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| Location Sand Island borders Honolulu Harbor on southern Oahu. During the 1800s, used to quarantine ships and known as "Quarantine Island". Also known as Kush Island. Prewar and during World War II part of the Territory of Hawaii. Today Sand Island is part of Honolulu in Honolulu County in the State of Hawaii in the United States. Wartime History After the December 7, 1941 Japanese surprise attack against Pearl Harbor and Oahu the U.S. military needed a location to detain prisoners of war and suspects. Established on December 8, 1941 Sand Island became a U.S. Army internment camp and detained the first Japanese Prisoners Of War (POW), Kazuo Sakamaki (POW No. 1) commander of HA-19 Type A midget submarine (Midget C) beached at Waimanalo. Sand Island was used to detain Japanese, German, Italian and other Axis nationals rounded up in Hawaii as suspects. In total, over 600 people were detained at Sand Island until the camp was closed when internment camps were established in the United States. When Sand Island closed in March 1943, 149 remaining detainees were transfered to Honouliuli Internment Camp near Waipahu on Oahu. Later, Sand Island was again used to hold Japanese and Korean Prisoners Of War (POW) captured in the Pacific. In September 1945 at the end of the Pacific War 1,010 Koreans and 952 Italians were detained on the island. Today Sand Island has a Hawaii state recreation area, a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) base, wastewater treatment facility, and industrial facilities. There is no evidence of the wartime detention center or memorials. Contribute Information Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated December 23, 2025 |
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