Naval Air Station Agana is a former United States Naval air station located on the island of

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

. It was opened by the

Japanese Navy , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...

in 1943 and closed by the United States government in 1995. During and after its closure, it was operated alongside

Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport , also known as Guam International Airport, is an airport located in Tamuning and Barrigada, east of the capital city of Hagåtña (formerly Agana) in the United States territory of Guam. The airport is ...

History

P-47 Thunderbolts - Agana Airfield - Guam

The airport was built by the Japanese Navy about 1943, calling the military airfield Guamu Dai Ni (Guam No. 2) as part of their defense of the

Marianas The Mariana Islands (; also the Marianas; in Chamorro: ''Manislan Mariånas'') are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, betw ...

. After the island was recaptured by American forces in 1944, it was renamed Agana Airfield, due to the proximity of the town. After being repaired in October 1944, the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

Seventh Air Force The Seventh Air Force (Air Forces Korea) (7 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, South Korea. The command's mission is to plan and direct air component operations in ...

used the airfield as a base for the

11th Bombardment Group An international call prefix, international dial-out code or international direct dial code (IDD code) is a trunk prefix that indicates an international phone call. In the dialling sequence, the prefix precedes the country calling code (and, furt ...

, which flew

B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models ...

bombers from the station until being moved to

Okinawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 Square kilometre, km2 (880 sq mi). ...

in July 1945. With the reassignment of the heavy bombers, the 41st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron flew long range reconnaissance aircraft (F-4 versions of the

P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive ...

) from the field until January 1946. After the war, the USAAF used the airfield for fighter defense of the Marianas (

21st Fighter Group 021 is: * in Brazil, the telephone area code for the city of Rio de Janeiro and surrounding cities (Greater Rio de Janeiro) * in China, the telephone area code for the city of Shanghai. * in Indonesia, the area code for the city of Jakarta and ...

, 549th Night Fighter Squadron) until early 1947 and as a transport hub (

9th Troop Carrier Squadron 009 may refer to: * OO9, gauge model railways * O09, FAA identifier for Round Valley Airport * 0O9, FAA identifier for Ward Field, see List of airports in California * British secret agent 009, see 00 Agent * BA 009, see British Airways Flight 9 * ...

). In 1947, the USAAF turned over the airfield to the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, which consolidated its facilities with those at the closing Harmon Air Force Base in 1949, and operated Naval Air Station Agana until it was closed by the 1993

Base Realignment and Closure Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process by a United States federal government commission to increase United States Department of Defense efficiency by coordinating the realignment and closure of military installations following the end ...

(BRAC) Commission. In 1992,

Angel Santos Angel Anthony Leon Guerrero Santos III (April 14, 1959 – July 6, 2003), also known as Angel L.G. Santos, or Anghet, was a Chamorro rights activist and Guamanian politician. Santos served as a Senator in the Guam Legislature from 1995 to ...

and other

Chamorro Nation The Chamorro Nation (Chamorro: ''Nasion Chamoru'') is a political movement seeking sovereignty for the island of Guam, founded by Angel Leon Guerrero Santos. The Chamorro Nation was formed on July 21, 1991, comprising numerous grassroots organizat ...

members staged a protest outside the base. The protest was staged in response to the frequent low-altitude US military training flights that disturbed Chamorros living near the air station. At the protest, Santos read a statement criticizing the US military and their operations. The protest escalated when Santos and others jumped the fence surrounding the naval air station, in front of gathered local media and members of the US military. Santos spat in the face of the US military policeman who arrested him.

References

External links

* * Resources for this airport: ** ** ** ** {{authority control Agana Airports in Guam Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II Military installations closed in 1995 1943 establishments in Oceania 1995 disestablishments in Oceania Barrigada, Guam Closed installations of the United States Navy

History

See also

References

External links