My one and a half years(9/1949 to
11/1950) on Kwaj were wonderful. I was a kid of 9 and 10 and my Dad was in
the Navy and he had several jobs there. One was personnel officer He had
just finished jet engine school at Wright/Patterson AFB and was transferred
to Kwaj. Three airplanes and no jets. I think the one teacher for the school
was Miss Hill and she taught 7 grades in one room in old Quonset hut. Our
house was right on the water and my Dad had to make it livable before my Mom
and I arrived. The beach and diving were the best. This was before snorkels
and the masks were not good at all. Walking the reefs looking for shells was
a great past time. Going to the other islands was great fun and there was
even a story of a Japanese soldier survivor on one of the islands. I
remember Ebeye as an overgrown island with a few shotup airplanes still on
the runway and Quonsets filled with rusty equipment. There was one that had
hundreds of newly refurbished typewriters just rusting away. We were luckey
to have a Marshallese lady as a housekeeper. She was amazing. She spoke
German, Japanese, English and Marshallese. Two kids I remember were Martha
Richardson and Dennis. I forgot his last name. I saw him in San Diego
several years later. I think Kwaj ruined me because I can't
swim in water less than 80 degrees. The memories are flooding back of the
crazy things we kids use to do.
Gil Challet
Email:
challet@cox.net |
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