Marshall Islands Photo Gallery by Neil Schwanitz at pbase.com

Marshall Islands

I live and worked on Kwajalein Atoll, on the island of Roi-Namur, located half way between Hawaii and Australia. Roi-Namur has a total area of about one square mile. I'm presently on my third tour here. (2003-05, 2007-10, 2011-??)

The island of Kwajalein is the southern most island of the atoll, much larger than Roi-Namur. Kwajalein is called "downtown" by us Roi Rats and trips there for shopping or medical needs are 50 miles away... but we commute by air.

Kwajalein atoll consists of a group of 90 coral islets and islands that surround the third largest lagoon in the world. The TOTAL land area of the atoll is 6.2 square miles and the atoll is 78 miles in length. The islands of Kwajalein (largest) and Roi-Namur (second largest) were the first of the Marshall Islands captured by U.S. troops in WWII, during operation Flintlock in January 1944. Today the atoll serves as a seaport, air stop and U.S. military missile testing range.

Always a great sunrise	Where are the Marshall Islands?	Sunrise Tradex
gallery: Scuba Club Party 2009 Gallery	gallery: Tidal Surge Event - December 2008 Gallery	gallery: Under Water Gallery
Exhaust pipe art from WWII aircraft	KVZI 10 watts of sheer power!	Awesome sunsets too
ALTAIR radar	Train wheels	Roi Rat pelt
ALTAIR antenna	Japanese gun from WWII	Japanese gun from WWII
Japanse Airport Command Center	NASA sounding rocket launcher	Telemetry station
SPAM - its an island thing!	Storm Watch	Shopping for lumber at "Home Depot"
The girls on island love sports!	WWII aerial photo of Roi-Namur	Airport Parking on Kwaj
Radar radome at night	Roi-Namur from the air looking south	Crock pot on the beach
Where did I park?	Night volleyball game	Bird pile... which means fish below!
Lots of Mahi Mahi	ALTAIR Radar antenna in motion	ALTAIR Radar
Tradex , MMW and ALTAIR radars	Chester the rat	Golfball stuck in plywood building
High tide sunset	Fisheye moon	Namur Beach
Old Crane	"Second Tri" at anchor	Green Turtle
Canoe	Another stunning sunrise!	The "Worthy"
Dancer	Fire Dancer	Dancers meeting audience
Pool table	Black Noddy's	Lagoon at sunrise
Lagoon at sunrise 2	Japanese Ruins from WWII	Ms. Mona
Thai sun chilis	Orchid	unknown
Crown of thorn	Frangipani	Japanese Pillbox from WWII
Japanese Rifle Pit from WWII	Sunsets!	WWII 40 mm anti-aircraft round
Riding my bike	Net Fishing	Tern
Gabby's Place	Gabby's 2	"Kat"
Stars just after sunset	Coconut crab "borrowing" cat food	Sunset at Gabby's
Never get tired of these!	Venus, Jupiter and the Moon	Chapel before...
Baby Fairy Tern 1 a.k.a. "Squirt"	Baby Fairy Tern 2	ALTAIR Radar Staff 2009
Solar Eclipse	Solar Eclipse through many clouds	Me at work
Ahhhhhhh	Low tide	Rust eat bikes - forks gave out
ALTAIR in motion	North Shore	Antenna work
WWII Bomb unearthed	Water tank removal / replacement work	Island Wildlife
Morning coffee view	BBQ Grills	Beach shack erosion
Erosion on the beach	Stinger

comment |

Ilan Ben Tov		23-Feb-2013 06:40
Interesting gallery!

Suzanne Wheeler-Wallace		22-Jan-2013 00:35
Wow, I just stumbled on this site and did it ever bring back memories. I lived on Roi 1994-1999. Participated in all the Christmas shoes. Was the other half to Richard Brooks when we brainchild bringing satellite TV to the Island. The other half of the Parrot Head Club (is it still standing after the storm?). I have relaxing memories of my time on Roi. Anyone remember the Home Made Wine I used to make out there? Would love for someone to send me resent pics of the old Parrot Head Club.

kwajbob		14-Dec-2012 18:53
IMPORTANT NOTE - WEBSITE ADDRESSES IN KWAJBOB'S POST BELOW: Please remove the trailing parenthesis ) from the URLs. Thanks!

kwajbob		14-Dec-2012 18:40
Hey Neil! I appreciate your gallery and posts more than you will ever know. I lived on Kwaj August 1991-1993 and worked in the Army Post Office on Kwaj. It was the BEST two years of my life and I'm trying to figure out a way to get back. I loved the experience so much that I developed a website (Kwaj-Net - http://kwajnet.tripod.com - in 1994) to raise awareness of the Kwajalein experience and to tell my personal story as well. Most recently, I decided to create other Kwaj-Net Web Properties in order to get the word out even further. I set up a Twitter account http://twitter.com/KwajNet) to Tweet news about not only Kwajalein, but the Marshall Islands and Western Oceania. The Kwaj-Net Facebook page http://facebook.com/KwajNet) has REALLY taken off since I launched it March 2012. To find out more about the purpose of Kwaj-Net, please read the inaugural blog post http://kwaj-net.blogspot.com/2012/04/inaugural-kwaj-net-blog-post.html). Feel free to visit and join any or all of the Kwaj-Net Web Properties. I wish you the best of luck in your Kwaj/Roi-Namur experience. Kommol Tata and Yokwe, Bob Raymond Kwaj-Net Founder and Sr. Administrator

Norm Finn		19-Nov-2012 15:12
Norm Finn Spent 18 months on ROI 1970/1971 worked at Altair Site as an Electrician thanks for the pictures

Bobby Norris		26-Jul-2012 21:10
Gabby's 2 was called the Pig Farm when I was there. I lived on Roi from 81 to 83 as the Krems Work Center Supervisor then move to Kwaj as the Superintendent for Roi. I left in 96 to help with my Wifes father back to Oregon. I was just putting a new fram on my Roi island picture that was taken by "Rick McCauly". I would like to know if I can get a new copy of the island as shot over the Tradex dome towards Altair. Loved my time on the Kwajalein attol and miss Gabby and Garden.

Ray Cutshaw		26-Jun-2012 17:55
I worked at TRADEX from 97-2002. These pictures bring back such great memories. Glad to see other folks still enjoying life on Kwaj and Roi.

Frank Miller		16-Jun-2012 14:23
Your pictures bring back memories of the 18 months I spent on Roi-Namur as a Radioman third class (RM3c) from December 1943 to Japan's surrender 1945. I was in Argus Unit 21 and we set up our Radar as soon as the island was secure.

Mike Tessitore		26-Sep-2011 09:14
WOW neil those photos are fantastic I have never been there but I was at Vanderberg when we shot minitman missles at it. Would love to go. Mike Tessitore Olvis immigration and Travel Services.

Rob Henry		26-Apr-2011 06:10
Spent 88-90 on Roi for Telemetry. Had a blast! Great pictures. Looks the same.

Kurt		21-Jul-2010 21:04
Great memories for me! I worked at the Kwaj for many years from 82 thru 89 or so, left when Global lost their contract. Worked on Meck and Roi and miss it so much. I remember climbing allll over those antennas, especially ALTAIR, fantastic view from up in the dish. Visited the mid lagoon pole a couple of times, strange trip that was, lol. Your pics are excellent but was sad to hear KVZI was condemmened, I did a show there some nights called the "Kick Rat Radio Show", hopefully they were able to rebuild. Trying to get back out there right now, waiting on word from the recruiter. Thanks for bringing back memories...

Alex Cheung		11-Apr-2010 13:25
NICE GALLERY!!!

Tony		30-Jul-2009 19:29
Neil, Looks like you are doing a great job at keeping the site looking great. Best wishes.

patrick		05-May-2009 15:52
My dad, Brad, from Detroit made a visit there in WW2. Not exactly a sightseeing tour for him. Didnt talk much about it except to say that the native people of the island were the most peaceful, gentle people he'd ever met. He and some of his friends evicted the "other" temporary occupants.

Buba Jafarli		16-Mar-2009 01:46
Interesting content + artistic vision! Good gallery indeed! V.

basri_eli		15-Jan-2009 07:00
Very impressive gallery!!

Chris Kieffer		14-Jan-2009 17:34
What someone wants to have more, living in the paradise, sun and blue sky, and Amateur Radio rare one everbody wants do work on all bands an modes, i see you are a cat lovers too, like we, have a look around my shack and other pcitures, http://www.pbase.com/christian59/amateur_radio and best regards and 73s de Chris LX1KC / LX5T / EI2JQ, hear you CW.

longbachnguyen		01-Jan-2009 01:52
These are wonderful images...great documentary of the island since the end of WW2. What a spectacular place and beautiful setting. Thanks for posting the island history. Cheers,Long

Norm Gertz		26-Dec-2008 15:52
What memories!!! I landed with the 4th Marine Division on Roi-Namur.....experienced the tremendous blockhouse explosion and remember the airfield with Zeros caught on the ground. Surely looks a lot different now......I am just too old now to consider visiting but enjoyed the pictures very much. Norman Gertz, Colonel USMC (Ret)

Lynn Lamb		18-Dec-2008 19:14
Hello, I was there in 1958 with the tests and it is NOW beautiful except for the storm damage. The best of luck to all of you there and may God bless. 73, Lynn W4NL

Gerhard Kaiser		14-Dec-2008 12:43
Thanks for sharing all the nice photos from a relative unknown corner in the pacific. Hope for another contact! Gerd DL5AWI

Art, WA6ZLD		13-Dec-2008 23:23
Found your site at www.qrz.com. Sorry to hear about your ham shack and damage to other buildings on the island. Hope to work you sometime when everything is up and running again.

Richard		11-Dec-2008 16:00
Of the 22 years I worked and lived on Roi-Namur, this is worst damage of any storm passing the by island I've seen. My wife, Lannie sent the website. Enjoyed all the photos, great job Neil and take care. Merry Christmas and have a very Happy New Year! Regards, Richard Carroll

Dudy Tuchfeld		03-Oct-2008 13:06
Superb Gallery V

Krzysztof Masłowski		21-Sep-2008 10:05
THANK YOU FOR SHARING SUCH A GREAT COLLECTION. I REALLY LIKE YOUR PICTURES. Will you comment on my http://www.pbase.com/krzysztofmaslowski/nature ?

Andrew Bott		14-Jul-2008 11:53
Nice to get a bit of an insight into this relatively unknown corner of the Pacific.

Gus		14-Apr-2008 19:30
Wow! Always wanted to visit there. Are there any hotels there?

Kim Waters		27-Mar-2008 15:11
Your pictures are just beautiful and capture the islands to a "T"! I lived on Kwajalein for many, many years. I was a kwajkid from 1966 - 1971; 1974 - 1983; final trip was from 1992 - 2005. We left very quickly and I still miss it tremendously. It was was home which I am pretty sure that I will never get back to so your pictures will always keep a little bit of "home" for me! Thank you.

Jessica Lux		19-Nov-2007 00:54
I've had the pleasure to visit Kwaj while a friend was working over there a few years ago. Your pictures made me smile and miss that place so much. I was only 20 and it is still the best experience of my life. WWII is my favorite era and I was honored to have had the chance to see all the history.

judith cochennour		18-Oct-2007 21:02
My Dad was stationed in the Marshall Island during WWII....he came home in Dec '46 soon thereafter I was born. The joke he always told, he brought me home from the Marshall's in a black leather bag. Why did I wait until today to look up pics of one of the most beautiful places on earth. Minus the hugh rats!

Anthony Hastert		28-Mar-2007 23:27
I was a radioman aboard the USS Matanikau CVE101. My ship was unloading new airplanes at Roi when we first coppied msgs about this big bomb that was dropped on Japan, but we had no idea how devistating it was. I have often wondered if the new planes we delivered were ever flown. We were only there for a short time and I never went on the island. We had just left for pearl Harbor when we learned that Japan surrendered. We did go to Pearl Harbor & picked up planes that were assigned to our ship. We then proceeded to Ominato Japan for about a month. Thanks for posting the pictures and info on Roi Island

elizabeth		18-Feb-2007 15:03
ahhh...beautiful! you have a gift with that camera.

Guest		09-Feb-2007 01:26
I love you all ,the cityzen of the island.

Guest		31-Dec-2006 05:05
Iloved the pics. tyvm

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