First published 2024
Investigative journalist Jon Mitchell documents how US military operations have poisoned the Pacific Ocean and harmed millions of people over decades. The contamination includes plutonium, dioxin, and VX nerve agent affecting hundreds of thousands of service members, families, and local residents. Mitchell traces the pollution from post-World War II nuclear tests that destroyed entire islands and exposed Americans, Marshallese, Chamorros, and Japanese fishing crews to radioactive fallout. He examines biological weapons experiments on Okinawa and stockpiles of nuclear and chemical weapons that caused multiple accidents. The book reveals how the CIA promoted nuclear power in Japan, contributing to the 2011 Fukushima disaster. US territories like Guam, Saipan, and Johnston Island suffered severe contamination, with Johnston Island serving as a dumping ground for massive quantities of chemical weapons and Agent Orange. Mitchell shows how US authorities have conducted systematic cover-ups and attacked media coverage. The author faced military surveillance and State Department interference during his investigation. The book exposes the full scope of Pacific contamination and Pentagon efforts to hide the damage.
Genres: environment, non-fiction, military-history, investigative-journalism, activism, american-history
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: cover-up, investigative-journalism
Setting: Guam, Japan, Johnston Island, Marshall Islands, Okinawa, Pacific Ocean, Saipan, United States
Period: Post-World War II, 2011
316 pages · Paperback · Rowman & Littlefield
Content warnings: death, violence