VREP Condr, Subj: “Report on Survey Trip to Outlying Weather Islands
(GNCLASSIFIED)"
our visit and Mr Midkiff furnished us with the names of civil administrators
:
at Majuro and Ponape and all available information on those and the other
‘
islands, Mr Medealf indioated thet on the provicus operation, all relations
between the PREP personnel and the island peoples was very satisfactory and
that they would welcome the returm of the PREP personnel.
The 57th Recom Squadron was making a flight to Eniwetok on 13 September
and invited Col Bormot, Col Slater and myself to go along with them. Ve
accepted which gave us one day of leisure in Honolulu.
f
\ where we slept soundly until 0700.
Captain Zackeo awakened us and took us
to breakfast at the Cfficers Mess, which consisted of two cold storage eggs
( eooked to order with the usual assessories. I strongly suspect that my cold
/ \storage eggs had become warm for at least a considerable period of time.
fog '
"I was unable to consume them entirely.
Heading back toward headquarters, we
ran into Col Slater and members of the 57th SPS erewe
They had engine trouble
and didn't leave at 0500 as they hed plemed. Colonel Slater then desided
to go with us on the PEM to visit Rongerik and later to Eniwetok.
Sooy.
Colonel Bonnot and I then visited the Base Executive Officer, Captain
Captain Sooy is a man with a very warm personality and seemed extrenely
interested in our mission.
He made arrangements for our PBM wisits to the
islands and took us in to meet Admiral Clarke who was wory friendly and anxious
to assist us in any way possible, I was greatly impressed by the general
attitude of oooperation and friendliness of all the Ravy personnel at
Kwajalein.
Later we met Commander Lyon, who was in charge of the PBM section charged
with transporting us tothe islands. I requested that he obtain someone
funiliar with LST operation to go alon: on the flight to Rongerik so that w
could choose the proper island in the atoll for at least planning purposes.
Lt Comdr Grey was selected. We departed at 1000 and arrived at Rongerik Atoll
about one hour later. We landed in the lagoon which is approximately 10 milos
in diameter after observing all the individual islands several times from an
altitude of about 1000 faet.
Due to the coral formations surrounding the other
islands, Lt Comdr Grey said that Eniwet&k Islandg, the southermnost island,
was the only one suitable for LST beaching. We taxiied to within fifty yards
of the northwest side of the island and rowed ashore in a rubber liferaft.
We found the center of the northwestern side of the island excellent for LST
:
beaching and landing. This side of tho island has a high (SO') sand dune some
fifty feet from the water beyond which is dense vegetation mainly composed
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We departed approximately 1400 LST and after ons 2 hours stop at Johnston
Island arrived at Iwajalein 0400 LST. Captain Zackeo, JTF Seven Liaison
Officer met us and arranged for quarters for Colonel Bonnot and myself,