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102

DASA 2019-2

To go on with the story, people were evacuated by destroyer, some
by plane, two days after the accident and were taken down to Kwajalein
Atoll where we had a large Navy base. We arrivec on the scene about
eight days after the accident to carry out the extensive examinations.
When they arrived they were quite contaminated, particulariy their
hair, and we had great difficulty in getting them decontaminated.
Figure 5 shows the people out in the lagoon at Bikini with soap and
detergents, cleansing themselves. In many cases we had to cut off
their hair becausc of the coconut oil holding in contamination. We had
to take their clothes away from thein, and some of the ‘vomen on
Kwajalein gave clothes to the Marshatlese women to wear. It was quite
a sight to see them walking around barcfooted in Fifth Avenue types of
clothing.
FREMONT-SMITH:
CONARD:

No pictures of that?

Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of that.

None of them ciied. After
them south to another island
too hot at that time fer them
were moved back during this
degree of contamination.

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the skin burns healed, etc., we inoved
temporarily because Rongelap Island was
ta move back. The Utirik people, however,
period since Utirik Island had a very low

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Figure S. Marshollese tauthing in lagoon at Kwajalein in March 1954, to decontaminate skin and hair after fallout contamination. From R. Conard.

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