ford island

Ford Island is located in the middle of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It is connected to the main island by the Ford Island Bridge.

History

Ancient Hawaiians called the island Moku-umeume -- the isle of attraction. It is currently named after Dr. Seth Ford, a Boston physician who practiced medicine at the Hawaiian Insane Asylum and the U.S. Marine Hospital from 1861-1866. When Ford died, the island was sold to the Honolulu Plantation. The U.S. Army purchased it during World War I for $236,000. It was transferred to the Navy in 1923. At the height of World War II more than 40,000 people lived and worked on the 450 acre (1.8 km²) island. The island was attacked during the Pearl Harbor Attack due to battleship moorings and barracks located there. Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and George Bush were guests here. The naval station was decommissioned in 1962. The island was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1964, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

There is a monument to the USS Utah on the island. Luke Field (est. 1919) is located here.

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