The "Pagoda"
This building served as the Marine air headquarters on
Guadalcanal until it was damaged in October 1942. On the following day it was bulldozed to
the ground by orders of General Geiger, because it provided an excellent aiming point for
the Japanese. Men of the 1st Marine Air Wing in front of the Pagoda include Major Joe
Renner (standing,far left), C.A. "Chuck" Buser (second from right), and Pfc.
Strode (far right). (info provided by Stan Jersey)
Pagoda with flow-through ventilation
This is a photo of the Pagoda as it was first found, prior to
having the walls added by the Americans.
(Source: Stan Jersey)
Who's on first....
The call board in the operations center posted flight
assignments for the day's missions. These Marine dive bomber pilots are checking the
latest postings. (photo taken April 1943)
Courtesy of the Seabees
The new steel control tower at Henderson field, built by
the 6th Seabees, helped aid air operations on the island.
Typical accomodations
Living conditions at Cactus have been politely described as
"appalling". This is a typical tent with open sides and a mud floor. Outside, a
Marine uses a makeshift latrine.
A typical tent camp
Hidden among the trees in the U.S.-owned part of Guadalcanal is
the home of the Sixth United States Construction Battalion, better known as the 6th
Seabees. The 6th Seabees were an important part of the air defense on Guadalcanal. They
built a steel control tower, set up fuel tanks and a nighttime runway lighting system,
made an emergency landing field, and repaired runway bomb damage in record time (often
while the bombs were still falling!).
It's not the Hilton, but it'll have to do...
In between attacks, Marines use the local watering hole to take
their baths.
Sock it to me
A large windsock sits atop a high pole at the airfield. A man
stands nearby, looking towards one of two parked Wildcats in the distance. In the center
background the Pagoda can be seen on top of the hill.
(Source: Stan Jersey)
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