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Coordinates: 24°18′N 153°58′E / 24.300°N 153.967°E / 24.300; 153.967
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==Life on the Island==
==Life on the Island==


The Coast Guard personnel spent much of their free time engaging in activities such as snorkeling inside and outside the reef, and fishing for tuna off the south end of the Island.<ref>Personal first hand knowledge</ref> Twice a week the Coasties were able to contact their families back in the States via MARS radio, and each member was allowed a ten minute call.<ref>Personal first hand knowledge</ref> Additionally, the Coast Guard members and the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force, and the Japanese Meteorlogical Agency Personnel, enjoyed very good relations. The Costies and the Japanese personnel would play softball on the aircraft parking area located at the south end of the runway two to three times a week, and each Friday evening the Coasties and Japanese would have a cookout at either Sunset Park on the west side of the island, eating Japanse cuisine, or down by The Coast Guard swimming pool eating Amercian cuisine.<ref>Personal first hand knowledge</ref> Medical care for those on the island was provided by a Coast Guard Health Services Technician First Class, who also acted as the unit Yoeman.<ref>Personal first hand knowledge</ref>
The Coast Guard personnel spent much of their free time engaging in activities such as snorkeling inside and outside the reef, and fishing for tuna off the south end of the Island.<ref>Personal first hand knowledge</ref> Twice a week the Coasties were able to contact their families back in the States via MARS radio, and each member was allowed a ten minute call.<ref>Personal first hand knowledge</ref> Additionally, the Coast Guard members and the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force, and the Japanese Meteorlogical Agency Personnel, enjoyed very good relations. The Coasties and the Japanese personnel would play softball on the aircraft parking area located at the south end of the runway two to three times a week, and each Friday evening the Coasties and Japanese would have a cookout at either Sunset Park on the west side of the island, eating Japanse cuisine, or down by The Coast Guard swimming pool eating Amercian cuisine.<ref>Personal first hand knowledge</ref> Medical care for those on the island was provided by a Coast Guard Health Services Technician First Class, who also acted as the unit Yoeman.<ref>Personal first hand knowledge</ref>


==Island characteristics==
==Island characteristics==

Revision as of 15:29, 6 March 2009

Aerial photo from 1987

Minamitori-shima (南鳥島) or Marcus Island is an isolated island in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, located at 24°18′N 153°58′E / 24.300°N 153.967°E / 24.300; 153.967. The Japanese meaning of the name is "Southern Bird Island". It has an area of 1.2 square kilometres (0.5 sq mi). It is the easternmost territory belonging to Japan, lying some 1,848 kilometres (1,148 mi) SE of Tokyo and 1,267 kilometres (787 mi) east of the closest Japanese island, South Iwo Jima of the Ogasawara Islands, and nearly on a straight line between Tokyo and Wake Island, which is 1,415 kilometres (879 mi) east southeast. The closest island, however, is Farallon de Pajaros of the Mariana Islands, which is 1,021 kilometres (634 mi) west south-west of Minamitori Shima.

History

That the island was initially discovered by a Captain Arriola in 1694 is not at all established.[1] Its location was left unrecorded until further sightings in the early 19th century.

Marcus Island under attack on 31 August 1943.

The island is first mentioned in 1864, given a position by a US survey ship in 1874, and first landed on by Kiozaemon Saito in 1879. Japan officially annexed the island July 24, 1898 (Kuroda 1954, 87), the US claim from 1889 according to the Guano Islands Act not being officially acknowledged. Sovereignty over the island before WWI was apparently disputed as various sources from the time move the island from the American to Japanese domain without specific explanation. In 1914, William D. Boyce included Marcus Island as an obviously American island in his book, "The Colonies and Dependencies of the United States".

In World War II there were over 4,000 Japanese soldiers stationed on the island, and the US Navy attacked it in 1942[2] and in 1943,[3] but never attempted to capture it. Though isolated, the Japanese were able to resupply the island by submarine, using a channel cut through the reef on the northwest side of the island. That channel is still visible today.

The Treaty of San Francisco (1951) moved the island under American control.[4] The island was sold to Japan in 1968.[citation needed]

In 1964 the U. S. Coast Guard opened a LORAN-C navigation station on Marcus Island, whose mast was until 1985 one of the tallest structures in the Pacific area. In the 1980s the Loran station was maintained by 23 "Coasties". They were based there on one-year tours with a visit to mainland Japan at the 6-month point. The station was transferred from the U.S. Coast Guard to the Government of Japan on September 30, 1993.

While under U.S. administration, on Thursdays a C-130 from the 345th Tactical Airlift Squadron, Yokota AFB, Japan, would resupply the island. Often Coasties would judge landings by raising placards with large numbers. An unusually long four hour ground time was scheduled to allow technicians who flew in on the C-130 to perform maintenance on the transmitter. It also allowed the Coasties to read and answer letters while aircrews would snorkel and collect green glass fishing buoys that wash up on the shore. It takes about 45 minutes to walk around the island. A rusted-out Japanese mini-tank was a reminder of the island's history.


The island is presently used for weather observation and has a radio station, but little else. Because of its isolation, it is of some interest to DXers.

Administratively, the island is considered part of Ogasawara village, Tokyo.

Life on the Island

The Coast Guard personnel spent much of their free time engaging in activities such as snorkeling inside and outside the reef, and fishing for tuna off the south end of the Island.[5] Twice a week the Coasties were able to contact their families back in the States via MARS radio, and each member was allowed a ten minute call.[6] Additionally, the Coast Guard members and the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force, and the Japanese Meteorlogical Agency Personnel, enjoyed very good relations. The Coasties and the Japanese personnel would play softball on the aircraft parking area located at the south end of the runway two to three times a week, and each Friday evening the Coasties and Japanese would have a cookout at either Sunset Park on the west side of the island, eating Japanse cuisine, or down by The Coast Guard swimming pool eating Amercian cuisine.[7] Medical care for those on the island was provided by a Coast Guard Health Services Technician First Class, who also acted as the unit Yoeman.[8]

Island characteristics

It is triangular in shape and as well as low lying. It was created by coral which eventually turned into a landmass. The island is surrounded by a fringing reef which ranges from 50 metres (164 ft) to 300 metres (984 ft) in width.

The island is unusual as it in fact gets higher the closer you get to the coast. The central area of the island is 1 metre (3 ft) below sea level whilst the coast is about 5 metres (16 ft) to 8 metres (26 ft) above.

Notes

  1. ^ 'Journal of Pacific History', Vol. 36, No. 1; 2001, pp. 105-115
  2. ^ USN Combat Narrative: Early Raids in the Pacific Ocean
  3. ^ http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/st/~magneson/battles.html
  4. ^ Article 3 of Treaty of San Francisco Japan will concur in any proposal of the United States to the United Nations to place under its trusteeship system, with the United States as the sole administering authority, Nansei Shoto south of 29° north latitude (including the Ryukyu Islands and the Daito Islands), Nanpo Shoto south of Sofu Gan (including the Bonin Islands, Rosario Island and the Volcano Islands) and Parece Vela and Marcus Island. Pending the making of such a proposal and affirmative action thereon, the United States will have the right to exercise all and any powers of administration, legislation and jurisdiction over the territory and inhabitants of these islands, including their territorial waters.
  5. ^ Personal first hand knowledge
  6. ^ Personal first hand knowledge
  7. ^ Personal first hand knowledge
  8. ^ Personal first hand knowledge

Bibliography

  • Bryan, William A.: A monograph of Marcus Island; in: Occasional Papers of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Vol. 2, No. 1; 1903
  • Kuroda, Nagahisa: Report on a trip to Marcus Island, with notes on the birds; in: Pacific Science, Vol. 8, No. 1; 1954
  • Lévesque, Rodrigue: The odyssey of Captain Arriola and his discovery of Marcus Island in 1694; in: Journal of Pacific history, Vol. 32, No. 2; 1997, pp. 229-233
  • PUB 158 JAPAN Volume 1, NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL-INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, Bethesda, Maryland [1]
  • Sakagami, Shoichi F.: An ecological perspective of Marcus Island, with special reference to land animals; in: Pacific Science, Vol. 15, No. 1; 1961
  • Welsch, Bernhard: The asserted discovery of Marcus Island in 1694; in: Journal of Pacific History', Vol. 36, No. 1; 2001, pp. 105-115
  • Welsch, Bernhard: Was Marcus Island discovered by Bernardo de la Torre in 1543?; in: Journal of Pacific History, Vol. 39, No. 1; 2004, pp. 109-122

See also

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