HEADQUARTERS JOINT TASK FORCE SEVEN APO 187 (HOW) c/o POSTMASTER SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA COMPT 8 March 1954 SUBJECT: .. Report on Soil and Water Sampling Mission Commander TO: . Joint Task Force SEVEN APO 187 (HOW) é7o Postmaster San Francisco, California 1) In compliance with your oral instructions, the undersigned visited LIK and AIWK Atolls, JEMO Island and MEJIT Island in the Eastern Marshalls between the period 5-8 March 1954 for the purpose of collecting soil and water samples. measuring level of gamma radiation present at those places in connection with BRAVO, The mission, consisting of the undersigned and a Marshallese "tnterpreter Lan Lakapun, embarked-on the USS BENSHAW (DDE499) at Kwajalein, visited the fouw sites and returned to Bikini, where the remainder of the trip to Eniwetok was p formed by PBM, tion: a. There follows a detailed discussion of the findings at each loci LIKIEP ATOLL. largest native population. The samples were taken on Likiep Island, ywhich had 1 Access to the lagoon was gained through South Pass. Poor light at the end of the dayand numerous. coral heads necessitated anchoring about 4 miles from Likiep Island. Trip in was mde by whaleboat the following morning, A water sample was taken froma large cistern fed from the roof of the Catholic rectory, and earth samples were taken from random spots about the islar which were unsheltered by trees or other growth at approximtely 0800 M 6, Marck 1954, Radiation readings were talm with a MX-5 instrument between 0800 M and 05 M and showed a miximum of 3 milliroentgens per hour, No variations from this reading were noted on clothing or bare feet of individuals, According to accour received by Bishop Feeney, S.J., the population was greatly excited by the light and blast wave, the latter which reportedly arrived about 30 minutes subsequent to the light flare, According to Bishop Feeney, church attendance was greatly stimlated on the day of the test, Lo UDOHABITRD. uO be JEM Island. This location was reached at .1100 M, 6 March 1954. J consists of a small heavily wooded island, surrounded bya line coral reef with heavy surf on three sides. There being no place for landing a vhaleboat, persa and equipment were transferred from the whaleboat to the reef by a one man rubbe raft. The undersigned transferred himself by swimming. The island proved to be uninhabited, and reportedly is a sea turtle preserve. Turtle hunters erected several houses, a rain barrel of which provided a water sample, Earth samples were gathered at random from open areas, including one of beach sand above the high tide mrk, The party was led straight across the island and back to the lh ing area via the beach, in order to verify its uninhabited state, Samples were TRIS CoCUMENT consisis o@_>—pagecs) NGLohASCris, sins _< SAD-2/3-S4-1& eG ~ [—. Miiabaiciatramale5