~5we departed Utirik for Kwajalein on 20 March arriving there the morning
of the 2lste At Kwajalein during the next two day period some 30 Ebeye
Marshallese were counted in the steel room and urine samples obtained
Sixteen Rongelap residents now
of some for radiochemical analysis.
living at Ebeye were given complete physical examinations and hematological workup.
A conference was held with Capt. Cope and Dr. F. W. Meyer, Senior Medic2l Officer, in regard to the future status of Kwajalein and the con-
tinued support of our project. It appears that the present status of
Kwajalein as a Naval Air Station will be cancelled out by the first
of next year and that then a snall skeleton group of Navy personnel
may remain and a large group of Army and civilian personnel will take
overe I am not at liberty to discuss the nature of this change. I
thanked Capt. Cope and Dr. Meyer for the splendid cooperation we
have received from them and explained that we were most anxious that
such support be continued either from the Navy or any other group that
might be there. I stressed the importance of Rongelap radio communications with Ebeye, the evacuation of emergency medical cases, the con=
tinuation of a monthly plane to Rongelap with the Marshallese practitioner
and possibly an American doctor, forwarding copies of hospital records
ef Rongelap people at Kwajalein and the carrying out of autopsies on
any Rongelap deaths if at all possible sending pathological specimens
and bone samples to Brookhaven for diagnosis. They felt that it was
quite likely that whoever took over at Kwajalein would be willing to
carry on this assistance.
_—
However, I believe we vill have to keep a
close eye on changes there in order to maintain this support.
The
reduction of the $5. hospital tee to S1. at Kwajalein Naval Hospital
has been approved by the Air Force but is now in the office of the
Comptroller General for his approval. They will send a twix to get
this final approval.
The examinations completed at Kwajalein, the medical team headed for
home on 24 Marche Two menbers of the team remained on board the LST
for the trip back to Eniwetok in order to supervise the oftloading
of the medical equipment. On the whole the medical survey went very
smoothly and most of the data sought for was obtained. The medical
team worked well together and as in the past the support of the Navy
and the AEC at Eniwetok was indispensable. The University of Washington
group under Dr. Held accomplished their mission successfully.
—
LP LeFV GO Core ot
W
“-_
Robert A. Conard, M. D.
Chief, Marshallese Medical Surveys
Medical Research Center
Brookhaven National Laboratory
US DOE ARCHIVES