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Appendix Il — Chronological Listing of Pertinent
Events in the Marshall Islands
1946

Bikini people moved from homeisiand to
Rongerik Atoll. Later evacuated to Kwajalein
andfinally settled on Kili Island in the Southern
Marshaiis.
Kwajalein established as U.S. Navy Base.
Operation Crossroads at Bikini.

Thyroid abnormalities begin to appear in the
Rongelap people. Thyroid surgery performed on

three children at Guam Navai Hospital.

1965

1969 Annual examination of Utirik peopie.
Clean-up of Bikini begins.

Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands established, administered by U.S. Navy.

1948
1951

Administration ofTrust Territory transferred to
U.S. Departmentof Interior.

1954

March 1: Fallout accident following detonation of
Bravo, a thermonuclear device. Evacuation of
exposed people: 28 American servicemen from

Rongenk Atoll, 82 Marshallese from Rongelap
‘ and Ailingnae Atolls, and 157 from Utirik Atoll.
A Japanese fishing vessel, the Lucky Dragon,
with 23 aboard, exposed to fallout and returns to
Japan arnving March 14. The fishermen are hospitalized. Near panic in Japan about the effect of
fallout on fishing industry.

March 8: AEC-sponsored emergency medical
team arrives at Kwajalein to carry out examination and treatmentof the exposed people for the
next two months.

April 15: American servicemen transferred to

Tripler Army Hospital under the care of the U.S.
Army.

May: The Utirik people returned to their home

atoll. Rongelap people moved to a temporary village on Ejit Leland, Majuro Atoll

1956

1957

Congressman from Marshall Ialand visite Japan

and invites a Japanese team to examine the

Rongelap people. Team arrives, but denied visit

to Rongeiap due to improper visas and forced to
return to Japan. Return of two families to Bikini

to live. BNL medical team assumes responsibility for radiological monitoring of returning
Bikini People.

Documentary movie “Thyroid Nevplasia asa

Late Sequela of Radioactive Fallout’ filmed in
Marshall Isiands. Shows the medical team in

action.

1972 Marshallese Congressman accuses the U.S. of
knowingiy allowing the Marshallese people to be
exposed to radioactive fallout in order to study

the effect of radiation on human beings; accuses
medical team ofusing Rongelap people as guinea .
pigs and not giving them proper medical exami-

nations and adequate treatment. In March he

told the Rongelap and Utirik people not to coop-

erate with the medical team. The annual medical
survey was not completed. Also, four patients
who had been operated on for thyroid cancer and

were to be reezamined at Tripler Army Hospital.

ware stopped and told bythe Marshallese poiitical leaders to return home.

Congress ofMicronesia establishes a Special —
Joint Committee to investigate the medical

Examinations of the Rongelap and Utirik people.
New village at Rongelap completed and the

First resident physician stationed in the
Marshail Islands.

Periodic environmental radiation surveys contin-

Annual medical survey resumed, with cooperation from Committee from Congress of
Micronesia and participation of four appointed

ued along with the medical examinations.

1964

1971

Regular. continuing examinations and treatment
program of the Marshallese established under
the auspices of BNL and coordinated with the
Health Services of the Trust Territory. Robert .
Conard appointed Director ofthe program.

Rongeiap people returned to their home atoll.

1963

Thyroid surgery on five Marshallese at Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital,
Cleveland.

Enewetak people moved to Ujelang Atoll.

Enewetak established as a base of operations for
future nuclear testing.

Thyroid surgery.on 12 Rongelap people at New
England Deaconess Hospital in Boston.

Poliomyelitis epidemic in Marshall Islands
including Rongelap. Pacific Missile Range under
U.S. Army Command established at Kwajalein.
Ex gratia compensation granted Rongelap people
by U.S. Congress ($11,000 per person).

sbuk2 1b

examinations at Rongeiap and Utirik Atolls.
Chairman: Senator Olympio G. Borja.

medical observers from several countries.
Comprehensive report generaily favorable to the

medical examinations published.

A young Rongeiap man, found to have acute
myelogenous leukemia, dies at the National
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