Lualualei, Hawaii
Lualualei, Hawaii is the largest coastal valley on the leeward side of Oʻahu in Hawaiʻi. It is located on the west side of the Waianae Range.
Etymology
[edit]The name could mean either "beloved one spared", or more likely "flexible wreath", according to Hawaiian Language expert Mary Kawena Pukui.[1]
Geography
[edit]The town on the makai side of the valley (westward towards the ocean) is Māʻili.
United States Navy facilities
[edit]The valley hosts several government communication stations including USN VLF Lualualei and the USCG Communication Station Honolulu.[2] The Naval Magazine Lualualei also is located in the valley.[3]
The Waikele Gulch magazine was a 350-acre area where steep-banked ravines allowed tunnel construction with no two entrances facing. The construction was in response to the Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet directive to solve the problem of massive ordinance storage above ground with secure underground storage readily accessible for Pearl Harbor. Construction began in September 1942 with completion in December 1943. The completed facility had 120 tunnels 240 feet long serviced by 9 miles of railroad, 10 miles of paved road and the facilities for magazine operating personnel.[4] On June 11, 1944 some 78 Torpex torpedo warheads exploded during transfer from a truck to a tunnel loading platform killing ten and injuring three.[5][6]
References
[edit]- ^ John R. K. Clark (November 2004). Beaches of O'ahu. University of Hawaii Press. pp. 148–. ISBN 978-0-8248-2892-9.
- ^ Gregg K. Kakesako - Lualualei: The Navy owns more than 9,000 acres in the Waianae Valley. Its radio towers are a familiar sight, but more goes on beneath the earth Honolulu Star Bulletin. Monday, October 5, 1998
- ^ Naval Magazine Lualualei, Waikele Branch, Tunnel Magazine Type, Waikakalaua & Kipapa Gulches, Pearl City, Honolulu County, HI Photos from Survey HABS HI-262 Library of Congress
- ^ Building the Navy's Bases in World War II. Vol. 2, Chapter XXII, Pearl Harbor and the Outlying Islands. U.S. Navy Department. p. 146—147. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ^ Nimitz, Chester W., Admiral (USN); Steele, James M., Captain (USN) (1942). ‘Gray Book’ — War Plans and Files of the Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet; Running Estimate and Summary maintained by Captain James M. Steele, USN, CINCPAC staff at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, covering the period 7 December 1941–31 August 1942. (8 volumes) (PDF). Vol. 5, 1 January 1944 to 31 December 1944. Operational Archives, Naval History and Heritage Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington D.C. p. 1952. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Moran, Edward P., Jr. (1992). Explosive Accident Summary: World War II (PDF) (Report). DoD Explosives Safety Board. p. 129. Retrieved June 14, 2025.
{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
External links
[edit]- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. HI-310-B, "Naval Computer & Telecommunications Area Master Station, Eastern Pacific, Radio Transmitter Facility Lualualei, Helix House No. 2, Base of Radio Antenna Structure No. 427, Makaha, Honolulu County, HI", 8 photos, 34 data pages, 1 photo caption page
21°26′22″N 158°11′15″W / 21.4394386°N 158.1873731°W
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