The joint base commander of Pearl Harbor Hickam was an important leadership position overseeing operations at the combined Navy and Air Force installations on Oahu, Hawaii. Pearl Harbor Naval Base and Hickam Air Force Base were merged in 2010 to form Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam under a joint basing initiative to consolidate management and reduce operating costs of overlapping DoD facilities. Understanding the history of command at these storied bases provides insight into the evolving military presence in Hawaii.
The Pre-World War II Period
Pearl Harbor Naval Base was established in 1899 as the first U.S. naval base in the Hawaiian Islands. The early years saw a modest naval presence focused on coaling and repair operations. Command was situated with the Navy’s senior officer present, initially a Commandant and later upgraded to a Captain for the Navy Yard. In 1913, Captain William Reynolds became the first official Pearl Harbor Commandant. The Army Air Corps (predecessor to the Air Force) established Luke Field on Ford Island in the center of Pearl Harbor in 1917 as one of several early aviation sites. Command at Pearl Harbor in the pre-war period remained largely a Navy responsibility.
Growing Military Footprint in Hawaii
The decades leading up to World War II saw a growing military emphasis on Hawaii and Pearl Harbor in particular. The Navy moved the Pacific Fleet there in 1940, recognizing the strategic mid-Pacific location. With tensions rising, the Army too bolstered its air power, developing Hickam Field starting in 1935. Named after aviation pioneer Lt Col Horace Hickam, Hickam Field housed B-17 bombers and became the headquarters for the Army Hawaiian Air Force.
On the eve of WWII, Pearl Harbor remained under Navy control, with Hickam Field representing Army air power. The surprise December 7, 1941 Japanese attack targeted both bases, precipitating America’s entry into the war. Pearl Harbor command now centered on war mobilization and operations spanning air, land and sea.
World War II Command
Admiral Husband Kimmel served as Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. He was relieved of command shortly thereafter, with Admiral Chester Nimitz assuming leadership of the Pacific Fleet for most of the war. The Navy consolidated its islands command under Admiral Robert Ghormley as Commander, Hawaiian Sea Frontier.
On the Army side, Lt Gen Walter Short commanded Hawaiian Department for air, ground and service forces. Under him, Maj Gen Howard Davidson commanded the Seventh Air Force at Hickam Field. Navy and Army chains of command remained separate through WWII, focused intensely on prosecuting the war in the Pacific.
Brig Gen Truman Landon – Wartime Joint Commander
As Allied forces gained the advantage in the Pacific, Hawaii’s bases transitioned to hosting transient combat units between deployments. The Army and Navy needed to coordinate more closely on local base operations. In May 1944, Brig Gen Truman Landon was appointed Joint Commander, Army and Navy Local Base Defense and Base Services, Hawaii. This represented the first joint coordination for routine base functions like security, transportation and housing, while service headquarters continued to control operational forces.
Landon’s joint command didn’t last long, as the rapid pace of wartime activities kept the Army and Navy busy in the Pacific. But it set a path for closer cooperation that would emerge after the war.
Post World War II Developments
With the war over in 1945, Hawaii’s military bases underwent change. Temporary war mobilization facilities closed while Pearl Harbor Naval Base and Hickam Field resumed their central roles as Pacific hubs. Army Lt Gen Robert Richardson became Hawaiian Department commander in 1946, presiding over a sharp drawdown in ground forces.
The onset of the Cold War halted force reductions. The Navy remained dominant at Pearl Harbor and the central islands, while the newly independent Air Force (1947) built up Hickam as headquarters for Pacific Air Forces. Military construction boomed in the 1950s modernizing facilities. Hawaii moved toward statehood in 1959, cemented by the strategic military presence.
RADM William Martin – First Naval Base Commander
In the early post-war years, Pearl Harbor remained under traditional Navy chain of command. Seeking better coordination of the sprawling base facilities, the Navy in 1949 assigned RADM William Martin as the first Commander, Naval Base Pearl Harbor. Martin served until 1951, centralizing a range of functions like security, housing and maintenance under naval base commander direction.
This organizational change set the pattern for Pearl Harbor base command going forward. Pacific Fleet headquarters focused on operations while the naval base commander ran day-to-day base management and support activities.
Cold War Era
Pearl Harbor Naval Base and Hickam Air Force Base continued their close association during the Cold War era in the 1950s-1980s. While not formally joint bases, partnership between the Navy and Air Force increased. Mutual logistical support, intelligence sharing, joint exercises and emergency services laid the groundwork for future joint operations in Hawaii.
Command arrangements remained traditional during this period. Pacific Fleet Commanders like ADM Harry Felt and ADM John Hyland continued directing fleet operations from Pearl Harbor. A succession of Rear and Vice Admirals commanded Naval Base Pearl Harbor, providing the support structure for Pacific naval operations.
At Hickam AFB, headquarters Pacific Air Forces grew into the dominant Air Force presence on Oahu. A series of Brigadier and Major Generals commanded the air base group at Hickam Field (Later Hickam AFB).
RADM Euclid Sherrod – Naval Base Commander
Among noteworthy Pearl Harbor commanders was RADM Euclid Sherrod, who served as Naval Base Commander from 1958 to 1960. Sherrod oversaw a major Pacific naval buildup including the opening of the submarine base and naval magazine at Lualualei. Construction of the Headquarters Building at Makalapa was completed under his direction as well.
Sherrod was part of a generation of leaders who brought Pearl Harbor Naval Base through World War II recovery into the Cold War era as a vital platform for power projection in the Pacific.
Post-Cold War and Modern Period
The 1990s ushered in a new environment after the Cold War. Amid military downsizing, the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) directed consolidating adjoining Army and Navy installations to cut costs. Joint Basing provided a pathway for unifying base support at paired facilities while preserving independent service command for operational forces and service-specific missions.
Admiral Patrick Walsh – First JBPHH Commander
Admiral Patrick Walsh became the first Commander, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) when separate Navy and Air Force Oahu bases merged in January 2010. As a Navy officer, he commanded the joint base itself while the services continued directing mission forces. PACFLT remained the superior Navy command for Pearl Harbor while PACAF commanded Hickam’s air units.
During Walsh’s tenure, JBPHH implemented integrated security, fire protection, maintenance and recreation for its 50,000 military and civilian personnel. Cost savings, unity of command and joint culture were early hallmarks as Hawaii’s bases entered a new era.
Current and Future Outlook
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam represents a culmination of a century of close Navy and Air Force association in Hawaii. The strategic location ensures JBPHH will continue enabling power projection, providing operational and logistical support across the vast Asia-Pacific. Modern joint commanders build on the legacy of iconic wartime leaders like Kimmel and Short while positioning for an uncertain future.
Current JBPHH Commander, RADM Robert Chadwick, oversees a thriving joint base. Far from the unsuspecting Sunday morning of December 7, 1941, PACFLT, PACAF and JBPHH now work in coordinated fashion. Jointness has become the norm rather than the exception, achieving unified effort. The future is likely to see expanded mission integration as JBPHH adapts to meet the national defense needs of the 21st century.
Conclusion
Pearl Harbor Naval Base and Hickam Field epitomized U.S. military ascendance in the Pacific during and after World War II. Their unified identity as Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam solidified the complementary nature of Navy and Air Force capabilities underpinning power projection from Hawaii. A progression of commanders, both service-specific and joint, have led these storied bases through war and peace for over a century, ushering in a new era of jointness at JBPHH.