Download larger version jpg, KB. But what lies above the deep water? What is the history of Johnston Atoll and how did it get its name? One of the most isolated atolls on the planet, Johnston Atoll is the result of 70 million years of volcanic eruptions, limestone capping, and reef growth. It consists of four islands: Johnston and Sand Islands, which are natural, and Akua North and Hikina East Islands, which are artificial islands formed in modern times from coral dredging activities.
On March 19, , the captain of the American schooner Palestine took possession of the islands in the name of the United States. Image courtesy of the U. Army Materials Agency. Download image jpg, KB. Plutonium pollution was heaviest near the old rocket launching site, in the lagoon offshore the launch pad and near Sand Island. The contaminated soil was dug up and collected on the north of the island, in a fenced area covering 24 acres.
As with all Pacific nuclear test sites, the end of nuclear testing has not ended the nuclear hazard for the peoples of the Pacific. The US government must take responsibility for the full clean up of Johnston Atoll. Excellent article, but does it really matter now if they clean it up with Fukishima spreading radiation all over the Pacific?
If you were ever stationed there and exposed not only to the radiological contamination of these failed tests but also to the extensive amounts of chemical munitions and herbicides maintained there, years later, and are currently suffering from diseases that may have been manifested from there and while trying to prove to the VA that your physical ailments are a direct result of your governments actions; then hell yes it matters; especially now with so many dying and the government not wanting to live up to the responsibility of taking care of their own because it might cost them a lot of money — guess it is just easier to hide it till all have passed away.
Returning the island to be a part of wildlife preserve is just a cover for keeping people from knowing the full truth! Today 50 years later I am still waiting and yes I am to expensive. Terry sorry for your health problems. I was stationed there in and worked in the radiation contamination for a year.
I havent contracted cancer but my have problems with degenative bone disease. I am very healthy except for the bone deteriation. I wonder if this could be caused by my daily exposure to the radio active particles which I worked in every day? SGT Patrick Mulcahy Best regards. Dear Stan, it matters to victims that our nation continues to deny. I was a victim that lost my bladder and prostrate to exposure. My country admits the were the cause but hid behind secrecy.
Today I am still fighting under the DBA and still they deny. I will die waiting but not without a fight. I served on Johnston Atoll between I have bladder problems and currently been told I might have a form of neuropathy. I have a lot of nerve problems. I am not sure if I can prove any of my illness is due from exposure from Johnston Atoll. I applied for disability but they denied me saying they tested me before I left the island. Everyone is right, the U. Government sucks. I worked on J. No one ever informed us that the Island was so contaminated.
I worked below the ground level in the old launch area installing the security and lighting systems. Ten years later I started having severe skin problems and spent thousands of dollars seeking help. Four years later the VA said it was cancer and the VA doctors said it was caused by agent orange.
There is no cure for the kind of cancer that I have. It is called C-T cell Lymphoma. All of your skin rots and falls off of your body leaving raw nerve endings and every lymph node infected with staff and mercer.
I lost my teeth, hair, nails, strength, energy, and ability to walk or even function as a human being. And the VA refused to give me a disability but they do treat me. Best of luck to those that are still living. GOD bless. My late husband was there during the same time as an MP. Sadly I lost him to a massive heart attack December 30, He was 52 years old.
I dint know if this issue was something to do with his stay on JI but he always told me if he died young, I should look into it. So sorry for all your pain and suffering. Sorry to hear that Donald, do you remember a contractor named O-gee? In I was an enlisted Air Force telephone cable splicer sent to Johnston Island for 90 days to install telephone cables all over the island. I was never told about the radiological contamination I was exposed to at that time.
I did not learn of it until I happened upon this article. To date, I haven,t had any medical issues resulting from my exposure but I wounder if it is just a ticking time bomb. I along with just a couple of others pulled all the cables used for the launches and to the large antenna on the hill. If your cables were in the ditches they might have been in the ditches that were effected. I was in the Pluto Yard launch area our warehouse had and underground tunnel that came up directly on the pad for delivery of parts during launch period last launch Nov A tickling time bomb!
I was there for 10 plus month in I intend to waist my time applying with the VA. Doubt anything will come of that. We were never told of the danger we were in and the only sign I saw about radiation was the signs on the fences around launch pad number one. We are the forgotten veterans!
Nothing matters Stan as we are deemed to expensive and all programs that actually mislead are designed to deny. Even our Justice system is influenced. Sad that loyalty deserves denial. I was stationed on Johnston Atoll January to January I was in the Air Force and worked in communications.
In I had testicular cancer. Ifor anyone else contracted similar cancer in that time frame we need to pursue this with the VA. My father was stationed on Oahu through out We lived in Honolulu on Kapiolani Blvd. One night, in November, we were told of an earthquake east of Japan and to head up valley to higher grounds to escape the waters of an impending tidal wave from the North West. Dad commented on the locals running down to the beach with their boards to catch the waves kicking up from the south west.
Then the lights went out. When the lights came back on we were told that tidal wave never hit the Midway Islands to the northwest. I was stationed on JI during the entire year of We where told that everything was ok and we were in no danger. I now have prostate cancer, copd, conjestive heart failure and other problems. Just starting my fight for VA benefits. Any suggestions will be appreciated.
I was assigned to JTG8. Allen, were you on Active Duty there? No re-supply or ship visits during the 6-month camp are anticipated. On the island, transportation will primarily be by foot or bicycle with 1-mile daily commutes to the work site.
Weather conditions can be harsh with strong winds, tropical storms, and hot sun. Bathing is done in the ocean and washing is done with salt water. Internet access is not guaranteed and team members must be prepared for the possibility of communication being limited to text-only e-mail via the satellite phone with no internet browsing capability. Direct medical attention is a minimum of days away. As such, safety is of primary concern.
Requirements: Volunteers must be physically and mentally fit. Must be able to walk 10 miles a day over variable terrain, lift and carry 50 lbs, ride a bicycle, swim, and be able to perform repetitive stooping and bending motions.
Strong, healthy bodies are critical. A bible college choir that was very under-attended and a Polynesian review. Really bad idea. Add beer.
I can also remember pulling tidal wave watch on the top of the JOC building when they were exploding an underwater nuclear device at Eniwetok Atoll. I was there when they off-loaded the nerve gas. I think they actually did a sort of dirty dozen thing with a group of Army guys supporting the off loading and storage of the gas for the Army Chemical Company.
As a switchboard operator I remember placing scheduled morale calls each evening for all the people on the atoll. I remember small navy ships coming in for a few days. I think they were buoy tenders. It was my first assignment and I did 20 years. Good people, good weather and a good time.. I was stationed on JI all of Jan 1, to Jan 3, — the one year was great, but those extra 2 days drove me crazy. Served the A. Played a lot of softball and golf.
I also developed with another guy there — a photo picture pamphlet that was used for publicity. I have a copy somewhere on my computer and if I locate it — will sent it here later. Also had an cartoon artist make drawings and created a coloring book to be sent back to children. While there — I thought many times of a novel to write, that when the Air Micronesia flew out one day — three small airplanes land and take over the island. As I recall, the military were not to resist — thus, those assigned to JI would be taken captive.
All communications were cut off, and the world would not even know for several days. But then, the neat folks on JI would take matters into their own hands and re-take the island with creative ways. I was at J. I turned 7 years old while we were there. There were many families with children there during the time we were there.
Although I was quite young, I have great memories of our time on the island. At that time Sand Island was just a small chunk of coral inhabited by thousands of birds. The only time we wore shoes was on the rare occasions that we went on class trips to sand island.
Any other military brats who were at JI during that time please send me a note. I was a Pacific Missile Range contractor on Johnston Atoll from June, , to June, , operating and repairing the computers there and doing some programming.
I was sent to Panama when my company failed to make the low bid to continue the maintenance contract. Great duty. Great food, lots of down time and recreation. Other than that, it was a good tour. I was on Johnston Is. Great overseas assignment.
I was there from Dec 87 to Nov I had a great time there. My dad was on the island from july 15 to around aug 15 in We think during the repaving of the runway he was exposed to the chemicals that were on the island. They tore up the old runway and repaved it and he was on the paver during the resurfacing. I am trying to find records to prove he was on the island but seems that no one can help.
When I came onto the island, there were no women. After they disposed of Agent Orange on the ship Vulcanas around , women were permitted on the island — they came 2 x 2 — two in the Dining Hall, two in the Dispensary, two in the office, etc. When I left in there were approximately guys and 20 women!
They were very popular — a couple of guys met their wife there. Worked 6 days a week, Sundays off. The NCO Club burned down around or so. Then was permitted to go to the O Club Tiki Lounge. Great weather — better than Hawaii. One radio station through an undersea cable — this was before satellites. Initially one C per week bringing passengers, cargo, and newspapers and mail. Then Air Micronesia started landing for fuel and brought in mail.
Three flights going downrange and three flights going to Hawaii per week. In my job, I got to meet the aircraft and talk with the stewardesses. Candy was the best one! I look back at this time as perhaps the best 10 years of my life! Hi Rick and all the others who have been sharing stories from Johnston. I have never been there, but it sure sounds like an fascinating place.
No matter, I really enjoy hearing all the stories, so thank you all and keep adding your comments. If anyone wants to email one of the commenters, please email me the moderator and I will try to get you in touch: andy at great dash hikes dot com.
The first successful launch from Pad 1 took place while I was there. I was able to get outside and watched the Thor lift off the pad on an east bound trajectory. It was absolutely COOL!!! The sound was deafening, it literally vibrated your entire body.
The greatest scuba diving ever.. The marine life was amazing! Sharks, mantas, barracuda, wahoo, tuna, and an unbelievable array of reef fish.
Unfortunately, some guys has real problems with the isolation. They crawled into a bottle everyday when they got off work… Being limited 5 bottles of booze a week and all the beer you could drink, it was easy to do.
For a remote assignment, JI was really good! No, there were children on Ji. I made four tours to Johnston from to I was an Automatic Tracking Radar technician as part of project I think the last three tours I was at building at the far corner of the island.
Building was the backup for the main guidance. Got to be involved in real launch. Earned me an extra stripe. Made a lot of friends was with a guy named Kelly Brown. Was the most peaceful tour I ever spent anywhere, Scuba diving in crystal waters, perfect temperatures, a huge swimming pool, fantastic food any time day or night, 5 cent bar drinks at NCO club during happy hour as opposed to the 10 cent standard price.
Had 2 thor missiles there that we maintained. The liquid oxygen venting was great for the hangovers from the 5 cent drinks the night before. Was lots of shark fishing off of the Dump ramp at south end of the Island. Garbage food waste mostly was dumped at about 5pm and the sharks were all coming in by pm.. Roommate was Patrick Flaherty if I remember correctly.
Great memories. I was stationed there in as a military policeman. The duty was great. Beats vietnam. Got to see the Thor missle launched in It would be fun to visit again. My dad was a coast guard diver in the late 80s.
He was never stationed there but was servicing the bouys once during the incinerator days. Also for anyone wondering the incineration would not leave any dangerous residue behind unless every once in a while the incinerator would have a hiccup or stop working perfectly and anyone downwind of the facility was basically dead. When my dad was servicing the marker bouys he heard the signal from the boat that there was an emergency. He and his dive buddy surfaced unfortunately his buddy split his head open on the bottom of the boat, when my dad saw the guys with the biohazard suits on he knew he was dead and started to splash himself with water and was about to start injecting himself with atropine and 2pam but the guys on the boat said it was just a joke.
Never been to the island but I went down a major rabbit hole after finding the place on google maps. This thread is amazing! Anyone have a photo or text of what the plaque says? Boy am I glad I did. I would LOVE to go see it for a few days. You guys are amazing and thank you all for your service, past and present. Great reading. My time on Oahu was the best of my life.
JI sounds like a paradise too. Thanks all for your stories. Best years of my life. Met some great people whom I still call family and stay in touch with. Loved every inch of that island and would still be there if I could. Yes the weather was unbelievable and that prime rib on wed. And stake on sat. Was out of this world. The duty hours were long, we worked 9 on and 3 off when I was there.
The recreational activities were outstanding. Golfing ocean front, outdoor movie theater, Waikiki on a Saturday night for bbq and bingo, deep sea fishing on te weekends, Saturday night karioke and the tiki lounge, bowling, windsurfing, sailing, snorkeling, diving, water skiing, or just sitting on the beach next to the marina with a platoon mate drinking homemade sangria. I loved it with all my heart. You will never see such beautiful ocean waters in your life.
I remember water skiing on an ocean as smooth as glass not a boat on the ocean but ours. Used to ocean kayak to the barrier reef which was a few miles from shore and against regs but definitely worth the trip. It was a great tour of duty where I have countless fond memories.
I wish I could relive that time. Guys remember the outside movie theater? Enjoyed my time there. Enjoyed the movies and the fishing. Its was the best time of my life. From scuba driving NAUI cert.
Going down the main street of the Island was like going in a median size town anywhere across the US. Yes, it was paradise. It had even more things to do than Fort Hood in Texas. Oh, the food was out of this world.
Prime rid night there was three HUGE pieces of meat. BUT, even having all these things. I understood, back in the day, the greatest value of JI. I said to myself I wanted to work on the Rock in my retirement years!!!
What a great gig!!! I was truly sadden as I wanted to go back to the Rock and possibly work for Holmes and Narver.
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