Hawaii National Guard Reclaims a Piece of Its History

October 10, 2012
By Tech. Sgt. Andrew Jackson, Courtesy of DVIDS
Honolulu, HI, United States

Hawaii’s Army National Guard reclaimed two 12-pound breech-loading cannons. The cannons, manufactured by the Driggs-Schroeder Company, were originally received by the National Guard of Hawaii in 1895. They had been stored at 'Iolani Palace Barracks by the Hawaiian Historical Society and have been turned over to the Guard. The Hawaii Guard's 487th Field Artillery plans to restore the cannons.

In 1895, the Republic of Hawaii’s young National Guard received the pair of field artillery cannons, which featured what was then considered state-of-the-art technology, including recoil absorption to aid in the weapons' accuracy. The Guard's D Company received the cannons and became an artillery battery. Some time after the Spanish-American War and before WWI, the cannons where pulled from service and housed at the now historic barracks on the 'Iolani Palace grounds.

Sitting in silence at the barracks over the years, the cannons fell into disrepair. During talks with the Hawaii Army National Guard, the Hawaiian Historical Society decided that the cannons were best placed with an agency that would appreciate their unique place in Hawaii’s history and have the means to care for the units. The Hawaii Guard plans to restore the cannons using volunteer hours and display them at its facility while using them as training tools for new infantry troops. The cannons were moved to the Guard's armory in Wahiawa, HI, where they are awaiting their new home. Custody of the historical weapons was transferred to the 1st Battalion, 487th Field Artillery, which joyfully accepted its role as caretaker of these pieces of its Guard's and state's heritage.