Haleiwa Fighter Strip facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Haleiwa Fighter Strip
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| Part of Seventh Air Force | |
| Haleʻiwa, Oahu, Hawaii | |
Haleiwa Fighter Strip 1933
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| Coordinates | 21°36′16″N 158°6′8″W / 21.60444°N 158.10222°W |
| Type | Military airfield |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | United States Army Air Corps |
Haleiwa Fighter Strip was a small military airfield located on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. It played a surprising and important role in defending the island during World War II, especially during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
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History of Haleiwa Airfield
Haleiwa Fighter Strip was originally a simple landing field. It was used for emergency landings by fighter aircraft. In 1941, it had only a dirt runway and very basic facilities.
Training at Haleiwa Field
The field was mainly used for gunnery training. Pilots practiced shooting in conditions that felt like real battles. Soldiers on temporary duty had to bring their own tents and gear. In 1945, the 14th Naval Construction Battalion finished paving the runway. This made Haleiwa a busy base for fighter planes. These planes helped patrol the Hawaiian islands.
The Pearl Harbor Attack
Haleiwa Field became famous on December 7, 1941. This was the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Japanese planes heavily attacked Wheeler Field. Few American planes could get into the air from there.
Haleiwa was a smaller, helper field for Wheeler. It had some planes temporarily assigned there. These included planes from the 47th Fighter Squadron. On the morning of the attack, eight Curtiss P-40 Warhawk planes were at Haleiwa. Also, two Curtiss P-36 Mohawk planes were there.
Heroic Pilots at Haleiwa
Two P-40 pilots, 2nd Lt. George S. Welch and 2nd Lt. Kenneth M. Taylor, were at Wheeler Field. They had moved their P-40B fighters to Haleiwa earlier. This was part of a plan to spread out the planes.
When the attack started, they didn't wait for orders. They called Haleiwa and had their planes fueled and ready. Both pilots quickly drove 16 miles to Haleiwa Field. They arrived in about 15 minutes. Their P-40s were warmed up and waiting.
The crew chiefs told them to spread out their planes. "The hell with that," Welch said. They ignored the usual checks and took off. They raced down the narrow airstrip.
Facing the Enemy
Once in the air, they saw many planes near Ewa and Pearl Harbor. They then realized the huge number of Japanese aircraft. Taylor said there were "between 200 and 300 Japanese aircraft." He added, "there were just two of us!"
The two P-40s fought the planes attacking Ewa. They shot down five Japanese planes. Then, they returned to Wheeler to get more ammunition. While there, another wave of bombers appeared. Lt. Taylor quickly took off again. His P-40's cockpit was damaged as a Japanese plane chased him. Lt. Welch shot down the plane following Taylor. Both pilots then returned to Wheeler.
Lt. Welch was credited with shooting down four Japanese planes. Lt. Taylor shot down two. Just as suddenly as it began, the sky was clear of enemy planes. Both Welch and Taylor received the Distinguished Service Cross for their bravery. Their dramatic takeoff was shown in the 1970 film Tora! Tora! Tora!.
Other Pilots' Bravery
In total, nine Japanese planes were shot down by pilots from Haleiwa Field. Welch shot down four, and Taylor shot down two. These pilots flew P-40B Tomahawks. These planes had two .50 caliber machine guns.
Other pilots flew P-36A gunnery trainers. These planes had only one .30 caliber machine gun for target practice. 1st Lieutenant Lewis M. Sanders shot down one Japanese aircraft. 2nd Lieutenants Harry W. Brown and Phillip M. Rasmussen each shot down one plane.
All five pilots received the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). This award recognized their courage during the attack.
Haleiwa After the War
After World War II, Haleiwa Fighter Strip became a civilian airport. It was later abandoned for many years. Today, not much of Haleiwa Field remains. The paved runway from World War II can still be seen. However, weeds have grown all over it.
The area is sometimes used for filming TV shows and movies. The land is called Puaʻena Point. It is still undeveloped and owned by Kamehameha Schools. It is also known as "Police Beach" and is marked as Puaʻena Beach Park on maps. An old surfing spot for experts is near the point. You can reach it from Haleiwa Beach Park.
