Fort DeRussy Military Reservation facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Battery Randolph
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U.S. Army Museum of Hawaiʻi at Fort DeRussy
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 Location in Hawaii
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| Location | 32 Kalia Rd., Honolulu, Hawaii |
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| Built | 1911 |
| MPS | Artillery District of Honolulu TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 84000971 |
| Added to NRHP | June 5, 1984 |
Fort DeRussy is a special area in Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii. It belongs to the United States Army. Even though it's a military place, it doesn't have fences. It looks like a big park with lots of green spaces.
Inside Fort DeRussy, you'll find the U.S. Army Museum of Hawaiʻi. This museum is in an old building called Battery Randolph. It's open for everyone to visit! There's also the Hale Koa Hotel, a hotel for military families, and the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies.
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The Story of Fort DeRussy
This land was once owned by a rich Chinese merchant named Chun Afong. He built a beautiful house and gardens there. Mr. Chun used his home to host parties and welcome important guests. These guests included royal family members, leaders, and military officers.
In 1904, Mr. Chun sold the land to the United States Army Corps of Engineers for $28,000. The Army then built two large gun batteries, called Battery Randolph and Battery Dudley. Battery Dudley is no longer there today.
Who Was René Edward De Russy?
Fort DeRussy in Honolulu is one of five forts with this name in the United States. The others were built during the American Civil War. This fort was named after General René Edward De Russy (1789–1865). He was a very important person who helped build many military forts. He also led the United States Military Academy at West Point for a time.
René and his younger brother Louis came to the United States as children. They were refugees from a place called Saint-Domingue, which is now Haiti. Both brothers grew up in Virginia and went to West Point. They both served in the American Civil War, even though they were older. René fought for the Union, and Louis fought for the Confederate Army.
Fort DeRussy's Role in History
Fort DeRussy is located right on Waikiki Beach, close to famous hotels like the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and the Moana Hotel. During the Vietnam War, this area was used as a place for soldiers to rest and recover.
Fort DeRussy was one of many places on Oahu with big guns to protect the coast. These guns were meant to defend against attacks from the sea. However, as airplanes became more powerful, these coastal guns were not as useful. Most of them were removed in the early 1950s.
The huge 14-inch guns at Battery Randolph were only fired once for practice. This happened shortly after the Attack on Pearl Harbor. The powerful blast shattered many windows in the nearby Royal Hawaiian and Moana hotels! Because of this, the guns were never fired again.
What's at Fort DeRussy Today?
Today, Fort DeRussy is home to several important facilities. These include the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. There is also the Fort DeRussy Chapel and the Hale Koa Hotel. The Hale Koa Hotel is a special hotel for military members and their families to enjoy.
U.S. Army Museum of Hawaiʻi
The U.S. Army Museum of Hawaiʻi is located inside Battery Randolph. This building was once a powerful coastal artillery battery. Battery Randolph was built in 1911 to protect Honolulu Harbor on Oahu from attacks. It had two massive 14-inch guns. These guns were on special "disappearing carriages" and could shoot about 40,000 yards (about 23 miles)! The battery was named after Major Benjamin H. Randolph.
The museum has many interesting things to see. Outside, you can find World War II tanks and an AH-1 Cobra helicopter. Inside, there are displays of small arms and, of course, the battery itself. The exhibits teach you about the history of the U.S. Army in the Pacific Ocean area. Admission to the museum is free!
The museum is located on Kalia Road. Its coordinates are 21°16′44″N 157°50′1″W / 21.27889°N 157.83361°W.
Another set of guns, called Battery Dudley, had two 6-inch guns. It was named after General Edgar S. Dudley. The "Artillery District of Honolulu" was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Oahu on June 5, 1984.
