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April 11, 2019 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Nuʻupia Pond

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.

The ponds are generally referred as Nuʻupia Ponds and 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 Molokai 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.

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This circa 1940 shows Nuupia Ponds and the Naval Air Station at the bottom left. USMC photo.
This circa 1940 shows Nuupia Ponds and the Naval Air Station at the bottom left. USMC photo.
Mokapu_USGS_Quadrangle-Mokapu-Kailua-1928-(portion)
Mokapu_USGS_Quadrangle-Mokapu-Kailua-1928-(portion)
Mokapu-(Kailua_Side)-UH-Manoa-2444-1952
Mokapu-(Kailua_Side)-UH-Manoa-2444-1952
Mokapu_Peninsula_and_Kaneohe_Bay
Mokapu_Peninsula_and_Kaneohe_Bay
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Marine-Mud_Ops
Marine_Mud_Ops
Marine_Mud_Ops

Filed Under: Hawaiian Traditions, Place Names Tagged With: Fishpond, Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Marines, MCBH, Mokapu, Nuupia Pond

April 6, 2019 by Peter T Young Leave a Comment

Giggle Hill

The “Fighting Fourth” was home-based at Camp Maui (aka “Giggle Hill”) during WWII operations in the Pacific. Camp Maui in Ha‘ikū (housing 20,000 Marines) was the main base of the 4th Marine Division.

It is said it was nicknamed “Giggle Hill” because American soldiers training there would bring their girls here to “neck”. At night, you could sometimes hear the giggles of young women.

At the outbreak of WWII, the Army rented 1,600 acres from various landowners in the Ha‘ikū area. The principal owners were: Hawaiian Pineapple Co. (490 acres,) Maui Agricultural Co. (397 acres) and the Copp Estate (220 acres). Thirteen different owners accounted for the remaining 493 acres. The rental for the site was $15,000 per year, prorated among the owners.

Buildings went up for offices, tents for living quarters; mess halls were constructed and roads carved out. Post Exchanges opened up; movie screens and stages were built and baseball diamonds were laid out.

The terrain and beaches of Maui provided excellent and rugged training ground. All the Division’s amphibious maneuvers for the Marianas and Iwo Jima operations were held off Ma‘alaea Bay. Haleakalā became a course with 13-mile hikes through its crater.

A total of 47 training areas, many of them belonging to the Army, were available to the Division. Six areas, consisting of gulches and rough terrain, near the camp, were used for non-tactical maneuvering.

On the outskirts of camp, a demolitions area, a live-grenade course, a pistol range and machine-gun range were set up. Five miles east of camp, in a gulch opening into the sea, was the Division’s bazooka area, and along the coast, east of camp for about ten miles, were combat firing ranges which permitted the maneuvering and firing of tanks and halftracks in coordination with the infantry.

The Division’s 100-target rifle range at Opana Point was also located in this area. Another area in the vicinity was used to train motor transport drivers in the movement of troops and supplies under both day and night conditions of combat.

The Ma‘alaea Bay area furnished an antitank moving-target range, a close-combat range, and a 20-point rifle range. The beach at Ma‘alaea Bay was fortified with pillboxes and emplacements modeled after the Tarawa Beach.

In addition to all this, there was a mortar and artillery impact area, a seacoast artillery range and an antiaircraft firing area. Inland were two artillery positions and maneuver areas. In the center of the island, near the Pu‘unene Air Station, were, the Division’s tank maneuver areas.

Maui was involved in the war effort as a staging center, training base and for rest and relaxation. At the 1943-44 peak, the number of troops stationed on Maui exceeded 100,000.

The 4th Marines were involved with four major battles: Kwajalein (Roi-Namur,) Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima, suffering more than 17,000 casualties.

Kwajalein (Roi-Namur) – In one historic week, from January 29 to February 4, 1944, the 4th Marine Division set three new records: it became the first division to go directly into combat from the US.

It was first to capture Japanese-mandated territory in the Pacific; and it secured its objective in a shorter time than that of any other important operation since the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Camp Maui was first occupied by the 4th Marine Division in late-February 1944 after the Roi-Namur operation in Kwahalein (Marshall Islands.)

Saipan – The 4th Marine Division landed on Saipan June 15, 1944. The severity of this battle was indicated by the 2,000 casualties suffered in the first two days of battle. The Flag was raised on Saipan after 25 grueling and bitter days of combat.

The Division sustained 5,981 casualties killed, wounded and missing (27.6 percent of the Division’s strength.) The Japanese count was 23,811 known dead and 1,810 prisoners were taken.

Tinian – The 4th Marine Division landed on Tinian 24 July 1944. The island was defended by 9000 plus Japanese troops. This battle lasted nine days. The land assault on Tinian had cost the Division 290 men killed, 1,515 wounded and 24 missing in action.

Approximately 9,000 Japanese troops were dead and 250 prisoners taken. In recognition of its work on Saipan and Tinian, the Fourth Division was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation.

The Division arrived back on Maui from the Saipan-Tinian operations in late-August 1944.

Iwo Jima – The Japanese troops on Iwo Jima numbered 23,000. The first wave of Marines hit the beach the morning of February 19, 1945.

By the end of the second day casualties totaled 2,011. On March 16th, 26 days after the first troops landed, Iwo Jima was declared secured – the greatest battle in Marine Corps history was over.

After the battle of Iwo Jima, the Division arrived back on Maui in early-April 1945.

On July 4, 1945, a parade was held on the Camp Maui airstrip, at which time 714 men of the Division were decorated. The Divisions was awarded two Presidential Unit Citations and a Navy Unit Commendation. Twelve men from the Fourth Marines were awarded the Medal of Honor for “conspicuous gallantry.”

The 4th Marine Division was deactivated November 28, 1945. In April 1946, the Camp Maui land was returned to the owners.

Today, the grounds are now a public park named “Kalapukua Playground” (“magical playground”;) Giggle Hill has a large children’s playground. The centerpiece of the park is the memorial to the Fourth Marine Division.

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Camp_Maui-Tent_formation-(JimPhillips)
Camp_Maui-Tent_formation-(JimPhillips)
Mortarmen of A-1-24, April 1944
Mortarmen of A-1-24, April 1944
Camp_Maui-tents-Marine
Camp_Maui-tents-Marine
Marines of A-1-24 at Camp Maui, 1944
Marines of A-1-24 at Camp Maui, 1944
Able Company's mess tent, Camp Maui. Spring 1944.
Able Company’s mess tent, Camp Maui. Spring 1944.
Camp_Maui
Camp_Maui
A bazooka team on maneuvers with a camouflage-painted M4 Sherman tank
A bazooka team on maneuvers with a camouflage-painted M4 Sherman tank
View of the eastern portion of Camp Maui. The 23rd Marines inhabited these tents-(BenBradshaw)
View of the eastern portion of Camp Maui. The 23rd Marines inhabited these tents-(BenBradshaw)
Camp_Maui-(Maui Historical Society-NOAA)
Camp_Maui-(Maui Historical Society-NOAA)
NAS Pu`unēnē looking westward, Maalaea Bay-(Maui Historical Society-NOAA)
NAS Pu`unēnē looking westward, Maalaea Bay-(Maui Historical Society-NOAA)
NAS Pu`unēnē
NAS Pu`unēnē
Camp_Maui-Aerial-(JoeRichard)
Camp_Maui-Aerial-(JoeRichard)
4th_Marine_Division_Plaque
4th_Marine_Division_Plaque
4th-Marine-Division-Giggle-Hill-Park-Haiku-Maui
4th-Marine-Division-Giggle-Hill-Park-Haiku-Maui

Filed Under: Military Tagged With: Camp Maui, Giggle Hill, Hawaii, Marines, Maui, WWII

March 18, 2019 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Bob Crosby

Born George Robert Crosby in Spokane, Washington, on August. 25, 1913, he was the youngest of seven children: five boys, Larry, Everett, Ted, Harry and Bob; and two girls, Catherine and Mary Rose.

His parents were English-American bookkeeper Harry Lowe Crosby and Irish-American Catherine Harrigan, the daughter of a builder from County Mayo in Ireland.

Bob Crosby’s roller-coaster career began, like his brother’s when he came out of Gonzaga University in show business. With his big brother Bing’s (Harry) urging, he started with bandleader Anson Weeks.

“Bob’s big chance came about when established bandleader Ben Pollack began devoting more energy to romancing and building the career of his singer Doris Robbins, than to his orchestra.”

The band broke up and eventually they thought Bob – young, pleasant and connected – the most promising. The job called for him to stand out front, smile, sing and make introductions. (Gaddins)

“This, of course, can either be the makings of the younger brother, or perhaps complete anhilization of the younger crooner’s career.” (Crosby; Gaddins)

“But the idea worked like a charm. Fans came to gawk at the new Cosby and stayed to enjoy his cordial demeanor and swinging band … though Bob felt they never accepted him as his own man. ‘They wanted to see what Bing’s kid brother looked like.’” (Gaddins)

“Best known as the easygoing front man for Bob Crosby’s Bobcats, a rollicking octet that was the cornerstone of a larger Dixieland band, Crosby sought during his career to distinguish himself from his older brother.”

“While Bing Crosby made a fortune crooning, for example, Bob rarely sang and once described himself in self-deprecating humor as ‘the only guy in the business who made it without talent.’” (LA Times)

Crosby led big bands from 1935 to 1942, starting the Bob Cats, an eight-piece band-within-the-band, during that time. He sang but did not play an instrument. His bands were known for swing and Dixieland sounds.

When World War II began, the band broke up; Crosby joined the Marines. Lt. Bob Crosby and other Marines in his band put on shows in Hawaii that were seen as morale boosters.

The Marine Corps organized a 5th Marine Division Show for a tour of a Pacific bases in the war zone Crosby spent 18-months with the Marines, touring with bands throughout the Pacific. (NY Times)

“They would respond to anything,” Marine corporal Max Berg (and comedian/impersonator who traveled with Crosby). “We all just got so much back from the crowds. They were so happy to have people come out there and play to them.”

“We went to islands where they wouldn’t let the regulars go, half-occupied by Japanese. They were not even secure. We had to be careful we didn’t get knocked off by snipers.”

At the tour’s end, arriving at Honolulu, the entertainers discovered that their unit shipped out without them. “We were all sad we couldn’t go but it was too late,” Berg recalls.

The 5th Marine Division was off to invade one of Japan’s last island bastions in the Pacific, heavily fortified Iwo Jima. It proves to be one of America’s costliest victories of the war. Navy corpsmen are in vital demand.

“We had four Navy corpsmen they took,” Berg says. “They flew them out special, and within (a few) weeks they were dead. I lost so many of my buddies in my division. I don’t like to think about it. I wouldn’t be here talking to you. I always wondered why did I get to come back, when so many other people lost their lives?” (Berg)

For a time Crosby appeared in such films as the 1944 “The Singing Sheriff,” before joining the U.S. Marines, where he served with distinction, leading a service band in the Pacific.

After the war, he worked mainly as a daytime radio host, moving in the 1950s to daytime television. He headlined an Australian nighttime talk show, tried the car-rental business in Hawaii. (LA Times) “I went into the car rental business in Hawaii, managed to lose $75,000 and go broke in eight months.” (Crosby)

Crosby enjoyed popularity as a daytime radio entertainer for several years. But he was unable to attract a nighttime sponsor and retired to Hawai‘i where he took occasional assignments as a disc jockey. (UPI)

On heading back to Las Vegas, Crosby to the Commanding Officer of the USS Providence, “Have to go to hell so I can afford to live in paradise” [Hawaii]. (Crosby)

But Crosby’s career was often overshadowed by his older brother’s and he readily acknowledged that he had no special talent. His warm personality and natural flair for leadership, however, helped him attract excellent musicians. (UPI) Bob Crosby was inducted to the Walk of Fame on February 8, 1960 with 2 stars (television & radio). He died March 3, 1993.

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Bob_Crosby-band
Bob_Crosby-band
Bob_Crosby_1953
Bob_Crosby_1953
Bob_Crosby-children
Bob_Crosby-children
Al Caiola, Bob Crosby and Tubby Oliver
Al Caiola, Bob Crosby and Tubby Oliver
Lt. Bob Crosby signs autographs while visiting with patients
Lt. Bob Crosby signs autographs while visiting with patients

Filed Under: Economy, Military, Prominent People Tagged With: Bob Crosby, Hawaii, Marines

March 16, 2019 by Peter T Young 1 Comment

Camp Tarawa

Camp Tarawa trained over 50,000 servicemen between 1942 and 1945.

Originally an Army camp named Camp Waimea, when the population in town was about 400, it became the largest Marine training facility in the Pacific following the battle of Tarawa.

There were three ways to get to Camp Tarawa – by narrow-gage sugarcane freight train; by hard-axle truck or on foot.

Many arrived to sleep outdoors on rough lava beds until Seabee construction could catch up with the surge – all were appreciative of the shelter and the respite from war.

Pyramid tent cities and streets of long convoys of jeeps, trucks, half-tracks, tanks, artillery, amphibious ducks made up the formidable, but top secret, Camp Tarawa.

The town warmly received the Marines who:
• Bought all the goods from the farmers and storekeepers
• Brought in Bob Crosby’s (Bing’s brother) Band
• Set up outdoor movie theaters
• Played baseball with the locals
• Ate Thanksgiving dinner in Kohala homes
• Conducted live fire training

Marines and Sailors trained for what has been referred to as the toughest marine offensive of WWII.

1300 miles northeast of Guadalcanal, the Japanese had constructed a centralized stronghold force in a 20-island group called Tarawa.

RADM Shibasaki, the Japanese commander there, proclaimed, “a million men cannot take Tarawa in a hundred years.” Ultimately, the objective took 9,000 marines only four days – but not without a staggering 37% casualties.

The victories at Tarawa, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands marked a turning point in the war. The Marines would reconstitute at the Camp Tarawa camp site.

At Iwo Jima, Lt General Kuribayashi, Japanese ground forces commander, concentrated his forces in the northern two-thirds of the island. The miles of interlocking caves, concrete blockhouses and pillboxes proved to be one of the most impenetrable defenses in the Pacific.

While the 4th Marine Division defeated heavy opposition to take a Japanese strong-point called the quarry, the 28th Marines of 5th Marine Division seized Mount Suribachi.

The 36-day assault on Iwo Jima cost America more than 26,000 casualties, including 6,800 dead. Of the 20,000 Japanese defenders, only 1,083 survived.

Twenty-seven Medals of Honor were awarded to Marines and Sailors, many posthumously – more than for any other single operation during the war.

The camp closed in November 1945 as 5th Marine Division was transferred to Japan for occupation. The Army took over the camp and auctioned off the remaining assets.

Camp Tarawa memorial was erected on July 3rd 1984 – the large rock is symbolic of Mt Suribachi on Iwo Jima; the brass plaque is made from shell casings. The memorial has three panels.

The left panel is dedicated to 2nd Marine Division for the battle of Tarawa and their training here until they departed for Saipan and Tinian.

The center panel honors Richard Smart, Parker Ranch, the community of Waimea and the Big Island.

The right panel commemorates 5th Marine Division through the battle of Iwo Jima and occupation of Japan.

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Tarawa-waimeagazette-Mar95
Tarawa-waimeagazette-Mar95
Camp_Tarawa-tents
Camp_Tarawa-tents
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CampTarawa-waimeagazette-Mar95
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Tarawa7-waimeagazette-Mar95
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CampTarawa4-waimeagazette-Mar95
CampTarawa3-waimeagazette-Mar95
CampTarawa3-waimeagazette-Mar95
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Camp_Tarawa3
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camp_tarawa_baseball
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Tarawa-graves
Tarawa_Atoll_Map
Tarawa_Atoll_Map
Gilbert_Island-Tarawa_Atoll_Map
Gilbert_Island-Tarawa_Atoll_Map
Mt. Suribachi, the most prominent geological feature on the island of Iwo Jima
Mt. Suribachi, the most prominent geological feature on the island of Iwo Jima
Mt. Suribachi
Mt. Suribachi
Tarawa_Atoll-Bititu_Island-Map
Tarawa_Atoll-Bititu_Island-Map
Tarawa_Regional_Map
Tarawa_Regional_Map
Iwo Jima map
Iwo Jima map
Parker_Ranch_and_Camp_Tarawa
Parker_Ranch_and_Camp_Tarawa
Marines and Navy Corpsman from Easy Company 2nd Battalion 28th Marines after raising the flags on Mt. Suribachi-Iwo Jima February 23, 1945
Marines and Navy Corpsman from Easy Company 2nd Battalion 28th Marines after raising the flags on Mt. Suribachi-Iwo Jima February 23, 1945
Iwo Jima Memorial
Iwo Jima Memorial
CampTarawa-waimeagazette-Feb95
CampTarawa-waimeagazette-Feb95
Camp_Tarawa_Memorial
Camp_Tarawa_Memorial
Battle of Tarawa Memorial
Battle of Tarawa Memorial

Filed Under: Military Tagged With: Camp Tarawa, Hawaii, Iwo Jima, Kamuela, Marines, Tarawa, Waimea

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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Camp Smith - flag

Filed Under: Military Tagged With: Camp Smith, Cross, Hawaii, Marines

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