Johnston Atoll — Bob Payne Has Been There

Johnston Atoll

An occasional site for atomic testing and long the depository of many of America’s chemical weapons of mass destruction, Johnston Atoll, or Johnston Island,  is a little-known speck of U.S. territory 860 very empty miles west of Hawaii. Travel writing veteran Bob Payne visited in 1997 during a stop-over on Continental Airlines’ island-hopping route across the Western Pacific. The stop-over was unscheduled, the result of an engine problem, and most of the passengers seemed more than usually relieved when the problem was resolved and they could depart the island. Although abandoned now,  Johnston Atoll was then inhabited by a community of about 1,100 military and civilian personnel whose fashion accessories included gas masks, one always ready at the belt.

Bob Payne is the Pacific Affairs Editor for BobCarriesOn.com, a travel blog featuring Payne’s sometimes (up to 34% in some polls)  humorous travel writing.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — Wikipedia photo.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Simple Share Buttons