Three Great Weeks on Midway Island
I went to Midway island to help on a couple of research projects and to be a travel companion with a friend. Much to my surprise it turned out to be a fantastic three weeks. Several foreign nationals have lived on Midway for years. The Thais keep the water system running and the Sri Lankans are the mechanics and carpenters.
Midway Atoll is 1250 miles northwest of Honolulu, just north of the Tropic of Cancer and east of the International Dateline. The atoll is part of the Hawaiian archipelago but is not part of the state. It consists of three low coral and sand islands with a total land mass of 1600 acres. In 1988 the atoll was designated Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and is now managed by the U S Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Service has strict guidelines which include a required briefing when you learn all visitors are to stay on paved walkways/ roads and designated trails, and some areas are strictly off limits. The air facility operationally closed in 1993. In 1996 President Clinton gave US Fish and Wildlife jurisdiction of Midway. At the time of my visit, Oceanic Society Expeditions was the exclusive tour operator for Midway working closely with USFWS to realize goals of protecting and preserving fish, wildlife, and historic resources. Several research projects have been conducted at the atoll.
 |
| The BOQ our hotel for three weeks |
All infrastructure is on Sand Island which is 1.8 miles long and 1.2 miles at its widest point. Besides housing, there is a gym, weight room, basketball court, billiards, bowling, tennis courts, library, carpenter shop, transportation shop, and other necessary maintenance buildings, and a new modern medical facility.
Eastern Island has no structures left except the overgrown runway. Accessible only by boat (we used a WWII era landing craft) to visit. Visitation to that island is limited to small guided groups.. Spit Island is tiny, has no significant history and is strictly a bird refuge. The few vehicles on Sand Island are for work and maintenance only. We did have golf cart transport available to us for classes, but generally we walked or rode a bike. This was not a hardship!
A fun tidbit: The last Easter and New Years services/celebrations in the world occur on Midway. If one crossed the International Date Line, 140 miles away, he could attend the first celebrations, then fly back to Midway and attend the last ones.
The tallest point on the island is the 165 foot water tower. All fresh water is obtained by catchment, stored in three huge tanks, sent through two treatment systems, and then pumped through a system to all faucets. In the era of 3000 residents on Midway water had to be barged in. Today water is not a problem; there is plenty and water pressure is good.
Midway was the first off-shore island to be annexed by the US in 1867 under the Guano Act. Since there are no bird rookeries on Midway the collection of guano would have been a tedious, nearly impossible task. However, history would prove this to be a most strategic move.
In January 1903, in response to complaints of Japanese squatters and poachers, President Teddy Roosevelt placed the atoll under the control of the Navy. That spring the Commercial Pacific Cable Company arrived on the island. After the Navy removed the squatters and poachers they appointed the Cable Company the island custodians. On July 4, 1903, from this station, President Teddy Roosevelt sent the first around-the-world cable which took nine minutes to complete.
Pan Am set up a base for its Clipper Seaplane Service on Sand Island in 1935. Midway was a regular fuel stop for Pan Am’s Trans-Pacific route which included Honolulu, Wake Island, Guam, and Manila. This operation, including a hotel and restaurant was short lived—only 1935-1941. The US Naval Air Station Midway was commissioned in August 1941.
Many people do not realize that on December 7, 1941 in addition to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Midway was also shelled. The hospital was demolished as well as half of the hanger. One fuel tank was hit and smoldered for days, but it served as a beacon for returning US pilots. The communication center took a shell wounding the operator and temporarily knocking out the whole system. Lt. George Cannon sustained a crushed pelvis but refused to leave his duty station until communications were restored. Then he was bodily removed by his men, but he later died, having bled to death. He was the first Medal of Honor recipient of World War II.
There is much more to tell about this fantastic visit, but this enough for today.
No comments:
Post a Comment