From the Spaces to the Holes: Ralik—ratak Remembrances of World War II
Carucci, Laurence M. (1995). "From the Spaces to the Holes: Ralik—ratak Remembrances of World War II". ISLA: A Journal of Micronesian Studies. 3 (2): 279–312. ISSN 1054-9390.
- Has attachment: File:KYUUG9SQ.pdf
Abstract: The Marshall Islands lie near the eastern fringe of the chains of islands that Europeans andAmericans refer to as Micronesia (see map in the front matter of this volume). At the beginning of World War II, Micronesia was an important part of the Nan 'yó, the South Seas empire that Japan developed after the World War I for its economic potential and asa frontier for migration (Peattie, 1988). As Japan traveled the path toward World War II, the Marshalls, along with the islands of Kiribati (formerly the Gilbert Islands), formed the outermost defensive perimeter around the home islands of Japan and Okinawa. These perimeter islands were among the first locations to be attacked when the Allies began their march along the "second road to Tokyo." Although the war eventually brought hardship and suffering to many of the residents of Micronesia, there were also many for whom the prewar buildup had meant travel, jobs, and exposure to the excitement of city life. Even though Micronesians were classified as third-class citizens of the empire, most retain positive memories of life prior to the war. The Marshall Islands most affected by Japanese war ambitions were jál-wój (Jaluit), Mile (Mili), Malo-elap (Maloelap), Wójá (Wotje), Kuwajleen (Kwajalein), and Ane-wetak (Enewetak); Májro (Majuro) and other atolls experienced less significant effects. Arno was a temporary relocation site for Islanders near the end of the war. Major battles took place on Kuwajleen andAne-wetak; the other Japanese bases in the Marshalls were bypassed, isolated, and systematically bombed between the beginning of 1944 and the end of the war. Finally, for places such as Ane-wetak and Pildnni (Bikini), the US decision to test nuclear weapons extended the experiences of exile, hunger, and some other conditions of warfare long beyond August 1945 (see Carucci, 1989)...
