MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- As Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, continues to evolve and expand, contractors rarely discover pieces of history hidden below the surface of the air station.
However, during the excavation of one of these work sites, slated to be the location for a new school, construction workers unearthed an old bomb shelter.
After inspecting the run-down and swamped shelter, Army Capt. ChaTom Warren, an engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Japan District, brought out with him an old wooden bench frayed from years of isolation and waterlog.
“To some, it’s nothing more than an old wooden bench being held together by rusty nails, some may even say its trash,” said Warren. “However, I saw a small piece of history that the air station may be interested in having.”
Warren spent the following months taking his project to the station Wood Hobby Shop, sanding it down, staining and sealing it to bring the bench back to life.
Attending to the bench took tedious work as Warren attempted to keep it as authentic as possible.
On Feb. 4, 2015, Warren along with Army Col. John Hurley, the commanding officer of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Japan District, presented the finished product to Col. Robert Boucher, commanding officer of MCAS Iwakuni, during a transfer of property ceremony inside Building One.
“This is a great way for my soldiers to reinforce our working relationship with the command aboard the station,” said Hurley. “I’m very proud of Captain Warren, taking time out of his day to restore a small part of Iwakuni history.”
Hurley said that the bench itself may not be worth much in a monetary sense but the sentimental value of the item is beyond comparison to some of the service members and licensed contractors aboard station.
“As we move towards the future, we can’t forget the past,” said Boucher. “This small token from the Army Corps of Engineers to the station is greatly appreciated and it’s something that won’t go unnoticed.”
Boucher said that it is because of small events like the transfer of property that the two agencies have such a great relationship aboard MCAS Iwakuni, adding that he is grateful for Hurley and Warren for taking the time not just to restore but also present the bench.