Comments on: Johnston Atoll

Johnston Atoll

thedailygrowl — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 21:55:29 -0800

Your Very Own Nuclear Island Getaway Johnston Atoll, described by J. Maarten Troost in his book The Sex Lives of Cannibals as the "vilest place on earth" is for sale.

By: killdevil

killdevil — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 22:01:39 -0800

See also: Johnston Atoll Memories - pics and other stuff Aloha From Johnston Atoll - reminiscences and pictures from a civvie contractor who left in 2004

By: dougb

dougb — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 22:23:12 -0800

Here's the closest you can get to it on Google Maps

By: rob511

rob511 — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 22:38:03 -0800

Let's all move there, install as benevolent figureheads MetaMatt & MetaJess, wear the lavalava, dance the lambada, drink the piña colada ... and rename it Meta Motu.

By: sbutler

sbutler — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 22:38:32 -0800

I've always wanted my own island(s). I had hoped though that they'd be a little further above sea level.

By: stbalbach

stbalbach — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 22:39:17 -0800

The "Bunker Cities" link found at the bottom of the first FPP link starts a crescendo of further links.

By: thirteenkiller

thirteenkiller — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 23:03:00 -0800

This seems like a good place for a Bond villain.

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 23:21:47 -0800

They're talking of closing Guantanamo Bay, and yet at the same time they're trying to sell this place? Something tells me that the left & right hands of the US military don't chat much.

By: Clamwacker

Clamwacker — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 01:57:09 -0800

I'm feeling like I just got Steve Diamond in trouble by clicking that last link.

By: psmealey

psmealey — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 03:24:42 -0800

A yellow "X" was painted across the inactivated runway and a Hawaii Air National Guard C-130 transported the last remaining personnel to Hickam AFB. Today, only the birds remain. Yes, but they're mutant, flesh-eating birds that shoot VX gas out of their EYES.

By: 13twelve

13twelve — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 03:26:53 -0800

Looking at pictures of the place on these pages make me sorta go "that place looked pretty cool - sorta a shame they've torn all the buildings down" surely it would have been more valuable with those buildings intact?

By: xthlc

xthlc — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 04:44:16 -0800

Looks like the wildlife refuge has a pretty nice variety of species. Within the shelter of the reef, there's probably some great open-water diving to be done. But then, you'd have to fly at least 700 miles for it.

By: inthe80s

inthe80s — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 06:25:41 -0800

surely it would have been more valuable with those buildings intact? I would have thought so too, until you read about them spraying down the remains of buildings to keep the abestoes in check. still looks like it could be lovely if someone wanted to finish the cleanup work to make it safer.

By: Floydd

Floydd — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 07:27:49 -0800

What with all the nasty chemicals I'm afraid you'd have No Johnson Atoll.

By: nekton

nekton — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 07:34:34 -0800

One of the professors (ichthyology) in my graduate program did most of his research at Johnston Atoll. He studied reef shark behavior. Within the shelter of the reef, there's probably some great open-water diving to be done. Apparently the reefs are in excellent shape, both physically and biologically.

By: brain_drain

brain_drain — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 09:20:18 -0800

Nice one, Floydd.

By: jimmythefish

jimmythefish — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 09:22:29 -0800

As new owner of Johnstone Atoll, my first order of business is to rename it Don Johnson Atoll. Then: build a mountain lair, and sharks with frickin' lazer beams.

By: jimmythefish

jimmythefish — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 09:25:36 -0800

oh geez...johnston and laser.

By: Megafly

Megafly — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 10:37:03 -0800

Imagine it, the Brangelina memorial celebrity birthing center!!

By: mk1gti

mk1gti — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 10:59:31 -0800

I had a friend who worked there some years back, she said the only entertainment was drinking, screwing and working out in the gym. Oh, and playing with the sharks. Lots of scuba diving opportunities available.

By: CCK

CCK — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 11:29:00 -0800

mk1gti, was she hot? Not that it matters much she was probably one of the few women there.

By: Afroblanco

Afroblanco — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 11:51:22 -0800

Reading about all the times that "tests failed... rockets exploded intentionally.... radiation rained down..." I can't help but wonder what happened to all the soldiers there and how many were contaminated by the radiation. Anyone else who saw this documentary will know what I'm talking about.

By: gminks

gminks — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 11:56:52 -0800

My dad was there for a year 68 -69. He says the fish were the most amazing colors. Although, he had no idea about the testing that happened in 62 until I showed him the links when I first saw the island was up for sale. No wonder the fish were such amazing colors!

By: cenoxo

cenoxo — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 12:17:32 -0800

During Operation Dominic, 36 aerial nuclear bursts were conducted from April to November 1962 (test details here.) Several nuclear-tipped missile tests (Bluegill, Starfish*, Bluegill Prime, and Bluegill Double Prime) failed and were blown up in flight or exploded on the launch pad, scattering nuclear materials over the island and the surrounding ocean. *The second Starfish test, Starfish Prime, was a high-altitude burst that produced unusual visual effects and an EMP over thousands of square miles:

Starfish Prime was successful. The Thor missile carried the test instrumentation and the W-49 warhead/Mk-4 RV payload to 248 miles. The test appeared quite spectacular from Hawaii (800 miles away) and at Kwajalein (1600 miles away), with impressive light displays from an artificial aurora lasting up to seven minutes. The electromagnetic pulse (EMP) from this test sent power line surges throughout Oahu, knocking out street lighting, blowing fuzes and circuit breakers, and triggering burglar alarms.

EMP effects remain controversial, however.