The driving force behind choosing this topic was music: ska punk. Being in a band, we both wanted to do an NHD project on music, but it was difficult to find something that truly grasped our interest in our state of close-mindedness. If you look up “Operation Ivy” on Google, the first thing that pops up is the band, but of course, behind every name is a story, and Operation

Ivy, we decided, had a story that needed to be heard.

We began by doing simple research online to form our notecards as was required. It was during this research that we were able to find so many reports and manuscripts detailing, not only the tests, but also the effects. One such report was that of the Bikinians: they were wronged by the US government, and their requests dismissed. Additionally, we found documentaries from the time as well as several gruesome images of the “jellyfish babies” that were born. We also were able to find newspapers from then, when the news of the testing initially came out. The fascinating articles were powerful, raw depictions of the fear and panic that was felt by the public at the time.

We then decided to do a website due to our desire to showcase fragments of the videos, as well as the devastating detonations themselves, also because it was what we were most familiar with. Although we were unfamiliar with this new website maker, we quickly adapted in order to put something together. First, we worked on the actual format due to the lack of website themes, and then focused on organizing our information. Although the customizability was nice, it was difficult to work with, which is why we began with the more tedious task of formatting.

Our project relates to the theme due to the nature of the military operation. With it,

America was able to scientifically advance, surpassing the limits of warfare that restrained the rest of the world. The advancements made then are important to today’s warfare capabilities and the dangers that come with it. Besides the intellectual barriers that were broken, so were the rights of the Marshallese. The pursuit of knowledge that was sparked by Operation Ivy created a major human rights violation. From the vaporization of an atoll for testing, to the irradiation that created the inhabitable nature of their islands, the Marshallese were forced to suffer like they hadn’t had before. The native people were constantly being displaced, subjected to inhumane conditions and put in mortal danger, and their children were born deformed and disabled. Truly,

Operation Ivy was not just a matter of science, but of reckless endangerment and a close-minded pursuit of peace of mind.