"No!" to American Militarism

SUBHEAD: Living in Hawaii we are increasingly feeling the brunt of American worldwide imperialism.

By Juan Wilson on 11 April 2017 for Island Breath -
(http://islandbreath.blogspot.com/2017/04/no-to-american-militarism.html)

http://www.islandbreath.org/2017Year/04/170411mapbig.jpg
Image above:  Map of the area around Hanapepe Bay noting the National Guard facility, Salt Pond Store, the Poulo Point Runway, and Hanapepe River where military personell have been recently seen. map created by Juan Wilson with GoogleEarth. Click to enlarge.

Back in late 2015, in a comment on an article Ea O Ka Aina: Navy's "Illegal" War Games by Dahr Jamal,  I wrote:

"Keep in mind this navel war is coming to Hawaii in 2016 in the form of RIMPAC 2016. Just like last year the US Navy and its Pacific Rim allies (and others) will come to Hawaii, and especially to Oahu, the Big Island and Kauai. Just last week I witnessed what appeared to be platoon of US Marines checking out the boat landing just north of the 1911 One Lane Bridge on the Hanapepe River. Will there be a US Marine landing of special op zodiacs in my neighborhood this coming summer?"

Well, 

For the last few months we have been seeing the increase of American military activity here on Kauai, Hawaii. There have been more active duty troops present in the Hanapepe area than I have ever seen. I mean by that armed platoon squads in combat gear out and about in residential areas.

Hanapepe does provide a home for Army National Guard facility, but most of the time meetings and activities are on the grounds of National Guard facility.

I am sensitive to this issue because live in Hanapepe Valley. It's fairly rural and surrounding communities of Elelele and Hanapepe Heights are suburbs of single family dwellings. The Hanapepe River and its banks, as well as the area of Puolo Point and Salt Pond Beach Park are recreational areas for families, adults and children.

On two occasions on the last two months I've run across camo-uniformed teams of US soldiers carrying weapons at-the-ready along the shorelines of town.

The first time was a bit after a Marine MV-22 Osprey flew over the swimming area of Salt Pond Beach Park to make a loud and disturbing landing and take off at the Puolo Point runway. My wife and I were driving east on Lele Road, coming from the Salt Ponds going parallel to the Puolo Point runway. As we approached Hanapepe Bay where the road turns north a platoon of uniformed soldiers wearing full packs were trotting together with semi-automatic weapons drawn. I think they were marines. We were a bit startled. The area they were coming from is primarily used for recreation. Walkers, fishermen, bicyclists and those who just want to park and watch the sunset are who use the point.  

The second time was this last week when I was driving along the shore of Hanapepe Bay heading east by the tennis courts. A group of soldiers, maybe five, were coming out of a private driveway right on the shore where the Hanapepe River meets the Hanapepe Bay. These soldiers were also dressed in camo and had what appeared to be automatic weapons, in their hands (not slung over their shoulders). Their faces were painted to be camouflaged as well. They appeared to be a special forces unit. It was obvious they had come from some practice on the Hanapepe River. Again this is an area used mostly for recreation. Paddlers, kids exploring, fishermen use the area. I do not like the idea of this area of Hanapepe being used by the military for "practice".

 Things are definitely "gearing up" for the military on Kauai. The State of Hawaii is about to start construction a complete rebuild of the main bridge over the Hanapepe River. Many are of the opinion that this is being attended to because of the necessity of heavy trucks going to the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) on the west end of the island as it expands to include Airforce, Marine and Naval military presence.

There is plenty of action in and around the National Guard facility. Salt Pond Country Store is across the street. When there are military personnel at the facility, the store gets their action. Yesterday I was at the store and the guy ahead of me at the cash register caught my curiosity. He was trim with khaki shorts and a maroon t-shirt the read on the back "University of Wake Island - Noledge". As he turned I could see he was a serious looking, trim-bearded millennial.



Image above: A Chevy Tahoe model like the one I saw parked in front of Salt Pond Store opposite the National Guard facility in Hanapepe. From (http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/the-official-blacked-out-tahoe-yukon-picture-thread.1052/). For more images of this kind of "civilian" presence on Kauai see Ea O Ka Aina: Hands Across the Sand Westside.

This didn't look like a guy on vacation. I followed him out of the store. As I passed him he was getting into the shotgun seat of an new seven-seat  black Chevy Tahoe Yukon SUV with dark tinted windows.  The sun back-lighted the vehicle so I could see the seats were fully occupied by more guys.

These were not tourists. My take was they were either military intelligence or ballistic missile technicians - at least one of whom had recently come from a tour on Wake Island. By the way, Wake Island is the home of the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site.  The Island is administered by the United States Air Force, under an agreement with the Department of the Interior. Nice fit with the PMRF. See more at (http://www.thelivingmoon.com/45jack_files/03files/Wake_Island_01.html)


Video above: "Honest Government Advert - Visit Hawaii". The US Government just released this tourism ad for Hawaii and it's surprisingly honest and informative. From (https://www.facebook.com/juicerapnews/videos/10155918517468452/) and (https://youtu.be/MfAiB2ZoRhM).

See also:
Ea O Ka Aina: Military buildup at PMRF 2/22/17
Ea O Ka Aina: Air Force plans to bomb whales 2/6/17
Ea O Ka Aina: MV-22 Osprey landing at Salt Pond 2/5/17
Ea O Ka Aina: Kauai and Niihau endangered 9/24/16
Ea O Ka Aina: DLNR responsibility on RIMPAC 7/5/16
Ea O Ka Aina: Oceans4Peace Pacific Pivot Panel 6/18/16
Ea O Ka Aina: Ocean 4 Peace Events 6/11/16
Ea O Ka Aina: Prepare for RIMPAC 2016 War in Hawaii 5/22/16
Ea O Ka Aina: Navy to "take" millions of mammals 5/17/16
Ea O Ka Aina: Fuck the PMRF's Aegis plan! 1/23/16
Ea O Ka Aina: Navy's illegal War Games 11/16/15
Ea O Ka Aina: US court RIMPAC Impact decision 4/3/15
Ea O Ka Aina: Kauai's PMRF is bang out of sight 6/28/14
Ea O Ka Aina: The Pacific Pivot 6/28/14
Ea O Ka Aina: RIMPAC IMPACT 6/8/14
Ea O Ka Aina: RIMPAC Then and Now 5/16/14
Ea O Ka Aina: Earthday TPP Fukushima RIMPAC 4/22/14
Ea O Ka Aina: The Asian Pivot - An ugly dance 12/5/13
Ea O Ka Aina: Help save Mariana Islands 11/13/13
Ea O Ka Aina: End RimPac destruction of Pacific 11/1/13 
Ea O Ka Aina: Moana Nui Confereence 11/1/13
Ea O Ka Aina: Navy to conquer Marianas again  9/3/13
Ea O Ka Aina: Pagan Island beauty threatened 10/26/13
Ea O Ka Aina: Sleepwalking through destruction 7/16/12
Ea O Ka Aina: PMRF Aegis missile test 5/11/12
Ea O Ka Aina: Okinawa breathes easier 4/27/12
Ea O Ka Aina: Navy Next-War-Itis 4/13/12
Ea O Ka Aina: America bullies Koreans 4/13/12
Ea O Ka Aina: Despoiling Jeju island coast begins 3/7/12
Ea O Ka Aina: Jeju Islanders protests Navy Base 2/29/12
Ea O Ka Aina: Hawaii - Start of American Empire 2/26/12
Ea O Ka Aina: Korean Island of Peace 2/26/12
Ea O Ka Aina: Land based Aegis on Kauai 9/2/11  
Ea O Ka Aina: Military schmoozes Guam & Hawaii 3/17/11
Ea O Ka Aina: In Search of Real Security - One 8/31/10
Ea O Ka Aina: Peace for the Blue Continent 8/10/10
Ea O Ka Aina: Shift in Pacific Power Balance 8/5/10
Ea O Ka Aina: RimPac to expand activities 6/29/10
Ea O Ka Aina: Hands Across the Sands Westside 6/27/10
Ea O Ka Aina: RIMPAC War Games here in July 6/20/10
Ea O Ka Aina: Pacific Resistance to U.S. Military 5/24/10
Ea O Ka Aina: Guam Land Grab 11/30/09
Ea O Ka Aina: Guam as a modern Bikini Atoll 12/25/09
Ea O Ka Aina: GUAM - Another Strategic Island 11/8/09
Ea O Ka Aina: Diego Garcia - Another stolen island 11/6/09
Ea O Ka Aina: Polihale Clean Up 4/6/09
Ea O Ka Aina: DARPA & Super-Cavitation on Kauai 3/24/09 
Ea O Ka Aina: Polihale access to be restored 3/11/09
Ea O Ka Aina: Polihale access denied! 2/25/09
Ea O Ka Aina: Residents want beach access 1/5/09
Island Breath: RIMPAC 2008 - Navy fired up in Hawaii 7/2/08
Island Breath: RIMPAC 2008 uses destructive sonar 4/22/08
Island Breath: Navy Plans for the Pacific 9/3/07
Island Breath: Judge restricts sonar off California 08/07/07
Island Breath: RIMPAC 2006 sonar compromise 7/9/06
Island Breath: RIMPAC 2006 - Impact on Ocean 5/23/06
Island Breath: RIMPAC 2004 - Whale strandings on Kauai 9/2/04
Island Breath: PMRF Land Grab 3/15/04.

2 comments :

ekcoll said...

Juan, You know I assume that the video was made by Juice Media - not the US Gov?

Juan Wilson said...

Aloha Ed,

Yet the video is true none the less. Even a broken clock is right twice day.

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