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Please help save the Historic 1925 U.S. Navy, Ewa Air Field
The site of one of the earliest, state-of-the-art finished airfields in all
of Hawaii, the site of the largest and tallest air-traffic control tower in
Hawaii! This airfield was only rivaled by John Rodgers field at that time in
Hawaii Aviation history. This historic airfield is now nearly 83 Years Old!
And still THERE- So far, anyway!
The original airfield, according to official USMC Ewa Air Station history,
was built for the Navy Airship U.S.S. Shenandoah. The field was 150 acres in
size then, Later, the high tower-like mooring mast was lowered slightly to
accommodate the U.S.S. Akron and U.S.S. Macon. Because these airships
crashed, the program was ended, but the Mooring Mast airfield remained
operational as a U.S. Navy landing field, until the time the U.S. Marines
arrived in early 1941 aboard the Navy carrier U.S.S. Yorktown.
Site of FIRST World War II Pacific Air-Ground Battle!
Ewa field was attacked BEFORE Pearl Harbor by several minutes. The first
aircraft, arriving were approximately 18 of the World's Fastest and most
State-of-the-Art fighter aircraft, the Imperial Japanese Navy Zero, which
had picked Ewa Field to attack first because it was the home base of the
U.S. Marine Corps in the Pacific!
The Japanese believed that the U.S. Marine Corps aircraft were the KEY
GUARDIANS of Pearl Harbor Navy Base and must be attacked FIRST! Not only did
these fast, powerful and highly maneuverable fighter aircraft approach in a
truly STUNNING attack formation, they opened fire and began strafing down
to as low as 20 feet off the ground, turning back repeatedly to keep the
airfield under the most intense and constant stream of wing mounted
machinegun fire unlike anyplace had ever seen up to that point in history.
This fierce and unrelenting fighter attack lasted for nearly 20 minutes!
Imagine today being attacked by 18 of the best Air-Ground Attack fighters in
the World! And all most of the Marines had to fire back with was 1906
Springfield rifles and 45 pistols!
The FIRST Americans to killed and captured in a sustained land battle- at
Wake Island, were the U.S. Marines from Ewa! Ewa Marine aircraft played a
major role in one of the pivotal and virtually suicidal attacks on Japanese
Aircraft Carriers at the Battle of Midway- regarded as the "Turning Point"
of World War II.
Some of the ALL-TIME legendary World-War II Marine fighter pilots passed
through Ewa Field, on their way to Pacific Battles- including legendary ACE
"Pappy" Boyington, and famous air units like the "Swashbucklers", the "Black
Sheep" and many more, which have been subjects of major books, films and TV
Shows.
Ewa Field was personally visited by President and Commander-In-Chief,
Franklin D. Roosevelt on July 27, 1944, with General Douglas MacArthur and
Admiral Chester Nimitz, the principal commanders and architects of the
Pacific War.
By any and all records of history, this hugely historic airfield is very
important and also STILL EXISTS TODAY!
Let's NOT BULLDOZE it for a Shopping Mall!
John Bond, Save Ewa Field
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