Karl visits Hawaii

[Karl Welteke]

Kissing Sailor, End of WWII
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Many young people don’t realize, that the world today was shaped by WWII in many, many ways. In my case, born in in 1942, and even remember 3 things in 1945, made me what I am, caused me to be where I’m now. WWII is always on my mind!

Pearl Harbor certainly played a role in WWII and the USS Missouri is here. The surrender of Japan was signed on the deck of this ship on the 2nd Sep 1945 and a great American Icon, Gen. MacArthur signed the document for the world.

That the ship is here in Pearl Harbor is a great reminder that the terrible war has ended. In Aug. 1945, when Japan accepted the surrender, a sailor in New York demonstrated his happy feeling of the end of the war because his chance of dying just went away.

When I visited the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, I subscribed to their weekly mailing of the “Aviation Museum at Home”. This mailing has stories and links to many, many, WWII stories, interviews etc. But I dwelled on the Kissing Sailor. It is the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII. They sent this video URL:



Like most people, I have seen the iconic picture of the kissing sailor many times, but this video lets you meet the people who done it, a very interesting story. I made some screen shots and got two of my pictures of the stature of the kissing sailor with that wonderful nurse, next to the USS Missouri and made this album.

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I established an album with 6 images from my visit to Pearl Harbor in 2019 and screenshots from the video about the Kissing Sailor, icon of the end of WWII. This is the URL:

Uploaded to Karl’s web:
philippine-sailor.net/2020/08/16/kissing-sailor-end-of-wwii/

For this forum presentation, I only chose these 3 images:




Zo984. The Kissing Sailor stature on the pier, alongside USS Missouri BB-63 on Ford Island, in Pearl Harbor, this is 2019 picture.




Zo986. This is one of 4 screenshots from a video of CBS “This Morning” program presented 5 years ago for the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII. The sailor is kissing the Nurse who he never met before, his girlfriend is behind him, and can be seen over his right shoulder.

The sailor ended up marrying the girlfriend, visible over his right shoulder. And in 2015 they were married 69 years.




Zo987. This is one of 4 screenshots from a video of CBS “This Morning” program presented 5 years ago for the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII. In this CBS screen shot are that kissing sailor and the nurse, 70 years later.

[Karl Welteke]

Bunkered Underpasses at Pearl Harbor.

For decades I have been driving by them and walked by them and always wondered what are they what were they used for? There are three (3) I know of, all located along the Kamehameha Highway outside the Pearl Harbor Naval Base near the Makalapa and Halawa Gates. Well, one was open and I had a look. But I still don’t know what they were for, but the one I looked at near Makalapa Gate, may have been an underpass.

I established an album in my Photobucket account with 25 pictures. Since all the turmoil and changes at Photobucket, one cannot view the image descriptions anymore when viewing images at Photobucket. So, at this album I added the description onto some of the images. This is the URL:

app.photobucket.com/u/PI-Sailor/a/c10cb886-a0ae-4359-8cb9-ba7b3e6b5b35

For this Forum presentation I chose these 6 images only!



U630. We are looking toward the Makalapa Gate from the direction of CINCPACFLEET. One of 8 images of the bunkered underpass, street level, near the Makalapa Gate. It does go under the Kamehameha Highway. It is blocked on the other end now at the Pearl Harbor side and I don’t see any exit anymore, there. I made the album in Photobucket and they don’t show image descriptions any more, that is why I did it this way!



U631. A Google Earth image of the locations of the three bunkered underpasses, I know of!



U632. One of 8 images of the bunkered underpass, inside, near the Makalapa Gate. It does go under the Kamehameha Highway. It is blocked on the other end now at the Pearl Harbor side and I don’t see any exit anymore, there. I made an album in Photobucket and they don’t show image descriptions any more, that is why I did it this way!



U633. One of 8 images of the bunkered underpass, inside, near the Makalapa Gate. It does go under the Kamehameha Highway. It is blocked on the other end now at the Pearl Harbor side; later I crossed the highway and had a look there and I didn’t see any exit.



U634. CINCPACFLEET is at right, Halawa Gate is at left and we are looking towards Aiea! One of 2 images, street level, of the bunkered underpass, near the Halawa Gate and the Headquarters of the Pacific Fleet, CINCPACFLEET. This one was blocked like they always are. Here on the CINCPACFLEET side it is low ground, so I suspect it also runs under the Kamehameha Highway into the Pearl Harbor Base.



U635. This view is towards Aiea from the direction of CINCPACFLEET. One of 7 images of the bunkered underpass, street level, westward of the Halawa Gate and parallel to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial Visiting Center. The entrance to this one was also blocked like they always are. Here on the memorial side it is low ground, so I suspect it also runs under the Kamehameha Highway towards inland. One image is a view to the Memorial and about all images in this album have a view of the new Honolulu Rail Transit.

[roland1369]

Karl from the construction I would believe they were ordinary pedestrian crossoves under the highway which have been blocked for security purposes and have no military purpose. At most they might have been air raid shelters.

[roland1369]

Karl the more i look at the construction of these objects the less they look as if they could have been air raid shelters. The Cantilever roof of the entrance is too fragile and likely to collapse under fire and block the entrance This as well as not having two exits makes them unlike normal construction. In the Army the facility engineers would have maps showing the purpose of such construction and I would sugesst that the Navy would have an equivalent offi ce which maintains the base. A contact with them could clear up the mystery. I still feel that the pedestrian under road walkway is the best guess.

[Karl Welteke]

Ex Barbers Point Naval Air Station, Nimitz Beach Walk, 2020

Walked it again, lost pictures from my 2019 walk. Walked from Kapolei to the Coast Guard Station and back the former main gate of the Barbers Point Naval Air Station.
I wanted to look at the WWII Beach Defense Pillboxes again and look at a memorial just inside the Coast Guard Station.

I uploaded 112 images to this Photobucket album.
If you are going to watch this on Photobucket, they are drowning you with advertisements. Try to click slideshow right away. Then another option might be to click full screen, then stop and look at the pictures one by one. But you won’t see the image description.
If you like to read the image description, double click the first image and then advance image by image.
Uploaded to Photobucket, Hawaii, Hawaii albums #2:
app.photobucket.com/u/PI-Sailor/a/ca97934e-ef18-4dcb-a1b4-1fc806aa86b7

I made a lot shorter album in my webpage with 32 images:
philippine-sailor.net/2020/09/06/barbers-point-nimitz-beach-walk-2020/

For this Facebook presentation I chose these 11 images!
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Zd069. One of three Ammo Bunkers along the Coral Sea Road, I suspect there are more and sadly a lot of trash has been dumped in many places. One of 35 images of my walk on Coral Sea Road, from the Roosevelt Ave. to the entrance of Nimitz Beach on the former Naval Air Station Barbers Point. In these 35 images, I shot a 2 story WWII above ground bunker, unused side streets, three ex Ammo Bunkers, views of the airfield, views of the east scrubby side of the Coral Sea Road and an area called Kalaeloa Heritage. Across the entrance to Nimitz Beach, a large solar panel field was installed this year.



Zd071. A GE image of the Nimitz Beach area. One of 12 images of the Nimitz Beach in the former Naval Air Station Barbers Point, from the entrance, moving west, up to the first WWII Beach Defense Pillbox. One or more images are of the new solar panel field across the Coral Sea Road from the beach entrance. The beach is closed because of the Red China Virus but surfing and walking is ok! I saw fishermen, anglers, not sure about their status.



Zd072. The entrance to the Nimitz Beach area. One of 12 images of the Nimitz Beach in the former Naval Air Station Barbers Point, from the entrance, moving west, up to the first WWII Beach Defense Pillbox. One or more images are of the new solar panel field across the Coral Sea Road from the beach entrance. The beach is closed because of the Red China Virus but surfing and walking is ok! I saw fishermen, anglers, not sure about their status.




Zd074. One of 7 pictures of the first Beach Defense Pillbox, on Nimitz Beach at the former Naval Air Station Barbers Point. I saw 6 pillboxes and for this album, I numbered them #1 to #6, moving westward.



Zd076. GE map. One of 17 images of the Nimitz Beach Park at the former Naval Air Station Barbers Point. The park is secured and is fenced and all the gates were locked because of the Red China Virus. The cottages still could be rented but a key has to be issued for the gate. The park includes large picknick shades and the beach has a breakwater.



Zd078. One of 4 pictures of the Third Beach Defense Pillbox (#3) at the foot of the breakwater, on Nimitz Beach at the former Naval Air Station Barbers Point. I saw 6 pillboxes and for this album, I numbered them #1 to #6, moving westward.



Zd079. GE map. One of 2 pictures of the Fourth Beach Defense Pillbox (#4) near the foot and west of the breakwater, on Nimitz Beach at the former Naval Air Station Barbers Point. I saw 6 pillboxes and for this album, I numbered them #1 to #6, moving westward.



Zd082. One of 7 pictures of the Sixth Beach Defense Pillbox (#6), on Nimitz Beach at the former Naval Air Station Barbers Point. I saw 6 pillboxes and for this album, I numbered them #1 to #6, moving westward.



Zd083. One of 13 images from my effort to take a different trail and go to the U.S. Coast Guard Station in Barbers Point to take pictures of a memorial there. But the Government outsmarted me, the road and the park gates were locked and I had to double back.




Zd086. The Coast Guard memorial, shot thru the fence. One of 4 images, back on the road and moving to the entrance of the U.S. Coast Guard Station. I wanted to enter and take pictures of a memorial there, just inside the gate and a picture of the Hideaway Club. But the Red China Virus screwed it up again, I was not welcome, the gate is open only for staff members and official busines.



Zd087. My Garmin device GPS track. One of three pictures of my GPS track and data of my walk from Kapolei to the Coast Guard Station and back the former main gate of the Barbers Point Naval Air Station.

[chadhill]

Thanks for tracking down these interesting pillboxes and fortifications, Karl. Nice job and wonderful photos.


From Karl: You are a Flyboy, where you ever stationed here?
Karl

[Karl Welteke]

Honolulu International Airport 18. June 2020

In preparation to return to the Philippines I visited the Honolulu Airport frequently to get a handle on who and when, what airline is flying directly to the Philippines from Hawaii during the virus from Red China crisis. One time I took the time to shoot some pictures of the airport and views from.

Some things I observed:

-The airport was practically empty because of the virus from Red China.

-Surprisingly a lot of construction was going on, new parking, the domestic terminal added a wing and the new Honolulu Rail transit is coming by here and work was going on the rail track and a station here.

-Only Philippine Airline (PAL) was flying direct, maybe once or twice a month and United Airline (UA) had a daily flight to Guam and 2 flights a week to Manila from Guam. Both airlines were talking, that a special visa was required. I emailed the Philippine Consulate and told them that I have a 13A visa and an Alien Certificate Registration I-card (ACR) and they answered that is all I needed. I was traveling with my wife also who has a Philippine Passport. But my ACR had expired in April.

The UA kept as at the check in counter about 1 ¼ hour before they finally let us board. I kept telling them that I’m a permanent resident in the Philippines and that my wife and I are trying to return to our home, family, pets, house and friends. They tried to call people and got no answers and I kept telling them that Philippines did not restrict permanent residents to go home.

It was terrible and I was getting desperate!!!!!!!!!!! Then finally someone made decision and let us go. And of course, there was no problem in Manila with the Airport Authorities!

-One thing that is nice about Hawaii, it got a lot of good weather and a lot of nice views. And that is what you see in the album.

For this forum presentation I only chose 4 images.

26 images are in this Photobucket album:

app.photobucket.com/u/PI-Sailor/a/39228c10-8faa-41b2-ab64-00513592b08d

If you are going to watch this on Photobucket, they are bugging you with advertisements. Try to click slideshow right away and go full screen. Then another option might be to click stop and look at the pictures one by one. The bad thing about the new Photobucket is they don’t show my image descriptions. But then, in this album, some descriptions are embedded!



U673. This is one of 26 images in the album: Honolulu International Airport, 18. June 2020
The airport was empty! In preparation to return to the Philippines I visited the Honolulu Airport frequently to get a handle on who and when, what airline is flying directly to the Philippines from Hawaii during the virus from Red China crisis. One time I took the time to shoot some pictures of the airport and views from.



U674. This is one of 26 images in the album: Honolulu International Airport, 18. June 2020
In the middle of this picture is the famous, pink Tripler Army Medical Center; it also housed the VA clinic which took care of me! In preparation to return to the Philippines I visited the Honolulu Airport frequently to get a handle on who and when, what airline is flying directly to the Philippines from Hawaii during the virus from Red China crisis. One time I took the time to shoot some pictures of the airport and views from.



U675. This is one of 26 images in the album: Honolulu International Airport, 18. June 2020
The new Honolulu Rail Transit goes by the airport and here one sees a mighty machine putting the rail track down! In preparation to return to the Philippines I visited the Honolulu Airport frequently to get a handle on who and when, what airline is flying directly to the Philippines from Hawaii during the virus from Red China crisis. One time I took the time to shoot some pictures of the airport and views from.



U676. This is one of 26 images in the album: Honolulu International Airport, 18. June 2020
The airport is now named after a Japanese American Hero who fought in Europe lost a limb and was a longtime US Senator, and he was friend of the Filipino Warriors! In preparation to return to the Philippines I visited the Honolulu Airport frequently to get a handle on who and when, what airline is flying directly to the Philippines from Hawaii during the virus from Red China crisis. One time I took the time to shoot some pictures of the airport and views from.

[Karl Welteke]

The Control Tower on Ford Island in Pearl Harbor

I received an email from the: www.pearlharboraviationmuseum.org/news-events/

And they provided this link about a video called: Pearl Harbor Presents a New View from Above





U835. The old tower and the renovated Control Tower image from the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum email

Two more images from the above email, I received!



U836. The renovated Control Tower image from the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum email



U837. A prewar or war time image of Ford Island Control Tower in Pearl Harbor.

Last year the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum had this Press Release, click: “ Read Now” for the article: Virtual Unveiling: Pearl Harbor Presents a New View from Above

www.pearlharboraviationmuseum.org/news-events/

The U-Haul company was the main donator which made this all possible. I like to express my sincere heartfelt gratitude to the company and the fellow Sailor and founder of the U Haul Company and of course his family who actually did it!

Here are a few paragraphs from the above news release:

The Ford Island Control Tower is now home to a working elevator thanks to a donation from U-Haul CEO Joe Shoen, whose parents founded the DIY moving and self-storage operation in 1945. Many of the first U-Haul Team Members, neighborhood dealers and customers were veterans coming home from WWII, seeking to move their families to a better life.

U-Haul is marking its 75th anniversary by honoring the veterans who helped shape and grow the company into an industry leader. A series of press releases honoring U-Haul WWII veterans can be found in the History & Culture section of myuhaulstory.com. U-Haul Pacific Theater veterans have been memorialized in the tower lobby with an elegant display, available for public viewing.

“Our company is one of many that were born out of the prosperity that came from peace,” Shoen said. “On behalf of my family and all of us at U-Haul, I’m delighted to share our contribution to the renovation of Ford Island Control Tower at Pearl Harbor. This will enable the public, for the first time in history, to view America’s first aviation battlefield of WWII from above.”