Shown prominently and distinctly in the movie, "Tora, Tora, Tora," & " Pearl Harbor," historically the control tower on top wasn't even built yet and most certainly not painted red and white during the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  

Aircraft was controlled by the building at the base of the water tank, and when the tower was complete in May 1, 1942, it was painted in camouflage.  So when did the color change to red and white?  That's a good question as it is determined to have been between 1944 and 1969!  Nobody knows!  If you have a picture of the tower between '44 and '69 that shows the tower being red and white, please contact: Curatorial Department at (808)441-1016.  Help solve the mystery!

You may be getting the inkling that today's jaunt must be Ford Island, and you are correct!  My friend Robbie wanted to walk with me and has never been to the Island, so I was one part Walking Hawaiian and one part Tour Guide!  HaHa!  Our route landed at 3.38 miles and pretty much covered one end to the other outlining the original aircraft runway.  Though it now is a grassy medial,  the west end still resembles a runway.

Whoopee!  A butterfly!  Well, I got so excited because the UH Manoa Pulelehua Project needs help in sightings of the "Kamehameha Butterfly,(Hawaiian name is Pulelehua)" which is the official "insect of Hawaii!"  One of only two native species of butterfly, (the other is the Koa Butterfly or Blackburn's Blue) its population has been declining so they want pictures of the butterfly, eggs, chrysalises or caterpillars and need to know when it was sighted and where!  Contact and email: pulelehua@ctahr.hawaii.edu if you have been so lucky!

Unfortunately, upon further investigation, the butterfly I sighted is another butterfly called, "Passionvine Butterfly!"  The Pulelehua butterfly has strong black wing-tips and this one was ALL orange.  RATS!  So now, I want to find the Wallaby(Kangaroo), the 'elepaio(native Hawaiian bird) and the Pulelehua,  hoping that it will happen sometime in the near future!  Lofty goals, yes?

At the west end and the half-way point of our trek, what welcomed us?  A bathroom, ice-cold water fountain and a seat with a lovely view of the harbor.  Much needed and greatly appreciated, the tradewinds and sunny skies made it a perfect day to do "the Walking Hawaiian!"  By the way, do you see the entrance to Pearl Harbor in the second picture?

Looking down Chaffee Blvd. on the east end in the first picture and standing on the west end of the runway in the second, brought back memories of my father practicing touch and go's on this runway as a flying student.   My husband used it for flying practice also!  Before the bridge was built, you could only get here by boat or plane.  My husband and I used to sail in the harbor and many loved to circle the Island on their sail.  Now that the bridge is built, access to the Island is simple if you have a Military I.D., but no longer can you use the runway or boat around the Island.  Is change good?  Well, it's different!  Hoping that you will always enjoy the memories of the past, but, accept and enjoy the changes that occur too!  Aloha no!(Lots of love!)