![]() ![]() Questions abound for places like Johnston Island - once remote, pristine places which have been transformed geologically, chemically, and radioactively built and blasted beyond recognition up-ended and re-sealed. Development in the post-WWII years introduced non-native species to the island that, along with the chemical and nuclear experiments on the Island and in the region, dealt the final blow to many birds that were struggling to survive in an already inhospitable place. Completing the piece are two short extracts from silent footage shot in 1924 by Smithsonian ornithologists, featuring two birds that are now extinct. Saturday Night" a Jimmy Buffet inspired tune by singer/songwriter Larry La Riviere who spent 11 years on Johnston Island, charged with dismantling "Weapons of Mass Destruction" (another song of Larry's). Also featured are nostalgic images of bbq parties, scuba diving, tiki bars, palm trees, shark feeding, and members of the military hanging out in shorts and Hawaiian shirts, drinking cans of beer, all set to the tune of "J.I. The video includes historic photos of disused launch gantries, incinerator demolition / removal, and final closure of the island as a military reservation. Johnston Atoll is now, once again, a national wildlife refuge, 86 years after it was established as such by President Coolidge. Army's first chemical weapons disposal facility. Between 19, stockpiled VX nerve gas, Sarin, and Agent Orange were incinerated on the island at the U.S. ![]() ![]() During the 1960s and 70s, it was the site of numerous high altitude nuclear test launches, including Operation Dominic, in which plutonium was scattered across the island from one of the failed Thor rockets. Johnston Island (also referred to as Johnston Atoll) is a decommissioned US Naval base 800 miles west of Hawaii. ![]()
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