History buffs, this one’s for you. There is no doubt that the Hawaiian Islands have undergone monumental changes throughout the years. Life in Hawaii in the 1940s, in particular, was drastically different than it is today. Not only was World War II in full effect after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor but Hawaii was an American territory, not a state. Taken during the 1940s, these 13 photographs will give you a glimpse into this decade of uncertainty. Ready to take a step back in time?
- The USS Yorktown receives repairs for damage sustained during the Battle of Coral Sea while sitting in Dry Dock No. 1 at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard in May 1942. The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier left Pearl Harbor the following day in order to participate in the Battle of Midway.
Unknown, U.S. Navy Photo/Wikimedia Commons
- Franklin D. Roosevelt, General MacArthurt and Admiral Nimitz at Pearl Harbor in July 1944.
Unknown, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration/Wikimedia Commons
- Singer Betty Hutton performs for service members in June 1945 at Naval Air Station Kaneohe.
Unknown, U.S. Navy Photo/Wikimedia Commons
- Japanese-American volunteers on Kauai waiting for their physical examinations and standing for roll call of the Makaweli draft board registrants.
Unknown Photographer/Photogrammer
- A Hawaiian postcard from 1940 featuring hula dancers and women playing the guitar.
Unknown/Wikimedia Commons
A first class machinist from Ohio, Andrew S. Horn is photographed working on intricate wiring for a ship’s gun, along with R.V. Presby, a Tennessee native and first class electrician.
Unknown Photographer/Photogrammer
- Members of the 24th Marine Regiment celebrating the Marine Corps birthday in 1944 on Maui.
USMC Archives/Wikimedia Commons
- A photograph of Lt. Gerald R. Ford and LT. W.E Delaney at the Ford Island Tennis Club for the Farewell Party for Air Group Thirty on May 12, 1944.
Unknown, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library/Wikimedia Commons
- A Christmas Eve celebration among U.S. Army buddies at Schofield Barracks in the 1940s.
Center For Jewish History, NYC/Wikimedia Commons
- A Hawaiian boy in grass structure at Queen Emma’s former residence in Nuuanu Valley, circa 1940.
Pan-Pacific Press Bureau, Hawaii State Archives/Wikimedia Commons
- Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson inspects a regiment of artillerymen during his 1943 visit to Hawaii.
Unknown, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration/Wikimedia Commons
- Servicemen at Pearl Harbor repair and check instruments aboard a submarine that has just returned from war in 1945.
Unknown, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration/Wikimedia Commons
- A Navy band plays for civil service employees during their lunch break.
Unknown Photographer/Photogrammer
Have you ever seen any of these unique images before? What about the haunting footage taken during the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor?
Unknown, U.S. Navy Photo/Wikimedia Commons
Unknown, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration/Wikimedia Commons
Unknown Photographer/Photogrammer
Unknown/Wikimedia Commons
USMC Archives/Wikimedia Commons
Unknown, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library/Wikimedia Commons
Center For Jewish History, NYC/Wikimedia Commons
Pan-Pacific Press Bureau, Hawaii State Archives/Wikimedia Commons
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