[brytlea]

I've actually been to Wake Island. I don't remember much about it because I was 5 years old and it was the middle of the night. It was on the way from the US to Japan. I wonder what people do there for a living....
susie

[Talking_Mouse]

If there are only 188 of them, most of them are probably either stationed there or support for the base there.

[conservative in nyc]

There's more info on Sunday night's thread. "Wake Island supports U.S. Pacific Command major regional taskings. The base provides facilities, vehicles, aerospace ground equipment and aviation fuel to sustain aircraft for combat operations." The airstrip also is available for emergency landings on trans-Pacific flights.

[NordP]

My Mom lives in Hawaii, and told me that they are mostly on the island to study marine and island creatures, plants, etc.

[Experiment 6-2-6]

I wonder what people do there for a living....

Do for a living?

You mean, like a job?

Us island folks have no job.

We just sit under the palm trees eating bananas!

[garyhope]

You too? Me too. I was about 7, traveling with my mom on my way to Sendai, Japan to meet my dad in the 11th Airborne, 188th Infantry at Camp Schmielpfennig.

We stopped on Wake, which is very, very, very small, and looks about the size of a postage stamp from the air in a very vast, blue Pacific Ocean. There, we were served lunch by natives in sarongs while mechanics worked on the plane. Very reassuring after our previous flying experiences.

The whole trip was quite an experience. After taking a 3 day train trip from Texas and a night at a very nice SF hotel, we took off from SF on a Pan Am DC 6, flew around a bit, returned to the airport and crashed on the runway with no wheels. All we could see out the windows was fire! We jumped out from a rear exit (no slides in those days) and ran from the plane.

A few days later we took off again, flew an hour or so, turned around, went back to SF minus an engine or so.

Back to the hotel for another night or so, then another take off for a 3rd time, fly a bit and come back to SF for yet another landing.

Another night or so in the hotel, then take off number four, count em 4. This time we made it to Hawaii, stayed in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. I don't know who was paying for this, not my family on my dad's First Lieutenants pay.

Made it to Wake for a sunny lunch and maintenance stop and after seeming forever finally made it to Japan. I have no idea what my dad must have thought of our ordeal.

There were times when I wasn't sure if this was real or a dream or fantasy I had, but after my parents passed away and when I was going through our memorabilia, I found newspaper clippings and photos of the plane burned on the runway in SF. I have no idea how we survived.

By the time of the 2nd or 3rd take off and aborts, many passengers decided on the safety of sea voyages rather than flying.

My mom was one tough cookie, determined to get us to my father in Japan.

Then there was the 30 day voyage home by Army transport. Japan to Hawaii, to the Panama canal, up the Gulf of Mexico to Gulfport, Miss. 30 days is a very long time when you're 9 years old. Another story. What a childhood. I consider myself very lucky.