About Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH)
Kaneohe Bay
The Mokapu Peninsula, home of MCBH Kaneohe Bay has been inhabited
since the 13th Century. The warrior tradition of Kamehameha the
Great is embodied in the spirit of the Marines and Sailors who
inhabit these grounds today. History shows that the peninsula's
natural strategic assets have long been recognized. Numerous artifacts
remain, providing testimony to a heritage rich in military significance.
The first use of Mokapu for military purposes may have been at
Ulupau Crater during the mid-1700s. Experts believe that forces
loyal to great chief Kahekili used the sheer cliffs on extinct
volcano Ulupau, as part of reconnaissance efforts to shield signal
fires and torches while relaying information back to lookouts
on Molokai.
Mokapu, meaning sacred land, is the site of several heiau (pronounced
Hay-ow), small temples built of lava rock. Most notable is the
fishing shrine at the farthest extension of Pyramid Rock. Many
early inhabitants of the Hawaiian Islands were buried on Mokapu
Peninsula. When royalty moved to Waikiki in the 19th century,
the "Great Mahele" (land reformation) made way for farming
and trade on Mokapu.
In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson established an army reservation
near Ulupau Crater and in 1939, the Navy adapted the flat, isolated
Mokapu Peninsula as an ideal base of operations for seaplanes.
From these beginnings, Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay emerged.
Kaneohe Air Station set numerous precedents on December 7, 1941,
"date that will live in infamy." Kaneohe Bay was the
first base attacked by Japanese aircraft, losing 18 sailors and
one civilian, plus 24 of its 36 aircraft. A commemorative plaque
on Reed Road now marks the site of the first crash of a Japanese
airplane flown by the highest-ranking Japanese officer killed
during the attack. Another distinction earned at Kaneohe that
day was the first Medal of Honor awarded for Heroic Action in
the Pacific, presented to Kaneohe sailor John Finn for whom the
new naval administration building on Mokapu Road is named.
Following WWII, Mokapu Peninsula was left in a caretaker status
until 1951 when the Marine Corps identified it as the ideal site
for air/ground combat training. In 1952, Colonel Frank G. Dailey
became commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe
Bay. Today, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay is home to more
than 9,000 active duty Marines and Sailors engaged in the U.S.
Pacific Rim strategy.
Camp H. M. Smith
The single largest U.S. Marine field command is designated
as both Marine Forces Pacific (MARFORPAC) and Fleet Marine Forces,
Pacific (FMFPAC). Headquarters at Camp H. M. Smith aboard MCBH,
Marine Forces Pacific is the senior command for nearly two-thirds
of the U.S. Marine Corps operational forces and 11 major installations.
Set high amid Halawa Heights, Camp Smith is also home base to
the Commander in Chief of the Pacific (CINCPAC).
The distinctive headquarters building was originally designed
and erected as a naval hospital during WWII. At the time, an invasion
of Japan appeared imminent and heavy casualties were feared. When
Japan surrendered, the hospital was adapted for a new purpose.
The base is named for its first commander, General H. M. (Howlin'
Mad) Smith, a pioneer of amphibious warfare. The Marine Corps
acquired the 224-acre site in 1955.
