Malu 'Aina

An Hawaiian Uncounted U.S. Nuclear

Testing Casualty

Written by (MS), a dear Hawaiian friend of Malu ‘Aina who wishes to remain anonymous

      Between 1946 and 1963, while the United States tested nuclear bombs in the Pacific, hundreds of civilian construction workers were lured to such places as Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands in the western Pacific and Johnston atoll located 850 miles southwest of Honolulu with the promise of high wages in a safe working environment. Among those, in the 1960s, was my brother-in-law. In his thirties, married, father of young children, he went down with a group from Hawai’i. His goal was to earn enough to build a nice house where his children would “never have to be ashamed to bring their friends home.”

      There was little recreation available, and some workers blew their big money on drinking and gambling, nut he and his companions resolutely saved their pay for their families back home. Instead, they enjoyed the simple pleasures of fishing. They were allowed to fish, but they had been told not to eat what they caught. That made no sense to the Hawaiians. They spent their leisure time fishing, cooking on the beach, and eating together.

      After his first year, my brother-in-law came home proudly, with enough money saved to build the outside shell of his house. Friends and family helped raise the structure, and he moved in with his wife and children. He was happy, even when we teased him about the strange blisters on his face. They had been diagnosed by the doctor down there as “sunburn.” Not to worry. “What kind Hawaiian you?” we teased. “How come you get sunburn?”

      He signed up for another year, then returned home again with enough money to complete the interior of his house. He looked tired, and he had lost a lot of weight. One sister-in-law and I looked at each other with concern. “He doesn’t look good. And remember that rash he had last time! You think he get radiation sickness?” We refrained from worrying the rest of the family with our suspicions, but quietly urged him not to go back. He brushed us off. “One more time. Gotta get furniture for my kids.”

      After his third year he came home skin and bones. Barely abler to walk. Now it was obvious to the rest of the family what we had suspected. Shocked by his appearance, frightened, then angry about the doctor’s “sunburn” diagnosis, they took him to a “good” doctor, who confirmed our fears. Radiation sickness, Leukemia.

      He died a few months later in the nice house with the nice furniture, his family around him, having given them his best. Two of us tried to persuade his widow to file a complaint. To demand compensation. Anything! But she would not. Bitterly, she said, “for what? That’s not gonna bring him back?” Generations of subjugation had taught her that “making waves” only brought trouble back on one’s self. To challenge the United States nuclear program was beyond her capability, and she implored us not to make waves.

      Later, we learned that one of my brother-in-law’s fellow workers on Eniwetok had also died of leukemia. We never heard of any others, but we wondered…. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been sickened or killed over the years as a result of America’s nuclear testing. How many cases remain uncounted because they were never documented as such? How many more will occur?

Global Nuclear Casualties

(The late Dr. Rosalie Bertell, PhD, epidemiologist, cancer research scientist, Catholic nun, author, and known worldwide for her work on the effects of ionizing radiation, estimated that as of 2012, a billion and a half people have died world wide due to radiation from the industrial development of nuclear weapons and nuclear energy.)

1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties.
4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, etc.
5. Seek peace through peaceful means and work for justice in Hawai`i and around the world.

Contact: Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action
P.O. Box 489 Kurtistown, Hawai’i 96760 Phone (808) 966-7622. Email: ja@malu-aina.org

Sign up on our website to receive our posts  http://www.malu-aina.org/

Feb. 2, 2018 Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet — 854th week – Fridays 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office

I’m honored to be listed with Haunani K Trask on this list of peace & Justice leaders.  I’m just a small potato among moral giants.

Jim Albertini

Anthony J. Marsella & Kathleen Malley-Morrison 'In Pursuit of Peace and
Justice: 100 Peace & Justice Leaders and Models' 29 Jan 2018.
https://www.transcend.org/tms/2018/01/in-pursuit-of-peace-and-justice-100-peace-justice-leaders-and-models/

Evict the U.S. Military!

Abolish Nuclear Weapons!

The Only Shelter is Justice, Peace & Malama Honua!

      The recent false missile attack on Hawai’i should be a wake up call, not for more military presence in Hawaii but for Freeing Hawai’i from U.S. military occupation. The over 100 U.S. military installations in Hawai’i make Hawai’i and its people (residents and visitors alike) the bulls-eye of any confrontation between other countries and the U.S. And the U.S. empire is poking and trying to exploit resources in more and more countries around the world. No wonder some countries are beginning to poke back.

      The scientific genius, Albert Einstein, said many years ago that there is NO defense against nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons have made our world defenseless. The only real defense against nuclear weapons is to stop building them and abolish the ones that already exist. Wise leaders have come to the conclusion that we cannot bomb our way to peace. Violence begets violence, and in a nuclear world that can result in global destruction and an end to civilization as we know it. That’s why in July 2017 the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly (122 to one) to abolish nuclear weapons. Instead of joining that effort, the U.S. is planning on spending a $trillion dollars on its nuclear arsenal over the coming decades. It is up to each one of us to let our voices be heard. No More Nukes! No more War! Earth’s future hangs in the balance and future generations are counting on us to to act now for peace and sanity.

      Help Hawai’i once again become a symbol of world peace, a neutral nation, a nuclear-free and independent restored Hawai’i nation.

“THIS IS NOT A DRILL”

Join the grassroots people’s response to the growing threat of nuclear destruction. Protest the monthly Nuclear Attack Siren Tests.

The Next Siren Scare Test is — Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018

Wherever you are, come out into a visible public place, in your neighborhood, along a public roadway, etc. and hold a sign for 15-30 minutes from 11:30-12 noon on the day of the Nuclear Attack Siren Scare Test which blasts at 11:45 AM. Sign suggestions include: No Nukes, No War, No Need Sirens, The Only Shelter is Peace. There is no place to hide. We are all in this together.

U.S. Out! Free Hawai’i Now!

1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties.
4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, etc.
5. Seek peace through peaceful means and work for justice in Hawai`i and around the world.

Contact: Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action
P.O. Box 489 Kurtistown, Hawai’i 96760 Phone (808) 966-7622. Email: ja@malu-aina.org

Sign up on our website to receive our posts  http://www.malu-aina.org/

January 26, 2018 Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet — 853rd week – Fridays 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office

An Uncounted U.S. Nuclear Testing Hawaiian Casualty

     Between 1946 and 1963, while the United States tested nuclear bombs in the Pacific, hundreds of civilian construction workers were lured to such places as Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands in the western Pacific and Johnston atoll located 850 miles southwest of Honolulu with the promise of high wages in a safe working environment.  Among those, in the 1960s, was my brother-in-law.  In his thirties, married, father of young children, he went down with a group from Hawai’i.  His goal was to earn enough to build a nice house where his children would “never have to be ashamed to bring their friends home.”

     There was little recreation available, and some workers blew their big money on drinking and gambling, nut he and his companions resolutely saved their pay for their families back home.  Instead, they enjoyed the simple pleasures of fishing.  They were allowed to fish, but they had been told not to eat what they caught.  That made no sense to the Hawaiians.  They spent their leisure time fishing, cooking on the beach, and eating together.

     After his first year, my brother-in-law came home proudly, with enough money saved to build the outside shell of his house.  Friends and family helped raise the structure, and he moved in with his wife and children.  He was happy, even when we teased him about the strange blisters on his face.  They had been diagnosed by the doctor down there as “sunburn.”  Not to worry.  “What kind Hawaiian you?” we teased.  “How come you get sunburn?”

     He signed up for another year, then returned home again with enough money to complete the interior of his house.  He looked tired, and he had lost a lot of weight.  One sister-in-law and I looked at each other with concern.  “He doesn’t look good.  And remember that rash he had last time!  You think he get radiation sickness?”  We refrained from worrying the rest of the family with our suspicions, but quietly urged him not to go back.  He brushed us off.  “One more time.  Gotta get furniture for my kids.”

     After his third year he came home skin and bones.  Barely abler to walk.  Now it was obvious to the rest of the family what we had suspected.  Shocked by his appearance, frightened, then angry about the doctor’s “sunburn” diagnosis, they took him to a “good” doctor, who confirmed our fears.  Radiation sickness,  Leukemia.

     He died a few months later in the nice house with the nice furniture, his family around him, having given them his best.

     Two of us tried to persuade his widow to file a complaint.  To demand compensation.  Anything!  But she would not. Bitterly, she said, “for what?  That’s not gonna bring him back?”  Generations of subjugation had taught her that “making waves” only brought trouble back on one’s self.  To challenge the United States nuclear program was beyond her capability, and she implored us not to make waves.

    Later, we learned that one of my brother-in-law’s fellow workers on Eniwetok had also died of leukemia.  We never heard of any others, but we wondered….

     Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been sickened or killed over the years as a result of America’s nuclear testing.  How many cases remain uncounted because they were never documented as such? 

     How many more will occur?

                                                                                                                                        –MS, 2018

Trump regime on the verge of okaying two new warheads that could make nuclear war more likely   —Daily Kos 1/17/18

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/1/16/1733299/-Trump-regime-on-the-verge-of-okaying-two-new-warheads-that-could-make-nuclear-war-more-likely?detail=emaildkre

(“Davy Crockett Depleted Uranium (DU) spotting rounds have been confirmed used at The Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) on Hawaii Island and at Schofield Barracks on Oahu, as well as in more than a dozen other states.” Jim Albertini)