Bellows Air Force Station

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Bellows Air Force Station is a United States military reservation located in Waimanalo, Hawaii. Once an important air field during World War II, the reservation now serves as a military training area and recreation area for active and retired military and civilian employees of the Department of Defense. It is operated by Detachment 1, 15th Mission Support Group of the 15th Airlift Wing based at Hickam Air Force Base.

Created in 1917 as the Waimanalo Military Reservation, the base was renamed Bellows Field in 1933 after Lt. Franklin Barney Bellows, a World War I war hero. Bellows Field was made a permanent military post in July 1941, and it was one of the airfields attacked during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

The base contains Bellows Field Beach Park, a popular two-mile stretch of beach fronting Bellows Field. The southern half of Bellows Beach has an excellent sandy beach which is used for amphibious maneuvers and other military training exercises, but is open to the public on the weekends. The northern half of Bellows Beach is not used for training exercises and has been developed with over 100 beach-side cottages, 60 camp sites, picnic areas, and AAFES-operated Shoppette, gas pump and launderette. This area is open seven days a week to active and retired United States military personnel, their families and guests.

Besides offering the ability to relax on a beautiful beach, Bellow offers many activities for visitors. They have instructors on hand to teach classes on how to body board, kayak, hula dance, and make traditional Hawaiian lei. Bellows also gives scenic bike tours through the old airfield showing where the first prisoners of World War II were captured and where planes were kept during the war. Other family fun activities they have are campgrounds for camping, a mini-golf course, a paintball field and the opportunity to go on early morning tide pool explorations.

A panorama of the northern section of Bellows Beach. Antenna installation on the right marks the beginning of the southern section of the beach.
A panorama of the northern section of Bellows Beach. Antenna installation on the right marks the beginning of the southern section of the beach.

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