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to proceed at once as best we could until tne trust cfficicls arrived cr
if necessary witnout them. It was hoped tnzt we might find @ missionary,
a pidgin English native or even a trust reprcsent2tive asnors.
Consequently at accut O740 the gig (26 ft. M6E) was leunched and a
beach party was emberked with the sxecutive Officer, LODRV. kh. Easton, USI,
in charg-. he was to try to get ashore as soon as possible, organize tne
natives for evacuetion and determine tne best location and means for the
evacuation. Inclused in this party were the Radsefs Officer, monitor, hospitalman, signaimen, etc. «8s soon as tnis party shoved off, 2 second wut
wes launched with tne Gunnery Officer in cnarge, who was to search élong
the reef for a break or @ more favoretle spect ror safe boat nandling in tne
evacuation.
Now, as the boats left the snip, we commenced execution of our plens
for receiving the natives on board. Awnings were rigged on the fantail witn
side st. -ips from the deck to the redge ropes,
ditional life lines were
Yigeed for the safety of children. Fore and aft and verticsl accesses to
the fantail were closed or roped off and awnings rigced where nécessary to
ensure privacy for the natives. The entir. crew's washroom and head aft
(largest on board) were set aside for tne natives and for their decontamin-
ation inasmuch és this is the ship's min ststion fer this purpose. an outSide salt water shower was rigged, a receptacle was provided for thir clotncs
and sufficient clean dungaree shirts, trousers, etc., were raised by on
appeal to the crew, to thus clothe ail tne natives. «a plig-pen wes fashioned
by closing off access to a 3" gun tub. We planned to tether chickens to
life lines on the Ol deck and let the dogs roam free amongst the populace.
Meanwhile, the Executive Officer and party approached the south shore
of the island at a point about 150U yds west of the easter tip. Tne island
here and clsewhere has a continuous outer perimeter of table rvfs extending
some LO yds out into the water over which the waves produced a surf of medium
size and presented considerable small boat hazard. Having selected a point
where the surf was slight and appeared to offer the best spot, the Executive
Officer commenced paddling ashore in a small, one-man rubber raft (we Kept
it after picking up a beiled-out jet pilot last fall), which had a line
attached to it from tne boat. after Some ,»rugreSs towards the beach he
appeared to experience difficulty witn tne surf and some unseen force resulting
in no progress.
Considerable humor and some coneem were evoked at sient of
the Executive Officer furiously padaling, cach stroke wrirling the reft lec?
around but making no progress. It was later determined thet the line fron
boat to the reft had fouled in the coral, securely anchoring him to scawara.
By this time a few of the natives had appearcd and some of tnem swam our onc
helped him ashore amidst friendly ercetings.
At about this time, Navy JRF 912 scaplane arrived from Kwajalein, lardld
in the westerm part of the lagoon and commenced taxiing eastward towards
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