| You're probably familiar with the major Hawaiian | | | | December 8, 1941, the United States Army declared |
| islands, like Maui the big island, but did you know that | | | | martial law in the islands of Hawaii, and used |
| there are actually many other islands in the Hawaiian | | | | Kaho'olawe as a training ground. The entire island was |
| islands chain? In fact, there are a total of eight that | | | | used as a bombing range for thousands of soldiers |
| are recognized as the main islands in the Hawaiian | | | | throughout the war. Training continued on the island |
| Islands, and many other smaller uninhabited pieces of | | | | well after World War II, and even continued after |
| land. | | | | the end of the Cold War and Vietnam. Mass |
| Kaho'olawe is the smallest of these eight. It is located | | | | explosions occurred in 1965 during Operation Sailor |
| southwest of Maui and southeast of Lanai, and | | | | Hat, designed to test the blast resistance of ships |
| measures just 11 miles by 6 miles, with a total area | | | | off the coast of Kaho'olawe. The crater from this |
| of 44.6 square miles. It is relatively dry because it lies | | | | test can still be seen on the island today. |
| in the rain shadow of Maiu's East Maui Volcano, which | | | | In 1976, a group called Protect Kaho'olawe Ohana, or |
| has an elevation of over 10,000 feet. In part beause | | | | PKO, filed a suit in federal court to stop such training |
| of the lack of rainfall on Kaho'olawe, more than a | | | | exercises as an effort to force compliance with new |
| quarter of the island is badly eroded. | | | | environmental laws and protect the island. However, |
| Today, there are no permanent residents living on | | | | Navy training on Kaho'olawe continued into the 1980's. |
| Kaho'olawe. However, the island was once inhabited, | | | | Finally, the entire island of Kaho'olawe was added to |
| with fishing communities along the coast by about | | | | the National Register of Historic places in 1981. At the |
| 1000 AD. Some of these communities began | | | | time it was added, there were believed to be over |
| cultivating inland areas. The island was also home to a | | | | 500 recorded archaeological or historic sites, although |
| large basalt quarry. On Kaho'olawe, some evidence of | | | | hundreds more have likely been destroyed by |
| these earlier settlements can be found, such as | | | | decades of target practice. Still, Navy training |
| carved petroglyphs on rock surfaces. A stone temple | | | | exercises there did not stop until 1990. |
| is thought to have been built at least 500 years ago. | | | | Today, there are projects underway to remove |
| It is believed that the population never exceeded a | | | | unexploded ordnance from the island and to restore |
| few hundred people due to the lack of fresh water. | | | | the island environmentally. The Kaho'olawe Island |
| Due to inter-island warfare, by the early 1800s the | | | | Reserve, established in 1993 by the Hawaii State |
| island was once again uninhabited, although not for | | | | Legislature, is responsible for oversight of the island. |
| long. The government of King Kamehameha III | | | | Restoration is ongoing to repair the damage done to |
| replaced the death penalty with exile around 1830, | | | | the island. To date, more than 90,000 separate |
| and the island of Kaho'olawe became the main island | | | | pieces of ordinance have been disposed of, including |
| for exiled prisoners. This law was repealed in 1853. In | | | | over 8.5 million pounds of weapon fragments. |
| the following decades, the island was leased for | | | | There are hopes that in the future, the island will be |
| various ranching ventures, none very successful. | | | | made safe for visitors and a learning center may be |
| Drought, overgrazing, and strong trade winds resulted | | | | created on the island. The entire island is currently |
| in hardpan land devoid of vegetation. A cattle | | | | designated at a State of Hawaii Cultural Reserve. By |
| ranching venture took over the land from 1918 to | | | | law, Kaho'olawe can only be used for cultural, spiritual, |
| 1942, when the owner of the ranch leased part of | | | | and subsistence purposes supporting Native Hawaiian |
| the island to the United States Army, a move that | | | | beliefs, including fishing, historic preservation, and |
| would prove disastrous for the environment on | | | | education. Commercial uses of Kaho'olawe are |
| Kaho'olawe. | | | | prohibited. |
| After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on | | | | |