Raising the American flag in Rongerik
date: label: Date made
content: 1946
label: Date made
content: 1946-03
name: label: photographer
content: Mydans, Carl
notes: label: Description
content: When World War II ended, President Truman authorized joint U.S. Army-Navy nuclear weapons tests to determine the effect of atomic bombs on American warships. The Bikini Atoll was chosen to be the new nuclear proving ground for operation <i>Crossroads</i> because of its location away from regular air and sea routes. Mydans was sent to the island to document the exodus of the people of Bikini. The story was published by <i>LIFE</i> (Mar 25, 1946).
label: Description
content: In March 1946, to make way for nuclear testing, the Bikinians were sent 125 miles eastward across the ocean on a U.S. navy landing craft to the uninhabited, sparsely vegetated Rongerik Atoll. Although the new island was slightly larger than Bikini and had more trees, the natives soon discovered that the trees produced few fruits. Within two months of their arrival, they began to beg U.S. officials to move them back to Bikini.
label: Description
content: One year after being relocated, the military governor appointed an investigation board to look into the Bikinians plight. In a meeting with the people it was reported that there was insufficient food, fresh water supplies were low, and the atoll had only one brackish well. Within two years, the Bikinians were starving and had to be relocated once more.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: Marshall Islands: Ralik Chain, Rongerik
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Photographic History
label: See more items in
content: Photography
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content: Carl Mydans
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Life Magazine
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2005.0228.117
label: accession number
content: 2005.0228
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0228.117
objectType: label: Object Name
content: photograph
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 11 in x 14 in; 27.94 cm x 35.56 cm