Lojwa Animals

Vegas?

2009-06-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

Well I am being pressured by the Golden Nugget to get them an answer about how many rooms she should block. I was required to get back to her by today! I sent an email out to all who responded in the past and have not heard from anyone.
If you still want to do this please sound off!
Either post with a definite yes or I cannot confirm the rooms.
Aug 21,22,23 are the dates which we were hoping to do this.
My wife and I are planning to go, so unless I hear from you by tomorrow, at the latest, I will assume the reunion is off.

Reunion

2009-04-29T15:25:00.000-07:00

Hello and sorry for the delay.

I would like to try to figure out a date for the reunion, I need your help since we all have to find the time.

I was thinking near the end of August?

Say the weekend of the 22nd or the 29th. I will contact the Golden Nugget and see if they will give us a discount. Nice place downtown close to lots of different casinos and shops.

Let's take a vote and see which date works best for everyone interested in going.

Looking forward to a great time.

Resident Giant

2009-02-20T19:13:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of Lojwa's resident giant.
He is standing next to a 20' pine tree, holding a 7' grey reef shark.
Ha Ha.
Just a shark hunter with his catch of the day.

Lojwa Animal Reunion

2009-02-19T20:44:00.000-08:00

So I got a message from an old animal, he say's it has been 30 years, unbelievable, he also said we should have an Animal reunion. I think that is a great idea. We decided the only place for Animals to re-unite would be Las Vegas.
If anyone is interested in getting together with some of the Lojwa Animals for a bit to sit down and share some stories and some old friendships send me your information and I will keep a list. We will figure out a date and place to do this.

Lojwa Sandcastle

2008-04-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

This was the bar on Lojwa, until the competition moved in. Though we didn't sell booze, it was b.y.o.b. and as much as you could carry. Party on.

Construction Crew

2008-04-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

Here we are building the hangout. We had to scrounge for material, I think the navy guys gave us the rope and the hanging balls. This picture is before the bar and bar stools were built. Can't remember where we got the burlap and padding for the bar.
We had lots of help constructing, I think everyone wanted a place to hangout, besides the Sandcastle.
If anyone has pictures they would like to share I will be glad to post them with your story. Send them single pictures only, multiple pictures don't post very well.
Thanks for visiting

Radiation Exposure

2007-05-24T16:08:00.000-07:00

Today I received an email from a young man trying to get help from all of us who spent time on Enewetak. His father has had problems with cancer since he left the islands. I will be attaching a link to his email when I get his O.K. I urge all of you to respond to give help and hope that the government will change the regulations to help the needy troops that have had serious health problems due to their service on Enewetak. We need to make changes to the legislation, and the only way to do this is to band together and give them hell. I have added another link to a site he sent me with the info on the "Radiation Exposure and Compensation" and "National Cancer Advisory" .
All the Marshallese are getting hundreds of millions while we get nothing.

Visitors From The Wasteland

2007-02-26T16:57:00.000-08:00

So I received a few responses, emails, etc. from people who remember the good old days on Lojwa. Good to hear from you all. Hope everyone is well and glad to have visitors. I am posting this picture, I believe it was the boat ride returning from a hard days work on Runit. I am the skinny guy holding up the pole, or maybe the pole is holding me up?
If anyone recognizes a picture with them in it let me know, It's hard to remember names but I think I will always remember the faces.

Mail Call

2006-07-22T20:13:00.000-07:00

Sitting on top of Lojwa Mountain, waiting for the mail chopper to come with the mail. One of our past times. You can see how exciting it was there. More pictures to come. In the picture, bottom left you can see the bridge to "Sally", where they dumped the trash. This is where the 7' Grey Reef Shark was caught one night. Past that nothing but ocean.

Waiting out the storm

2006-07-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

Today I did some research, found a web site that has done extensive research and testing on exposure to radiation. They have tested plants, food and humans. Check the link to the right, "Exposure Testing"

It seems they have some equipment that can test for past exposure. I decided to send them an e-mail to see if they have any results from testing military personnel.

I will wait for a response and re-post as soon as I get it.

Meanwhile a new picture of the tired bunch of guys stuck in the warehouse waiting for the storm to pass. We had to move out of there when the roof started to peel off.

If anyone recognizes the picture or anyone in it drop me a note to say hello.

Memorial Day

2006-05-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

Today is the day after Memorial Day.

I would like to remember the trusting soldiers that were required to endure the testing of these bombs. There were many tests and many people exposed to these tests.

So for all the people who remember, or that have family that went through these tests, I wish you the best and hope we finally get some recognition.

A new link to the right, “Mike” Detonation, shows pictures and info about the 10.5 megaton “Mike” that was detonated on November 1, 1952, completely removing an entire island from the atoll. I am glad I was nowhere near when that went off.

Although 25 years later, I was cleaning up the mess caused by the bomb that shares my name.

A Sunday Afternoon at The Hangout

2006-05-25T19:35:00.000-07:00

This was the engineer bar built out of sheer need to blow off steam.

Interesting Study

2006-05-25T19:28:00.000-07:00

Summary Report, April 2000.

“The Tribunal also found that on Runit, the fifth largest island in the atoll, the residual Plutonium 239 from the tests exceeds the established limit and the island remains quarantined from use. Stating that, “Techniques now exist to clean up this plutonium, utilizing soil sorting methods applied at Johnston Atoll,” the Tribunal awarded $10 million for that activity. The Tribunal also awarded $4.51 million for characterization surveys to provide information as to the exact location and nature of the contaminated soil to be removed and to ensure compliance with the prescribed cleanup standard.”
(Please see link in column at right for complete summary.)

I thought it was interesting that this study, done April 2000, shows that the Island of Runit, the one many of us worked on, ten to twelve hours a day, six days a week, is still uninhabitable 25 YEARS LATER!!!

This means that, for six months at a time, we military guinea pigs were virtually living on that island from 1977-1980, completely unaware of the danger and the high levels of radiation we were exposed to daily. Has any U.S. military serviceperson been awarded even a minor compensation, much less $14.51 million?

I know I haven’t.

Also check the link to the right—a wonderful person has written about our plight.
Link -- Local Newspaper Column

One Beautiful Sunset

2006-05-24T19:18:00.000-07:00

First Thoughts

2006-05-22T18:58:00.000-07:00

Hello to all.

I am setting up this blog to get the input, feelings, stories and information about one and all who were stuck on this wretched Atoll for the cleanup.

I was stationed on Lojwa from Aug. '78 to Feb. '79 with the 84th Engineer Battalion from Schofield barracks, Hawaii. I was volunteered 8 months before my departure from active duty. Had no choice in the matter, go and do my duty.

I lived on the Island of Lojwa, with all the other "Animals", but took a boat ride to Runit every morning. On Runit I worked as a debagger, Mike "the debagger" Dager. Busted my ass for 6 months, actually 5 months then got a double hernia and spent the last month resting, spent a wonderful Christmas and New Year with a bunch of good guys, partying our butts off.

If any of you remember the Engineer Bar, Steve McKee and I were the driving force in building this oasis away from civilization. Spent many nights hanging out and telling stories.

I have been experiencing some strange ailments as of late, Osteopenia, bone density loss, thin skin among other more serious problems. Wondering if anyone else has had similar problems. Looking into trying to get disability rating from the VA. We will see how that goes. Hope to hear from some of the hardworking guys that were there before, during and after my stay.