The last church service
on Bikini. March 1946,
than {| 15 the size of Enewetak’s
390-sdauare-mile fish-filled tagoon.
Because the islands could not
Support the growing Marshailese
populations. critical shortages of
food and water occurred. More than
once uir drops of emergencyfood ratlons were needed to prevent starvalon.
In 1952, the nrst hydrogen device
Was tested at Enewetak. The blast.
estimated at 10.4 metagons. com-
pletel, .apornzed one island in the
atoll und lett a crater one mile in di-
ameter ind 170 feet deep in the coral
reef.
On “Sfarch 1. 1954. the United
States Jetonated Brave, the frst test
of a deisSerable hydrogen bomb. at
Bikin: Atoll and severely contaminuted mshermen aboard the
Lucky Dragon, a Japanese fishing
vessel that had straved into nearby
waters. More than 200 Marshallese
on the neighboring atoils of
Rongelup and Utirik. and some 78
Ameri2ans monitoring the expivo-
sion “ere also contaminated.
The U.S. Atomic Energy Com-
mission called Brave a ‘routine
atomic test.” But it was far trom
routine.
Despite an incomplete and alarm-
ing Weather report indicating that
winds trom sea level to £5,000 feet
were blowing in an easterlydirection
toward Rongelap and Utink. the test
proceeded.
The Lacky
Dragon,
illegally
fishing near Bikini, wasthe first thing
hit by the radioactive fallout. Returning to Japan quickly. unaware that
In the aEc’s Nevada Nuclear
Proving Grounds in the United
States. por to an atomic test senes.
a public information program. including films and discussions on the
forthcoming tests, was implemented.
No such programs had been con-
ducted inthe Marshalls, althougn the
United States did inform the chief of
Rongelap that a hydrogen test would
soon occur. What the chief was told
about the test. and what his reactions were is not clear: that he
knewnothing of the radiation dis-
aster soon to befall his people is certain. Indeed. the Marshallese on
Rongelap and Utink were not even
warmed of precaulionarv measures
they might take in the event ofradiation exposure.
Instead, the Marshallese were as-
tonished observers of the snowlhke
fallout that covered them and their
islands. On Rongelap the white ash
soon formed a layer one-and-onehalf inches thick on the ground and
fell into the drmnking water tanks.
Children plaved in the radioactive
powder and an old man with vision
probiems rubbed the ash intu his
eves to see if this might somehow
cure his wiment.
The 28 RadSate (radiation monitoring) personnel on Rongerik Atoil
intensified the:r observations follow-
ing news of the nuclear cloud’s erratic behavior. About seven hours
after Bravo's detonation. radiation
levels on Rongerik exceeded their
monitoring instrument's maximum
scale of 100 millirads per hour. In-
structed to take strict radiation pre-
fallout. the 22 fishermen began to
cautions, the RadSafe team put on
extra clothing and remained inside
fishermen’s suffering.
Utirik’s 137 men. women and
children were the last to expenence
they had been exposed to nuclear
feel the effects of acute radiation exposure: itching of the skin. nausea
and vomiting. Within two vears the
Japanese government received $2
million in compensation for the
the tightly shut building until their
evacuation 34 hours after the test.
Medical reports on these men are
stull unputlished.
Bravo's fallout 22 hours after the
explosion.
The Rongelap people were ex-
posed to 173 rems of gamma radia-
tion. considered a high dose ofradiation. (A lethal dose ts estimated al
300 to 500 rems in the absence ofintensive medical care.) Nevertheless.
they were nol evacuated trom the island for more than 24 hours after the
Amenicans Jeft Rongerik. which is
only about 25 miles awav. The Utink
population was not removed bythe
United States until more than three
davs after the Bravo test.
After their evacuation to the Navy
pause at Nwajalein. many of the ex-
posed Muarshailese began to expen-
ence the effects of severe radiation
poisoning:
skin. eves
iting and
month. in
iwching and burning otthe
and mouth: nausea: vomdiarrhea. Later in the
the second stage of acute
radiation exposure. many of the
people began to wholly or partiaily
lose their hair. and skin burns began
appearing on the necks. shoulders.
arms and teet of those most heavily
exposed.
The Utink people were told bvthe
Atomic Energy Commission that
“their island was oniv slightly contaminated and considered safe fer
habitation.” and they were moved
back in Mav [954.
Three years later the Rongelapese
were permitted to return home—
after a Julv 1957 radiological survey
stated that “in spite of slight lingering radtoactivitvy Rongelap Atoll
Was sate for rehabitation. With this
dubious recommendation. the Rongelapese returned. Brookhaven Natrlonal Laboratory ton contract to the
AEC) reported that:
“Even though. .. the radioactive
contamination of Rongelap Island ts
considered perfectly safe for human
February 1979
The Builetin 11