September 21, 1999


Barbers Point Naval Air Station Redevelopment Commission
1001 Kamokilo Blvd., Suite 308
Kapolei, Hawaii 96707

Dear Commission Members,

I urge the Commission to retain the current street names at Kalealoa (Barbers Point) for the following reasons:

These are not new streets - we have been driving them for over fifty years. I disagree with the notion that the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu require discarding these historic street names. I will be happy to work with the Commission to draft a bill for either the State Legislature or the City Council that would exempt these streets from any such interpretation.

The Commission has a limited staff and budget, and not enough of either to do their existing job. Expending time to rename existing streets, and money to replace perfectly good street signs, does not make sense.  Each year the Commission gets fewer federal funds, and must seek additional money from the Hawaii legislature.  It will be very difficult to convince the legislature to support spending limited state funds in these tough economic times for finding new names for streets that already have names.

Renaming the streets will confuse the public, the police, and the fire department, for some period of time.  Maps, stationery, and other records will have to be changed.  These safety risks and added costs weigh heavily against renaming the streets.

The street names at Barbers Point commemorate the battles, ships and people of our history. Discarding these names insults the memory of those who served.

 My major objection is that discarding the current street names is a waste of taxpayer money. Those concerns are obvious and require little explanation. The historical significance of the street names, however, deserves detailed discussion.  Enclosure (1) contains that discussion. The street names can be divided into two categories:  U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and U.S. Marine Corps aviation heroes. Aircraft carriers are named after historic American ships, battles and leaders, from the Revolution through World War Two.  The Marine Corps aviation heroes whose names are commemorated include posthumous Medal of Honor winners and aces - pilots who shot down 5 or more enemy aircraft.  Their heroism, dedication and sacrifice are described in enclosure (1). I served twenty-five years in the United States Marines Corps, most of which as a naval flight officer in EA-6A and B electronic warfare aircraft.  My inclination is to respect the memory of those who served before me.

A lot of history is reflected in the naming of the streets at Barbers Point. Are the sacrifices of our veterans so meaningless, so trivial, so unimportant, that the Commission must discard these historic names and search for new ones? The motto of the Marine Corps is Semper Fidelis - always faithful. I ask you to be faithful to the memory of our veterans and their families by leaving the street names as they are.

Sincerely,
 
 

Mark Moses
Major, U.S.M.C. (ret.)
Representative
42nd District
Makakilo, Kapolei, Ewa, Honouliuli, Village Park, Royal Kunia and Kunia

Encl: (1) History and Significance of Street Names at Naval Air Station Barbers Point
 
 

Enclosure (1) History and Significance of Street Names at Naval Air Station Barbers Point

What was Barbers Point Naval Air Station began as Marine Corps Air Station Ewa. As is the case throughout history, the Marine Corps was there first to defend both Hawaii and the nation. At 7:55 a.m. on December 7th, 1941, Japanese forces attacked Oahu, starting with Marine Corps Air Station Ewa. Over forty Marine fighter and bomber aircraft were destroyed on the ground and 4 Marines killed. The memory of those Marines requires keeping intact the names of the streets they fought to defend.

When I hear the names Belleau Wood, Saipan, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, and Tripoli, my Marine Corps heritage demands I show sincere respect for those who fought and died. As a former Marine, let me discuss for whom Elrod Street is named. Major Henry Elrod, U.S.M.C., landed his fighter plane on Wake Island on December 4th, 1941. The Japanese attacked Wake on December 8th. On the 12th of December he single-handedly attacked a flight of 22 enemy planes and shot down two. On several flights, he executed low altitude bombing and strafing runs on enemy ships. On one of these runs, he became the first man to sink a major warship with small caliber bombs delivered from a fighter aircraft. When his plane was destroyed by hostile fire, he organized a group of ground troops into a beach defense unit, and repulsed repeated Japanese attacks. On 23 December 1941, Captain Elrod fell, mortally wounded, while protecting his men who were carrying ammunition to a gun emplacement. He was posthumously promoted to Major on 8 November 1946, and awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. We must continue to honor Major Elrod's sacrifice.

Several other streets are named after Marine aviators who posthumously received the Medal of Honor, their citations follow:

*BAUER, HAROLD WILLIAM

Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 20 November 1908. Woodruff, Kans. Appointed from: Nebraska. Citation: For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous courage as Squadron Commander of Marine Fighting Squadron 212 in the South Pacific Area during the period 10 May to 14 November 1942. Volunteering to pilot a fighter plane in defense of our positions on Guadalcanal, Lt. Col. Bauer participated in 2 air battles against enemy bombers and fighters outnumbering our force more than 2 to 1, boldly engaged the enemy and destroyed 1 Japanese bomber in the engagement of 28 September and shot down 4 enemy fighter planes in flames on 3 October, leaving a fifth smoking badly. After successfully leading 26 planes on an over-water ferry flight of more than 600 miles on 16 October, Lt. Col. Bauer, while circling to land, sighted a squadron of enemy planes attacking the U.S.S. McFarland. Undaunted by the formidable opposition and with valor above and beyond the call of duty, he engaged the entire squadron and, although alone and his fuel supply nearly exhausted, fought his plane so brilliantly that 4 of the Japanese planes were destroyed before he was forced down by lack of fuel. His intrepid fighting spirit and distinctive ability as a leader and an airman, exemplified in his splendid record of combat achievement, were vital factors in the successful operations in the South Pacific Area.

*FLEMING, RICHARD E.

Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Born: 2 November 1917, St. Paul, Minn. Appointed from: Minnesota. Citation: For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty as Flight Officer, Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 241, during action against enemy Japanese forces in the battle of Midway on 4 and 5 June 1942. When his Squadron Commander was shot down during the initial attack upon an enemy aircraft carrier, Capt. Fleming led the remainder of the division with such fearless determination that he dived his own plane to the perilously low altitude of 400 feet before releasing his bomb. Although his craft was riddled by 179 hits in the blistering hail of fire that burst upon him from Japanese fighter guns and antiaircraft batteries, he pulled out with only 2 minor wounds inflicted upon himself. On the night of 4 June, when the squadron commander lost his way and became separated from the others, Capt. Fleming brought his own plane in for a safe landing at its base despite hazardous weather conditions and total darkness. The following day, after less than 4 hours' sleep, he led the second division of his squadron in a coordinated glide-bombing and dive-bombing assault upon a Japanese battleship. Undeterred by a fateful approach glide, during which his ship was struck and set afire, he grimly pressed home his attack to an altitude of 500 feet, released his bomb to score a near miss on the stern of his target, then crashed to the sea in flames. His dauntless perseverance and unyielding devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.

*HANSON, ROBERT MURRAY

Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Born: 4 February 1920, Lucknow, India. Accredited to: Massachusetts. Other Navy awards: Navy Cross, Air Medal. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life and above and beyond the call of duty as fighter pilot attached to Marine Fighting Squadron 215 in action against enemy Japanese forces at Bougainville Island, 1 November 1943; and New Britain Island, 24 January 1944. Undeterred by fierce opposition, and fearless in the face of overwhelming odds, 1st Lt. Hanson fought the Japanese boldly and with daring aggressiveness. On 1 November, while flying cover for our landing operations at Empress Augusta Bay, he dauntlessly attacked 6 enemy torpedo bombers, forcing them to jettison their bombs and destroying 1 Japanese plane during the action. Cut off from his division while deep in enemy territory during a high cover flight over Simpson Harbor on 24 January, 1st Lt. Hanson waged a lone and gallant battle against hostile interceptors as they were orbiting to attack our bombers and, striking with devastating fury, brought down 4 Zeroes and probably a fifth. Handling his plane superbly in both pursuit and attack measures, he was a master of individual air combat, accounting for a total of 25 Japanese aircraft in this theater of war. His great personal valor and invincible fighting spirit were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.

Two other streets are named after Zenneth A. Pond and Robert F. Stout, Marine Corps pilots who shot down five or more enemy aircraft in WWII. Henderson street is named after Marine Major Lofton Henderson, a pilot killed during the battle of Midway.

My brothers and sisters who served in the Navy will similarly honor those who served in the battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, Leyte, Lake Champlain and the Solomons. They will also honor the memory of ships whose names have existed in our fleet since the founding days of our republic, such as Enterprise, Essex, Boxer, Ranger, Bonhomme Richard, Wasp, and Constellation.

Most of the streets at Barbers Point Naval Air Station are named after World War Two aircraft carriers:

Carriers - Langley, Lexington, Saratoga, Ranger, Yorktown, Enterprise, Wasp, Hornet, Essex, Intrepid, Hornet, Franklin, Randolph, Lexington, Bunker Hill, Hancock, Bennington, Boxer, Bon Homme Richard, Leyte, Kearsarge, Antietam, Shangri-La, Lake Champlain, and Tarawa.

Light Carriers - Independence, Belleau Wood, Cowpens, Monterey, and Bataan.

Escort Carriers - Long Island, Tripoli, Card, White Plains, Copahee, Solomons, Nassau, Tulagi, Prince William, Casablanca, Anzio, Mission Bay, Guadalcanal, Natoma Bay, Rendova, Bougainville, Point Cruz, Attu, Rabaul, Munda, and Tinian.

 Those few streets not bearing the names of WWII carriers honor modern day and Vietnam era aircraft carriers such as Constellation, Forrestal, Kitty Hawk, Nimitz, FDR, and America.

A number of these carriers have personal significance to me, having landed and taken off from the Coral Sea, Enterprise, Lexington, Midway, Ranger, America, and Nimitz.

Those who served in the Army will note that these carrier names honor the battles of Attu, Anzio, Bataan, Lexington, Valley Forge, White Plains, Long Island, Bennington, Bunker Hill, Cowpens, Yorktown, Saratoga and Antietem. Air Force and Army Air Corps veterans will recognize the names Tinian and Saipan, islands seized by the Marines to serve as B-29 bases for the strategic bombing of Japan.

My friends in the Coast Guard will honor the name Hamilton, the first cutter of that name being launched in 1830. The fourth cutter Hamilton sails the seas today. Coast Guardsmen also honor the battle for Guadalcanal where Signalman First Class Douglas A. Munro gave his life while evacuating 500 besieged Marines from the beach head. Like Major Elrod, he received the Medal of Honor.

The history of every armed service is reflected in the names of the streets on the former Naval Air Station Barbers Point. These streets honor the memory of all who served, their families, and those of us who benefited from their sacrifice.