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
Awesome sunsets too	ALTAIR radar	Train wheels	Roi Rat pelt
Japanese gun from WWII	Japanese gun from WWII	Japanse Airport Command Center	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	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
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!	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	Solar Eclipse	Solar Eclipse through many clouds
Ahhhhhhh	Low tide	Rust eats bikes - forks gave out	ALTAIR in motion
North Shore	WWII Bomb unearthed	Water tank removal / replacement work	Island Wildlife
Morning coffee view	BBQ Grills	Beach shack erosion	Erosion on the beach
Opus at anchor	Beach shack 1	Beach shack 2	Enniburr Island
Beach Shower	Beach shack 3	Beach shack 4	Aloe flower
Sampaguita flower	Fly swatter	Fly swatter 2	Stinger
Hermit crabs	Booby	Rotary	"Breakfast with JR"
Dinner at the beach shack	DSC_2639_01.JPG	DSC_2660.JPG	WWII Vet's return
Sampaguita bloom	Roi Xmas 2014	Bye Bye Termites	Calamansi
Coral Grit VS Stainless Steel Chain	Crabby	Lunch!	Ahhhhh
Turtle	West Winds	KVZI New Antenna_1	KVZI New Antenna_2
KVZI transmitter	DUH	Pre Holiday Shopping	Recycled Housing
On the run	Web Repair In Progress	Lesser Frigatebird	Nell Island and the western part of the atoll
Rocket Science	Surf breaking on the reef	Erythrina_0654	Erythrina_0657
Erythrina_0637	Erythrina_0631	The Emperor	Island Life(less)
Reef	WRX on launch rail	WRX Launch 1	WRX Launch 2
WRX Launch 3	WRX Launch - spin motors firing	CHESS-4 on launch rail - SCRUB	CHESS-4 launch 1
CHESS-4 launch 2	CHESS-4 launch 3	CHESS-4 launch 4	Bike
Bike too	Sphere	Air ...or water?	Antenna
Bud-01	Bud-02	Chick in shade	Hen & Chick
Grasshopper for lunch	Enniburr in the moonlight	Old radome building	No Children on Sunday
Nike-Apache Speedball 2 Sounding Rocket	King Tide December 2021

comment

Martin Blustine		28-Dec-2019 05:06
Nice to work you on the air. Great photos. Best wishes, Marty K1FQL

joseantonio		10-Feb-2019 07:36
Looks like an amazing place to lose yourself for a while.V.

Pat McAleer		10-Nov-2017 04:34
My Dad Ed Mc Aleer was a Corsair Pilot VMF 441 on Roi between Feb 1944 & Feb 1945. I have lots of pictures of Roi Is during that year The Is was essentially stripped bare.

Alan in Massachusetts		18-Nov-2015 04:07
Great gallery. Only made it out there once in 1995 for an engineering evaluation visit but know many people who did tours there. Thanks for posting

Tom A.		22-Jul-2014 17:46
Our Dad and father-in-law Lou K. landed under Japanese fire with the Fourth Marine Division. He also landed on Saipan and Tinian. I could never get him to talk about his service at all until he was in his last illness. Then he told me about his best friend bleeding to death in his arms and watching Japanese mothers jump from the cliffs with their children in their arms on Saipan. His lieutenant ordered Lou to stay in a rear area to collect mail from a ship while he led the rest of his men on a patrol. None of them was ever seen again. He still felt guilty about living while they all died. He came home and had a family, worked hard and was a good man. May you all live in peace and safety.

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.

Long Bach Nguyen		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 myhttp://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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