Aloha to the Hickam Heritage Trail (part 1)

My oldest son, Andrew, is creating a "Hickam Heritage Trail" for his Eagle Scout project.   He is publishing a brochure for a family friendly walk to the base's historical sites.   He led a team of volunteers to write the directions and descriptions ... I followed with my camera.  Above is the Nellis Chapel.

It is named for Army PFC Nellis, Chaplain's Assistant, who was killed in action on December 7, 1941.

Two sites overlook the Pearl Harbor Channel - Hickam Elementary School and the Freedom Tower.

The statue of an Oahu ali'i (chief) greets students as they arrive at Hickam Elementary School.

The school librarian (left) happened to walk out of the school and joined us for a picture.  

 From the school's website,

Kalani I Ka Lewa

Ascend to the Heavens

Kalani I Ka Lewa by artist Viliami Toluta’u was inspired by the natural instinct in humanity to be free as we are in America. The young Ali’i (chief) is releasing an eagle into the heavens, symbolizing the potential of children to soar high in life with education as their wings. The young Ali’i also pay homage to the spirit of the Freedom Tower with hope that the children emulate the eagle in exploring and scouting their horizons and its limitless possibilities. A grant from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (Art in Public Places Program) provided the funding for this special work of art.

The ali'i looks up to the Freedom Tower ... 

... the water tower was renamed the Freedom Tower in honor of Hickam Field's 50th anniversary.

From the school, we rambled over to the Pearl Harbor channel walkway, popular with runners, strollers, and dogs.  In the distance, the Wai'anae Range rises over the Ewa Plain.  

The Wright Bros. Cafe offered a refreshment break.

The channel trail leads to the Missing Man Formation, honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice.  One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs wins a book choice from my convention stash.   This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Saturday, March 9, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, March 10.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

The librarian noted the school grounds previously served as the base's nursery.   Hence, Hickam has an abundance of flowers, including the Bird of Paradise.

Countdown to Pearl Harbor Day - Hickam Field

December 7 brought chaos across Oahu.  The Japanese had bombed the airfields at Kaneohe, Bellows, and Wheeler. The Japanese set their sights on the Navy's battleships in Pearl Harbor, protected by the Army's Hickam Field. 

In the middle of this chaos, unarmed B17s arrived at Hickam Field (the Opana Radar Station misidentified the Japanese attack force as the expected B17s).  From the National Park Service (at this link),

At Hickam Field, Japanese Zero fighters and Val dive-bombers strafed and bombed the fight line and hangars, concentrating on the B-17 bombers. The 12 U.S. B-17s arrived unarmed and low on fuel during the attack. Most succeeded in landing at Hickam where they were attacked on the ground. The second wave of the Japanese attack struck Hickam at 8:40am and by 9:45 the attack was over. Nearly half of the airplanes at Hickam Field had been destroyed or severely damaged. The hangars, the Hawaiian Air Depot, several base facilities--the fire station, the chapel and the guardhouse--had been hit.

The Japanese also bombed and strafed the "big barracks", where the airmen slept, ate, and worked near the flightline.   The Air Force preserved the bullet holes in the buildings, and even the interior stairs, as a living memorial.  Again from NPS,

Hickam's casualties totaled 121 men killed, 274 wounded and 37 missing. Despite the damage inflicted by the Japanese, they ignored the vital repair facilities and gasoline storage tanks at Hickam, Pearl Harbor and elsewhere on Oahu. Hickam Field emerged from the attack stronger than before and played an important role in World War II and since. Today, Hickam is the headquarters of the Pacific Air Force.

When the Army Air Corps became the Air Force, Hickam Field transformed into Hickam Air Force Base - the gateway to the Pacific during the Korean Conflict, Vietnam War, Gulf War, and humanitarian missions throughout Asia.    But the Army remained on the other side of the runway at Fort Kamehameha. 

The Army built several batteries on Fort Kamehameha following the Spanish American War to secure US interests in the Pacific.    Battery Hawkins' guns were silent on December 7, 1941; its technology was outdated.

(Before the Spanish American War, American businessmen overthrew the Kingdom of Hawaii and created the Republic of Hawaii.  Once the US gained Guam and the Phillipines from Spain, it was the right time for the Republic to petition for Hawaii to become a US territory). 

Today, Hickam is part of Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam. The Pacific Air Forces and the 15th Air Mobility Wing remain tenants with a large population of Air Force families living among these memorials.

One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs wins a book choice from my convention stash. This giveaway is open to all readers. Comments are open through Saturday, December 8, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, December 9, at SOS Aloha.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Special Memorial Day Weekend Kick off - Jane visits the Big Barracks on Hickam Field

As we kick off Memorial Day Weekend, Jane visited the "Big Barracks" on Hickam Field.    The barracks housed and fed over 3000 airmen in the Army Air Corps.  On the Day of Infamy, they also came under attack ... 

Today the building serves at the Headquarters for
the Pacific Air Forces.  Note the bullet holes are
 preserved to remember the fallen.

The building is open to the public.   The hallway
offers several displays with WWII memorabilia.

\

Jane is sitting next to one of the bullet holes 
in the interior stairwell.

Look for the second hole above Jane.

The courtyard is dedicated to the heroes of
campaigns supported by Pacific Air Forces,
including WWII,  Korea, and Vietnam.

This flag from December 7, 1941 was sent
on a war bond tour.   It was displayed at the
Air Force Academy before returning to Hawaii.

Do you have plans for Memorial Day Weekend?  One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Saturday, May 26, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, May 27.


Mahalo,


Kim in Hawaii