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TINIAN OCTOBER 2009: A Glimpse of where History was Made, as it Transitions to History Itself

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Japanese shrine, just next door to House of Taga.
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Japanese shrine, just next door to House of Taga.

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  • It's simply listed on the map as "Japanese Village Ruins. Located in a grove of flame trees." <br /> <br /> By the way, this and several other photos herein are mapped. If you are curious as to location, click the "i" (information) link and then choose "MAP" in the pop-up menu.<br /> <br /> And feel free to leave comments in the space below (you will need to sign in to social media {i.e. facebook} first).
  • This is the only building of the village which is easy to find. I'm sure that there are others scattered around, but the underbrush is quite thick through most of this old neighborhood. I would guess that the primary parts of this building used to be wood, and have long since rotted away to leave only the concrete structural elements. Wonder what these steps used to lead up to? I had the feeling that the vines here grow fast enough to cover up all the ghosts......
  • It's just called "The Blow Hole," but it's probably the most consistent and one of the best spouting horns I have ever seen. Any time I fly to Tinian to see patients, I can ALWAYS see (from the plane) this thing blowing. Seems like level of the tide does not matter, and like there is always enough wave action here for it to blow. Anyway, I headed up here for sunrise after my first night on island.
  • Here you can see the Blow Hole in action. My camera mic picks up lots of wind noise, so I hope you enjoy the didgerido soundtrack over it (No: It's not me playing the didge). Video plays for 1 minute and 43 seconds.
  • August 6, 1945: Morris Jeppson (ordinance expert), Deke Parson (weaponeer), Robert Caron (tail gunner), Wyatt Duzenbury (flight engineer), Richard Nelson (radar operator), Joseph Stiborik (radar operator), Jacob Beser (electronic countermeasures), Thomas Ferebee (bombardier), Theodore Van Kirk (navigator), and Robert Lewis (co-pilot) -- comanded by Paul Tibbetts (pilot) -- climbed aboard a B-29 aircraft named by Commander Paul Tibbits after his Mother (Enola Gay Tibbetts -- 1893 - 1983). It is from this very strip of earth that these brave young men literally launched the modern Atomic Age with their hardware, code named "Little Boy."
  • Three days later, a second B-29 (Bockscar) lifted off with the second atomic bomb ("Fat Man"). How does one express his connection to history in a place like this? Perhaps no other place on Earth can bring to mind so many parallel contrasts: The horror of Japanese who awakened on August 6 with families only to see them literally vaporize before the day finished vs. the untold thousands (both Japanese and American) of lives saved by bringing a quick end to the war: Destruction so shocking and disturbing that it fostered in a whole new overwhelming urgency for conciliation: Heralding of a time of peace, yet with the lingering need for eternal vigilance lest such weapons be used again.<br /> <br /> And the juxtaposition of something so momentous on a small strip of asphalt, now being allowed to fade into the Earth and slowly disappear just seems weird.
  • The previous two photos were taken from the east end of Runway Able. We are now looking back to the east from the west end.<br /> <br /> - - - - As I said in an earlier caption: The vines here grow fast enough to cover the ghosts.<br /> <br /> - - - - - - - - - - Somehow, you can still hear them, however, as you drive and walk this runway.
  • Until about 2 or 3 years ago, the pits which had stored "Little Boy" and "Fat Man" were all covered in with dirt and abandoned. Then as a part of a long overdue restoration project, they were excavated and covered with protective canopies. In case you can't read the plaque: "NO. 1 BOMB LOADING PIT. ATOMIC BOMB LOADING PIT. FROM THIS LOADING PIT THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB EVER TO BE USED IN COMBAT WAS LOADED ABOARD A B-29 AIRCRAFT AND DROPPED ON HIROSHIMA, JAPAN, AUGUST 6, 1945. THE BOMBER, PILOTED BY COLONEL PAUL W. TIBBETTS, USAAF, OF THE 509TH COMPOSITE GROUP, TWENTIETH AIR FORCE, UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCES, WAS LOADED LATE IN THE AFTERNOON OF AUGUST 5, 1945, AND AT 0245 THE FOLLOWING MORNING TOOK OFF ON ITS MISSION. CAPTAIN WILLIAM S. PARSONS, USN, WAS ON BOARD AS WEAPONEER." <br /> <br /> The identical pit for "Fat Man" is just across the parking area.
  • Here you see photos of "Little Boy." Unfortunately, the bomb pit for "Fat Man" was recently vandalized. While the glass has been replaced, the photos have not, so it looks just like this, except that it is empty.<br /> <br /> As you can see from the water droplets on the glass panes, it had been raining that day. In fact, heavy rain moved in immediately after I took this shot. I tried to wait it out, but it was more determined than I was patient. So, I headed back south, to the village of San Jose. We will be back up to the North Field, however, later.
  • On to history of a different sort. The ancient Chamorro of the Mariana Islands are the only ones known to have used a certain style of building. Pillars were stood up, and then solid, bowl-shaped cap-stones were hoisted up to sit on top (the combination is called a latte {pronounced just like the coffee drink}). These were then used as supports, and trusses were laid from latte to latte to support the floor of a house. MOST lattes are shoulder height or so. However, the House of Taga has the largest.
  • The uprights of the House of Taga are about 16 feet tall. There are twelve latte here in 2 rows of 6. Four were for corners, and the rest were for support along the length of the building which rested on the top. These stones were quarried by hand and transported about a mile or so from Taga Beach. Chamorro were utilizing latte construction around 1100 AD, and apparently still had some latte buildings at the time of Spanish discovery in the 1600's. Apparently only the higher caste could live in latte houses. Commoners had wooden huts built on the ground. I have never seen an authoritative date for when House of Taga was built, but I assume it was sometime between 1100 and 1600.<br /> <br /> I have also never heard nor read an authoritative account for how the stones were put into place. How the cap stones were placed on top is, to me at least, quite a mystery.
  • Of the 12 latte for House of Taga, this is the only one which still stands. Mythology is rife surrounding this. Some believe that a great chief's daughter's spirit is inside it. At least one myth sees it as a place of her refuge, while another imprisons her here. There is agreement, however, in that she will reside here until this last latte falls. Some locals claim to hear her moaning frequently at night. Another myth states that Chief Taga will return upon the toppling of this latte. I'm sure that there are connecting myths foretelling a reunion between Father and Daughter at that time, but I have not heard them yet.<br /> <br /> This place is kept neat and trim. There are no vines to cover the ghosts, just stones to contain them ----
  • --- moths to entertain them ----
  • --- and flowers to enchant them.
  • Buttonweed (Spermacoce assurgens).
  • Japanese shrine, just next door to House of Taga.
  • We are now a few miles south of San Jose, looking back to the northwest. The little smokestack you see just to your left from the village is the power plant. Immediately in front of that is Tinian Harbor. Toward the beach from the main part of San Jose is approximately where the House of Taga and Japanese Shrine are.
  • We are now back on Runway Able. Wild passionfruit (Passiflora foetida) has a spectacular flower, very similar to the edible passionfruit (P. edulis). However, the fruit of this species is not considered to be edible. I have never read that it is toxic, so I assume that it just doesn't taste good, but I don't plan to find out.<br /> <br /> Addendum 11/14/2020: The fruit of these wild passion fruit are indeed edible, and do have a nice (albeit not as intense as commercial passionfruit) taste (yes, after I read in a source I trusted that it was safe, I did decide to try it out, after all).
  • As you can see, this time up at North Field the weather is more cooperative. Just north of Runway Able is a large parking area called the Service Apron which, I'm sure, saw lots of activity while North Field was in use. If you park at the west end of the Service Apron, you are near these Japanese bomb shelters.
  • After the U.S. captured Tinian, this was the largest air base in the world.
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