Guiuan Airport

Last updated
Guiuan Airport

Paliparan ng Guiuan
Luparan han Guiuan
Summary
Airport typePublic
Operator Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines
Serves Guiuan, Eastern Samar
Elevation  AMSL 60 m / 197 ft
Coordinates 11°02′07″N125°44′29″E / 11.03528°N 125.74139°E / 11.03528; 125.74139
Runways
Direction LengthSurface
mft
07/252,0946,870 Asphalt
Source: DAFIF [1]

Guiuan Airport (Filipino: Paliparan ng Guiuan, Waray-Waray: Luparan han Guiuan) ( ICAO : RPVG) is an airport located in the municipality of Guiuan, in the province of Eastern Samar in the Philippines. It is classified as a feeder airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, an attached agency of the Department of Transportation that is responsible for the operations all airports in the Philippines, except the major international airports.

Presently, the government is planning to develop the airport to support the commercial and tourism industry in the region, most especially Calicoan Island, an upcoming island resort for surfers and beachcombers.

History

Aerial view of Guiuan Airfield during the Allied Occupation. Guiuan Field.jpg
Aerial view of Guiuan Airfield during the Allied Occupation.

Guiuan Airport was originally a United States Navy air base in World War II built by Seabees from the 61st and 93rd Naval Construction Battalions.

After forces led by General Douglas Macarthur landed on Leyte on October 20, 1944, the first step towards the liberation of the Philippines from Japanese occupation, work began on improving or constructing several airfields around the area.

The US Navy initially attempted to construct a strip on the Samar shore of San Pablo Bay. It was soon found to be unusable after heavy rain, so the project was abandoned. After a brief search, Navy engineers settled on Guiuan, a town on the southeast promontory of Samar. Work was conducted by the 93rd Seabees and the first plane landed on December 18, 1944. US Navy and US Army Air Force aircraft were operating on the field by Christmas 1944.

The strip was used by corsairs of the marines stationed there as well as the 22nd and 5th Bombardment Groups of the Army Air Force. [2] The 22nd Bombardment Group arrived on 21 January 1945. [3]

The 61st NCB built the two airstrips that were the Guiuan Airbase.[ citation needed ] The 61st camp was right next to the ramp where the 22nd bomb group was and next to it the 5th bomb group. There were also about a dozen Corsairs, but you usually saw only six parked at the strip at any one time.[ citation needed ]

Probably the biggest landing force to land at any airbase in the Pacific War took place at Guiuan before the invasion of Luzon.[ citation needed ] A typhoon was headed for the task force and all the flying aircraft that could go went in one formation from all the carriers to Guiuan which had two six thousand foot runways built by the 61st NCB. The formation flew over then broke up and landed at the front end near the B-24 ramps and at the middle of the strips. The planes were landing in formations and then taxied to parking areas maybe four aircraft huddled next to each of the B-24's of the 22nd and 5th bomb groups and planes down both sides of the runways. The crews then moved into the 4 man tents of the Army Air Force with double the guys while part of that rainy typhoon hit. [ citation needed ]

After the war, the airfield was turned over to the Philippine government.

The Guiuan airfield originally had two runways, but only one remains operational today.

Guian Airport became the Samar Island Hub for the 2013 Typhoon Haiyan relief operations. [4]

On 13 December 2018, a Philippine Air Force C-130 Hercules flew from Villamor Air Base in Manila to Guiuan airport carrying the three Balangiga Bells which had been retrieved from United States military facilities in South Korea and Wyoming after being taken by the U.S. Army 117 years earlier from the Catholic church in Balangiga. The Balangiga Bells were then transported by Philippine Army truck from the Guiuan airport to Balangiga and returned to the Catholic church. On 15 December 2018, a Philippine Air Force transport plane flew from Villamor Air Base in Manila to Guiuan airport carrying a party of dignitaries led by Secretary of Defense Delfin Lorenzana and National Security Advisor Hermogenes Esperon of the Republic of the Philippines. Included in the party were the Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to the United States Jose M. Romualdez, Consul a.h. of the Republic of the Philippines for the State of Florida Dr. Henry B. Howard and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Dr. Joseph Felter. The party then flew by Philippine Air Force Huey helicopters to Balangiga to witness the ceremony commemorating the return of the Balangiga Bells.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nichols Field</span> Airfield

Nichols Field was a U.S. military airfield located south of Manila in Pasay and Parañaque, Metro Manila, Luzon, the Philippines. The complex is located at Andrews Avenue by the north, Domestic Road by the west, NAIA Road and Ninoy Aquino Avenue by the southwest, Multinational Avenue by the south, South Luzon Expressway and the Metro Manila Skyway by the east, and Sales Street by the northeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Samar</span> Province in Eastern Visayas, Philippines

Eastern Samar, officially the Province of Eastern Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is the city of Borongan. Eastern Samar occupies the eastern portion of the island of Samar. Bordering the province to the north is the province of Northern Samar and to the west is Samar province. To the east lies the Philippine Sea, part of the vast Pacific Ocean, while to the south lies Leyte Gulf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samar (province)</span> Province in Eastern Visayas, Philippines

Samar, officially the Province of Samar, formerly named Western Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is the city of Catbalogan. It is bordered by Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte and Leyte Gulf, and includes several islands in the Samar Sea. Samar is connected to the island of Leyte via the San Juanico Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guiuan</span> Municipality in Eastern Samar, Philippines

Guiuan, officially the Municipality of Guiuan, is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Eastern Samar, Philippines. It constitutes the southeastern extremity of Samar Island and some adjacent islands, surrounded by Leyte Gulf and the Philippine Sea, two major bodies of water that makes the town the surfing capital of the Visayas. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 53,361 people, making it the most populous municipality in Eastern Samar and the second most populous administrative division in the entire province after the capital city Borongan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport</span> Airport serving Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines

Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport, also known as Tacloban City Airport, is a regional airport serving the general area of Tacloban, a highly urbanized city in the Leyte island of the Philippines. It is the main gateway from Manila and Cebu to Eastern Visayas. It is classified as a Class 1 principal airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. In 2022, Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport served 1.48 million passengers, making it the seventh-busiest in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mactan–Benito Ebuen Air Base</span> Military airport located on Mactan Island, Philippines

Mactan–Benito Ebuen Air Base, originally known as Mactan Air Base, is an active military airbase of the Philippine Air Force (PAF). It is located on the island of Mactan, Cebu, in the Visayas region of the Philippines. It shares its single runway with the civilian Mactan–Cebu International Airport. Mactan Air Base was originally built by, and was a facility of the United States Air Force (USAF), until the American military units left the country in 1991, whereby full and total control was handed over to the Philippine Air Force.

Munda International Airport is an international airport adjacent to the town of Munda, Western Province in Solomon Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seabees in World War II</span> Military unit

When World War II broke out the United States Naval Construction Battalions (Seabees) did not exist. The logistics of a two theater war were daunting to conceive. Rear Admiral Moreell completely understood the issues. What needed to be done was build staging bases to take the war to the enemy, across both oceans, and create the construction force to do the work. Naval Construction Battalions were first conceived at Bureau of Yards and Docks (BuDocks) in the 1930s. The onset of hostilities clarified to Radm. Moreell the need for developing advance bases to project American power. The solution: tap the vast pool of skilled labor in the U.S. Put it in uniform to build anything, anywhere under any conditions and get the Marine Corps to train it. The first volunteers came skilled. To obtain these tradesmen, military age was waived to age 50. It was later found that several past 60 had managed to get in. Men were given advanced rank/pay based upon experience making the Seabees the highest paid group in the U.S. military. The first 60 battalions had an average age of 37.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balangiga bells</span> Church bells that had been taken by the United States Army from the Philippines

The Balangiga bells are three church bells that were taken by the United States Army from the Church of San Lorenzo de Martir in Balangiga, Eastern Samar, Philippines, as war trophies after reprisals following the Battle of Balangiga in 1901 during the Philippine–American War. One church bell was in the possession of the 9th Infantry Regiment at Camp Red Cloud, their base in South Korea, while two others were on a former base of the 11th Infantry Regiment at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Abemama Airport is the airport serving Abemama, Kiribati. It is located on the north of the atoll, 200 meters northeast of the village of Tabiang.

Lingayen Airport is the airport serving the general area of Lingayen, the capital of the province of Pangasinan in the Philippines. It is one of two airports in the province: the other being Rosales Airport. It is classified as a community airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. The airport was built by the Americans in 1945.

Dulag Airfield is a World War II airfield located near Dulag in the province of Leyte, Philippines. It was closed after the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peleliu Airfield</span> Airport in Peleliu, Palau

Peleliu Airfield is a small airfield on Peleliu, one of the islands of Palau. It also served as an airfield during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Field (Iwo Jima)</span> WW2 airfield in Iwo Jima, Japan

Central Field or Iwo Jima Air Base is a former World War II airfield on Iwo Jima in the Bonin Islands, located in the Central Pacific. The Bonin Islands are part of Japan. Today, the base is the only airfield on the island, operated by the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Field (Tinian)</span> Former World War II airfield on Tinian in the Mariana Islands

North Field was a World War II airfield on Tinian in the Mariana Islands. Abandoned after the war, today North Field is a tourist attraction. Along with several adjacent beaches on which U.S. Marines landed during the Battle of Tinian, the airfield is the major component of the National Historic Landmark District Tinian Landing Beaches, Ushi Point Field, Tinian Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iba Airfield</span>

Iba Airfield is a former United States Army Air Forces airfield on Luzon in the Philippines. It was overrun by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Battle of the Philippines (1942), it was struck in air raid at same time as the attack on Clark Field on 8 December 1941.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haleiwa Fighter Strip</span>

Haleiwa Fighter Strip was a military airfield on Oahu, Hawaii. It was used as part of the island's defense in World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">US Naval Advance Bases</span> Overseas US Naval Bases

US Naval Advance Bases were built globally by the United States Navy during World War II to support and project U.S. naval operations worldwide. A few were built on Allied soil, but most were captured enemy facilities or completely new. Advance bases provided the fleet with support to keep ships tactically available with repair and supply depots of facilities, rather than return them to the continental United States. Before Japan declared war on the United States the U.S. Navy had a single fleet-sized advanced base in the Territory of Hawaii at Naval Station Pearl Harbor. During the war the U.S. Navy Seabees built over 400 advance bases categorized by size. Naval bases were either Lions or Cubs while airfields were either Oaks or Acorns. Lions and Oaks were major facilities while Cubs and Acorns were minor. PT Boats typically would get a Cub and airfields with single runways were Acorns. The larger bases could do refueling and overhaul; loading of troopship and cargo ships; and preparing amphibious assault ships. Some became major repair depots. The Seabees developed auxiliary floating drydocks were able to repair battle damage and do regular maintenance in the field saving ships trans-pacific trips for repair. A few bases also were developed to be R and R for all U.S. personnel. Most Advance Bases were built by the US Navy's Seabees in Naval Construction Battalions (CBs). At the start of the war civilian contractors were employed in construction. The Seabees in World War II built most of the airfields used by the United States Army Air Forces and United States Marine Corps, as they had the ships and cranes needed to transport the vast amount of equipment needed at the advance bases. The US Army and United States Coast Guard also operated out of many of these facilities. Seabees could build new or repair damaged runways, and with advancements in heavy bomber technology lengthen runways as needed. A few Naval Advance Bases were built for the Korean War and Vietnam War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leyte–Samar Naval Base</span> Major World War II base

Leyte–Samar Naval Base was a large United States Navy base in the Philippines on the Islands of Leyte, Samar and the San Pedro Bay. The base was built during World War II to support the many naval ships fighting and patrolling in the South West Pacific theatre of war as part of the Pacific War. A number of naval facilities were built on the east coast of Leyte island starting October 20, 1944. The first base was built at between the city of Tacloban and Anibong Point, a mile north of the city. Headquarters for the Seventh Fleet was built at Tolosa, 10 miles south of Tacloban on Leyte. The bases were on the large San Pedro Bay in Leyte Gulf which provided safe anchorage for many ships. Due to the lack of dry ground in Tacloban a second base was built on the east side of Leyte Gulf, on the south tip of Samar, on Calicoan Island and Tubabao Island. At Samar, a large Naval Depot was built to support the Pacific War. Samar was about 50 miles across Leyte Gulf from Tacloban. All construction was done by the Navy's Seabees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Base Peleliu</span> Major World War 2 base

Peleliu Naval Base was a major United States Navy sea and airbase base on Peleliu island, one of sixteen states of Palau. The United States Marine Corps took the island in the Battle of Peleliu during World War II. Battle of Peleliu was a costly conflict that started September 15, 1944, and ended November 27, 1944. On September 30, 1944, Peleliu is declared occupied. The taking of Peleliu and Morotai gave the sea and air protection needed for the later invasion of the Philippines. US Navy Seabee built a number of facilities at Peleliu Naval Base.

References

  1. "Airport information for RPVG". World Aero Data. Archived from the original on 2019-03-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) Data current as of October 2006. Source: DAFIF.
  2. Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN   0-89201-092-4. p.38
  3. Maurer, p.73
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)