Photo By Cpl. Harley Thomas | Soldiers with the U.S. Army 7th Dive Division, 65th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII – Nearly 75 years ago, service members aboard what was then Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay were going about their daily routines, enjoying the calm Sunday morning of Dec. 7, 1941. Some were heading to church while others were reporting in for that day’s duty, which, for some, meant boarding the PBY Catalinas moored out on the bay.
When the Imperial Japanese Fleet arrived that day, many of the duty officers had tried to get their engines to start but were struck down by the Japanese forces. Some of those seaplanes may still be found at the bottom of the bay, but for those aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii, other reminders of that fateful day may be found a little closer to home. Found behind Hangars 101, 102, 103 and 104, the seaplane ramps which supported the PBY Catalina patrol fleet are now part of the Kaneohe Naval Air Station National Historic Landmark.
The U.S Army Corps of Engineers, along with soldiers with the U.S. Army 7th Dive Division, 65th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, executed underwater condition surveys of the seaplane ramps aboard MCB Hawaii, Jan. 26, 2016.
The purpose of the surveys was to determine the ability of each ramp to support possible landing craft use and future amphibious operations.
Coral Rasmussen, the base architect and member of the cultural resources management with MCB Hawaii’s environmental department, said that while the base would benefit from the ramps’ renewal, there are some problems when it comes to restoring historical sites such as this.
“We want to preserve these for the future, but we do not want to cause any more destruction, so there’s a chance we night not be able to rebuild anything,” said Rasmussen, a Pearl City, Hawaii, resident. “One problem we’re faced with, when determining if these can be used or not, is that we don’t know how structurally sound they are. While we may see cracks or erosion on the surface, we do not know their structural design or integrity.”
Jennifer Eugenio, the ramp structural assessment project manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said that because of their location, there are a few concerns they must consider when determining the ramps’ condition.
“These have gotten very old while resting in salt water, so erosion is definitely a huge concern,” said Eugenio, a Mililani, Hawaii, native. “For us, this is a little different because we can normally see what we’re working with, what we’re getting ourselves into and what kind of equipment we need. This time, we need to get under the water and that’s where the 7th Dive Division comes in. These guys are certified divers, they do it often and it’s what they specialize in, so we called and they were more than willing to come out here.”
Members of the 7th Dive Division have been taking photos, video and measurements in order to help verify the plans for the future of the seaplane ramps.
“Once we determine the current condition of the ramps, we will be able to plan out how we can restore them to their former capacity,” Eugenio said. “However, because these are so old, a lot of the vehicles they were meant for may not be in use anymore, meaning we’d have to make these capable of holding equipment used nowadays.”
Dan Geltmacher, the MCB Hawaii range and training area manager, said he hopes the ramps will be able to support landing craft air cushion vehicle operations.
“We don’t have training facilities designed to help support LCAC operations like they do at Pendleton, Lejeune or Okinawa, where they have and use them quite often,” said Geltmacher, a Springfield, Ohio, native. “However, it just so happens that a seaplane ramp from World War II looks a lot like an LCAC ramp.”
He said that since 2004, service members, whether they are with a transiting Marine Expeditionary Unit or are taking part in a training exercise such as Rim of the Pacific, have been asking why they can’t use the ramps for loading and unloading their amphibious vehicles.
“It has taken me this long to get a study done to determine if whether or not those things are sound enough to support the weight of an LCAC,” Geltmacher said. “I’m hopeful that we will be able to designate at least one ramp as our LCAC loading area because it would give our Marines another option during their amphibious training. Sometimes the beach conditions make it hard or impossible for them to land and, were they able to operate and launch from their ship inside the bay, this would give us another option to support Marines’ training in readiness.”
| Date Taken: | 01.28.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 02.05.2016 19:44 |
| Story ID: | 188093 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HI, US |
| Hometown: | MILILANI, HI, US |
| Hometown: | PEARL CITY, HI, US |
| Hometown: | SPRINGFIELD, OH, US |
| Web Views: | 190 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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