Remember Pearl Harbor
7 December 1941
71 Years ago
Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), formerly Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay and originally Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay, is a U.S. Marine Corps base facility and air station located on the Mokapu Peninsula of windward O'ahu in the City & County of Honolulu. For census purposes, the area is demarcated as the Kaneohe Station census-designated place, with a population at the 2010 Census of 9,517. Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, is home to Marines, sailors, their family members, and civilian employees. The United States Marine Corps operates a 7,800-foot (2,400 m) runway at the base.
MCBH is home for the 3rd Marine Regiment, Marine Aircraft Group 24, Combat Logistics Battalion 3 (CLB-3) 3rd Radio Battalion, and the Navy's Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 2.
The base lies between the two largest windward O'ahu communities of Kailua and Kane'ohe, and the main gate is reached at the eastern end of Interstate H-3. The main access to the base is by either H-3 or by Mokapu Road. MCB Hawaii is located on the windward side of Oahu, approximately 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Honolulu. Marine Corps Base Hawaii occupies the entire Mokapu Peninsula, of 2,951 acres (11.94 km). Two areas of the base are classified conservation land which includes the Ulupau Crater area (northeast peninsula) and the Nuupia Pond area (at the Mokapu Road).
History
In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson designated 322 acres (1.30 km) of land on Mokapu Peninsula for the military. The Kuwaahoe Military Reservation, became known later, in 1942 as Fort Hase. In 1941, Army artillery units moved into the area. In 1939, the Navy constructed a small seaplane base and upon its completion, Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay's role was expanded to include the administration of the Kaneohe Bay Naval Defense Sea Area.
Attack on Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay was attacked approximately 9 minutes prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Post World War II
In 1951, the Marines assumed control of the air station activities when naval aviation moved to Barbers Point Naval Air Station. On January 15, 1952, Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay was commissioned. On 15 April 1994, the Marine Corps consolidated all of its installations in Hawaii. MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Camp H. M. Smith, Molokai Training Support Facility, Manana Family Housing Area, Puuloa Range, and the Pearl City Warehouse Annex combined to form a new command, the Marine Corps Base Hawaii, headquartered at MCBH Kaneohe Bay. All U.S. military units located in Hawaii fall under the command of the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) which is headquartered at Camp H. M. Smith on Oahu. The Commanding General of Marine Forces Pacific (MARFORPAC) also commands 12 Marine Corps bases and stations in Arizona, California, Hawaii and Japan, operational forces in Hawaii and Okinawa Prefecture, and units deployed to Southeast/west Asia. In 2010, parts of the movie Battleship were filmed aboard MCBH.
