Wake Island Disappeared

For a time, perhaps. via Instapundit I came across this:

Super Typhoon Ioke has made a direct hit on Wake Island, pounding the tiny U.S. Pacific territory with catastrophic winds of up to 300 kilometers an hour.

Ioke is the strongest central Pacific typhoon in at least 12 years. Forecasters expect the "monster" storm to submerge Wake Island and destroy everything on it that is not made of concrete.

And then Googled this, which I would encourage you to read in full if you have the time.

A contractor for the U.S. Army on Wake Atoll recently happened upon an obscure memorial to 98 American construction workers who died there in 1943. The simple boulder pictured at right, beyond a plaque listing their names, is the stark remnant of a disturbing World War II incident.

I drove my tiny Mitsubishi pick-up truck past the end of Wake Island, across the causeway to Wilkes Island, and to a point on the map that said "POW Rock." I slid to a stop near a shiny new sign that read: "POW Rock, no vehicles allowed beyond this point." Leading away from the narrow road was a coral gravel walkway lined by white coral rocks the size of footballs. The path led to a low rectangular granite block, topped with a bronze plaque. Beyond the block, on the shore of the lagoon, a four-foot-high dome of coral thrust its way up among smaller boulders. I traced a roughly chiseled inscription in the rock with my finger that said "98 US PW, 5-10-43". This simple inscription is the only trace of a mass murder that took place nearly 58 years ago.

The short passages in Wilcox's diary are filled with despair and hopelessness; he paints a bleak picture, recording 45 deaths between January and November 1942. Each entry acknowledges a death or burial: "30 March 1942—Geo. Proteau died at 5 A.M. this date. Four days ago his son died [Laurence Proteau]. The old man was very weak and had a bad heart"; "4 May 1942, 12:10 P.M.—Geo. Walker died. He leaves a wife and daughter 4 years old"; "16 July 1942—Buried Bill Miles today at the east end of the runway, in Marine casket." Evidently, Wilcox was a veteran of World War I and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). In several entries he describes donning his "VFW emblem" to perform "VFW Services" and "VFW Rituals" for fellow veterans who were being interred.

Comments

[Guy_in_Georgia]

Thank-you, Dan.

[Hucbald]

Great minds think alike: I found the same article this morning. That incident is dwarfed by other Japanese atrocities in the Pacific though. I've never been to Wake, but I've been to Saipan, Tinian, Rota, Guam, Chuuk, Pohnpei, Majuro and several others. WW II wreck diving out there is spec-freaking-tacular.

[Captain Joe]

30 foot storm surge completely engulfed the 18 foot high island.

[patrick neid]

from wikipedia.......

The Paramount studio began work on a movie before the real life battle for Wake Island was over. The resulting 1942 film, directed by John Farrow, tacks unrelated romantic subplots onto a straightforward re-telling of the Battle of Wake Island. The film contains factual errors, leaving viewers with the impression that the island's defenders fought to the last man. However, the film succeeded in its primary purpose of creating a stirring patriotic film. Wake Island was nominated for four Academy Awards, including best picture. Farrow won the 1942 New York Film Critics Circle Award for best director. The film was released on DVD by MCA Home Video in 2004.

A 2003 television documentary, Wake Island: Alamo of the Pacific, included interviews with both U.S. Marines and Japanese sailors who took part in the fighting. (The film received a 2004 Emmy nomination for music and sound.)

i saw the tv documentary. it turned up on the history station......

[Phoenix]

Thanks, Dan.

I'll look for the documentary. I hope the memorial makes it through the typhoon.

I can't imagine that kind of despair...

[Jack]

Awaiting news of how Wake Island survived Ioke. Visited Wake many times in the 1960's, 70's and 80's as a USMC pilot. Always sought opportunities to go there due to its tie to USMC history and the fact that it has some of the best fishing in the world.

Bonefishing on the flats inside the reef Northeast of Peale Island and "Drifter's Reef" may be the best in the world. "Off-shore" (sometimes less than 100 yards) fishing can produce trophy size Wahoo and Yellow-fin Tuna among other species if you can get the fish to the boat before the sharks get to them. Gray reef sharks are particularly aggressive. All sorts of Grouper on the reef walls, but they're unsafe to eat due to accumulated coral toxin from their diet that includes coral-crushing reef fish.

In addition to POW Rock, which survived at least one other "Super Typhoon" in the 1970's, there is a USMC Memorial Plaque located to the Northeast of the Airfield Operations Building that has been maintained and repainted by several generations of transient Marine pilots and aircrews.

Hope the news is good!

[Roger Dillling]

I too am awaiting info on how Wake survived Ioke. I used to transit Wake as a USAF C-141 pilot on a weekly basis in the 1968-70 time frame enroute to South East Asia. We would stop at Wake for crew rest/crew change. I have walked around the island many times while awaiting the next plane to arrive. It is an excellent place to rest, as there is little else to do.

[Dan Riehl]

Check out my top post.
http://www.riehlworldview.com/carnivorous_conservative/2006/09/wake_island_upd.html

[Roger Dillling]

Here is a url showing pictures taken by the Air Force over flight of Wake on 9/2. http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123026374 Most of the runway show looks usable.

[Linda Watts]

I am very interested on any information on Wake Island. I lived there from 1966 to 1971 and attended the Coral Reef School. My dad was in the USMC and later worked as an air traffic controller on Wake. The island was a wonderful place to grow up. I do remember the clear water and beautiful fish, I learned to swim in the lagoon. I am very aware of the POW Rock, concrete bunkers and rusted large guns and hoping the storm will be kind.

[deno cominus]

my dad was a marine on wake island ww11 and i cant find any info about what japanese prison camp he was sent to. can u help? his name gus j cominus

[Stanton Wyman]

To those who read what I type. I'm not even sure this will make it out to anyone interested in Wake Island. I stumbled on to this page with a true interest in the islands that make up Wake. I have had a fasintion with the little island since I met John Kinney of VMF-211 (Wake island defender)in Cupertino California. I was living just a few miles away from him in Saratoga California. I also knew very well, Capt. Kennth Beer of Pan American Airlines. He flew the Pacific routes in the flying boats from the thirties and on. The stories these men told me about Wake Island will always be with me. I guess my interest is two fold. First, I am an Airline Pilot and two I love aviation history and WWII history. I am also looking for any trips that are going out to Wake island in the future.
If anyone gets this posting I would be happy to talk or Email. I will even leave my cell Ph#.
Take care all..

Stanton Wyman Cell # 408-316-2939 Swyman5880@aol.com