Wheeler Army Air Field
AFB


Pearl Harbor 75th: Wheeler Airfield Wreath Laying



Wheeler Army Air Field Monday 5 December 2016

Wheeler Army Air Field is literally across the street from Schofield Barracks.
The first two photos were taken inside the Tropic Lightning Museum and
show, before and after the effect of a bomb dropping in these people's back
yard on 7 December 1941.

The third photo is my 'maybe' because following our visit to Wheeler Field,
our bus went down Wright Street and the tour guide said ' over there is
where the bomb dropped'. His view of 'over there' was different from mine
because he was at the front and I was at the back.

Upon arriving at a hangar at Wheeler, we were greeted by a US Army Officer
who would be our escort. A surprise was to hear him tell our group that you
can take any pictures you like, including the flight line.

There were plenty of opportunities for good photos, but I had to make certain
that no active duty man or woman would be in these.

We were privileged to have the Survivor in the sixth photo spend some time
with us, telling of his experience the moment of the attack as well as the
aftermath. I regret never getting his name. On his hat are the words Wheeler
Field and Pearl Harbor Survivor.

My assumption is that anyone who was on Oahu 7 December 1941 can
consider him or herself a Survivor.

This man also showed us the now covered crater where a bomb hit within
10-15 feet of the rear of a hangar. While the crater has been covered,
as happens frequently observed on the military installations we visited,
the bullet holes and shrapnel marks are preserved.

Our tour had four buses to move us around and they were designated
Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow. We of the Yellow bus very quickly
named it the Yellow Submarine. The woman in the photo, Molly, is a member
of the WWII Museum staff and was our bus captain.

The final photo is a screenshot that my wife took during the movie
Tora Tora Tora. One reason that I asked her to do this was to determine
if this part of the movie was actually filmed at Wheeler Field. That
steeply sloping topographical feature seems to provide confirmation
of my question as it shows up distinctly in our bus captain's picture.



      


Possible Location where bomb hit, 7 December 1941


Flightline at Wheeler Field


Hangers and Flightline at Wheeler Field


A survivor of the Japanese attack on Wheeler Field, 7 Decenber 1941


Covered crater behind a hanger at Wheeler Field


Shrapnel marks behind a hanger at Wheeler Field


Our "Captain" of the Yellow Submarine. Molly


Screenshot from the movie Tora Tora Tora.



Back



Graff Index

Shipmate Collections

CL-50

Home