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Sunday, January 21, 2018

Oahu's Hidden Bunker



One of my friends told me about this hidden bunker that they found one day while running. I, being the history buff that I am, had to find it and see for myself. So, of course, I did just that.

We walked back into this lightly wooded area and there it was. The Battery Hasbrouck, buried beneath mounds of sand and grass.



A Little History: 

The Battery was built  between 1909 and 1914. It was used to protect Pearl Harbor and Hickham Air Base. It got it's name from General Henry Cornelius Hasbrouck.  

The battery was divided into two mortar pits, with four mortars in each pit. They would wheel shells and powder from magazine to the loading platforms on shot carts.

Currently, there are no mounted weapons at the battery, but trust me when I say it's still a super cool exploration. 


The Exploration:

The battery was dark. I mean eerily dark. Duh, right? I mean it's underground. So if you happen to decide to explore, be sure to bring flashlights. I actually recommend headlamps, that way you have your hands free. And bug spray. Definitely wear bug spray.

Anywho, we made our way through the dark rooms and let me just say, it was so cool! It was crazy to think that our military would navigate these halls and rooms. I got turned around quickly inside. So I wonder if any of the military personnel did also? Maybe they had maps drawn up of the interior (probably not, but hey! I can imagine.)


The first room we walked into had some super eerie paintings inside. Imagine how startled we were when the light shined on these silhouettes.


One room was a bathroom. I mean, it makes sense that they'd have a bathroom inside for people to use who were working there. But I never really thought about it. 



Can you imagine showering in this? 

There were tons and tons of other rooms. One room even had the tool storage outlines still up. 

The shop guide



Outside you could go up on top of the battery. 



Being on  top was pretty cool. It gave you a new view of the area. It makes it even cooler if you just imagine what it looked like back in the early 1900's. 

The top of the battery


There was this walkway that led to this shower looking thing. I couldn't understand why there would be a shower on top of the battery, out in the open. So I decided to take a closer look.


Turns out it wasn't a shower at all. It was actually an old spot light. 



Pretty cool, huh? 

Instead of scaling the mounds to get back to the other stairs, we decided to take these. Trust me, it was a lot more nerve wracking in person.


There were so many more rooms that we explored. There were way too many for me to post. So if you want to see them, I highly recommend taking the trip. 

A couple things to note: 
Battery Hasbrouck is located on Hickham Airfield. 

If you're terribly afraid of spiders DO NOT GO. There are thousands of spiders on the ceiling inside (I wish I were exaggerating), most dead. None fell on us while we were there though. 

Also, as I said before Bug Spray is important! 

And, as always, be respectful. 


Have you been to Battery Hasbrouck? Do you plan on going? Have you every been to a different bunker or battery? 

3 comments:

  1. What a cool find! Love all the history hidden there. So glad you got the opportunity to see it.

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  2. Wow! Very interesting, Scarlett!
    Thanks, Tammy, for sharing this on FB. :-)

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