DAY 3 KWAJ- day off!

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Day 3 Off in Kwaj

In their first amphibious attack, the new 4th Marine Division landed on Roi and Namur Islands on February 1st, 1944, while US 7th Division landed on Kwajalein. At the time, this was the most extended shore to shore amphibious assaults in history. The lessons of the bloody fighting on Tarawa had been well learned, and the successful attack on the Marshalls set the pattern for future amphibious operations in the Pacific War.

 ABOVE LEFT: Coral at low tide so we can get to the “Pools.”
ABOVE RIGHT: Snorkel area
BELOW: BBQ by Family Beach

Early up, Downey and I went to the Japanese swimming pool. Japanese/American “pools”: The “pools” at high tide, can’t see them at all, which is why you go snorkeling in them at low tide. Coral is very dangerous if you get cut by it, apparently wants to grow in you.  This is an area that the Japanese bombed the coral to make giant swimming pools, and when the tide was low, the water would get trapped in these 30-foot deep swimming pools and trap fish in them, and you can swim in these warm underground swimming pools.

When we finished, we went to the real beach and started swimming there. Swimming there, the lifeguard explained sea cucumbers and how they ate sand, saw tuna school swim by, and enjoyed the water. She is in High school and grew up on the island, never been to the states, but is going to college there next year. Can you imagine the culture shock- she never saw a car! We were stalling for 1 in the afternoon to go for a scuba boat ride, and by the time we did all this, it was only 11AM.

BELOW LEFT: It is just regular crabs. Coconut crabs are huge! (and I hear delicious) 

BELOW RIGHT: SHARKS!

 Load on the boat and Downey, and I make our best impression of a Duran Duran Video. The water was so clear, but it was bumpy.

I called Angie as soon as we got back from a swim. She is at my buddy Mark Harris’s wedding. I am sad to have missed it. We went out on a boat, and the water was so crystal clear it was amazing. While on the way to the scuba spots we drank beers and DAYTONA drinks (named after Tony from Dayton, our guide) we saw so much amazing coral and sea life. The fish are so bright and tons of different corals. On the ride back from Bigej, the waves where HUGE! We bounced all over the place. BELOW: Bigej

We are getting ready to drop anchor and get in the water. BELOW: Someone got to get it started!

We

 Snorkeling and drinking just go together. We had to wear shirts- the sun is 4x stronger because we are by the equator. And another 4x because we are in the water.

Bigej Island is part of Kwajalein Atoll in the Ralik Chain in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), 2,100 nautical miles (3900 km) southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii.

Japanese fuel tanks from World War II are still present on the island. Bigej is not part of the Reagan Test Site.

Sam Adams- the only was to Snorkel.

Right: DOWNEY pissing in the wind!
BELOW: Sea Turtle swimming under the dock

LEFT: Get home and clean up. Stephen and Carol Rock!
HOLY SHIT I am Burned!

RIGHT and Below: Went to BBQ by the water at what they call the boat shack. They fix their boats here, but I would just call it beachfront bars! We drank and ate steak and all the booze you can imagine, I drank absinthe. And ended up sleeping early, I was drunk, full of food, sore, and sunburned. Downey wanted snake whiskey!

-The Battle of Kwajalein was a battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II, fought from January 31st, 1944, to February 3rd, 1944, on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Following the capture of Tarawa in November 1943, American eyes turned to the Marshall Islands. These were the next vital stepping stone across the Pacific towards Japan and would bring the islands of Guam and Saipan within reach of US forces. Employing the hard-learned lessons of the battle of Tarawa, the United States launched a successful twin assault on the main islands of Kwajalein in the south and Roi-Namur in the north. The Japanese defenders put up a stiff resistance though outnumbered and under-prepared. The determined defense of Roi-Namur left only 51 survivors of an original garrison of 3,500.
For the United States, the battle represented both the next step in its island-hopping march to Japan and a significant moral victory because it was the first time the United States penetrated the “outer ring” of the Japanese Pacific sphere.

By the time US Troops landed on the islets of Roi, Namur, and Kwajalein, the Navy had laid on a non-stop barrage of 2655 tons of ammunition.

Day 2 FLY into Marjuro and Kwajalein

DAY 2: Fly into Majuro then Kwajalein

81 degrees, sunny and cool breeze. That’s what to expect when we land in the marshal islands, and that’s what we got. It’s this way all year round. A lady at our gate mentioned there still are bunkers and all sorts of stuff around, but we can’t check them out. There are even live bombs.

We landed and had to go through tons of security. As we drove around the island, we are told it was up to 1945. They think they got the last Japanese to hold out here. He would hide out and shoot at the faries after the war was over. In 1977 they reached the last of the people who didn’t know the war was over. It’s a different world here, no internet and only 10 years ago you couldn’t call off the island.

These beaches were bombed to hell, and now they are paradise. Where this cross is above is where 5 Marines got left behind on a mission, and the Japanese found them and beheaded them.

Rebelly is islander for White people

Sharks hang here, its where they clean the fish

Turtle Pond. We were looking at the turtles, and one came out of the water- realized I didn’t have food and puffed at me like gizmo does. There are 2 Green Sea Turtles and 1 Hawksbill Turtle.

 I study the flowers- Downey explores the war... Flowers, hmm very nice
Downey is like a tour guide, he did his homework before he came.

 Turtles: they are everywhere! and below is a “DOWNEY FISH”- the official fish of Hawaii I may add

ABOVE: Japanese pillbox and rocky waterfront
LEFT: The planes will flip your Golf Cart (PS there is no cars on the island
BELOW: At the Snake Pit

After we toured the island, Downey and I sat at a beach sidebar. I felt the water, and it was warm. We ordered a phillipeano beer, and its funny Kevin and I just sat in total silence soaking in the fact we were here. We both can’t get over how amazing it is historic wise on top of being paradise.

The show is impressive, packed, and full of contractors, which I had a lot of fun teasing them. We went out, and everyone was buying us drinks. It was a great night.

ABOVE: Shore at “The Snake Pit aka ocean view Bar.

LEFT: Gecko lizard is the only lizard on the island.

BELOW: At the show- “whata crowd whata crowd” Mostly contractors.

South Pacific. Hawaii day 1

 SOUTH PACIFIC TOUR: Day 1 Hawaii. This is a very fantastic tour- allot of places little to no people get to see some of these places.

   6 AM WAKEY WAKEY! Kevin Downey Jr. stayed over, and my lovely bride drove us to JFK to catch a plane to NY to La then LA to Hawaii. I was excited, nervous, and knew I would Miss Angie and our new puppy, Gizmo. I'll do a Write up on Gizzy during the week.

I sat next to an old couple from Brooklyn. Before I get to that, the walk on to the plane was nothing but hysterical. Every stereotype was met upon boarding. The first-class people alone made it all worthwhile- the rest was just extra.

Kevin getting Laid! LAYED either way...

I saw swelled mouths of old rich Jewish women. I saw men that were making Mickey Rourke look amazing. Over tanned, over-muscled, and too much plastic surgery and not enough body hair. The old couple started dating when they were in 8th grade, and after graduating, they went there separate ways, and both got married to other people (the same month). 40 some years later, her husband died, and his wife died low and behold they ran into each other (both moved to the long island 20 miles from each other) and now are dating again. They are going to his nephew's wedding in RENO. They, whereas sweet as people can be, that 6 hours flew by.
Well enough about that flight. The Hawaii flight I was next to a baby, I thought this was going to be trouble. He turned out to be excellent. The baby just chilled, napping than playing it was a great trip. His father was one of the more delightful people I ever met. His wife is still in the military, and he retired from the military because of MS, and he is a full-time dad. What a great father too.

 SS Lake Erie: Cruisers- best ships and across from where we are staying.. wait is that Battleship Row. YEP!

Here is where we are staying.. yes, Pearl Harbor. Joint Base Pearl Harbor- Hickam. AMAZING

 I LOVE IT HERE: oddly enough, I have two friends that are here but couldn't meet up. Jenn is Hiking, and Nelson is shooting Hawaii 5-0

 The gang assembled- I was wearing my Magnum PI shirt, so you know what I am thinking. I am Tom Selleck. Carol is Robin, Leighan is TC (not cus she is black because she would be offended to be rick.. look at his clothes) Steven is Rick and Downey is Higgins.  At Lunch we did wings.. wait for Downey, and I do "Wings Across America" Let's judge these things. Here is my score-the beer pronounced Y Lu a Beer was excellent- the wings... a fancy place to go for average wings.

Erica is our Guide: this pic is Downey Carol, Me, Leighan, Erica, Steven.

The Plane to Take on the Japanese.

                     

 Kevin and I enjoy a "Pearl Harbor" drink in Pearl Harbor, The show was great everyone was so cool. We met up with a bunch of cool guys, but the one dude we kept calling Giraldo (He looked ALOT like Greg) He ends up taking us on a tour of Battleship Row. We got a security breach and had to leave- sorry, no pics- they had to be erased. He showed us a thing they call R2D2, which is the protector of the cruiser, the 5inch gun, which is a nasty ass gun in front of the boat.

 We sat outside of our places Hawaii Regional Combined Bachelors Quarters. We drank beers met some cool guys and enjoyed a LATE Hawaii night- next flight at 5 AM.

Pearl Harbor-We were at Battleship Row, where the Japanese bombed our biggest battleships. I took a pic of a sailor named Cody in his Little Kings shirt. We got kicked off for taking that pic. A black sailor in a white uniform watched us through binoculars. Cody's ship is called Chosin. It's a CG (cruiser, guided missile). It has 2, 5-inch guns, one forward one aft. One of which is fired by a man everyone on the boat makes fun of. Cody refers to him as Faux-hawk because of his fake Mohawk, which is a non-regulation haircut for the navy.  There was a tall, gay cook that got in trouble because he refuses to shower on board. He went 70 days without a shower. His bunk area reeks. Cody caught him making out with a guy who apparently cares little for personnel hygiene, (that means Big Gay Nick has a shot).