Ft DeRussy, Honolulu

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The U.S. Army Museum at Fort De Russy is a must-see for history and military buffs. It focuses on the military presence in Hawaii -- which is still very evident today -- and Hawaii's role in several wars. I was especially interested in the World War II section, including information on the legendary 442nd regiment from Hawaii, and in the exhibit about Eric Shinseki, the first four-star U.S. Army general of Japanese descent.

There's a wicked display in the Vietnam War section. As you step over a plexiglass window in the floor, it suddenly lights up to display a collection of deadly punji sticks under your feet. The memory of that still makes me shudder - which I guess was the point. . .pardon the pun...ji.

Make sure you see the Gallery of Heroes -- go out of the exit at the end of the hall and up an exterior flight of stairs. While you gaze at a beautiful stained glass window and read about military medal winners from Hawaii, the state song, "Hawai'i Pono'i," plays in the background. It brought tears to my eyes.

Admission to the museum is free, but donations are gratefully accepted; there is a box in the lobby. Closed Mondays.

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This museum is close to Waikiki Beach in Fort DeRussy Park and shows the military history of Hawaii from ancient times till today events such as the Gulf War and the War in Iraq. The building was originaly constructed as a coastal artillery installation in order to protect Honolulu and Pearl Harbor. Outside the museum building tanks and planes are exhibited, making a great spectacle at first as it is located in a park among palm trees and green grass. Visiting of these historical exhibits, you need less than 2 hours.

Open 10:00 am to 4:15 pm daily, except Monday.
Admission: free

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THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO ENJOY THE BEACH AND PICNICING OR JUST A FUN GAME OF VOLLEY BALL..OR EVEN TO TAKE A STROLL THROUGH THE AREA. Ft. DeRussy Beach Park
Famed as the widest stretch of white sand beach at Waikiki, this lovely and popular park is open to the public though owned by the military. It offers volleyball, squash and tennis courts, food stands, shaded picnic tables, barbecues, dressing rooms and showers. Snorkel over colorful coral just a few hundred feet from shore

This is a really good place to go to escape from the sun in the afternoon. Fort DeRussy is the U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii. The major focus of the exhibits are on World War Two. However, the museum does follow the history of warfare from the ancient Hawaiian weapons to Vietnam. There is a very good display that describes the 442 Combat Team that suffered a greater percentage of casualties, and had more medals per man, than any other American combat unit in WW II. The unit was largely comprised of Japanese-Americans. Also of note is the Hall of Honor which tells the story of Hawaii's six Medal of Honor recipients and other major medal winners. Outside are a number of tanks and artillery pieces while the roof has a Cobra helicopter.

Fort DeRussy was an Army reservation built in 1915 in order to protect Honolulu and Pearl Harbor in the US territory of Hawaii. Initially large cannons were located in two battery locations within this fort. Later on, the canons were replaced with antiaircraft guns. The Coastal Artillery was officially disbanded by the US Army on June 28, 1950. The guns of Fort DeRussy were cut up for scrap and the Fort was designated as an Armed Forces Recreation Area.

Admission to the museum is free. It's open from 10am - 4:30pm Tuesday to Saturday.

Overhead view of Ft DeRussy

The museum at Ft. DeRussy has a number of relics of WW2, including this Japanese tank and some artillary pieces.

Very close to Waikiki Beach is an American Army museum called Fort DeRussy. In addition to its various artifacts recalling WW2, it also is a very nice walking area.