(14 Nov. 86) We arrived on Gellinam in a driving rainstorm. This is a narrow strip of land with almost no trees. Not much to look at. I can see Omelek in the distance south of here. Robert Aiaj is the constable. Our security office is on one side of a concrete block building used to house electrical equipment. We are on the southern end of Gellinam, far right, only a few feet from the pounding surf. The entrance to the structure was covered with several inches of water. On one wall of our room is a sign with an arrow in black pointing to several rivulets of water flowing from the ceiling. The sign reads: Gellinam Rapids. When it rains it pours.
1400 – During a brief interlude between raindrops I took a little excursion oceanside. A row of boulders line up parallel to the island. Stacked some ten feet high on the outer edge of the sandy beach, this coral fence provides the only protection this low, deforested island has from powerful Pacific storms.
I took the October 24th edition of the Marshall Islands Journal, the paper of record in the islands, out of my bag to see what I had missed. I knew that the Marshall Islands and the U.S. had agreed to a new political relationship. Constable Loeak told me last month that they were now a republic, in free association with the U.S. I was surprised at his matter of fact announcement. His country had won a significant amount of independence for the first time in several hundred years and he seemed about as excited as if he were giving the weather report.
The newspaper confirmed that “…the Compact of Free Association is now governing relations between the Marshall Islands and the United States.” After a low key celebration by Marshallese leaders, President Amata Kabua gave a televised speech in which he declared: “As of today, the Marshall Islands is no longer part of the Trust Territory. The Marshall Islands is no longer a Trusteeship of the United Nations. The Marshall Islands has been recognized as a sovereign and self-governing nation.”
I discovered that the Marshallese do have sovereignty over their nation but the U.S. has veto power over any agreements made with other nations. We will continue to defend their country and they will use our postal service. And, of course, we will help them financially.
A note from Kwajalein Island: I watched a women’s softball team from Ebeye working out on Kwaj a few weeks back. These gals are amazing – very feminine but also with a high degree of athletic skill. In addition to good glove work, they are hard throwers and excellent hitters.
One petite lady in particular held my attention. Wearing flip flops and a loose pink dress, she stood relaxed at the plate and hammered the ball hard to the outfield with solid line drives and deep fly balls. She swung the bat as well as any male I’ve ever seen.
Filed under: Almost Paradise Volume 1
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