without them. It was hoped that we mignt find a missionary, a pidgin English native or even a trust representative asnore. Consequently at apout 0740 the gig (26 ft. LB) was launched and 2 beach party was embarked with tho executive Officer, LCDR ?. fh. Easton, USN, in charge. - He was to try to get ashore as soon as possible, organize tne natives for evacuation and determine the best location and means for tne evacuation. Included in this party were tne Radsafa Officer, menitor, nospitalran, signalman, etc. «s soon as this party shoved off, a second uB was launched with tne Gunnery Cffiebr in charge, who was to saarch alors the reef for a break or a more favoracle spot ror safe boat nandling in «ne evacuation. Now, as the boats left the snip, we commenced execution of our plans for receiving the natives on board. Awnings were rigged on the fantail with side strips from.tnha deck to the redge ropes, additional life Lines were rigged for the safsaty of children. Fore and iaft and vertical accesses to the fantail were closed or roped off and awnings rigged where necessary to ensure privacy for the nativos. Tha entire crew's washroom and head.aft (largest on board) wore set aside for the natives and for their decontamin- ation inasmuch as this is the ship's main station for this purpose. an outside salt water shower was rigged, 4 receptacle was provided for their clotres and sufficient clean dungaree shirts, trousers, etc., were raised by an appoal to the crew, to thus clotme all tne natives. «a pigepen was fasnicned by closing off access to a 3" gun tub. fe planned to tether chickens to life lines on the Jl deck and let the dogs roam free amongst the populace. Meanwhile, the Executive Officer and party approached the south snore of the island at & point about 1500 yds west of the easter tip. The island here and olsewhere has a continuous outer perimeter of table reefs extending some LO yds out into the water over which the waves produced a surf of xcdin size and presented considerable small boat hazard. Having selected a point where the surf was s % and appeared to offer the best spot, the Executive. Officer commenced pad g ashore in a small, one-man rubber raft (wo xept it after picking up «@ bailed-out jet pilot last fall), which had a line attached to it from the boat. after sone ,fo,ress towards tne beacn ne appeared to experience difficulty with the surf and some unseen force resulting in no progress. Considerable humr and some conser were evoked at signt <f the Executive Officer furiously paddling, oach stroke wnirling the raft 13C° around but making no progress. It was later determined thet the line frca boat to the raft had fouled in the coral, sucurely anchoring him to seawarc. By this time a few of the natives had appeared and some of them swam 2-7 252 nelped him ashore amidst friendly greetings. at about this time, Navy 312 seaplane arrived from Kwajalein, .ac-<c