In December, 2016, WarbirdsNews posted a wonderful article written by Matthew McDaniel which described the little-known, but historically significant air station near Pearl Harbor known as Ewa Field. Ewa Field was a joint US Naval/Marine Corps air base which came under assault during the Japanese raid on Hawaii during December 7th, 1941. In fact Ewa came under attack before the main force bombed Pearl Harbor itself. Of more importance though, Ewa Field was heavily involved in the build up of naval and marine air units for the Battle of Midway in June, 1942. And as most readers will remember, the Battle of Midway was the key event in the Pacific War which sealed the fate of the Imperial Japanese Navy, and thus decided the outcome of the war. Ewa Field has been closed for more than half a century, but many artifacts and historical structures remain on site, and an organization known as the Historic Ewa Field Midway Project is trying to preserve them. This coming Sunday, they will hold a special event at Ewa Field as part of the commemorations for the 76th anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor. There will be flyovers and a number of distinguished speakers presenting, so for those who can go, this is definitely going to be an interesting experience. But for the majority of us who can’t go, please do read on, and learn how you can help the organization preserve this important WWII site for future generations. The press release continues as follows…
Historic Ewa Field Midway Project P.O. Box 75578 Kapolei, Hawaii 96707
December 4, 2017 Pearl Harbor Week Commemoration Press Release
Public Event:– Many distinguished speakers – Pearl Harbor – Ewa Field Commemoration, aircraft flyovers, Marine Forces Pacific Band, Pacific Air Forces Honor Guard. Part of the officially recognized Pearl Harbor commemoration week.
Event sponsor: American Veterans Hawaii
This will be held Saturday, December 9, between 9 AM to 10:30 AM at historic Ewa Field, located near 4365-4423 Roosevelt Ave, Kapolei, HI. Please arrive by 8:30 AM.
We would like to extend an invitation to the public and especially veterans and members of the Armed Forces to the 10th annual Ewa Field Battlefield Commemoration at the former Navy and Marine Corps airbase known as Ewa Field. This commemoration is in honor of those killed on December 7, 1941 at Ewa Field, Ewa Plantation Villages and the Ewa Battlefield area of West Oahu.
Attending will be numerous noted history speakers who will provide historic context, stories and insights. The Ewa airfield is located next to historic Ewa Plantation Villages and the Hawaiian Railway Society museum and rail station
at 4365-4423 Roosevelt Ave, Kapolei, HI 96707 (Look for event sign directions)
Ewa airfield’s naval history goes back to 1925 as a planned “lighter than air” airship mooring field with a later added coral runway used by Navy and Army Air Corps planes in the 1930’s. Just as final conversion to a US Marine Corps advanced expeditionary airfield was taking place in December 1941 as Marine Air Group 21, Ewa Mooring Mast Field, Japanese main attack force naval fighters and bombers swept through the Ewa Plain and Ewa shoreline on December 7, 1941 to attack the airfield prior to the bombing Pearl Harbor.
Recent museum and archive research now documents Ewa Field, then known in early 1942 as Naval Air Station Ewa and Naval Air Station Barbers Point, as providing the main aviation force of Navy and Marine planes, pilots and squadrons that heroically fought in the June, 1942 Battle of Midway. Many of the Ewa Field planes and pilots were lost in valiant air attacks on the large Japanese fleet. This climatic and decisive battle brought nearly full revenge for the Pearl Harbor attack as four Japanese aircraft carriers of the 1941 raid were sunk in just five minutes.
Today Midway is considered the most important naval battle in American history. In 2018 a major movie will be filmed on Oahu about the 1942 Battle of Midway.
On June 4, 2017 at Ewa Field we also commemorated the 75th Anniversary of the Midway battle and those lost from Ewa Field. Ewa Field symbolizes the phoenix rising from the 1941 ashes to in 1942 leading the United States to victory in the Pacific War.
Many local and national veterans and community organizations are requesting this very important 1941 attack site and 1942 Battle of Midway historic airfield be added to the WW-II Valor in the Pacific National Monument and made a National Historic Landmark.
The current Ewa Battlefield commemoration site property is being conveyed by the US Navy as surplus land through the Department of Interior handling the conveyance to the City as a future park.
Special Ewa Field Commemoration speakers include:
Daniel Martinez – WW-II Valor in the Pacific National Monument historian.
Topic: NPS historic overview of Ewa airfield history.
Yoshinobu Oshiro, EdD (LtCol. USAF Ret.) – Ewa Veteran, Dec 7th eyewitness,
Topic: Ewa Plantation Dec 7, 1941, WW-II history cultural landscape.
Valerie Van der Veer – President, manager, Barbers Point Riding Club.
Topic: BP Stables history and National Register 1942 Aircraft Revetments
Col. Jason Seal – (USMC Ret.) Senior Marine Instructor, Kapolei High School MC JROTC, designated Naval Honor School program for three consecutive years.
Topic: Remembering the Marines at Ewa Field.
Regi Perry – (Major, USA Ret.) General Manager Barbers Point Aviation Services.
Topic: Remembrances of growing up in Ewa Villages, Barbers Point community. Successful Ewa veteran entrepreneur.
Ross Stephenson, PhD – noted historian, Previous Keeper of Hawaii Register.
Topic: Why historic Ewa preservation is important for community cultural identity.
Sponsor: American Veterans Hawaii, Donovan Lazarus, AmVetsHi Commander
Sincerely,
John Bond, Ewa Battlefield Commemoration POC, Director
Historic Ewa Field 1941-1942
Ewa-Kapolei, HI 96707 808-685-3045 [email protected]
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Richard Mallory Allnutt's aviation passion ignited at the 1974 Farnborough Airshow. Raised in 1970s Britain, he was immersed in WWII aviation lore. Moving to Washington DC, he frequented the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, meeting aviation legends.
After grad school, Richard worked for Lockheed-Martin but stayed devoted to aviation, volunteering at museums and honing his photography skills. In 2013, he became the founding editor of Warbirds News, now Vintage Aviation News. With around 800 articles written, he focuses on supporting grassroots aviation groups.
Richard values the connections made in the aviation community and is proud to help grow Vintage Aviation News.
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