"PnwntmnnefiaST .ate 4 TASES ‘ _i 7 meg iagy y peeeee OF? , . SL eed Gane .. eras 408314 November 25, 1967 CL ies St ‘ Senator Clifford Case United States Senate Washington, D.C. Dear Mr. Case; My husband and I are serving in the Peace Corps in the Marshall Islands district of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. suspect that you receive many lctters fron Volunte o any 37a I whose new perspective has heightened their awareness of a problem in which the United mi States is i involved. i . This ui has mas bean oeen tre 28 CaS e inin our situatio i lau The Tac island where we are located has its special problems which have’ involved us deeply. The name Bikini is familiar to most Amcricans today, I believe. This was an atoll in the Marshall Islands used for atomic testing. How many Americans are familiar with the fact that there were people living on this atoll before the bomb tests? TI don't believe there are too many, and I myself celonged to that majority who did not until a very short time ago. Those people were moved, of course, before the tests. After several unsuccessful moves, they were finclly moved to the island of Killi, This is their home today, It is also my home for two years, ‘fo understand the proclems, one needs some background about the Marshallese people. Briefly, they are people who value their land highly, especially since there is none to spare among these tiny dolands., Abso hete ueltare ta bi bly depemdtent on the secaand the food available from the sea, The Marshall Islands, as you msy know, ch ee ee te ee ats. is comprised mostly of atolls, not single islands, These atolls are strings of islands on a foundation of coral reck generally forming ar oval encircling a body of water calied a lazoon, This lagoon is the "pread: basket" of thos? people living on the atoll, Lagoon waters are generally calm, protected from the> FoRgh water of the open ocean. Also they are generally well stocked with fish, turtles, lobster, clams, a plentiful food supply. Bikini was such an atoll, One other important BEST COPY AVAILABLE ~~ . “hy —~ nen "Tauao fOUQs: esas whiney (Oar ia