MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII -- Personnel recently completed recovery of World War II aircraft artifacts at Kaneohe Bay Range Training Facility, Ulupau Crater aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Aug. 20, 2013.
Members of Range and Training Area Management joined Coral Rasmussen, a base Archeologist/Cultural Resource Manager, to work with aviation archeologist David Trojan of the Travis Heritage Center to collect and catalogue the remainder of World War II-era aircraft surface artifacts located at K-Bay Range.
The removal of the aviation artifacts not only allowed for historical cataloguing but enhanced the utility of K-Bay Range, according to Trojan. The metal materials created a hazardous environment for Marines training with live ammunition that can ricochet, barring use of those areas.
“Identifying and recovering artifacts were a result of mission-required archaeological fieldwork and part of a plan to clear the MCBH K-Bay Range of metal objects that could pose a ricochet hazard during range operations,” said Trojan. The majority of the artifacts removed were from surplus components and equipment of Navy Martin Mariner Patrol Bomber M seaplanes and Patrol Bomber Y-2 Privateer aircraft flown on the base when it was Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay before decommissioning as NAS K-Bay in 1949.
After WWII, the Navy began stripping its planes at NAS K-Bay of their armament to be converted to transport aircraft, Trojan noted. Among the artifacts recovered since 2011 were .50-caliber machine guns, landing gear, gun turrets and hydraulic equipment.
“We did several surveys starting in the 1990s that identified a number of archeological materials,” said Rasmussen.
She explained that archeologists who generally work at sites like K-Bay Range focus on factors pertaining to ancient Hawaiian culture, and in order to properly identify and catalogue the aircraft artifacts, a specialist in the field was brought in.
“David (Trojan) was brought out two years ago to take the material but didn’t have the time to complete everything,” Rasmussen said. “The range had him out to finish the job this time and take care of the last little bit.”
Having a high operational tempo with various units on the base, the range was difficult to get onto, according to Trojan.
“The area under investigation was within an active range, and the opportunity to investigate it does not happen very often,” said Trojan. “This past weekend, the range was not active due to the Coast Guard working on naval buoys.”
Trojan used the lull in training operations to finish his work clearing the WWII material from K-Bay Range. Because of this, Marines have more flexibility to train in different areas of the Ulupau crater without hazards. One area that was cleared of material is now being used as a point-man course for infantry Marines, enhancing the utility of the range.