{"id":70746,"date":"2025-06-06T08:59:02","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T20:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/?p=70746"},"modified":"2025-07-28T20:59:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T08:59:09","slug":"a-defining-moment-in-history-40-years-ago-the-marshall-islands-fought-to-protect-their-future-and-defied-the-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/a-defining-moment-in-history-40-years-ago-the-marshall-islands-fought-to-protect-their-future-and-defied-the-us\/","title":{"rendered":"A defining moment in history: 40 years ago, the Marshall Islands fought to protect their future and defied the US"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In May 1985, Greenpeace took on a mission unlike anything they had done before &#8211; to mass relocate the people of Rongelap Atoll in the Marshall Islands, whose ancestral home was no longer safe as a result of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/more-powerful-than-hiroshima-how-the-largest-nuclear-weapons-test-ever-built-a-nation-of-leaders-in-the-marshall-islands\/\">US government\u2019s nuclear testing in the region<\/a>. About 350 people were relocated, including livestock and 100 metric tons of building material, to Mejatto, another island about 180 km away.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the story behind \u201cOperation Exodus\u201d &#8211; a ship called Rainbow Warrior and an island community, versus a huge colonial power that discredited the act as <a href=\"https:\/\/islandsbusiness.com\/news-break\/rongelap-evacuation-changed-course-of-history\/\">\u201cmanipulation\u201d<\/a> for Greenpeace\u2019s anti-nuclear agenda.<\/p>\n\n<p>As we mark <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/why-rainbow-warrior-back-the-marshall-islands-40-years-on\/\">40 years<\/a> since this defining moment in Greenpeace and Marshall Islands history, Bunny McDiarmid, one of the original crew members, looks back on her experience.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Rainbow Warrior and Operation Exodus\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wJH8ZXIavXg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1985-we-love-the-future-of-our-kids\">1985 &#8211; \u201cWe love the future of our kids\u201d<\/h2>\n\n<p>Joining the Rainbow Warrior as a deckhand was my first \u201creal\u201d experience with Greenpeace. One of our initial tasks in a \u201cback-of-beyond\u201d boatyard in Jacksonville, Florida, was to change her from a motor boat to a sailing boat &#8211; she turned beautifully as if she was always meant to be a sailing vessel.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>In the eighties, nuclear was Greenpeace\u2019s primary focus, which coincided with the Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific Movement, a strong campaign to have the whole Pacific region declared a nuclear-free zone. Between 1946 and 1958, 67 nuclear bombs were detonated on the Marshall Islands, and the people on Rongelap suffered severe health impacts, such as miscarriages, as a result of radioactive fallout.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"689\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/920829e1-gp016l0_medium-res-1200px-1024x689.jpg\" alt=\"Loading people and building material on to the Rainbow Warrior\" class=\"wp-image-70747\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Marshall Islands&#8217; Rongelap Atoll was evacuated following nuclear fallout from the United States&#8217; nuclear testing on nearby atolls between 1946-1958. The health of many adults and children has suffered as a result. The Greenpeace crew took adults, children and 100 tonnes of belongings onboard.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p>When we arrived in Hawaii, en route to the Marshalls, Rongelap Senator <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goldmanprize.org\/recipient\/jeton-anjain\/\">Jeton Anjain<\/a> came on board and asked Greenpeace US\/International campaigner <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/steve-sawyer-1956-2019\/\">Steve Sawyer<\/a> if Greenpeace would help move his people away from Rongelap atoll. Jeton was quietly spoken, but I learnt over the years that this was a person with considerable stamina and fortitude &#8211; I am yet to meet a more resilient and determined man. His gentle demeanour makes him easy to underestimate, which the US had clearly done.<\/p>\n\n<p>Arriving in Rongelap on May 17 1985, I remember it like it was yesterday. Sunny, hot, clear blue skies, the Rongelap lagoon endlessly into the distance, and a small \u201cbum-bum\u201d (plywood motor boat) coming out&nbsp;to meet us. A group of women were on board, all waving at us, and one held a sign on a square piece of white sheet that read, \u201cWe love the future of our kids\u201d. She was dabbing her eyes &#8211; and this set the scene and tone.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"665\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/2d1751a5-gp0bf6_medium-res-1200px-1024x665.jpg\" alt=\"Rongelap islanders welcoming the Rainbow Warrior I.\n\" class=\"wp-image-70749\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rongelap islanders welcoming the Rainbow Warrior I.\n\nThe Marshall Islands&#8217; Rongelap Atoll was evacuated following nuclear fallout from the United States&#8217; nuclear testing on nearby atolls between 1946-1958. The health of many adults and children has suffered as a result. The Greenpeace crew took adults, children and 100 tonnes of belongings onboard.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p>We anchored, changed out of shorts and tank tops and into clean dresses and shirts. We came ashore to the older women all singing to us under an archway which also read, \u2018Welcome, we love the future of our kids\u201d. They greeted us with leis and handed us fresh coconuts to drink. It was not solemn but also not joyous &#8211; it was just us and them meeting each other as strangers.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"759\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/4750d86d-gp01bka_medium-res-1200px-1024x759.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-70751\"\/><\/figure>\n\n<p>It took more meetings, talking, and a church service before the work to start loading the Warrior began. Although we did not understand what everyone was saying, it felt important, respectful, and purposeful, with Jeton explaining again why it needed to happen. We were included and listened and felt the heft, the weight of what they were deciding to do, and what we were helping them with.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>It was then all shoulders to the wheel as we worked to load the inflatables, and the bum-bum with all manner of belongings. Every house was being taken apart, including all their household goods, and everyone from the youngest to the oldest were preparing to leave. The work set our minds to the task and off the heavy burden of the event.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div data-hydrate=\"planet4-blocks\/gallery\" data-attributes=\"{&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;multiple_image&quot;:&quot;70756,70759,70755,70753&quot;,&quot;image_data&quot;:[{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/671cbbde-gp0j4y_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;focalPoint&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:0.5,&quot;y&quot;:0.5},&quot;id&quot;:70756},{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/f4d7c153-gp0qjk_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;focalPoint&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:0.5,&quot;y&quot;:0.5},&quot;id&quot;:70759},{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/671cbbde-gp01fq7_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;focalPoint&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:0.5,&quot;y&quot;:0.5},&quot;id&quot;:70755},{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/671cbbde-gp02xgf_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;focalPoint&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:0.5,&quot;y&quot;:0.5},&quot;id&quot;:70753}],&quot;gallery_block_style&quot;:0,&quot;gallery_block_title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;gallery_block_description&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;gallery_block_focus_points&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/671cbbde-gp0j4y_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;image_srcset&quot;:false,&quot;image_sizes&quot;:false,&quot;alt_text&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;The Marshall Islands&#039; Rongelap Atoll was evacuated following nuclear fallout from the United States&#039; nuclear testing on nearby atolls between 1946-1958. The health of many adults and children has suffered as a result. The Greenpeace crew took adults, children and 100 tonnes of belongings onboard.&quot;,&quot;focus_image&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;credits&quot;:&quot;&quot;},{&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/f4d7c153-gp0qjk_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;image_srcset&quot;:false,&quot;image_sizes&quot;:false,&quot;alt_text&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;The Marshall Islands&#039; Rongelap Atoll was evacuated following nuclear fallout from the United States&#039; nuclear testing on nearby atolls between 1946-1958. The health of many adults and children has suffered as a result. The Greenpeace crew took adults, children and 100 tonnes of belongings onboard.\\n1985\\\/05\\\/15:Rongelap\\\/Mejato:Moruroa:Pacific Ocean\\\/Pazifik - Eingeborene von der Insel Rongelap waehrend der Evakuation zur Insel Mejato durch die \\&quot;Rainbow Warrior\\&quot;. \\nPeople from Rongelap boarding Rainbow Warrior, during evacuation to Mejato in the Pacific Ocean. Int.Nr.:85.60.08.13   \\n\\u00a9Pereira\\\/Greenpeace - 8500805 - (***)&quot;,&quot;focus_image&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;credits&quot;:&quot;&quot;},{&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/671cbbde-gp01fq7_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;image_srcset&quot;:false,&quot;image_sizes&quot;:false,&quot;alt_text&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;The Marshall Islands&#039; Rongelap Atoll was evacuated following nuclear fallout from the United States&#039; nuclear testing on nearby atolls between 1946-1958. The health of many adults and children has suffered as a result. The Greenpeace crew took adults, children and 100 tonnes of belongings onboard.&quot;,&quot;focus_image&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;credits&quot;:&quot;&quot;},{&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/671cbbde-gp02xgf_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;image_srcset&quot;:false,&quot;image_sizes&quot;:false,&quot;alt_text&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Evacuation of the Marshallese people from the Rongelap Atoll to Mejatto by the crew of the Rainbow Warrior I. \\n\\nThe Marshall Islands&#039; Rongelap Atoll was evacuated following nuclear fallout from the United States&#039; nuclear testing on nearby atolls between 1946-1958. The health of many adults and children has suffered as a result. The Greenpeace crew took adults, children and 100 tonnes of belongings onboard.&quot;,&quot;focus_image&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;credits&quot;:&quot;&quot;}]}}\"><section class=\"block carousel-wrap \"><\/section><\/div>\n<p>Altogether, it took four trips and approximately 100 nautical miles between Rongelap and Mejatto to move everyone and everything. We were loaded to the max, sometimes with 100 plus people on board, camped out everywhere &#8211; in the cabins, the mess room, the aft deck and lower deck. No one wailed or cried, but weighing anchor and watching people saying goodbye to their home island and moving into the distance was hard.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>With this evacuation, the Marshallese story and the Greenpeace story bonded. It affected all of the crew, many who have since said it was the best and most meaningful thing they were involved in with Greenpeace.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"725\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/07ee9c8b-gp01a36_medium-res-1200px-1024x725.jpg\" alt=\"An old black and white photograph of the crew sitting together on the deck of the Rainbow Warrior\" class=\"wp-image-70763\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The 1985 &#8216;Rainbow Warrior&#8217; crew.<br>Clockwise, starting from bottom left: Bene Hoffman, Second Mate, Germany, Davey Edwards, Chief Engineer, UK, Nathalie Thomas Mestre, Cook, Switzerland, Lloyd Anderson, Radio Operator, Fernando Pereira, Hanne Sorensen, Bunny McDiarmid, Deckhand, New Zealand, Peter Willcox, Skipper, USA, Martini Gotje, First Mate, The Netherlands, in front of Martini, girlfriend of crew member Andy Biederman, Doctor, Switzerland (not present in the group shot), Hanne Sorensen, Second Engineer, Denmark, New Zealand journalist David Robie, sitting from left: Grace O&#8217;Sullivan, Deckhand, Ireland; Marshallese traveller; Henk Haazen, Third Engineer, The Netherlands; Marshallese traveller.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p>For myself and my partner Henk (Haazen), who was an engineer on the Warrior, we returned to Mejatto a year later and spent three months there. The outcome of a conversation we had with some of the older women on Mejatto resulted in Greenpeace funding the building of a plywood catamaran in the Marshalls and with Rongelap men working on it, so that they could have more reliable transport.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>Operation Exodus and everything the Marshall Islands people went through, put a human face on the nuclear issue &#8211; it wasn\u2019t just technology and political negotiations, it was real people that gave up so much to protect their kids and their futures. The world could learn a lot from this community.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2025-some-things-don-t-change-whilst-others-do\">2025 &#8211; Some things don\u2019t change whilst others do<\/h2>\n\n<p>I have been back to the Marshall Islands a number of times since 1985, but to be present for the 40<sup>th<\/sup> commemoration of the evacuation of the Rongelap community was a real privilege.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>At the welcoming ceremony for the Rainbow Warrior in the capital Majuro, I felt my eyes well up when I saw what the Rongelap community were wearing &#8211; t-shirts printed with a picture of Senator Jeton Anjain and Steve Sawyer talking together on the Warrior from 1985. This beautiful sartorial surprise said it all &#8211; this was not just a smart political move by Jeton to ask Greenpeace to move his community, to which Steve was brave enough to commit Greenpeace to do, but it was the beginning of a long friendship between Greenpeace and Rongelap.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>Giff Johnson, editor of the <a href=\"https:\/\/marshallislandsjournal.com\/\">Marshalls Islands Journal<\/a>, had the same emotional reaction to seeing the t-shirts. He was the man that had brought Jeton and Steve together all those years ago.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/51a9d285-gp0su4q7w_medium-res-1200px-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Local Marshallese women's group dance and perform cultural songs at the Rainbow Warrior welcome ceremony in Majuro.\n\" class=\"wp-image-70761\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Local Marshallese women&#8217;s group dance and perform cultural songs at the Rainbow Warrior welcome ceremony in Majuro.<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p>Returning to Mejatto on the Warrior brought back lots of memories and how some things don\u2019t change whilst others do. The welcoming ceremony was huge! They lined the beach again with leis and coconuts, with the whole community singing and out to greet us.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div data-hydrate=\"planet4-blocks\/gallery\" data-attributes=\"{&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;gallery_block_style&quot;:0,&quot;gallery_block_title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;gallery_block_description&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;multiple_image&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;gallery_block_focus_points&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;image_data&quot;:[],&quot;images&quot;:[]}}\"><section class=\"block carousel-wrap is-style-slider\"><\/section><\/div>\n<p>One of the best things that came from the time Henk and I spent in Mejatto was not just the catamaran Greenpeace funded for the community, but the real friendships and connections that lasted over time. It was great to meet again some of the family of Anjain\u2019s that looked after Henk and I for those three months, and that we have continued to stay in touch with over the years. It was Jeton\u2019s birthday during the time when we were there &#8211; Jeton died in 1997 and his grave and his brothers are buried next to each other on Mejatto. The Anjain family asked Henk and I to be part of the family photograph at Jeton\u2019s grave site, and it felt such an honour to be part of that.<\/p>\n<div data-hydrate=\"planet4-blocks\/gallery\" data-attributes=\"{&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;multiple_image&quot;:&quot;70775,70776,70771,70773,70769&quot;,&quot;image_data&quot;:[{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/05088bf9-gp0su4wfv_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;focalPoint&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:0.5,&quot;y&quot;:0.5},&quot;id&quot;:70775},{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/05088bf9-gp0su4wg4_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;focalPoint&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:0.5,&quot;y&quot;:0.5},&quot;id&quot;:70776},{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/72e6c18a-gp0su4wg9_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;focalPoint&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:0.5,&quot;y&quot;:0.5},&quot;id&quot;:70771},{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/05088bf9-gp0su4wgj_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;focalPoint&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:0.5,&quot;y&quot;:0.5},&quot;id&quot;:70773},{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/72e6c18a-gp0su4wgt_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;focalPoint&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:0.5,&quot;y&quot;:0.5},&quot;id&quot;:70769}],&quot;gallery_block_style&quot;:0,&quot;gallery_block_title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;gallery_block_description&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;gallery_block_focus_points&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/05088bf9-gp0su4wfv_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;image_srcset&quot;:false,&quot;image_sizes&quot;:false,&quot;alt_text&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Greenpeace representatives and displaced Rongelap community come together on Mejatto, Marshall Islands to commemorate the 40 years since the Rainbow Warrior evacuated the island&#039;s entire population due to the impacts of US nuclear weapons testing. The moment was marked with a candlelight vigil, speeches from survivors, songs and a celebration dinner to honour our ongoing friendship and commitment to the nuclear and climate justice fight.&quot;,&quot;focus_image&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;credits&quot;:&quot;&quot;},{&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/05088bf9-gp0su4wg4_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;image_srcset&quot;:false,&quot;image_sizes&quot;:false,&quot;alt_text&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Bunny McDiarmid and Henk Haazen at the 40th Anniversary of operation exodus candlelit vigil,\\n\\nGreenpeace representatives and displaced Rongelap community come together on Mejatto, Marshall Islands to commemorate the 40 years since the Rainbow Warrior evacuated the island&#039;s entire population due to the impacts of US nuclear weapons testing. The moment was marked with a candlelight vigil, speeches from survivors, songs and a celebration dinner to honour our ongoing friendship and commitment to the nuclear and climate justice fight.&quot;,&quot;focus_image&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;credits&quot;:&quot;&quot;},{&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/72e6c18a-gp0su4wg9_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;image_srcset&quot;:false,&quot;image_sizes&quot;:false,&quot;alt_text&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Greenpeace representatives and displaced Rongelap community come together on Mejatto, Marshall Islands to commemorate the 40 years since the Rainbow Warrior evacuated the island&#039;s entire population due to the impacts of US nuclear weapons testing. The moment was marked with a candlelight vigil, speeches from survivors, songs and a celebration dinner to honour our ongoing friendship and commitment to the nuclear and climate justice fight.&quot;,&quot;focus_image&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;credits&quot;:&quot;&quot;},{&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/05088bf9-gp0su4wgj_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;image_srcset&quot;:false,&quot;image_sizes&quot;:false,&quot;alt_text&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Kathy Joel recounts her memory of the Castle Bravo blast of 1954.\\n\\nGreenpeace representatives and displaced Rongelap community come together on Mejatto, Marshall Islands to commemorate the 40 years since the Rainbow Warrior evacuated the island&#039;s entire population due to the impacts of US nuclear weapons testing. The moment was marked with a candlelight vigil, speeches from survivors, songs and a celebration dinner to honour our ongoing friendship and commitment to the nuclear and climate justice fight.\\n\\nKathy Joel was one of three women who were present at the commemoration and the few remaining survivors of the 1954 Castle Bravo bomb \\u2013 the US government\\u2019s largest ever nuclear weapons test \\u2013 and was part of the Greenpeace evacuation to Mejatto in 1985.&quot;,&quot;focus_image&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;credits&quot;:&quot;&quot;},{&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/72e6c18a-gp0su4wgt_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;image_srcset&quot;:false,&quot;image_sizes&quot;:false,&quot;alt_text&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Greenpeace representatives and displaced Rongelap community come together on Mejatto, Marshall Islands to commemorate the 40 years since the Rainbow Warrior evacuated the island&#039;s entire population due to the impacts of US nuclear weapons testing. The moment was marked with a candlelight vigil, speeches from survivors, songs and a celebration dinner to honour our ongoing friendship and commitment to the nuclear and climate justice fight.&quot;,&quot;focus_image&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;credits&quot;:&quot;&quot;}]}}\"><section class=\"block carousel-wrap \"><\/section><\/div>\n<p>The island, thank goodness, has so much more food growing there! Pandanus, breadfruit, and coconuts, though the fishing is still pretty hard going. But man, did they pull out all the stops to feed us, which is a very big deal for a community that often has little extra to spare. But like all across the Pacific, sharing food is always the strongest indicator of friendship and hospitality.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2025\/06\/a0201ee2-gp0su4wg2_medium-res-1200px-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"People are eating together\" class=\"wp-image-70779\"\/><\/figure>\n\n<p>We loved meeting people who were 10 or 15 in 1985, but were now 50 or 60 years old.&nbsp; One of the men who was in his 20s in 1985 had given Henk an outrigger canoe \u2013 there were five outriggers that had to be left behind on Rongelap as their drafts were too deep for the Mejatto coast, and these were beautiful working boats. Henk left behind a dugout canoe we had on board the Warrior from Nicaragua. Fair exchange! When this man, Allat, saw Henk again in Majuro, the first thing he said was, \u201cHey Henk, when are you bringing back my outrigger?\u201d. They both laughed and hugged at the recognition and memory.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>The Marshallese have seen many people pass through with good ideas and plans, and many never return or make promises that are not met. In 1985, we tried hard not to raise expectations of what we could do. We answered their call to help them relocate, and the decision they made to rescue themselves and leave their home island was truly brave. It resulted in them finally getting an independent scientific assessment of Rongelap, which confirmed their worst fears and experiences &#8211; that their island was still badly contaminated and unsafe to continue living on.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div data-hydrate=\"planet4-blocks\/gallery\" data-attributes=\"{&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;multiple_image&quot;:&quot;70781,70783&quot;,&quot;image_data&quot;:[{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/da6eb831-gp0su55gl_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;focalPoint&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:0.5,&quot;y&quot;:0.5},&quot;id&quot;:70781},{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/da6eb831-gp01e9r_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;focalPoint&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:0.5,&quot;y&quot;:0.5},&quot;id&quot;:70783}],&quot;gallery_block_style&quot;:0,&quot;gallery_block_title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;gallery_block_description&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;gallery_block_focus_points&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/da6eb831-gp0su55gl_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;image_srcset&quot;:false,&quot;image_sizes&quot;:false,&quot;alt_text&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;40 years since Operation Exodus \\u2014 when Greenpeace responded to the call of the Rongelap community to help relocate them from their ancestral lands as the impacts of decades of contamination from US nuclear weapons testing became clearer - the Rainbow Warrior returns.\\nIn 1954, fallout from Castle Bravo nuclear weapons testing blanketed Rongelap atoll in radioactive ash\\u2014fine, white powder that children played in, thinking it was snow. The U.S. government waited three days to evacuate residents, despite knowing the risks. When they were allowed to return three years later, it was  a contaminated environment. The exposure caused severe health impacts: thyroid cancers, birth defects such as \\u201cjellyfish babies\\u201d, miscarriages, and more.\\nAs part of the Marshall Islands ship tour, a group of Greenpeace scientists and independent radiation experts are in Rongelap to sample lagoon sediments and plants that could become food if people came back.&quot;,&quot;focus_image&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;credits&quot;:&quot;&quot;},{&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/da6eb831-gp01e9r_medium-res-1200px.jpg&quot;,&quot;image_srcset&quot;:false,&quot;image_sizes&quot;:false,&quot;alt_text&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;The Marshall Islands&#039; Rongelap Atoll was evacuated following nuclear fallout from the United States&#039; nuclear testing on nearby atolls between 1946-1958. The health of many adults and children has suffered as a result. The Greenpeace crew took adults, children and 100 tonnes of belongings onboard.&quot;,&quot;focus_image&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;credits&quot;:&quot;&quot;}]}}\"><section class=\"block carousel-wrap \"><\/section><\/div>\n<p>Forty years later, our purpose was not just to reconnect, but also to conduct <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/tracing-radiation-through-the-marshall-islands-reflections-from-a-veteran-greenpeace-nuclear-campaigner\/\">crucial research across the atolls<\/a>, providing much-needed data on remaining nuclear contamination. Strong bonds have been formed, and we cannot forget this defining part in both the Marshall Islands and Greenpeace history. It keeps our friendship and their struggle alive, and in retelling this story I hope others will know it and join our effort towards justice &#8211; <em>Jimwe im Maron<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n<p><em>Bunny McDiarmid was a deckhand during the 1985 voyage. Now retired, she formerly served as executive director of Greenpeace NZ\/Aotearoa (2005-2015) and executive director of Greenpeace International together with Jennifer Morgan (2016-2019).<\/em><\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile has-white-background-color has-background\" style=\"grid-template-columns:40% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/act\/rainbow-warrior-auckland-new-zealand\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2023\/07\/69eeb836-gp0stp7vd_web_size.jpg\" alt=\"\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1600px) calc((1320px - 24px) \/ 2.5),(min-width: 1200px) calc((1140px - 24px) \/ 2.5),(min-width: 992px) calc((960px - 24px) \/ 2.5),(min-width: 768px) calc((720px - 24px) \/ 2.5),(min-width: 601px) calc((540px - 24px) \/ 2.5),(min-width: 577px) calc((540px - 24px) \/ 1), calc(100vw - 24px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2023\/07\/69eeb836-gp0stp7vd_web_size.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2023\/07\/69eeb836-gp0stp7vd_web_size-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2023\/07\/69eeb836-gp0stp7vd_web_size-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2023\/07\/69eeb836-gp0stp7vd_web_size-510x340.jpg 510w\" class=\"wp-image-60443 size-full\"\/><\/a><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-get-on-board-auckland-open-days\">Get on board &#8211; Auckland Open Days<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Rainbow Warrior is now back in Auckland and we will be open to the public for free tours on the weekends of 12th \u2013 13th and 19th \u2013 20th July.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019d love to have you on board!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-cta\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/act\/rainbow-warrior-auckland-new-zealand\/\">Find out more<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is the story behind \u201cOperation Exodus\u201d &#8211; a ship called Rainbow Warrior and an island community, versus a huge colonial power that discredited the act as \u201cmanipulation\u201d for Greenpeace\u2019s anti-nuclear agenda.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":70747,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_planet4_optimize_post_is_variant":false,"_planet4_optimize_experiment_name":"","_planet4_optimize_variant_name":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"p4_og_title":"","p4_og_description":"","p4_og_image":"","p4_og_image_id":"","p4_seo_canonical_url":"","p4_campaign_name":"","p4_local_project":"","p4_basket_name":"","p4_department":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[28,114],"p4-page-type":[6],"class_list":["post-70746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-greenpeace","tag-rainbow-warrior","tag-nuclear","p4-page-type-story"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.8 (Yoast SEO v26.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A defining moment in history: 40 years ago, the Marshall 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