(10 Sept. 86) It didn’t take long to learn the different patrol areas and my responsibilities on Kwajalein Island but if I had a choice, I would stay on the outer islands for the duration. It’s one of three places in the world that I’ve experienced a peace and understanding that can’t be explained in words. They are the gateway to everything. Those places, by the way, are the desert, a mountain top and the outer islands.
The western half of Kwajalein Island, over one and a half miles long and eight hundred yards wide, contains the airfield, hangers, golf course and utilities. A tracking camera, microwave towers and the communication center are also found on this part of Kwaj.
The middle section, from 9th Street to 6th Street contains support services for residents such as recreation, banking, shopping, medical and housing for single status workers. The entire block from 9th Street to 8th Street, between Lagoon Road and Ocean Road, is set aside for recreation. In this field are tennis courts, handball and basketball, two softball fields and a hobby shop. Another softball field is across Lagoon Road next to the community center. And overlooking the Pacific Ocean is the adult pool.
On the lagoon side of this section are the warehouses, harbor facilities and Echo Pier, which is an extension of 6th Street. Ships from throughout the Pacific dock here after entering through Gea Pass on the west reef.
Echo Pier was built by the Japanese during their occupation of the Marshall Islands and improvements were made by the Americans. Everyone coming to or going from Kwajalein by water passes through DSC. Some 2,000 t0 3,000 people process through daily.
Since the army has an open container policy on Kwaj, people can drink adult beverages outside. The Marshallese are big abusers of alcohol. One afternoon I left DSC, crossed 6th Street and followed a dirt road east along the lagoon. In a little park just past Echo Pier a group of about a dozen Marshallese men were sitting under the trees emptying bottles of Vodka. They first mixed the potent drink with grapefruit juice poured from two large cans.
Two of the workers decided to process through the checkpoint and board one of the boats for Ebeye. Neither one could come close to walking a straight line and one even managed to become entangled with a stationary bicycle, much to the delight of his companions.
At that point, I remembered what had happened to the American Indian after his introduction to “firewater.”
And last, from 6th Street to the eastern end of the island is the residential area for families and single status supervisors. Schools for dependents from kindergarten through high school are all on this end.
About 400 yards north of DSC is Emon Beach, which translates good beach. And it is. White sand, coconut palms, and Australian pines does it for me. On sunny days you can find two or three wind surfers cruising by or a sailboat drifting north. Grills are provided for anyone who wants to cook out or just lay back in a lounge chair and catch some rays. I am told that this is also the place to watch warheads streaking down from outer space.
Back on the west end of Kwajalein Island is Mt. Olympus. On top is FPQ 19, a powerful radar and telescope for tracking incoming RVs. It also has a covered veranda built into the hillside facing the ocean. Included are a refrigerator filled with the fixings for a first class picnic. At night, with a pleasant ocean breeze and the stars out, eating Bar-BQ and drinking a cold beverage of your choice, I would call that a perfect evening.
Directly south of the hill is the shark pit, an area of water held back by large boulders. These rocks protect this end of the island from the pounding surf during stormy weather. A handful of fishermen are always here reeling in a variety of fish without much effort.
The reason for this is the garbage trucks pick up all that fine leftover food from the PDR (Pacific Dining Room), haul it out to these rocks and dump it into the swirling water below. This attracts fish from all around, including some very fierce and large sharks, for a feeding frenzy. With all the fat and cholesterol from pies, cakes and porkchops being consumed below, I wondered how the sea creatures had been affected. Is there a shark down there with a spare tire around its middle or a red snapper with clogged arteries? Just an idle thought.
Heading east on Ocean Road from the pit is the Kwajalein Golf Course. It lies between the ocean and the runway, starting from the ordnance storage facilities. These reinforced concrete vaults contain unexploded bombs and artillery shells from the American invasion of WWII (1945). It has been estimated that the explosive power of all the ordnance dropped on this island during the invasion was equal to that of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Unlike Pebble Beach, this golf course has a significant number of explosive devices below the surface.
Another hazard on the golf course is the mass grave that was dug underneath the fairways and greens after the battle for Kwajalein was over. Some 5,000 Japanese soldiers are buried in this mass grave and on occasion parts of a body will protrude above the grass. So naturally there are special rules in effect for the course.
During play, if your ball lands on the runway, check both ways to be certain no airliner or other aircraft is using the strip before retrieving the ball. And if your ball lands on an artillery shell or bomb, contact ordnance disposal before moving your ball. If it lands on a body part, contact the department for that section. Numbers are given out to club members.
The Police HQ is on Lagoon Road at 8th Street. Inside are two cells that so far have remained empty. Across the street is a bowling alley and upstairs is the island library. Yes, I thought it might be a little noisy but to my surprise it’s very quiet. The collection isn’t large but there is a nice section on Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. I checked out a couple of books and a collection of notes on the Marshallese language. No tapes are available so I will have to find a native who can tutor me.
Filed under: Almost Paradise Volume 1
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