Yes. A nightmare. On March 1, 1954 the US conducted a secret test, code named Castle Bravo. The unexpected 15 megaton yield (1000 times the bomb dropped on Hiroshima) spewed radioactive fallout over 7000 square miles. 5 hours after the detonation the inhabitants of Rongelap Atoll noticed beautiful white flakes fall on their island. Some thought it was snow. The island was blanketed in an inch of the stuff. Kids played in it. Some even ate it. The next day military personnel showed up in protective suits, took measurements for about twenty minutes then left without a word. Only 48 hours later were the islanders finally evacuated to Kwajelien. All told 665 Marshallese suffered radiation poisoning. Lots of leukemia, thyroid cancer and birth defects followed. We tend to forget that Guam was downwind of the 67 atmospheric detonations conducted. Food for thought.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 11:19:47 +0000