Runit projects would look to Engebi for advice and use her as a model.
On 22 December, enough of the initial survey work was completed
on Aomon to enable tower erection crews to start construction on the
foundation work of the 200 foot tower.
By 5 January, D Company, 532d EB
& SR, was established ashore and construction activities were in full
ewing, eight days after their arrival on the atoll.
The Hawaiian Dredging
Company was getting set up ashore on Biijiri to begin construction of a
steel sheet pile causeway to Aomon Island and MK-PK personnel were sorting
steel for tower erection.
Clearing and grading, which involved a total
of one hundred thirty-five (136) acres, was begun on 1 January.
The top
soil, averaging a foot in depth on both Aomon and Biijiri, is a very
fine, black coral dust, which made all clearing and grading of these
islands very diffioult beceuse of the large quantities of dust.
Clearing of approximately fifty acres of cocoanut trees and moving
of 50,000 cubic yards of earth was necessary before surveying and layout
of structures and construction work could begin on Runit Island.
This
clearing and grading commenced on 29 December when the first contingent
of Company E came ashore with two bulldozers and began clearing an air-
strip for the Brigade planes.
The remainder of Company E were installed —
on Runit on 5 January, and began rehabilitating existing structures, established a water point, and started construction of civilian quarters.
Members of the MK-PK Company, who had completed the footings for the 200
foot tower while quartered aboard the LST 219, moved ashore with the
company and began tower erection.
SECTION VI-b
22