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 United States Army area in the Waikiki part of Honolulu, Hawaii. It is managed by the United States Army. This area is mostly open green space and is not fenced.
Inside Fort DeRussy, you can find the U.S. Army Museum of Hawaiʻi. This museum is located in a building called Battery Randolph, which used to be a military defense structure. The museum is open to everyone. Also on the fort grounds are the Hale Koa Hotel, which is a special hotel for military families, and the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies.
Contents
History of Fort DeRussy
How the Land Was Used Before
The land where Fort DeRussy now stands was once owned by a rich Chinese businessman named Chun Afong. He built a large house and beautiful gardens there. Mr. Afong used his property to host many important parties. He welcomed royal guests, leaders, and military officers. In 1904, he sold the land to the United States Army Corps of Engineers for $28,000. After buying the land, the Army built two defense structures called Battery Randolph and Battery Dudley. Battery Dudley is no longer there.
Who Was Fort DeRussy Named After?
Fort DeRussy in Honolulu is one of five places in the United States named Fort DeRussy. The others are in Louisiana, Kentucky, and Washington, D.C.. Those four were built during the American Civil War. This fort in Hawaii was named after General René Edward De Russy (1789–1865). He was a very important person who oversaw the building of many military forts. He was also in charge of the West Point military school for a time.
René and his younger brother Lewis came to the United States as children from Saint-Domingue (which is now Haiti). They both grew up in Virginia and graduated from West Point. Later in life, both brothers served during the American Civil War. René fought for the Union (the North), and Lewis fought for the Confederate Army (the South).
Fort DeRussy's Role in Defense
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, the former Shore Battery Randolph was used as a place for soldiers to rest and recover (called R&R).
Fort DeRussy was one of several forts on the island of Oahu built to protect the coast. These forts had large guns to defend against attacks from the sea. However, as air attacks became more effective, most of these guns were removed in the early 1950s. The huge 14-inch guns at Shore Battery Randolph were only fired once in a practice. This happened shortly after the Attack on Pearl Harbor. The powerful blast from the guns broke many windows in the Royal Hawaiian and Moana hotels! Because of this, the guns were never fired again.
What's at Fort DeRussy Today?
The active military facilities at Fort DeRussy include:
- The Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies
- The Fort DeRussy Chapel
- The Hale Koa Hotel, which is a special hotel for military members and their families.
U.S. Army Museum of Hawaiʻi
The U.S. Army Museum of Hawaiʻi is located inside Battery Randolph. Battery Randolph was built in 1911 to protect Honolulu Harbor on Oahu from attacks. It had two large 14-inch guns. These guns were on special "disappearing carriages," which meant they could be hidden when not in use. They had a range of about 40,000 yards (about 36 kilometers). The battery was named after Major Benjamin H. Randolph.
The museum has many interesting things to see. You can find World War II armor, an AH-1 Cobra helicopter, and small weapons inside. You can also explore the battery building itself. The exhibits tell the story of the U.S. Army's history in the Pacific region. 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 military gun installation, 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.
