ogram habilitation Pr The Enewetak Re ational, medical, and communications services; and for resuppl m‘PIfield soon ships.9° became apparent that values andpriorities in the Mar ainds were quite different from those with which most U.S. Governr Sas were familiar. The Marshall Islands Public Works employees Coed to prepare the Japtan facilities appeared ill-equipped. In fact, aded to borrow most of the equipment and material from enewerak base support contractor. When the base support contractor :o furnish labor as well in order to complete the Japtan facilities before early returnees, News teams, and U.S. Government officials arrived, issistance was given and accepted as a normal, expected arrangement. agreem: fine line between DOI and DOD responsibilities under the fided as the work of supporting the Japtan settlement proceeded. The first returnees, led by Chief Johannes Peter, arrived on the T feld ship ‘*Militobi’* on 15 March 1977 (Figure 10-38). There were people in the party including Planning Council members, DISTADREP, the school teacher, and their families. Following the ar day ceremonies described earlier,9! they set up housekeeping in -ofurbished shops andoffice buildings on Japtan (Figures 10-39 and 40). Lieutenant Colonel John R. Sitten, Jr., USA, the first Joint © Group officer to arrive at Enewetak, established friendly relations witt returnees while acting as atoll commander. He remained their prir point of contact when he reverted to his permanent assignmen Logistics Officer. Since most of the Japtan settlement’s tangible prob! were logistical, the succeeding Logistics Officers also acted as Civil Af Officers. The dri-Enewetak, like most Marshallese, are a practical people. A centuries of living as foragers and fishermen whoselives depend on vagaries of Nature, they had learned to adjust to periods of plenty an famine. The Japtan settlement, adjacent to an American base with mo the American consumer products and comforts, obviously offerec opportunity for a more plentiful life for the dri-Enewetak than available on Ujelang. It did not approach the magnitude of thesir Marshallese settlement on Ebeye Island at Kwajalein Missile Range, the material attractionsof life at Japtan were considerable. On neighbc Enewetak Island, there was sweet distilled water, a bountiful food stu in the base warehouses, a nightly movie, and a base exchange fu consumer goods. On the other hand, Ujelang had been the home o dri-Enewetak for 30 years, and many of the people felt displaced homesick on Japtan. After the first 6 months, the concept of the Ja settlement changed.92.93 In September 1977, the DISTADREP, Ismael John, and Magist Hertes John, surprised LTC Sitten and the other government officials