Abandoned Military sites on Hickam AFB, Hawaii

[rang-a-stang]

(warning, nothing in this post has ANYTHING to do with FSJs)
Today I had some time to kill so I went exploring around Hickam Air Force Base. I found a few abandoned artillery sites. These FLICKR pages are not my pictures but this guy apparently searched the same ones I did. I love exploring abandoned sites and think maybe some of you do, too.

This first one is totally abandoned. You have to drive down a dirt road to find it and I have a bunch of scratches on my legs getting to it. This place was SUPER awesome.
Battery Hasbrouck
FLICKR pics of what it looks like now
What it was like when operational

This one is like a park. You can drive right up to it, climb all over it, take pictures, etc. becuase of that, it was the least interesting.
Battery Hawkins
FLICKR pics of what it looks like now
What it was like when operational

This one is all fenced off. When I rolled up to it, I figured it was a couple ammo bunkers. Its a super imposing building and really cool looking.
Battery Closson
FLICKR pics of what it looks like now
What it was like when operational

Lastly, I came across this tower and it was all unlocked and open for me to crawl all over.
Fort Kamehameha Fire Control Tower
FLICKR pics of what it looks like now

This base is super cool. I also walked by Pacific Air Force's Headquarters building. I saw a plaque so I stopped and read it. Check this out, then look at the pictures:



These pictures don't really show the extent of the damage. There are bullet/shrapnel holes ALL OVER this building!

This base is super cool. Not only the history but the flight line has F-22s all over the place. The ship I am working on is moored at the Coast Guard station over at Sand Island which is by Honolulu. Each day we watch Air Force planes taking off. F22's dart almost straight up when they take off here. The second day of work (back in Mid-Sept) I watched a B-1 take off, then a couple hours later a pair of B-2s followed. I THINK I saw a Joint Strike Fighter (F-35) take off too, but I am not certain (could have been an F-22). I am assuming they were heading home from RIMPAC but it was super cool watching them take off.

I have been to Pearl Harbor, Wheeler, and Ford Island more times than I can count. I've visited most the historic sites on this island but wandering around Hickam has been awesome! I am staying on Hickam and plan to hit some more sites tomorrow.

[Heavy_Metal_Thunder_81]

Looks awesome! If you're ever in WA state check out Fort Casey, it's an abandoned artillery battery that was turned into a park. Lots of cool places to explore there, too.

[rang-a-stang]

Will do! I went there when I was a young teenage know-it-all punk and didn't really appreciate it for what it was.

Today I went to Battery Selfridge. This was the coolest because Air Force used this all the way up to about 2006 then abandoned it. It was full of all kinds of government "stuff". I found stuff laying around dated from the early 80's up through 2006. There was all kinds of old electronic equipment, gun racks, flags, paperwork, etc. laying around. There was a bunch of GSA Class 5 Safes that were locked. The ammo hoists were still there but rusty and seized. There was power to the battery and lights were on inside.
Battery Selfridge's past

[Tanker]

If you can find F-111 planes let me know. If some one can get a pic of the one in Clovis NM extra points. Watching 5o with Jack Lord had military places on it cool old neat places. Roadside America has military sites that are wild to see. Before an after pics are neat to see.

[rang-a-stang]

There are none on Hickam. The only display aircraft here are an A-26, F-15, F-86, and an F-4. I guess there is an F-102 on base somewhere but I haven't seen it. I also read there used to be a B-25 but I guess it was moved to Ford Island to be part of the museum over there. Active I see F-22s, C-130s, a couple C-5s, and a bunch of KC-135s. There are others that come and go but those are the vast majority of what I see on the tarmac out here.

wikipedia lists a few of them in various places. Maybe one by you? looks like there are 4 of them within a 2 hour drive of my house but I wont be able to visit any of those places in the next 2 months.
Wiki for F-111

did you work on this plane? Just like it?

[Tanker]

There is one near Atlanta Ga. Clovis NM is one my wife worked on. That is the big part of having a strange wife. Using Jeep parts as house decor. Grills ,springs,badges,etc Thought she said one was out there. WW II mini sub by Japan is neat bit of history.