TThe Marshall Islands is an atoll country made up of hundreds of small islands covered with coconut palms and pandanus trees. These atolls in the Pacific Ocean symbolize tropical beauty, but they are also home to the remains of an explosive war.
Eighty years after the guns were silenced, ammunition left behind by the United States and Japan still litters beaches, jungles, and lagoons, continuing to pose a hidden but deadly threat.
Millions of dollars are currently being spent in the United States and across the Pacific to identify, remove, and destroy dormant bombs, known as unexploded ordnance. Some estimate the number of bombs found across the region, which includes Fiji, Palau and the Solomon Islands, could be in the hundreds of thousands.
Even if the fusion mechanism is intact, an unexploded ordnance can explode if disturbed.
“Every once in a while, people find these explosives on the surface,” said Liten Lajar, mayor of Wodje, an atoll in the Marshall Islands.
Although this threat has been around for decades, Rudger said the United States and Japan are working together to help farmers plant crops, build new facilities in their communities, and give people greater peace of mind. I hope that more efforts will be made.
“We want all these bombs removed from our land immediately so we can get on with our lives.”
protect the legendary land
Northern Michigan University researcher Ruth Abbott analyzed American bombing research from 1945 and found that the United States dropped 12,918 tons of ordnance on four atolls in the Marshall Islands during World War II. did.
Over the years, partially exposed bombs, or suspected bombs, have been identified in communities, but any attempt to move them can be deadly.
In 2023, the U.S. Department of State will $1.7 million project with non-profit Golden West Humanitarian Foundation Removal of unexploded ordnance from four atolls is a priority for the Marshall Islands government. Golden West, based in California, employs military veterans specializing in ordnance disposal, training and weapons removal techniques.
In September, the team traveled to Maroelap Atoll to recover and destroy unexploded ordnance. They plan to conduct another mission next month. Adan Morones, Golden West’s Marshall Islands project manager, is a former U.S. Marine and veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. He says it will take extensive planning and coordination to get the necessary vehicles, generators and supplies to the remote islands.
Once on the atoll, the team will receive guidance from local residents familiar with the contaminated site. If the explosives need to be detonated, the team selects a safe disposal location and clears the area.
Wilbert Arik, a resident of the Marshall Islands, played a key role in the cleanup effort.Director Arik Marshall Islands Office of Cultural and Historic Preservationwill accompany the Golden West team to each atoll, acting as interpreters, community advisors and government liaisons.
He explains how he works with technicians to ensure safety protocols are followed. important culture No historic sites were damaged.
“For us Marshallese, there are many places where there are only two or three palm trees growing there, but the land is connected with legends,” Arik says from Majuro, the capital.
“Like Native Americans, there are a lot of geographical features that are very meaningful,” he says.
Next month, Arik, Morones and his team will spend three weeks clearing unexploded ordnance in Watche.as the original Seaplane base in JapanWatche is dotted with ruins of concrete bunkers and crumbling structures overgrown with roots and vines.
For generations, Watche residents have become accustomed to being cautious when planting crops, gathering medicinal plants, and even walking through the forest.they know dormancy Burn (The bomb) could be buried in the sand or hidden in the leaves.
Arik said residents who process copra (dried coconut pulp) are at particular risk of accidentally hitting unexploded ordnance. This increases the risk for farmers who dig the smoke pits needed to produce copra.Attempts are being made to reduce the risk risk education It is offered at community gatherings in some local churches in the Marshall Islands to teach people how to recognize and avoid hidden bombs. The team is also training local police to use GPS to document suspected bombing sites.
“Every bullet is one less bullet you have to deal with.”
However, this training has not yet reached all communities at risk of unexploded ordnance.There is no official tally of deaths or injuries caused by the bomb, but reports of fatalities include women. killed In 2016, a hidden bomb struck Miri Atoll while digging a cooking hole.
Alan Vosburg, president of Golden West, estimates the number of unexploded bombs across the Pacific is in the hundreds of thousands. Last year, the group said it had cleared 43 bombs and projectiles in Maroelap Atoll. After completion of removal and disposal at Wodje next month, it is scheduled to be moved to Jaluit Atoll in 2025 and Miri Atoll in 2026. From 2020 to 2023, the United States provided $8.1 million in assistance to clean up unexploded ordnance in the Marshall Islands. fiji, Palauand solomon islands.
“I’ve been doing this for over 50 years, and I’ve never run out of work,” Vosburg said.
“I’m 76 years old, and I expect to live much longer than I am. But I believe we can make a big difference in the Pacific, because where they’re not firing, Because every bullet you scavenge, every bullet you pick up, there’s one less bullet you have to deal with.”
One of Mr. Rajar’s goals as mayor of Wodje is to clear his atoll of unexploded ordnance so that people can create the space they need to feel safe and enjoy life.
“We need to build community places,” says Lager. “Gym, school, that’s what we need.”
