Triest, Willard G., Capt., USNR (Ret.)
Captain Willard G. Triest USNR (Ret.)
(U.S. Naval Institute Photo Archive)

Code Name Bobcat

Americas WWII Military Base on Christmas Island
By Taira Payne
October 2021
Naval History Magazine
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Captain Triest joined the Civil Engineer Corps in 1941, and his first assignment was the design and logistics for building a secret base, "Bobcat," as a refueling station in the Christmas Islands. He describes the construction of an airfield, hospital, tank farm, and loading facilities on Ascension Island. In 1942 he headed the work of the Seabees at Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides, and then was sent to Tulagi as a trouble shooter to rebuild the esprit de corps of the 27th battalion that had fallen to pieces.

Captain Triest completes his description of accomplishments of the Seabees during the war with a recounting of roads and a supply depot constructed in Okinawa—while working behind the lines as the Marines drove the Japanese off the island.

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Taira Payne

Taira Payne is the Project Manager, Digital Assets & Web for the U.S. Naval Institute. She holds a Master of Library and Information Science, specializing in Archives and Digital Curation, from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor’s in History from Washington College. Prior to working for the U.S. Naval Institute, Taira held intern and fellowship positions at the U.S. Naval Academy Museum, CV Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, Maryland State Archives, Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, and National Agricultural Library.

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