Bucholz Army Airfield
Bucholz Army Airfield | |||||||||||
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AMSL 9 ft / 3 m | | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 08°43′12″N 167°43′54″E / 8.72000°N 167.73167°E | ||||||||||
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Bucholz Army Airfield (
Since the entirety of Kwajalein Atoll is a military base, non-military passengers on commercial flights are transported to and from the neighboring island of
History
Bucholz Army Airfield was initially built by the Japanese in 1943 as part of a large naval base. It came under heavy air attacks in late 1943 to neutralize the island. The atoll was assaulted by American forces on 31 January 1944. Employing the battle-hardened tactics developed under fire during the Battle of Tarawa, the United States launched a dual assault on the main islands of Kwajalein in the south and Roi-Namur in the north. Despite being outnumbered and under-prepared, the Japanese resisted and were subsequently defeated. The battle left only 4 Japanese survivors of an original garrison of 3,500.[citation needed]
After the defeat of the Japanese, Kwajalein was developed into a major United States Military airbase and staging area for further operations by
After the war, the United States used Kwajalein as a main command center and preparation base for
Marshall Islands were officially made a Territory of the United States, and became an independent republic in 1986. Kwajalein atoll is still used by the United States for missile testing and various other operations. Although this military history has deeply influenced the lives of the Marshall Islanders who have lived in the atoll through the war to the present, the military history of Kwajalein has made tourism almost non-existent and has kept the environment in relatively pristine condition. American civilians and their families who reside at the military installations in Kwajalein are able to enjoy this environment with few restrictions.[citation needed]
As of 2009, Bucholz Army Airfield is still operated by the United States Army. All civil and military operations require 24 hours' prior permission, and passengers transiting through Kwajalein on the same aircraft are not permitted to deplane.[citation needed]
Airlines and destinations
Airlines | Destinations |
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Honolulu[2]
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See also
- List of United States Army airfields
- USAAF in the Central Pacific
- Island Hopper scheduled air service
References
- ^ Building the Navy's Bases Online, Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands [1]
- ^ "Air Transport International Flight 440". FlightAware. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
External links
- USAKA Airfield Services
- Bucholz Army Airfield
- Pictures of Airport
- AirNav airport information for PKWA
- pacificwrecks.com
- Maurer, Maurer (1983), Air Force Combat Units Of World War II, ISBN 0-89201-092-4