and 1lv5,uuU feet, and data for winds at 11U0,v0U, 115,000, and
12u,00U feet indicating tney were flowing to the east, or toward

bikini.

For tne "Bravo" shot, nowever, winds from sea level to the

end of tne troposphere at 55,UUU feet vere generally heading east,
yy northeast, in the general direction of Rongelap, Rongerik and
Utirik.

[From 55,UUU feet to Ju,uUuU feet the winds vere generally

heading to tue west.
SS

Above yuv,U0U feet, there was no data avai labie.

dad tne snot veen delayed 24 hours, wind conditions might have
cuanged, which would iiave altered tne fallout of tne explosion and tie
enraged nuclear piant would aave only expended its energy and visited

its curse upon tue fiora and Fauna of the uninnabited spits of sand in
tae Pacific.

Unfortunately, sucn was not to be.

Tne decision to go" tuat was made sometime early that morning
would produce mnucn confusion and conflict, suffering and suspicion.
It would result in a controversy tiat is unresolved to this day, and
an anxiety-riddon and uncertain future for nearly three hundred human
veings and tneir descendants.

ine decision nad been made.

‘travo'' lived and died.

In July of 1946 Operation Crossroads--the detonation of two

“nominal’ yield atomic bombs--took place at bikini.

The first test,

coded "Able", involved an air drop of a bomb wnich burst at 500 feet
over a fleet of dilapidated American and Japanese naval vessels.
second test was tne first underwater shot ever conducted.

The

It involved

tne detonation of an atomic vomb suspended about 90 feet--or halfway

71

'een 1
Meg hae

level to 9U,UUU feet, with no data for winds at ¥5,uU0, 1lbJ,JuU,

Select target paragraph3