CHAPTER VI, SECTION 4
During the roll-up of Bikini Atoll, equipment was returned to Site Elmer as requirements
permitted, leaving only essential equipment at
the site to accomplish maintenance missions
during the interim period. The entire program
was accomplished according to detailed instructions issued in the form of Work Orders; these
listed the desired status of all Scientific Stations,
and the work necessary to bring them to that
condition, and directed the buttoning up of
other facilities. Buildings at Nan and Oboe had

been given a coat of aluminum paint earlier in
the program. The main camp at Sit Nan was

closed, and Bikini was completely evacuated on
19 August 1958.
Upon receipt of information that the weath-

er and rad-safety facilities were no longer required, a schedule was established for the roll-up

of these facilities. Because of the difficulties encountered in transportation occasioned by wide-

spread locations, careful coordination was necessary to accomplish this program with a minimum
of time and expense. Where it was possible to
do so, two or more sites were scheduled for rollup by using the same crews and transportation.

Tarawa, Kusaie, Rongelap, and Wotho were

combined in this manner. All other stations were

scheduled as separate operations. All Weather
and Rad-safety Stations, except Utirik, were

completely rolled up on schedule; a crane break-

down at Utirik made it necessary to return to
that site to remove equipment which could not
be loaded on thefirst trip.
Prior to the ORANGEevent, various meet-

ings weree held between J-4, JTF-7, J-4, TG 7.1,
and the H&Nstaff to establish a roll-up schedule

(Neg. No. W-V-433-12)

Figure No. 6-4. Mothballed Electrical
Equipment, Station 1520 —- Yvonne.
for Johnston Island. The schedule included obtaining the weight and cube measurements of all
equipment of the Task Groups and JTF-7 head-

quarters. This information was used as a basis

for scheduling LST- and LSD-type ships at

Johnston Island. Discussions were held with the

Air Force Base Command and JTF-7 headquarters relative to the return of the base services
operated by H&N andthepossibility of the Air
Force procuring camp store, liquor, and subsistence items on inventory at the time these
services were returned. As a result of these discussions, dates were established for joint inventory activities and the re-assumption of operational control by the Air Force.

Although a two and one-half day “hold”
was placed on the full-scale roll-up operation
pending a decision as to whether or not another

test event was to be held at this site, the over-

all roll-up schedule was not affected to any
significant extent. Due to the fact that Sandia
Corporation participation in the third event at
Johnston Island would have been of relatively
negligible significance, it was possible to start
dismantling rocket launchers and loading certain

(Neg. No. W-V-385-8)

Figure No. 6-3. Rolling Up Water Tower and
Distillation Plant — Ujelang.

trailers on the day following the ORANGE
event. Upon receipt of information that ORANGE was the last test event to be held at
Johnston Island, roll-up activities were accelerated and it was possible to sail the first LSD
loaded with User equipment and materials to
Pearl Harbor on 19 August 1958. By 1 September operational control of all functions had been
returned to the Air Force, and the roll-up was
complete with the exception of final ship loadings. On 19 September the final LST sailed from
Johnston Island to Eniwetok.

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