Pineapple Marines - Marine Barracks Pearl Harbor 1914-1941

13,817 · February 1

Guard Mount at Marine Barracks Pearl Harbor, T.H.1923

PINEAPPLE MARINES

The United States Marine Corps on Oahu 1914-1941

Aloha Everyone,

In a previous topic I outlined the first long term presence of the US Marines in Hawaii with the establishment of Camp Very in Honolulu Harbor 1904-1913 (Fort Armstrong). After their first decade on Oahu, the Corps required a larger location more suited to their new role of protecting the US fleet in the expanding Naval Station at Pearl Harbor, T.H. Living in a camp under canvas between a coaling station & the Coast Artillery Harbor Mining Company at Fort Armstrong just would not do.

Marine Barracks Pearl Harbor established 1914

In 1914 the first of the permanent structures were completed at Pearl Harbor, these being the Marine Officers Quarters and the Marine Barracks building, now known as Puller Hall (Bldg 221). These two buildings represent the oldest permanent Marine presence in the Hawaiian Islands. For those of you familiar with Pearl Harbor and the Marine Barracks Complex, many of the original interwar period wooden structures had been replaced during World War II, and then again in the post war years. The US Navy Pacific Fleet Band is the current occupant of Puller Hall.

Marine gunslinger at M.B.P.H.

In the two decades prior to the Pearl Harbor attack, very little additional construction was completed other than the theater building (gymnasium), sports fields and the Marine exchange. Pearl Harbor was a sleepy outpost during the Great War years, but this changed in the 1920's with the increasing deployment of Marine companies in the Philippines, Guam, China, Hawaii, Mexico, Central America & the Caribbean Sea during the 'Banana Wars'.

Celebrating the first large scale 'Navy Day', October 28th, 1923 at Iolani Palace, occupied Kingdom of Hawaii

Iolani Palace in Honolulu today, the only Palace in the United States

Hawaii Marines and Sailors outside the Palace on Navy Day, 1923

13,817 · February 1

Marine Barracks Pearl Harbor

When the Marine Barracks was erected at the new Naval Station, there wasn't much yet around the buildings. Just some water towers by the Naval Shipyard, the Drydock, the large radio aerials of the Navy radio station, the railway, and the expanding Submarine Base across the Loch. Much of the area between the Marine Barracks and CAC Fort Kamehameha to the south was agricultural or vacant salt ponds, the future 1940 site of Hickam Air Force Base.

1923

Marine Barracks Pearl Harbor and the Navy Relay Station as seen from the cane fields

The three large aerials in the photo above are the site of the US Naval Radio Station (NPM), 14th Naval District, established in 1917-1918.

US Navy Radio Station, Pearl Harbor, 1922

Marine Barracks Pearl Harbor looking towards the Main Gate

To the right is the spur line of the 41st Coast Artillery (railway) coming from Fort Kam & leading to the Oahu RR & Puuloa Station

13,817 · February 1

Private, United States Marines in Blues, 1923

Marine Barracks Pearl Harbor, T.H.

13,817 · February 1

As the Marines settled into their new barracks building, they also set about to building athletic fields on the site for football, baseball, track & field events, and they also set up a boxing ring & basketball court in their new gymnasium. The swimming team used the new pools built on Pearl.

MBPH Swim Team takes the honors, 1924

MBPH Swim Team 1924

MBPH Boxers in USMC shorts, 1924

The boxer on the right is 'Jimmy' Brandt, a well known welter weight in the Corps, having served in California, Guam, now Hawaii and later in Shanghai with the 4th Marines.

13,817 · February 1

GUARD MOUNT

During the 1920's the primary task of the Marine Detachment at Pearl Harbor was Shipyard security, perimeter (gate) security for the 85 acre site (at that time) and a posting of a guard unit at the Oil Tank Farm. The Marines set formal and informal guard mounts each and every day.

Formal Guard Mount, 1923

The newly assigned 92nd Company & 117th Company on the Lanai of Marine Barracks, Pearl Harbor 1923

Detail: '92' & '117' Numerals under the Eagle, Globe & Anchor

colorized, not true colors

13,817 · February 1

Formal Guard Mount, MBPH 1923 - Marine Barracks Band with Guard Mount at Formation

This parade ground is now known as Quick Field

These are the Drill and Athletic Fields in front of the Marine Barracks. To the left are the water towers of the Naval Shipyard

US Marine Barracks Pearl Harbor Band

13,817 · February 2

MARINE BASKETBALL 1923

Marine Barracks Team Umpire 1923

On Oahu, the Marine Barracks basketball team played in the Territorial Basketball Championship in 1922, 1923, 1924, etc, Their opponents were Pearl Harbor (Navy), Schofield Barracks (Army), Luke Field (Air Corps), National Guard, University of Hawaii, Palama, Outrigger Canoe Club and possibly others.

If you look past his elbow to the right you'll see a bicycle standing near the open door of the Marine Barracks.

Bicycles (and motorcycles with sidecars) were the primary means of rapid transport on the Naval Station.

Marine Barracks Basketball Team 1923, note the large Basketball EGA patch on the jerseys

Marine Barracks Pearl Harbor Basketball 1923

1923 Basketball Team Outside of Marine Barracks Pearl Harbor

Image Colorized (not true colors) although it does show their 'farmer tans'

13,817 · February 4

MARINE BARRACKS PEARL HARBOR

OIL TANK GUARD DETACHMENT BARRACKS, MERRY POINT, PEARL HARBOR, 1924

One of the primary tasks of Marine Barracks Pearl Harbor was the protection of the US Navy's fuel supply. It was deemed important enough to build a separate barracks for a guard detachment at Merry Point in the inner harbor specifically to guard the oil tanks.

Rear of Barracks

USMC CORPORAL OF THE GUARD BED & FOOTLOCKER, 1924

BARRACKS INTERIOR 1924

Barracks Interior detail Spic-and-Span, Rifle Rack with rosters & orders, cartridge belts & bayonets, NCO's quarters, fire extinguisher

Merry Point Oil Tank Guard Detachment 1924, Naval Operating Base Pearl Harbor, T.H.

15,754 · February 4

Very informative and well-illustrated topic!

13,817 · February 4

WORK PARTY

USMC MERRY POINT OIL TANK GUARD DETACHMENT 1924

Swinging the Pickaxe as a Ford passes by (also note one of the USMC DET motorcycles standing by and the oil tank in the background)

The Guard Detachment was also responsible for completing and improving their barracks as necessary, and even if they weren't they would be digging holes and filling them up somewhere, eh?

USMC WORK PARTY

Oil Wagon Passing by with USMC Motorcycle Escort

Mugging for the Camera as another USMC escort motorcycle and sidecar stands by

13,817 · February 4

MARINE BARRACKS PEARL HARBOR

ATHLETICS - TRACK & FIELD 1925

The Marines fielded teams in most of the athletic competitions in the Hawaiian Department, the 14th Naval District, and the Territorial Games

I'll be posting most of these athletic photos along with the names of the competing Marines, so if you Devil Dog researchers wish to look them up, please share what you discover with us. Although I've not been identifying the Marines in the previous photographs, most of the photos in the Marine archive are identified by name and/or location. Anyone have access to a roster for Marine Barracks Pearl Harbor circa 1923-1926?

Note the newly completed Naval Shipyard factory buildings in the background, still waiting for the installation of their machinery on the concrete pads. There is also a Naval Radio Station tower to the left.