Building on the Marconi Macaroni Redux history - On November 25, 1941, Army Engineers took over the RCA facility and started constructing an Army Air Base in and around it. They also constructed two other North Shore airfields at Kawaihāpai (Mokuleʻia/Dillingham) and Haleiwa.
The old Marconi/RCA administration building was converted into air base headquarters and Commanding Officer’s quarters. The usual theater of operations support buildings were constructed (i.e., control tower, barracks for enlisted men, officer’s quarters, mess halls, chapel, dispensaries, cold storage, two fire stations, paint shop, Post Exchange, radio station, telephone exchange, etc.).
A circa 1944-45 photo of the Kahuku control tower & other buildings.
Early attempts at building a single runway on the limestone, sand dunes and wetlands at Kahuku Point were hindered by poor drainage, which necessitated that the runway being relocated three times before a suitable location was found. To mitigate drainage problems at the location, a system of canals, subterranean drain pipes and culverts were built.
Eventually, two runways were built at Oʻahu’s northern-most point (the runways followed the original line of Marconi towers) - the military reservation was named the “Kahuku Airfield Military Reservation;” also known as “Kahuku Air Base.”
A 1943 Army Corps of Engineers plan of “Kahuku Field”; depicted the field as having 2 paved runways, with no less than 36 parking revetments arrayed around the runways.
The air base had been planned as a stopover point for the planes on their way to the Western Pacific; the length and width of the runways were a clear indication they were designed to accommodate heavy bombers, i.e., B-17 and B-24, as well as cargo transports ranging from C-47 to C-54. The absence of hangers attested to the airfield being in operation for the duration of the war.
Kahuku Army Air Base (AAB) was activated on June 26, 1942, and became an important training facility for pilots assigned to Wheeler in central Oʻahu adjacent to the large Army post of Schofield Barracks. The runways were ideal for training flights as they possessed good approaches, appropriate length, and fine takeoff clearance. The base accommodated various air groups and squadrons that flew an assortment of aircraft, i.e., B-24, B-25, F-7, P-47 and C-47, which flew out of Kahuku for various periods of time, either pending deployment to the Central Pacific war zone, or rotated back to Oahu for reassignment, or deactivation.
What Kahuku Air Base looks like today.
A portion of the former facility is now part of the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge. It was established in 1976 to provide habitat for Hawai‘i’s four endangered waterbirds: aeʻo (Hawaiian stilt,) ʻalae keʻokeʻo (Hawaiian coot,) ʻalae ʻula (Hawaiian moorhen) and koloa maoli (Hawaiian duck). Another portion is within the Turtle Bay Resort area. The Airfield, revetments and barracks occupied approximately 195-acres (23%) of the Resort property.
For more interesting history about Kahuku Army Air Base check out this article by John D. Bennett - Kahuku Army Airbase.
Lastly, don't forget to go after the nearby benchmark TU1487.
Cache with Al
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This cache page was generated using excerpts from Paul Freeman's website and Peter T Young's blog.