The Decades of derussy: 1940-1950
In 1940 and 1941, Fort DeRussy continued its role as a training post perfectly situated for recreation.
Above is the newly built in 1940 Officers’ Club (USAMH 2218)
However, on December 7, 1941, as military targets throughout Oahu burned, the guns of Battery Randolph and Battery Dudley stayed silent. The fixed defense batteries 14-mile range no longer could compete against naval technology, with the 18-mile shooting accuracy of enemy warships.
The beautiful oasis of Waikiki changed overnight. During the war, the beaches of Waikiki and Fort DeRussy militarized to repel future Japanese attacks. The image below shows some of the nearly four million feet of barbed wire used to enhance beach security on Oahu.
USAMH 3076
Transforming overnight to a wartime posture, Fort DeRussy also underwent efforts to camouflage Batteries Randolph and Dudley. Below are April 1942 engineer plans describing the battery’s camouflage.
Rosie the Riveter work looked a little different in Hawaii. Below are Hawaii’s lei makers doing their part in the war effort making camouflage. USAMH 2443
The above image shows the gundeck of Battery Randolph amidst gun drills during WWII under a camouflage canopy. USAMH 13788
As a sign of the Fort’s dated mission, the Army redesignated DeRussy as a Rest and Recuperation (R & R) center in June 1942. Construction quickly started on a number of buildings to support this changing mission.
The Maluhia Recreation Center opened in April 1943 complete with a gymnasium, snack bar, bowling alley, restaurant and terrace capable of housing over 1000 people. Maluhia or “haven of rest” served 1000s of military members through the remainder of WWII, until it was demolished in 1998.
This image shows four soldiers in 1945 enjoying their time at the Maluhia Recreation Center. USAMH 4143
Soldier John Reeve found his way to Fort DeRussy shortly after the center opened. “Since last writing, the army has opened a new recreation center for the servicemen, hehe, which they call Maluhia, “haven of rest and relaxation.” Its opening was quite an event since it is something which was sorely needed… best of all was the inauguration of twilight dances which are well attended, especially by this office.”[1]
A lot of changes hit Fort DeRussy in 1944. The post chapel was dedicated in April and the Fort’s mission widened to become headquarters for the Military police, a camouflage school, and a unit of the United States Armed Forces Institute.
[1] https://digitalcollections.sdsu.edu/do/d072feeb-ba4b-4bfb-a541-bc474ccbb050
Despite all these changes, Fort DeRussy still prioritized recreation for any military service member. Weekly circulars published throughout the Second World War targeted GIs passing through the islands. Regularly highlighted, Fort DeRussy’s many offerings gave soldiers a “delightful” hotel experience without “a breath of G.I. atmosphere about it.” All for the grand price of 50 cents for enlisted men and $2 dollars for officers. EP1990
By the late 1940s, the Army solidified Fort DeRussy’s shift from its Coastal Artillery mission in a couple of highly visible ways. First, through the dismantling of the large 14-inch rifled guns. The ineffectiveness of coastal artillery defenses like Batteries Randolph and Dudley during the December 7th attack contributed to the eventual disbandment of the Coastal Artillery Corps in 1950.
Following the war, the original 14-inch guns were scrapped, having never been defensively fired. This image shows the dismantling of the large guns in 1946. USAMH 688
Second, in January 1948 Fort DeRussy became the home of the newly activated Organized Reserve Corps. Some of the units activated (or reactivated in some cases) included the 442d Infantry Regiment – comprised of the 100th Battalion, 522d Field Artillery Battalion and other historically segregated Nisei elements. From recreation to Reserves, Fort DeRussy would continue to maintain its place as a central location for U.S. military members based on Oahu.