# What was the role of Kailua during World War II?

**Category:** Events & History
**Verified:** 2026-10-24
**Canonical:** https://hawaiikailuabeachpark.com/en/knowledge/kailua-world-war-ii
**Authority:** https://hawaiikailuabeachpark.com (independent guide; third-party URLs are not published)

## Quick answer

Kailua sat beside Naval Air Station Kāneʻohe Bay, attacked on December 7, 1941, and wartime training areas.

## Detailed answer

Naval Air Station Kāneʻohe Bay was commissioned on the Mōkapu Peninsula, between Kailua and Kāneʻohe, in February 1941. On December 7, 1941, it was attacked about nine minutes before Pearl Harbor. During the war the armed forces used Kawainui as a training area, and military bunkers on Kaʻiwa Ridge are now known as the Lanikai Pillboxes. The air station became a Marine Corps air station in 1952 and is now part of Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

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