Last Day At Wake

On our last day at Wake, we were able to go on land for a short, guided tour of the atoll. As much as the waters surrounding Wake were beautiful, the land portion was sobering. With heaps of rusted metal littering the landscape and the remnants of the 2008 category 5 Super Typhoon Ioke still visible, the atoll’s decrepit appearance mirrored its harrowing past. Evidence of nature’s destructive force was not nearly as potent as the WWII era relics found through out the atoll. From 1935 to 1941, Wake was a refueling point for Pan Am and at the beginnings of WWII, the atoll was inhabited by 449 Marines, 68 Naval personnel and 1221 civilian contractors. In 1941, a few hours after the Pearl Harbor attack, the Battle of Wake Atoll began. Grossly outnumbered by the Japanese fleet and with only 4 remaining fighter aircraft and the help of the civilian contractors, the Marines and Naval personnel were able to repel several amphibious assaults, sink 2 destroyers, 1 submarine and destroy 24 Japanese aircraft before being overwhelmed by an early-morning raid on December 23. After the Japanese victory, most of the military personnel and civilians were sent to POW camps in Asia. However 98 civilian contractors were detained on the island and forced into slave labor to improve the island’s defenses. After a successful American air raid on October 5, 1943, the Japanese garrison commander ordered the execution of all 98 prisoners. One man escaped the massacre and was able to carve the message ’98 US PW 5-10-43’ on a rock near the site of the prisoners’ mass grave. This man was later captured and executed.

Today there are approximately 150 Naval contractors living and working on the island, maintaining the airstrip as an emergency stopping point for trans-Pacific flights. ‘Downtown’ Wake is comprised of several cinder block buildings, a tiki shack and a few hammocks overlooking the turquoise waters of the lagoon. Its peaceful appearance belies the historical reminders cluttering the rest of the atoll and the surrounding waters. I am glad that we were able to visit, however even amongst our usually-lively group, there were very few smiles and most people seemed to be at a loss for words.

I hope you are doing well. Take care,
Cristi