RMI Nuclear Justice Documents

UNCLASSIFIED pa a peumttentenne ant CONFIDENTIaL Utirik Is. After establishing radio comrunicarions with the plane and as- certaining the number of passengers, the cx.curive Officer wes dirceted to cross over to the lagoon side and use tne ruboser raft or any means to land the plane passengers, With the friendly help of th- cooperative nativis, the X.0. with the rubber raft, set out in an outrigger canoe towards the scaplane in the lagoon, But just as he approacn a the plane it taxiied awej apparently not distinguishing him among th: notives. it had been sugecst-d to the plane tnsv if he had difficulty landing passengers in the lagoon, ne might try landing outside the lagoon ncar tne ship. Upon hearing this Suggestion, the plane took off immediately and after onc try, a tremendous bounce, anothcr circle and approacn, landed near tne snip about O91L5h., Meanwhilc, the gig having disembarked the Executive Officer was instructed by him to procced castward about 500 yards to a small cove where the natives said landings could be made with more ease and safety. This was done but calling it a cove is a misuse of the term, Ease and safety did not secm to fit the situation either but it did appear less dangerous. By using the ancnor to seaward tne gig was slowly worked up to the reef edges where the Radsafe Officcr and nis team disembarked and waded ashore to the same friendly wilcome, handshakes and "Good Morning" from every native, large and small. During this time the Executive Officer had retumed to the beach from the lagoon and his try at reteiving tne plane passengers and advised tne mative chicf to prepare his people for evacuation. Som. of the natives who scemed to understand and Spoke some broken English were of creat assistance in this, At this time tne ship was advised by the X.0. of the necessity for evacuation on southern and scawurl side of Utirik Island anda that native boats would be of no practicel assistance. Tne Gunnery Officer in the MWE, after searching for several miles along the south lep of tne atoll, reported there were no breaks in tne reef nor landing places of any kind. After the gig had disembarxed the remainder of the beach party, it was returned to the ship having lost its ancnor in leaving the recf. It arrived in the vicinity of the ship just in time to mect tne plane and take aboard ‘its passengers. They consisted of harshall Island Trust Territory repre- sentative, Marshall Island interpreter, and two public relations civilians attached to staff, CUIF 7. after a bricf consultetion on boérd ard pro- curement of another boat anchor, the gir was apain dispatched to the brach, meeting the U4.B enroute and recciving from it a radioman with a portable SCh-300 radic which greatly facilitated the operation. This party was met by the Executive Officcr and the group then set out for the village. The scaplane deperted shortly for Kwajalein. CONFIDENTIAL COPIED/DOE Mn Re = 3 ——— UNCLASSIFIED ENCLOSURE (1)