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Pentagon's Star Wars system. Kwajalein is also an essential element in the Pacific Barrier radar system which detects and tracks orbiting satellites to be destroyed in anti-satellite warfare.
Only about 25 military personnel are stationed on Kwajalein, the other 1,500 are Americans who work for private American corporations conducting research for the U.S. Defense Department. There is a country club atmosphere with golf course, swimming pools, bowling alley, high school for their children, a library, free movies, use of boats, as well as full sports facilities. No private cars are allowed. Everyone gets around by rusty bicycles.
Only five kilometers away is Ebeye, an islet on which almost 30,000 people live in squalor. A few hundred Marshallese inhabitants used to live there . However, over the years "relatives" from all over the Marshall Islands have flooded in to cadge while they try to land one of the fabulous local jobs that pay in American money. Though the Chiefly "owner" is paid many millions of dollars annually for rent, nearly all capital work has been done by the U.S. This year the budget is due to increase from 1.6 to 5 million. Although efforts are being made to improve conditions on Ebeye the contrast between the pristine American enclave and the Marshallese one is an embarrassment.
A missile test was planned for the 12th of March. Although it would keep us in Kwajalein longer than we had planned, we were told that a missile would deliver eight war heads targeted on the lagoon. Under any other circumstances, if you were to see such a thing, you would be dead seconds later! Five of the dummy warheads will drop about 30 miles away, the other 3 will be on our doorstep ten miles away. We decided to stay for the spectacular and hope there are no glitches!
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Departure for Kosrae
We left Kwajalein's lagoon in the company of several yachts on their way to "Jebro's" sailing canoe races at Ailinglaplap, a contest with not only a nice purse, the forfeiture of all the losing canoes to the winner. The three-day southwest voyage to Kosrae, which lies at 5° 20' north latitude, began with the wind dead astern. Later we sailed into the Tropical Convergence Zone (TCZ). Every sailor hates the calms and squalls of the doldrums. We powered up the engine to steam through them. The island lay under a crown of dirty cloud when we sited it at 2:00 PM, but had cleared when we entered Lelu Harbor so the jungle clad hills and breaking surf on the entrance reef sparkled brightly in the sun.
In 1854 there were anchored here at one time, fourteen ships, mostly visiting whalers. Today the enchanting harbor is a good deal quieter. Lelu village is dominated by a huge white-washed church with a rather Spanish looking domed bell tower that occupies flat land at the foot of one hundred-meter high Mt. Poro. Small homes and other buildings straggle along the narrow fringe, almost overwhelmed by the verdant jungle foliage.
Teddy Singra, grandson of the last Chief of Kosrae made us welcome. Later we made friends with Tosie John's family who took us on an outing in the back of a truck. With our hair whipping in the wind we bounced along the seems to know each other. In the back of the truck with us
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