The museum recently received an incredible collection of annotated pictures and articles from a couple, Mr. and Mrs. James Kerschner. The aerial pictures were taken after the 1946 tsunami, and provide views not-before-seen by the general public.
James was an 8-year old boy in 1946. He had a cold on April 1 and did not go to school that day. Had he gone to school, he probably would have been washed out to sea, since he would have been on the road near the ocean.
James' father, Commander C.P. Kerschner, was the commanding officer of the naval airbase in Hilo. While the family was having breakfast on April 1, Commander Kerschner received a call regarding a tsunami.
Although at first Commander Kerschner thought it was an April Fool's joke, he quickly realized the magnitude of the situation and mobilized aircraft to assist with the disaster response. He ensured that photographers were on board to photographically document.
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It was also Commander Kerschner's responsibility to ensure that any survivors were well-cared for. His efforts were far-reaching and of great assistance. He was greatly respected and admired by those he supervised and by those he helped.
Having heard the story here at the museum, we feel admiration for Commander Kerschner and the actions he took, as well. The donated pictures will be used to carry out the museum's mission of promoting public tsunami education and to preserve the social and cultural history of Hawaii.
If you have photos of tsunami events or photos of local historical interest, please consider donating them to the museum as the Kerschners did. Collections can be returned to the owners digitally, preserving the images!
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