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November 25, 1967
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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
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