Ford Island Today The island is a mixed operational Navy base encom- Ford Island Runway passing historic sites, 440 family housing units, a Navy Lodge, and a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) facility. The historic sites here and Hardstand Areas include the Battleship Arizona Memorial, the USS Utah Memorial, the Battleship Missouri Memorial, multiple “An American Battlefield” airplane hangars, and the control tower. Many of the historic structures are being repurposed for continued use. The Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor has rehabilitated and adaptively reused Hangars 37 and 79, along with the Aerological Control Tower. USPACOM is reusing the Dispensary as the HA/DR Center for Excellence, NOAA is reusing Hangars 175 and 176 as the NOAA Pacific Regional Center, and the former BOQ Building is being used as a Navy Lodge. The Ford Island runway, the most prominent landmark on the island, remains evident. The old hardstand areas, scarred by machine gun strafing and bomb splatter, remain largely intact and in use for a variety of purposes, including parking, roadways, and as stark reminders of Ford Island’s storied past.

319 Lexington Blvd, Honolulu HI Hours of Operation: Daily 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM http://www.pacificaviationmuseum.org

National Park Service This interpretive brochure prepared for Pacific Aviation American Battlefield Protection Program Museum under National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program Grant # GA 2287-15-017 Ford Island, Pearl Harbor Hawaii

Top photo: aerial view of Ford Island today, with runway and hardstand Battle of December 7, 1941 areas clearly visible, along with modern family housing areas in NW and SW ends of island. Bottom photo: NOAA Pacific Regional Center—re-purposed

Hangars 175 and 176.

from National Archives II #111-SC-35225. II Archives National from Oahu. Oahu.

attack planes planes attack

near the southwest corner of the island. Photo from U.S. Army, Signal Corps, Corps, Signal Army, U.S. from Photo island. the of corner southwest the near waves in their approach and retreat from Pearl Harbor and other targets on on targets other and Harbor Pearl from retreat and approach their in waves

Japanese

ferry landing. The concrete loading ramp and seawall remain intact today today intact remain seawall and ramp loading concrete The landing. ferry channel; Top Left: Flight paths used by Japanese aircraft in their two attack attack two their in aircraft Japanese by used paths Flight Left: Top channel;

1910s by the Army in the general location of the sugar plantation-era cable cable plantation-era sugar the of location general the in Army the by 1910s to: Photo of Hangar 6 and various aircraft ablaze during attack, taken from from taken attack, during ablaze aircraft various and 6 Hangar of Photo to: ond wave of of wave ond

Bottom photo: The first military boat slip on Ford Island was built in the late late the in built was Island Ford on slip boat military first The photo: Bottom

- pho Left Bottom attack; 7th December the during pilot Japanese by taken

- sec the When

back). Photo by J.A. Gonsalves, from Bishop Museum Archives #SP 201238. 201238. #SP Archives Museum Bishop from Gonsalves, J.A. by Photo back). damaged seaplane in foreground; Bottom right photo: Photo of Ford Island Island Ford of Photo photo: right Bottom foreground; in seaplane damaged

are still visible. visible. still are exhibiting some western-influenced features (like the open-roofed area in in area open-roofed the (like features western-influenced some exhibiting Top right photo: Bomb and fire damage to Hangar 6 in background, with with background, in 6 Hangar to damage fire and Bomb photo: right Top

Top photo: A house constructed using pili grass, shown in about 1900 and and 1900 about in shown grass, pili using constructed house A photo: Top

scars of which which of scars

alties were much smaller (68 killed and 35 wounded). 35 and killed (68 smaller much were alties

gun fire, the the fire, gun brate the bounty of the land. the of bounty the brate

- casu civilian of numbers The attack. the in wounded

with machine machine with - cele to feasting and events

the Arizona alone. More than 1,100 servicemen were were servicemen 1,100 than More alone. Arizona the

were strafed strafed were festivities including sporting sporting including festivities

servicemen were killed, including more than 1,100 on on 1,100 than more including killed, were servicemen

hardstand areas areas hardstand to all war and fighting, and and fighting, and war all to

itary personnel life was staggering. More than 2,300 2,300 than More staggering. was life personnel itary

runways and and runways to the god Lono, a cease-fire cease-fire a Lono, god the to

- mil of loss the morning, Sunday that on leave shore

barded and the the and barded tual cleansing and offerings offerings and cleansing tual

Sailors were on on were Sailors

- bom was ramp - spiri includes which season

vast majority of of majority vast

a 20-foot-wide and 7-foot-deep crater. The seaplane seaplane The crater. 7-foot-deep and 20-foot-wide a Native Hawaiian Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Hawaiian Native

Although the the Although

One of the bombs dropped near Hangar No.6 created created No.6 Hangar near dropped bombs the of One re-enactments of Makahiki, a a Makahiki, of re-enactments

ments. are believed to have struck Seaplane Ramp No. 4. 4. No. Ramp Seaplane struck have to believed are ways on the island, including including island, the on ways

- frag concrete on or near Hangar 6 during the initial attack; 4 bombs bombs 4 attack; initial the during 6 Hangar near or on commemorated in various various in commemorated

strikes and flying flying and strikes an estimated 9 incendiary 250-kg bombs were dropped dropped were bombs 250-kg incendiary 9 estimated an The Native Hawaiian history of Moku’ume’ume has been been has Moku’ume’ume of history Hawaiian Native The

of nearby bomb bomb nearby of Of the approximately dozen bombs that hit Ford Island, Island, Ford hit that bombs dozen approximately the Of locating the headquarters for these efforts on Ford Island. Island. Ford on efforts these for headquarters the locating

the concussion concussion the struck the Oklahoma, and the ship eventually capsized. capsized. eventually ship the and Oklahoma, the struck gan intensive survey efforts in Pearl Harbor in the 1890s, 1890s, the in Harbor Pearl in efforts survey intensive gan

damaged from from damaged Maryland were both hit by two bombs. Three torpedoes torpedoes Three bombs. two by hit both were Maryland - be Navy U.S. The island. the on water of source reliable a

the building were were building the on the Arizona. Around 0810, the Tennessee and the the and Tennessee the 0810, Around Arizona. the on aided by the recently dug freshwater wells that provided provided that wells freshwater dug recently the by aided

the windows of of windows the high-altitude bomber dropped an armor-piercing bomb bomb armor-piercing an dropped bomber high-altitude ar Company. The island was planted with sugarcane, sugarcane, with planted was island The Company. ar

Hangar 38, and and 38, Hangar - Sug Oahu the to Island Ford leased which Estate, Ii John The California was hit by a torpedo at 0805. A Japanese Japanese A 0805. at torpedo a by hit was California The

building. A dud bomb damaged the roof and floor of of floor and roof the damaged bomb dud A building. Ford’s Island. In 1891, Ford’s son sold Ford Island to the the to Island Ford sold son Ford’s 1891, In Island. Ford’s hit by a bomb and the West Virginia was torpedoed. torpedoed. was Virginia West the and bomb a by hit

to a bomb exploding on the northeast corner of the the of corner northeast the on exploding bomb a to present name; the island has also historically been called called been historically also has island the name; present came under attack at about 0803 as the Nevada was was Nevada the as 0803 about at attack under came

tating damage. Hangar 6 suffered fire damage due due damage fire suffered 6 Hangar damage. tating Dr. Seth Ford. It is from the Fords that the island takes its its takes island the that Fords the from is It Ford. Seth Dr. two minutes later. The battleships moored at Ford Island Island Ford at moored battleships The later. minutes two

- devas suffered aircraft and vessels, other battleships, 1866 to a woman named Caroline Jackson, who married married who Jackson, Caroline named woman a to 1866 and General Quarters (i.e., Battle Stations) were ordered ordered were Stations) Battle (i.e., Quarters General and

aircraft hangars suffered substantial damage, the the damage, substantial suffered hangars aircraft through a land auction. Dowsett sold the property in in property the sold Dowsett auction. land a through

victorious four years of war. Although only two of the the of two only Although war. of years four victorious 1863, James I. Dowsett acquired a portion of the island island the of portion a acquired Dowsett I. James 1863,

bris—a galvanizing start to a perilous and ultimately ultimately and perilous a to start galvanizing bris—a ons and sugarcane grew on the island in abundance. In In abundance. in island the on grew sugarcane and ons

- de and oil, Sailors, U.S. injured and dead with awash - watermel and century, mid-19th the in starting area tural

smoke darkened the morning sky. The harbor was was harbor The sky. morning the darkened smoke - agricul productive a as functioned Island Ford century.

oil into the water, while clouds of billowing black black billowing of clouds while water, the into oil agricultural influences also taking hold during the 19th 19th the during hold taking also influences agricultural

Harbor itself was in flames as damaged ships leaked leaked ships damaged as flames in was itself Harbor included fishing and the farming of taro, with western western with taro, of farming the and fishing included

returned to their aircraft carriers at about 1000, Pearl Pearl 1000, about at carriers aircraft their to returned by the Natives Hawaiians during the post-contact period period post-contact the during Hawaiians Natives the by

tury due to its relative inaccessibility. Common practices practices Common inaccessibility. relative its to due tury

- cen 19th the of much throughout Honolulu neighboring

Harbor area, the region remained less developed than than developed less remained region the area, Harbor

tor in the Pearl Pearl the in tor

- fac a became

immediately immediately

ern influence influence ern

- west while and

Hawaii in 1778, 1778, in Hawaii

first landed in in landed first

tain James Cook Cook James tain

- Cap dwellings.

airfields on Oahu. An air raid warning went out at 0758, 0758, at out went warning raid air An Oahu. on airfields and walls of their their of walls and

disabling aircraft located at Ford Island and the other other the and Island Ford at located aircraft disabling thatch the roofs roofs the thatch

of the day was to preclude an American defense by by defense American an preclude to was day the of waiians used to to used waiians

were not in Pearl Harbor that morning), the first task task first the morning), that Harbor Pearl in not were - Ha Native the

destroy the Pacific Fleet of U.S. aircraft carriers (which (which carriers aircraft U.S. of Fleet Pacific the destroy pili grass, which which grass, pili

While the primary military objective of the attack was to to was attack the of objective military primary the While water source. However, the island served as a source of of source a as served island the However, source. water

230 miles north of Oahu at 0755 on December 7, 1941. 1941. 7, December on 0755 at Oahu of north miles 230 - fresh occurring naturally no is there because contact

Island from aircraft carriers positioned approximately approximately positioned carriers aircraft from Island made Europeans before inhabited traditionally not was

Japanese bomber and torpedo planes arrived at Ford Ford at arrived planes torpedo and bomber Japanese Hawaiians, Native by Moku‘ume‘ume called Island, Ford

—December 7, 1941 7, —December Attack The History Island’s Ford Battery Adair is a gun battery constructed in 1917. The battery is now in the basement Ford Island of Quarters K, The Pacific Submarine Force Commander’s quarters, constructed in 1936.

The airfield on Ford Island, to include the runway, hardstands, and associated facilities, represented the first professional airfield in the islands.

Six battleships—the USS Nevada, USS Arizona, USS Tennessee, USS West Virginia, USS Maryland, and USS Oklahoma—were moored along Battleship Row adjacent to the southeast side of Ford Island on Luke Field the morning of December 7, 1941. Housing

A bomb dropped by the Jap- anese on December 7, 1941, and likely intended for the USS California moored nearby, fell into the courtyard of the Dispensary but caused little damage. The Dispensary continued to be used to aid the injured during that day and the following days, and has since been repurposed to serve as a center for excellence in humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

These hardstand areas were used to store and park aircraft. Tiedown chains were affixed to the aircraft and then made fast to padeyes in- corporated into the concrete— as can still be seen today ad- jacent to a strafing mark from likely Japanese gunfire no doubt intended to destroy the aircraft parked in this location.

”Luke Field” was the name of the US Army facilities located on the west side of Ford Island, spanning from the wood-frame housing on the northwest side down to the 6th Hangar 6 and planes nearby Aero Squadron were damaged and set afire by buildings and a Japanese bomb exploding hangars on on the northeast corner of the the west and building. (Photo from the Na- southwest side. tional Archives.) Named after 2nd Lieutenant Frank Luke, the first airman to earn the Medal of Honor for his 18 aerial Battery Boyd is a gun battery victories during constructed in 1917, during WWI, Luke World War I. Field served as the base for The radial the 6th Aero lines of the Squadron until compass The patrol seaplane ramps were 1939 when Army rose align bombarded by Japanese bomb- air operations with com- The buildings that make up PAMPH ers but remained useable after moved to pass points are positioned on the hard stand the attack. Hickam Field. and were areas - the bullet holes in the win - The Luke Field used to dows of Hangar 79 speak to the facilities are calibrate impact of the battle on that day. prime examples the com- of vernacular passes in military the Navy’s architecture. planes.