NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin, How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. 1. Name of Property Historic name: _ Ewa Plain Battlefield__________________________________________ Other names/site number: _Ewa Mooring Mast Field, Marine Corps Air Station, Ewa, State SIHP Site 5127________________________ Name of related multiple property listing: ________________________________________________________________________ (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing ____________________________________________________________________________ 2. Location Street & number: _____________________________________________ City or town: _ _Kapolei__________ State: ___Hawaii_________ County: Honolulu Not For Publication: Vicinity: ____________________________________________________________________________ 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this nomination ___ request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property ___ meets ___ does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant at the following level(s) of significance: _ __national __ _statewide _ __local Applicable National Register Criteria: _ __A ___B ___C _ __D Signature of certifying official/Title: Date ______________________________________________ State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria. Signature of commenting official: Date Title : State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government "This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior." Sections 1-6 page 1 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Ewa Plain Battlefield Honolulu, Hawaii Name of Property County and State 4. National Park Service Certification I hereby certify that this property is: entered in the National Register determined eligible for the National Register determined not eligible for the National Register removed from the National Register other (explain:) _____________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Signature of the Keeper Date of Action ____________________________________________________________________________ 5. Classification Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply.) Private: Public – Local Public – State Public – Federal X Category of Property (Check only one box.) Building(s) District X Site Structure Object Number of Resources within Property (Do not include previously listed resources in the count) Contributing Noncontributing ______0_______ ______ 5______ buildings ______4_______ _______0______ sites ______5______ _______3______ structures Sections 1-6 page 2 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Ewa Plain Battlefield Honolulu, Hawaii Name of Property County and State ______0_______ _______0______ objects ___ 9_________ _______8______ Total Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register __0_______ ____________________________________________________________________________ 6. Function or Use Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions.) _Defense, battle site__________________ _Defense, air facility__________________ _Defense, military facility__________________ _Transportation, air-related, railroad, road_______ _Landscape, natural features__________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions.) _Landscape, natural features______ _Transportation, road, railroad_________________ _Vacant/Not In Use__________________________ _Commerce/Trade, business_______________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Sections 1-6 page 3 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Ewa Plain Battlefield Honolulu, Hawaii Name of Property County and State 7. Description Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions.) ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ Materials: (enter categories from instructions.) Concrete and Wood ______________________ Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current physical appearance and condition of the property. Describe contributing and noncontributing resources if applicable. Begin with a summary paragraph that briefly describes the general characteristics of the property, such as its location, type, style, method of construction, setting, size, and significant features. Indicate whether the property has historic integrity.) ______________________________________________________________________________ Section 7 page 1 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Ewa Plain Battlefield Honolulu, Hawaii Name of Property County and State Summary Paragraph The Battle of Ewa Plain began just before 8 AM on December 7, 1941 and was part of the larger surprise attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) on the United States of America (US) military base at Pearl Harbor and other installations on the island of Oahu, and other islands considered defensive positions within the Territory of Hawaii. The last of the Japanese threats from this campaign ended on December 31, 1941, when Japanese submarine forces ceased attacks in Hawaiian waters after a final bombardment on December 31 and then withdrew their boats and support craft back to Mainland Japan to regroup and resupply for the next phase of battle. The Ewa Plain Battlefield is located in the southwestern corner of Oahu, Honolulu County, in a geographic area referred to as Ewa Plain, approximately 5.5 miles southwest of Ford Island (middle of Pearl Harbor) (Figure 1). While the Battle of Ewa Plain encompasses three main population centers: Ewa Field, Ewa Villages, and Ewa Beach, only Ewa Field retains sufficient architectural, archeological, and/or landscape integrity to convey its historical significance. This includes retaining its integrity of location, setting, design, and association. Ewa Villages comprise the former location of a sugar mill plantation complex, worker housing and commercial buildings, dating from circa 1890s to 1970. As will be reported in subsequent sections, events on December 7, 1941 significantly affected not only the military stationed at Ewa Field, but the local civilian population at Ewa Villages and Ewa Beach as well. At times, both during and after the battle, the military and civilian establishment was closely intertwined working together to fight, defend, recover, and rebuild their community. The Ewa Plain Battlefield boundary covers approximately 180 acres and includes portions of Ewa Field that retain physical features and characteristics dating to 1941 (Figures 2 and 3). This includes intact portions of the landscape such as airfield/runways, swimming pool, foundations, open fields, and transportation arteries, present during the attack. In 1941, Ewa Field was a new Marine base comprised of an airfield, an assortment of airplanes, and a temporary Marine camp. The nearly square base established on a 3000-ft by 3000-ft parcel totaled approximately 200 acres and was situated within a dense forest of sisal, kiawe and native trees on a relatively flat, ancient coral limestone reef. Most of the woods within the base had been cleared in order to construct the camp and related aviation facilities. On December 7, 1941, the base was still under construction but nearly complete as initially planned as a temporary base. As a result, many of the work areas and aviation squadrons were housed in groupings of tents clustered along the airfields. At the time of the battle, the camp (located north of the runways) consisted of a mixture of quickly built wooden buildings and tents with wooden floors organized on a grid system containing several roads (either constructed or awaiting construction).1 While all of the buildings and structures at Ewa Field erected by December 7, 1941 have been torn down, the runways and road network are still visible. Moreover, they clearly