Wake Island
 

4 Jul 1898 - 23 Dec 1941; From 4 Sep 1945   23 Dec 1941 - 4 Sep 1945   Adopted 1976 Unofficial   Map of Wake Island Hear National Anthem  "The Star Spangled Banner" Text of  National Anthem U.S. Constitution -------------------------------- Wake Island Code (25 Jun 1972) Capital: Wake Island Currency: U.S. Dollar (USD) National Holiday: 4 Jul (1776) Independence Day ------------------------------------ Local Holiday: 22 March Wake Island Day Population: 100 (2018 est.) 1,650 (1970) 349 (1950) military personnel and civilian  contractors; no indigenous  inhabitants GDP: $N/A Economic activity is limited to providing services. All food and goods are imported Exports: $N/A Imports: $N/A Ethnic Groups: N/A Total Active Armed Forces: N/A Defense is the Responsibility of the U.S. Merchant marine: None (2019) Religions: N/A Wake Island Chronology  2 Oct 1568                 Sighted and claimed for Spain by Álvaro de Mendaña                               y Neira (b. 1542 - d. 1595), named Isla de San                               Francisco (no settlement). 1796                        Visited by British Capt. Samuel Wake on the                               schooner Prince William Henry. Soon after Capt.                               Charles William Barkley (b. 1759 - d. 1832)                               aboard merchant brig Halcyon sights and names the                               atoll Halcyon Island. 20 Dec 1840                 U.S. Commodore Charles Wilkes (b. 1798 - d. 1877)                               of U.S. Exploring Expedition, on the U.S.S.                               Vincennes, lands on the island (Wake's Island).  4 Mar 1866                 The Libelle, of Bremen, Germany, wrecks on the                               eastern reef of Wake Island.  4 Jul 1898                 General Francis V. Greene (b. 1850 - d. 1921) from                               the ship Thomas raises the U.S. flag. 17 Jan 1899                 Commander Edward D. Taussig (b. 1847 - d. 1921),                               on the U.S.S. Bennington, formally takes U.S.                               possession; island remains generally uninhabited                               (Wake Island). 17 Jan 1900                 Wake an un-incorporated territory of the U.S. 29 Dec 1934                 Administered by U.S. Navy Department, which on 12                               Mar 1935 contracts it to Pan American World                               Airways (Pan Am).  9 Aug 1935                 Pan Am Sikorsky S-42 flying boat made the first                               aerial landing at the atoll. 19 Oct 1940                 A typhoon passes Wake Island causing considerable                               damage to Pan Am property, but no deaths. 10 Jan 1941                 U.S. Naval Air Station, Wake Island  8-23 Dec 1941              All aircraft, large guns, above ground structures                               are destroyed in 17 Japanese air raids on Wake. 23 Dec 1941 -  4 Sep 1945   Occupied by Japan (Wake renamed "Ōtori-shima" [Big                               Bird Island], Wilkes Islet as "Ashi-shima" and                               Peale Islet as "Hani-shima").  4 Sep 1945 -  4 Sep 1962   Administered by the U.S. Navy Department                               (Wake Island Naval Air Base).  1 Jul 1947                 U.S. Navy delegates administration of Wake to the                               Civil Aeronautics Administration (from 31 Dec                               1958, Federal Aviation Agency [both                               within Department of Commerce to 1 Apr 1967,                               then under Department of Transportation] to                               30 Jun 1973). 16 Sep 1952                 Typhoon Olive hits Wake destroying 85% of                               structures, but no deaths.  4 Sep 1962 - 24 Jun 1972   Administered by U.S. Department of Interior;                               administration is carried out by the caretaker,                               the Federal Aviation Agency (from 1 Apr 1967,                               Federal Aviation Administration). 16 Sep 1967                 Typhoon Sarah hits Wake Island, 95% of structures                               on the were damaged, but no deaths. Jun 1972                    Final scheduled Pan Am passenger flight landed                               on the island and in Jul 1972 Pam Am's last                               cargo fight departed the island. 25 Jun 1972                 Wake Island an un-incorporated territory of U.S. 25 Jun 1972 -  1 Oct 1994   Administered by U.S. Air Force (Wake Island Air                               Force Base), under Military Airlift Command                               (MAC), from 1 Jul 1973 under Detachment 4, 15th                               Air Base Wing of Pacific Air Forces. Feb 1973                    Marshall Islands claim Wake Island as "Enen-kio." May 1973                    Last regularly scheduled commercial passenger                               flights ceased calling at Wake Island. 26 Apr 1975 –  3 Sep 1975   U.S. forces on Wake support the movement of 92,126                               orphans and evacuees from South Vietnam in                               support of Operations "Babylift" and "New Life." 15-16 Mar 1981              Typhoon Freda hit Wake Island. 16 Sep 1985                 Wake Island is designated a National Historic                               Landmark by National Park Service of the U.S.                               Interior Department.  1 Oct 1994 - 16 Jan 1997   Administered by U.S. Army Space and Missile                               Defense Command (USASMDC) by Detachment 1 of 15th                               Logistics Group, 15 ABW Group of the U.S. Army                               Space and Missile Defense Command (Wake Island                               Launch Center). 16 Jan 1997 -               Administered by U.S. Department of Interior;                                (activities on the island are managed by U.S.                               Army to 1 Oct 2002, then U.S. Air Force 15th                               Wing to 1 Oct 2010, then under 11th Air Force                               Detachment 1 Pacific Air Forces Regional Support                               Center as Wake Island Airfield). 31 Aug 2006                 Super Typhoon Ioke hits Wake Island (which was                               evacuated 28 Aug - 12 Sep 2006).  6 Jan 2009                 Wake Island's submerged waters part of the Pacific                               Remote Islands Marine National Monument (expanded                               27 Sep 2014 out to the full 200 nautical miles). 16 Jul 2015                 Typhoon Halola passes Wake Island (which was                               evacuated 15-18 Jul 2015).

Pan American Airways, Airport Managers at Wake Island
 9 May 1935 –  4 Jul 1935  William S. Grooch                  (b. 1890 - d. 1939)
Jul 1935 – 1936            George W. Bicknell                 (b. 1893 – d. 1972)
1936 - 1937                Stewart Acers Saunders             (b. 1896 - d. 1964)
1937 - 193.                Don Young
19.. - 19..                Kenneth S. Sitton                  (b. 1922 - d. 2012)
1940? - 1941               Jack C. Bonamy
U.S. Island Military Commanders (from Aug 1941, 1st Marine Defense Battalion)
Jan? 1941 - 19 Aug 1941    Elmer B. Greey                     (b. 1899 - d. 1991) 
                             (officer-in-charge)
19 Aug 1941 - 15 Oct 1941  Lewis A. Hohn                      (b. 1907 - d. 1967)
15 Oct 1941 - 29 Nov 1941  James Patrick Sinnott Devereux     (b. 1903 - d. 1988)
29 Nov 1941 - 23 Dec 1941  Winfield Scott Cunningham          (b. 1900 - d. 1986)
Japanese Commanders of Ōtori-shima
23 Dec 1941 -  1 Jan 1942  Sadamichi Kajioka                  (b. 1891 - d. 1944)
 1 Jan 1942 - 13 Dec 1942  Susumu Kawasaki                    (b. 18.. - d. 1946)
13 Dec 1942 -  4 Sep 1945  Shigematsu Sakaibara               (b. 1894 - d. 1947)
U.S. Island Commanders
 4 Sep 1945 - 12 Sep 1945  Lawson H. Sanderson                (b. 1895 – d. 1979)
12 Sep 1945 -  9 Oct 1945  William Masek                      (b. 1922 – d. 1995)
 9 Oct 1945 - 1946?        Earl A. Junghans                   (b. 1907 - d. 1986)
1946? - 30 Jun 1947        ....
Wake Island Area Managers (of the Civil Aeronautics Administration, from 31 Dec 1958,
Federal Aviation Agency; vested with executive authority from 5 Feb 1962)
 1 Jul 1947 - Mar 1948     ....
Mar 1948 - c.1958          Thomas D. Musson                   (b. 1910 – d. 1972)
19.. - 24 Jun 1972         Allan Andrews
Governors (also General Counsels, Department of the Air Force; in Washington, D.C.)
25 Jun 1972 - 22 Mar 1977  Jack L. Stempler                   (b. l920 - d. 2009)
                             (general counsel from 6 Jan 1970)
 3 May 1977 - 31 Dec 1978  Peter B. Hamilton                  (b. 1946)
20 Nov 1978 - 10 Jun 1981  Stuart Richard Reichart            (b. 1924)
                             (acting to 22 Apr 1979)
10 Jun 1981 -  2 Mar 1984  David Elliott Place                (b. 1921 - d. 2012)
 2 Mar 1984 - 26 May 1986  Eugene Raymond Sullivan            (b. 1941)
                             (acting to 12 Mar 1984)
 1 Jun 1986 - 26 Oct 1987  Kathleen Ann Buck (f)              (b. 1948 - d. 2001)
 8 Nov 1987 - 26 Sep 1989  Anne Newman Foreman (f)            (b. 1947)
27 Sep 1989 -  1 Dec 1989  Roy G. Wuchitech (acting)          (b. 1946)
 4 Dec 1989 - 20 Jan 1993  Ann C. Peterson (f)                (b. 1950)
20 Jan 1993 - 10 Jul 1993  Myron H. Nordquist (acting)        (b. 1940)
10 Jul 1993 - 22 Nov 1993  Vacant?
22 Nov 1993 -  3 Oct 1994  Gilbert F. Casellas                (b. 1952)
 3 Oct 1994 - Oct 1998     Sheila Carol Cheston (f)           (b. 1958)
                             (acting to 7 Mar 1995)
15 Oct 1998 - 20 Jan 2001  Jeh Charles Johnson                (b. 1957)
Feb 2001 -  8 Nov 2001     John P. Janecek (acting)           (b. 1943)
 8 Nov 2001 - 15 Jan 2009  Mary L. Walker (f)                 (b. 1948)
15 Jan 2009 - Apr 2009     Robert T. Maguire (acting)
 1 May 2009 -  1 Jun 2009  Michael W. Zehner (acting)         (b. c.1955)
 1 Jun 2009 - Nov 2013     Charles Alan Blanchard             (b. 1959)
Nov 2013 - 16 Sep 2014     Joseph M. McDade, Jr. (1st time)   (b. 1962)
                             (acting)
16 Sep 2014 -  2 Jan 2017  Gordon Owen Tanner                 (b. 1948)
 2 Jan 2017 - 18 Feb 2018  Joseph M. McDade, Jr. (2nd time)   (s.a.)
                             (acting)
18 Feb 2018 - 20 Jan 2021  Thomas "Tom" E. Ayres              (b. 1962)
20 Jan 2021 - 18 Mar 2022  Craig A. Smith (acting)
18 Mar 2022 - 20 Jan 2025  Peter Justus Beshar                (b. 1961)
20 Jan 2025 -              Shannon Ann McGuire (f) (acting)   (b. 1958)


U.S. Commanders, Wake Island (the commanders of U.S. Army Space & Missile Defense Command
Detachment 1 of 15th Logistics Group 15 ABW Group 1 Oct 1994 - 1 Oct 2002; U.S. Air Force
15th Wing 1 Oct 2002 - 1 Oct 2010; from 1 Oct 2010, 11th U.S. Air Force Detachment 1
Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center)
24 Jun 1972 - Jun 1974     ....
Jun 1974 – Jun 1975        Bruce R. Hoon                      (b. 1934 - d. 2008)
Jun 1975 - 1993            ....
c.May 1985                 James W. Westmoreland, Jr.
1993 - Aug 1994            James Andel
Aug 1994 - Jul 1995        Willis Alley
Jul 1995 - 2005?           ....
2005? - Jul 2006           Vinh Trinh
Jul 2006 - Jul 2007        Nathan "Nate" Harris
Jul 2007 - Jun 2010        ....
Jun 2010 - Jun 2011        Aaron Wilt
Jun 2011 - Jun 2012        Tammy E. Dotson (f)
Jun 2012 - Jul 2013        ....
Jul 2013 – Jun 2014        Charlie J. Taylor
Jun 2014 - Jun 2015        Jason Hardman
12 Jun 2015 - 10 Jun 2016  Ronald Dion
10 Jun 2016 - 2017         Allen J. Jaime
2017 - 201.                Marc P. Bleha
201. - 2019                William H.J. Miles
Nov 2019 - Feb 2021        Clayton D. Kitts
202. -                     Ashley N. Bacon

Territorial Dispute: In May 2016, the Marshall Islands filed a declaration of authority with the UN over Wake Island, which is a U.S. territory, reaffirming that it considers Wake Island part of its territory; control over Wake Island would drastically increase the Marshall Islands' exclusive economic zone; the U.S. State Department is assembling a group of experts from both countries to discuss the maritime boundary.