Marines | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

December 1, 2015 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Ecumenical Memorial

It ‘became conspicuous by its absence.’

“It’s like a beacon of peace. When it’s on everything is tranquil … It’s a glimmer of hope for a better tomorrow.”

“The word ‘cross’ means something different to different people. To an engineer it may mean an intersection on a blueprint for a superhighway. To a child it may denote the property of addition in a mathematics problem.”

“But to the residents of Hālawa Heights living and growing in a world seemingly entombed in a constant struggle for survival, the cross holds a very special meaning.”

“Each night one such cross shines like the stars in the heavens above Hālawa Heights, and that means a lot to residents from the surrounding Camp HM Smith community. Not even a cloudy sky can shroud its luminous neon tubes from the view of passing motorists, residents and the curious.”

“The reason for the construction and practice of lighting the cross, according to Clark, started with the annual ecumenical Easter sunrise service held April 1962.”

“’As far as I know this was the first military Easter sunrise service conducted on the island. The cross remained lighted all night long through the two-Week Easter season following the sunrise service. It was the responsibility of the duty Maintenance man here to ensure that, the cross’ lights were turned on each evening,’ Clark stressed.” (Hawaii Marine, April 13, 1979)

“But sometimes they forgot, and that’s when, according to Clark. The phone at maintenance started ringing. ‘People wanted to know,’ said Clark, ‘what happened to the cross? Why isn’t it on? Even ships at sea sailing in to Pearl Harbor have called when the cross wasn’t lighted. It’s like a beacon of peace. When it’s on everything is tranquil,’ says Clark.”

“The cross, soaring 65 feet in the air, evoked such a favorable response from the local Community as Clark has pointed out, that It was decided to light the cross each evening. Since its construction the cross has become as much a landmark as a symbol of religious significance.”

“In the fall of 1969 the lights began to flicker on the cross.”

“Lieutenant General HW Buse, then commanding general, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, (FMFPac) directed that the cross only be lighted during the Christmas and Easter seasons. His actions were a result of objections raised by an individual that the cross was in violation of the constitutional principle which calls for separation of church and state.”

“Within a few months that claim ignited a fuse among local residents and they took their case to U.S. Senator Hiram L. Fong.”

“In one letter to the senator, a citizen stated, ‘Indeed it has become something of a compensation for we residents living in the vicinity of Camp H.M. Smith, who have become the victims of an industrial complex, dynamiting and desecrating the beautiful mountains, foliage and trees, of Hawaii.’ Meanwhile the lighted cross at Camp H.M. Smith became conspicuous by its absence.”

“’Since the beginning of the year we permanent, tax-paying residents have been deprived of our right to enjoy the landmark around which we’ve built our homes and our hopes.’”

“Obviously, the pull-of-the-plug on a landmark that served faithfully as a source of hope for many, angered the local community. But, with the exception of Christmas and Easter, the cross remained dark for the next two years.”

“It was March 26, 1972 when the cross was relighted as an expression of concern for all American prisoners-of-war, and those missing-in-action in Southeast Asia by Lieutenant General William K. Jones, then commanding general, FMFPac.”

However, “On orders from the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the need to conserve energy unfortunately included discontinuing the use of outdoor lighting which was not required at Camp Smith for their combat mission, security or safety purposes. So the cross again fell prey to another crisis.”

“As in the past when the cross was turned off, the FMFPac commander received letters and queries from local residents to find out why the action was taken.”

“Marine Corps policy at that time was to illuminate the cross during Christmas and Easter, at least until the energy crunch subsided. Eventually the energy problem did ease, and the cross was relighted each night.”

“It’s a symbol toward which they have placed their faith. To the people of Hālawa Heights the Camp Smith cross is more than just a light atop Bordelon Field. It’s a glimmer of hope for a better tomorrow.” (Hawaii Marine, April 13, 1979)

“The American Civil Liberties Union and 15 individuals of various religious faiths have filed suit in Federal District Court seeking to force the Marine Corps to remove a huge cross from the military base here.” (NY Times, September 29, 1988)

“General Kelley referred to the towering cross as an ‘ecumenical memorial’’ to the marines and sailors who had died in the Vietnam War, adding that he intended the huge cross to remain in place as a ‘’nonsectarian symbol of our national resolve to obtain a full accounting of American servicemen still missing or unaccounted for in Southeast Asia.’” (NY Times, September 29, 1988)

“On Aug. 30 (1988,) Judge Thomas F Hogan of the US District Court, District of Columbia, directed that the cross be removed, although allowing a 60-day delay to appeal.”

“The decision was not appealed; however, the Marine Corps was granted a delay in execution of the judgement to permit the concurrent removal of the cross and dedication of the replacement marker and flagpole.” (Hawaii Marine, December 1, 1988)

The Camp Smith Cross was taken down on December 1, 1988 and replaced by a pedestal and a plaque. An 80-foot flagpole flies a 20-by-38-foot American flag.

Click HERE for a link to a prior summary on Camp Smith.

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February 9, 2015 by Peter T Young 2 Comments

Camp Very

“The Hawaiian Islands are to be created into a military department headquarters as soon as the new plans of the war department are carried into effect for the concentration of troops in the city of Honolulu.”

“(T)he District of Hawaiʻi is to have twelve thousand men stationed on the Island of Oʻahu and with a third of that number of troops here Hawaiʻi would have a right to the designation of a department headquarters.” (Hawaiian Gazette, May 23, 1911)

After Hawaiʻi became a territory of the United States, the first Naval Station in the islands was established in 1899 at Honolulu Harbor, as there were no facilities and no navigable channel at Pearl Harbor.

The property was transferred to the US by the Republic of Hawaiʻi under the joint resolution of annexation and, to protect the mouth of Honolulu Harbor, the US Army filled a submerged coral reef on the ‘Ewa side of Kaʻākaukukui for a gun emplacement.

The first permanent Marines arrived at Honolulu on board the Army transport Sheridan on February 9, 1904. For four years, the Marines lived in an empty coal shed at the Honolulu Naval Station. (PACNAVFACENGCOM)

In January 1905, President Teddy Roosevelt instructed Secretary of War William H Taft to convene the National Coast Defense Board (Taft Board) “to consider and report upon the coast defenses of the United States and the insular possessions (including Hawai‘i.)”

In 1906 the Taft Board recommended a system of Coast Artillery batteries to protect Pearl Harbor and Honolulu. Between 1909-1921, the Hawaiian Coast Artillery Command had its headquarters at Fort Ruger and defenses included artillery regiments stationed at Fort Armstrong, Fort Barrette, Fort DeRussy, Diamond Head, Fort Kamehameha, Kuwa‘aohe Military Reservation (Fort Hase – later known as Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi) and Fort Weaver.

Fort Armstrong, built in 1907, was named for Brigadier General Samuel C Armstrong. His father, Reverend Richard Armstrong (1805-1860,) had arrived in Hawaiʻi in 1832 and later replaced Hiram Bingham as pastor at Kawaiahaʻo Church (1840-1843.) In 1848, Armstrong (the father) left the mission and became Hawaiʻi’s minister of public education.

From 1908 until about 1913, the Marines lived in tents at nearby Camp Very (named in honor of Captain Samuel W Very, Commandant of the Naval Station) “a site which was later known as Fort Armstrong”. (PACNAVFACENGCOM)

The complement of Marines in Hawaiʻi comprised some 2,000-men who are distributed between Honolulu and Pearl Harbor.

Training facilities at Camp Very included a small-arms practice range consisting of 6 targets with the ranges from 200 to 500-yards, and at the Army ranges. (Navy Department, 1913)

“The sea-soldiers are well taken care of, they have their own rending and billiard rooms and at the post exchange, formerly called the canteen, they can buy almost anything the heart of man could wish.” (Evening Bulletin, May 6, 1911)

The original garrison at Fort Armstrong was the 1st Coast Artillery Company, followed by the 104th Mine Co. operating the harbor mines. Also stationed there was the 185th Coast Artillery Company.

In 1914, temporary barracks were built – wooden structures that were continually occupied since January, 1914. Buildings are constructed of 1 x 12 rough boards, with tar-paper roofs.

The facility later had a barracks, 4 officers’ quarters, 3 noncommissioned officers’ quarters, administration building and post exchange, guardhouse, fire apparatus house, quartermaster storehouse, gymnasium and related infrastructure; the standard strength was 109 men.

Battery Tiernon at Fort Armstrong was armed with two pedestal mounted 3-inch Guns from 1911 to 1943.

The Army mission in Hawaiʻi was defined in 1920 as “the defense of Pearl Harbor Naval Base against damage from naval or aerial bombardment or by enemy sympathizers and attack by enemy expeditionary force or forces, supported or unsupported by an enemy fleet or fleets.”

Fort Armstrong continued under the Coast Artillery program until September 15, 1922. It was reserved for military purposes by a series of Executive Orders in 1930 and was described as the Fort Armstrong Military Reservation.

The present seawall was constructed 500-feet out from the original shoreline in 1948, and the area was backfilled. The Army Corps of Engineers took over the post in 1949. Kakaʻako Park was created over the landfill area.

On December 13, 1951, because the site was no longer needed by the military and was needed by the Territory of Hawaiʻi for harbor improvements, President Truman transferred the land to the Territory of Hawaiʻi.

The image shows the tents the Marines were housed in at Camp Very in 1910. In addition, I have added other images and maps of this area in a folder of like name in the Photos section on my Facebook page.

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September 26, 2013 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi

The US military first established a presence on the Mōkapu peninsula in 1918 when President Woodrow Wilson signed an executive order establishing Fort Kuwaʻaohe Military Reservation on 322-acres on the northeast side of Mōkapu.

The Army stayed there until August 1940 when the Navy decided to acquire all of Mōkapu Peninsula to expand Naval Air Station Kāneʻohe; it included a sea plane base, it began building in September 1939 and commissioned on February 15, 1941.

Between 1939 and 1943, large sections of Kāneʻohe Bay were dredged for the dual purposes of deepening the channel for a sea plane runway and extending the western coastline of the peninsula with 280-acres of coral fill.

As of December 1941, two of five planned, steel hangars had been completed, each measuring 225-feet by 400-feet.

On Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, two waves of Japanese Imperial Navy aircraft bombed and strafed Kāneʻohe Naval Air Station, several minutes before Pearl Harbor was attacked.

Of the 36 PBY Catalina “flying boats” based here, 27 of 33 on the ground or moored in Kāneʻohe Bay were destroyed. Only three planes, out on patrol at the time of the attack, escaped and they suffered air-to-air combat damage.

Following repairs, a 5,700-foot land runway was built and 14-inch guns were brought to be set atop the edge of Ulupaʻu Crater in the seven-story deep “Battery Pennsylvania” as part of the coastal defense of Windward Oʻahu.

One of the 14-inch guns was from the USS Arizona; construction of Battery Pennsylvania was completed in August 1945. The huge gun was fired only once, in celebration, a few days before Japan’s formal surrender on V-J Day, September 2, 1945. The firing shook and, some said, “cracked” the crater.

In 1941, this reservation became known as Camp Ulupaʻu; a year later it was redesignated as Fort Hase. It was never as permanent as the Navy’s air station side of the peninsula. Historic photos show tents and wooden structures dominating the landscape, even in August 1945. After the war, Fort Hase was rapidly emptied.

After the armistice was signed aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945, thousands of military members of all services began to pass through Pearl Harbor and other military installations in Hawaiʻi, including Kāneʻohe Naval Air Station, bound for discharge on the US Mainland and return to civilian life.

On April 1, 1946, all Kāneʻohe NAS residents and workers were evacuated as nearly 25-foot waves from the Alaska tsunami washed over the peninsula, nearly covering the runway and the Fort Hase areas before rapidly receding back to the sea.

In May of 1949, Kāneʻohe Bay NAS was decommissioned and placed in a maintenance status. All property (except buildings) was transferred to NAS Barbers Point.

The Navy put Mōkapu Peninsula land up for lease, but no interested parties came forward. By June 1950, only a small security detail remained.

The following year, in 1951, the Marine Corps decided that Mōkapu Peninsula would make an excellent home for a combined air-ground team, consolidated all landholdings and, in January 1952, commissioned Marine Corps Air Station Kāneʻohe Bay.

In 1953, the base became the home of the 1st Provisional Marine Air-Ground Task Force.

In 1993, the Navy moved its “Orion” and helicopter squadrons to MCAS, Kāneʻohe Bay from NAS, Barber’s Point, which had been selected for closure under the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC)

In April 1994, the Marine Corps consolidated all of its installations in Hawaiʻi, under a single command — Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi (MCBH).

Today, MCB Hawaiʻi continues to serve as a fully functional operational and training base for US Marine Corps forces. The Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) here operates a 7,800-foot runway that can accommodate both fixed wing and rotor-driven aircraft.

Navy and Marine Corps units headquartered at MCB Hawaiʻi Kāneʻohe Bay, include air, ground and combat service support elements; non-operational tenants include a branch health care clinic; a judicial court; a commissary facility; veterinary services; and various Marine Corps schools and academies.

All US military units located in Hawaiʻi, and others within the Pacific theater, fall under the command of the US Pacific Command, which is headquartered – along with US Marine Corps Forces, Pacific – at Camp HM Smith, on Oʻahu.

The Commanding General of MARFORPAC also commands 12 Marine Corps bases and stations in Arizona, California, Hawaiʻi and Japan, and operational forces in Okinawa and Hawaiʻi, afloat on naval shipping and forward-deployed to Southwest Asia. The Commander, MCB Hawaiʻi, is responsible for all Marine Corps installations and facilities in Hawaiʻi.

The image shows Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi. In addition, I have added some other images in a folder of like name in the Photos section on my Facebook and Google+ pages.

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September 27, 2012 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Kāneʻohe Bay Airshow – 2012

The Kāneʻohe Bay Airshow at Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi will take place on September 29-30, 2012 and is free to the public.

Performances in the Air

US Navy Blue Angels

At the end of World War II, the Chief of Naval Operations, Chester W. Nimitz, ordered the formation of a flight demonstration team to keep the public interested in naval Aviation. The Blue Angels performed their first flight demonstration less than a year later in June 1946 at their home base, Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, Florida.

By the end of the 1940s, the Blue Angels were flying their jet aircraft, the Grumman F9F-2 Panther. In response to the demands placed on Naval Aviation in the Korean Conflict, the team reported to the aircraft carrier USS Princeton as the nucleus of Fighter Squadron 191 (VF-191), “Satan’s Kittens,” in 1950. Today the Blue Angels fly the Boeing F/A-18 Hornet.

Fat Albert

Transporting Blue Angels maintenance and support personnel, communication equipment and spare parts is a United States Marine Corps C-130T Hercules nicknamed, “Fat Albert Airlines.” In past Kaneohe Bay Airshows, Fat Albert has demonstrated its jet-assisted takeoff (JATO) capability which enables the plane to takeoff from as little as 1,500 feet of runway, climb at a steep 45-degree angle, and attain an altitude of 1,000 feet within 15 seconds.

Chuck Aaron

“Malibu” Chuck Aaron is the first and only civilian pilot ever to be licensed to perform helicopter aerobatics in the United States. In fact, he’s one of only a handful of pilots permitted to execute the dangerous maneuvers internationally. Chuck is also the first helicopter pilot to be presented with the Art Scholl Showmanship Award, an honor bestowed by the International Council of Air Shows to recognize the world’s most outstanding air show performers, and was inducted in 2011 to the prestigious Society of Experimental Test Pilots.

Kirby Chambliss

Kirby Chambliss is noted as one of the best aerobatic pilots in the world. A five-time winner of the U.S. National Aerobatic Championship and a former Men’s Freestyle World Champion, he’s also fast, world-class fast. Kirby is one of only two American pilots ever to win the Red Bull Air Race World Championship, an international series in which pilots push the envelope by executing aerobatic maneuvers with absolute precision while racing against the clock.

Mike Wiskus

Like many of the show pilots, Mike’s passion for aviation started when he was very young. Mike’s Dad took him to his first air show at their hometown in Iowa at the age of 10. Thirty two years later, Mike has accumulated more than 24,000 flight hours and has qualified in more than 40 aircraft. Mike keeps a very busy schedule flying for Corporate America as well as keeping a full time air show schedule from April through November.

Hank Bruckner

Hank Bruckner was always captivated by aircraft and flying. He became a flight instructor shortly before retiring from the Air Force in 1990, and began instructing, eventually starting his own flight school—Kaimana Aviation—where he currently teaches aerobatics, unusual altitude recoveries, spins and tailwheel transition training.

Clint Churchill

Clint’s flying career began 45 years ago while attending college at the University of Arizona. Upon graduating, Clint joined the Tucson Air National Guard. Two years later he completed USAF pilot training as a Distinguished Graduate. “Sensing the need to keep pulling some Gs,” as Clint puts it, he founded Acroflight, Inc. in 1996 and acquired an Extra 300L which he named Onipa’a (strong, steadfast). Clint has provided aerobatic rides to more than 500 customers and performed 24 air shows at various locations in Hawai’i. He has 4,200 flight hours, including 1,100 hours in the Extra.

Alan Miller

The son of a career Navy man, Alan Miller’s life-long passion for aviation began while growing up aboard Barbers Point Naval Air Station in Hawaiʻi. After two years of anticipation and preparation, Alan and his and crew are pleased to bring his uniquely “local style” two-part performance to Oahu for the very first time during the Kaneohe Bay Airshow in 2012.

Jacquie B

When most people turn 50, they figure it’s time to relax and settle into neutral while coasting toward retirement. Not Jacquie B! When Jacquie turned 50, she launched her solo aerobatic career with her one-of-a-kind Pitts Special biplane. Nearly ten years later, Jacquie B is still in this game, and her list of performance dates is growing. Moreover, Jacquie is a powerful inspiration to her two million fans who realize that they, too, can accomplish great things later in life.

Leap Frogs

The U.S. Navy Parachute Team, “Leap Frogs” will be free falling out of an aircraft 12,500 feet from the ground. When free falling, jumpers reach speeds of 180 miles per hour as their body straightens, similar to luge racers. Be on the lookout for the following formations: downplanes, sideplanes, dragplanes, diamonds, big stacks, tri-by-sides, and T formations.

The Flying Leathernecks

The Flying Leathernecks are a group of skydivers who share the passion for jumping. Their 10,000-ft. jump will be a patriotic exhibit including a large American flag, smoke trailers and starburst effects.

Flash Fire Jet Truck

Check out the action as the fire-breathing Flash Fire Jet Truck hits the runway in competition with planes overhead. Will it be wings or wheels that finish first? This act is sure to be a crowd pleaser for all ages, mixing all the fun and entertaining elements of a family friendly circus with a combination of extreme speed and high intensity, fire breathing excitement!

Action on the ground:

Marine Air-Ground Task Force Demonstration

Military Static Displays – Military vehicles and iarcraft

Taste of Oahu Food Booths

Xtreme Fun Children’s Carnival Rides

At ALL entry points to the air show flight line, ALL bags will be quickly inspected, and all individuals are subject to search prior to entering the air show flight line.

Please note that large bags and/or backpacks, ice chests and coolers will not be permitted. Small bags, such as purses, fanny packs, and diaper bags (8 1/2 x 11) will be permitted. It is recommended that spectators minimize the number and size of permitted items to reduce the inspection time prior to access into the flight line area.

There will be two entrance lines at each gate. One will be for people carrying bags, or other items to be inspected, and one for those with no inspection items.

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June 12, 2012 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Nuʻupia Pond – Mōkapu, Kāneʻohe

Mōkapu Peninsula was divided into three ahupua‘a – Kailua, Kāne‘ohe and He‘eia – these were extensions of the ahupua‘a across the large basin of Kāne‘ohe Bay.

The original name of the peninsula “Moku-Kapu” was derived from two Hawaiian words: “moku” (island) and “kapu” (sacred or restricted.) “Mokapu” is the contraction of “Moku Kapu” which means “Sacred or Forbidden Island.”

In ancient times, three ponds separated Mōkapu Peninsula from the rest of Kaneohe: Nuʻupia, Halekou and Kalupuhi Fishponds, they date to between 1300-1600 AD.

Prior to Polynesian settlement, the ponds were thought to be either a shallow open channel between Kāneʻohe and Kailua Bays, making Mōkapu an island, or an embayment off Kāneʻohe Bay with Mōkapu connected to Oʻahu by a thin coastal barrier dune.

In either case, the Hawaiian settlers used this shallow open water area by subdividing it into several fishponds and a salt-making area, separated by hand-built coral and rock walls.

The ponds were later subdivided by Chinese fishermen who leased the ponds to raise mullet and milkfish; over the years there were up to 18 ponds.

Some of the old dividing walls still remain their shape, but now there are eight ponds: Nuʻupia Ekahi, Nuʻupia Elua, Nuʻupia Ekolu, Nuʻupia Eha, Halekou, Heleloa, Paʻakai and Kaluapuhi.

Late-19th and early 20th-century cattle grazing over most of the Mōkapu Peninsula contributed to erosion and sedimentation, and creation of extensive mudflats.

Nuʻupia Ponds are an important site for native and migratory waterfowl, shorebirds and seabirds.

Night heron, koloa, coots, stilts, moorhen, pacific golden plovers, black noddies, great frigatebirds and a large variety of migratory shorebirds, waterbirds and seabirds all utilize the wetland area. Wedge-tailed Shearwaters use the dune areas adjacent to the wetland.

Under military use since World War II, Nuʻupia Ponds became critical stilt habitat that aided their recovery from near extinction. Habitat loss and hunting throughout Hawai’i reduced stilt numbers to about 200 birds statewide by the early-1940s.

A ban on hunting prior to World War II permitted the partial recovery of the population and a high of 128 stilts was recorded in 1948 at Nuʻupia Ponds. There was also a period in late-1957 and early-1958 when, for unknown reasons, no birds were found.

Stilt populations on Oʻahu, including those at Nuʻupia Ponds, have shown a steady increase coincident with active habitat management since the 1980s. About 10 percent of the approximately 1,500 Hawaiian stilts native to the state are found here.

Red mangrove seeds first entered in the area in the early-1970s through culverts connecting the pond complex to adjoining bays. By 1974, the mangrove trees had become a pest species. Mangroves cover intertidal soft substrate in most of the tropics, but are not native to Hawaiʻi.

Red mangroves were first introduced to Hawaiʻi from Florida in 1902 to mitigate erosion after the destruction of coastal vegetation on the island of Molokaʻi by humans and livestock.

In response to that, the Marines turned a nuisance into a training operation.

The 30-year-long Mud Ops exercise has Marine vehicles plowing a checkerboard mosaic of mud mounds surrounded by protective moats of water, providing cover from predators, controlling invasive plant growth and providing birds better access to nesting and feeding grounds.

Today, the ponds are part of the 482-acre Nuʻupia Ponds Wildlife Management Area within the Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi.

This peninsula separates Kāneʻohe Bay from Kailua Bay, and the Nuʻupia Ponds connect the peninsula to the rest of the island of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi.

The image shows the Nuʻupia Ponds in 1940 (the Marine Base facilities are at the bottom left.) In addition, I had added other pictures of the Nuʻupia Ponds and Mōkapu Peninsula in a folder of like name in the Photos section on my Facebook page.

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