Bikinians Commemorate Bikini Day in Arkansas

Nixon Jibas speaking at Bikini Day in Arkansas, 3-26-11

On March 26, 2011 at Springdale Arkansas about 250 Bikinians commemorated Bikini Day marking 65 years of exodus from Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands.  Kathrine Leviticus spoke for senior citizens, Donald Juda spoke for the local government, Nixon Jibas spoke for the MORIBA Club, an organization of Bikinian people living outside the Marshall islands and Lumon Benjamin was the keynote speaker.  Several people got up to speak towards the end to represent various Bikinian families.  Traditionally Bikinians all over the world take time in March to remember their history and commemorate what happened on Bikini: from 1946 to 1958 the United States tested 23 nuclear and thermonuclear weapons, including the 15 megaton Bravo shot on March 1, 1954 that irradiated most of the northern Marshall Islands and the people living there at the time.  Currently there are about 700 Bikinians residing outside of the Marshall Islands.

~ by bikinijack on March 30, 2011.