The military has a knack for minimizing potential impacts when they are inconvenient or in the way of a desired goal.
The latest example: The Marine Corps, in its environmental assessment (EA) on proposed plans to rebuild part of its Kaneohe base, says there will be “less than significant impacts to historic resources.”
Now comes justifiable outcry from historians, who say the Marines’ plan would demolish an important World War II hangar and other historic buildings on the base, for expediency’s sake, to make room for new aircraft. The Marines want to create a new home base for an MQ-9 Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron — a drones operation with six aircraft — and a KC-130J Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron, with an anticipated 15 aircraft.
Already, the conflict between a storied past and future military readiness has caused the Marines to extend the EA comment period by two weeks, to Sept. 21 (see 808ne.ws/kaneohemarines).
The extra time is needed and welcome, to give historians and others a chance to comment on the plan.
While the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor is widely known, Kaneohe Bay’s hangars also came under fire during the Japanese assault. The cluster of buildings slated for demolition under the current proposal includes an aircraft hangar — then known as Hangar 2, now called Hangar 103 — where Navy sailor John Finn heroically fired back at the enemy using a machine gun on the ground.
“I’ve been there with the Medal of Honor recipient John Finn and stood there with him, and as he told the story, showed me the bomb strikes on the tarmac that is still there and the bullets that glanced off of the ramp,” said Daniel Martinez, chief historian at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. “That’s a piece of history. … That’s a moment in the 20th century that defined America.”
The hangars are not registered historic landmarks, but sit on the edge of the Kaneohe Naval Air Station national historic district. The Marines’ plan is also opposed by the Historic Hawai‘i Foundation, and a Kailua Neighborhood Board committee has raised concerns about historical preservation as well as potential noise from the new aircraft.
For its part, the Marine Corps asserts that its Kaneohe base has limited area and that aging facilities can’t meet the current demands of modern aircraft. The Corps is reorganizing its entire force, starting with troops at the Kaneohe base, with an emphasis on Pacific operations as tensions there escalate, notably with China over Taiwan.
It’s hoped that more input and review on this Kaneohe project will lead to a better option — one that will enable readiness but won’t come at the expense of a history-rich site.
