CHAPTER VII, SECTION 1
gated to the Holmes & Narver Director of Industrial Relations. The personnel were arranged
in muster groups consisting of a group leader
and a unit of men selected to board the same
ship from the same location at the same time.
Each group varying in size, contained men who
could be released from work at the same time,
and cach group was assigned a time for assembly
and muster at embarkation points. In addition
to the group leader’s identification and muster
of his men, each person was checked off on two
successive master lists. All men with continuing
shore duty were constantly accounted for, and
their necessary movements were known. The
evacuation was accomplished on schedule and
at departure time no person was unaccounted
for either by absence or by error in record. The
sequence utilized in reporting and accounting
for all personnel was as follows:
1. Individual personnel
group leader.

reported

to

the

2. Group leader reported to site muster
officers.
3. Muster officers reported to:
a. TQM for verification of muster with
ship's passenger lists.
h. Personnel officer for his certification
to JFT Headquarters that all personnel were accounted for.
The above procedure was used for each test.
Actual evacuation of personnel for the Nectar
event at Eniwetok was not required; however,
plans were made for emergency evacuation of
Eniwetok Atoll had the occasion for this arisen.
These plans contemplated an accurate and detailed account of all personnel on the day prior
to Nectar, called N minus one, and included
steps for emergency air transportation to Hono-

lulu of all personnel who had cumulative radiation exposure of 2500 mr or more. All other
Asean a +
mcersomne! were scheduled
ts habe ¢nl
taken tn
to sea on
vessels which were anchored in the harbor, and
marine craft had been designated to ferry the
personnel from pre-designated staging areas to
the ships.
Prior to the first evacuation from Bikini
Atoll, considerable thought was given to the
capability for continucd operation from afluat
in the event of unacceptable contamination at
the various sites. Plans were made for the use
of an LST or LCU as a tender with improvised
shops, the construction of a decontamination
station on a barge, the support of two Scientific
Groups off site Fox with LCUs as houseboats.
decontamination of equipment and areas a:
would be required, and methods and procedure:
to enable the men to accomplish work ashore
while they were being quartered and messed
afloat. Re-entry plans were formulated which
covered steps to be taken in case of postpone.
ment end full reoccupation of the various sites.
Page 7-2

These plans designated key persons by name

with assigned tasks as first re-entry personnel,
and these men were scheduled for evacuation
in the USS Bairoko; from this vessel they could
be flown by helicopter to critical sites. Jeeps
were parked at the helicopter mats on Tare,
Chariie, Fox and Nan to provide tre transportation needs for the re-entry personnel, and
tank trucks loaded with diesel and gas were
located at these sites for refueling vital equipment in vase of extended postponement. Pnority of debarkation of all other personnel was
established so as to provide for the most expeditious restoration of camp and other facilities.
Following the Bravo detonation, though
contamination was excessive, it was necessary
to land re-entry personnel as early as possible
to secure or service operating equipment and to

collect scientific data. The useful service period

of each man was brief. For example, one man
who was required to service the DO-500 power

plant on Dogwas landed by helicopter at ap-

proximately H plus 10 hours; he remained in
the area less than two minutes during which time
he accumulated 2400 mr of radiation.
Due to weather and sea conditions prevailing during the entire test period at Bikini,

it was impractical to tow LCMs or LCUs to

sea. The LSD Belle Grove could carry 19 LCMs,
and accordingiy 15 Navy LCMs and four H&N
LCMs wore taken to sea aboard this vessel. The
U.S. Navy Helicopter Barge and Navy Repair
Barge were towed to sea, but ali other light
craft were ancnored or moored to buoys off site
Nar. All DUKWs were beached at either Nan
or Tare and covered with tarpaulins. The craft
remaining in Bikini Lagoon were badly contaminated after Bravo and the first order of
work on return after the test was the decontamination of these craft. The 19 LCMs that were
taken to sea in the LSD were not contaminated;
thece were extensively used while other craft
were being cleared of radioactive contamination.
A decontamination group was put ashore at
Tare to reduce the contamination of the dock
area, plus the equipment necessary to continue
operations at that site. The fitting out of a decontamination station on a 500-ton barge was
rushed at Elmer and this barge was towed to
Bikimt where it was generally kept tied alongside the USNS Ainsworth (see Figure 7-1). The

entry of all men to all sites at Bikini was under
strict Rad-Safe control and procedures.

Due to the nign winds and resulting rough

waters at Bikini Lagoon, which prevailed
throughout practically the entire test period,
the boating conditions were poor. There were
times when the transfer of personnel from a
“at to a vessel or to the decontamination barge
was extremely hazardous. Fortunately, no serious personnel accidents ensued from these conditions, and as transfer of personnel at sea was

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