#FlashbackFriday: A Photographic Look Back at the Exchange in Hawaii

In July, the Exchange celebrated its 127^th anniversary. In August, it marks another anniversary—124 years ago, on Aug. 16, 1898, the Exchange opened a store in a tent in Camp McKinley, Hawaii (left). It was the first location in the Pacific.

Soldiers trained at Camp McKinley before departing for the Philippines to fight in the Spanish-American War. The Hawaii PX predated a Philippines PX by about five years.

Here’s a photographic look at the Exchange in Hawaii through the years.

The Fort Shafter Exchange in an undated photo. Some form of post exchange at Fort Shafter dates back to at least 1907, when the installation opened. By 1910, post exchanges in Hawaii were also open at Schofield Barracks, Fort Armstrong, Fort DeRussy, Fort Reger and Fort Upton.

The post exchange at Hickam Field was severely damaged in the Pearl Harbor attack. A bomb also struck a PX warehouse—narrowly missing a large barracks nearby. During World War II, exchanges served troops at 18 locations on the islands of Hawaii, Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Molokai and Lanai.

From 1942: During World War II, exchange workers load goods on the back of mules to deliver to troops in the field. During the war, Schofield Barracks’ post exchange operated 110 field PXs throughout northern Oahu, ranging from large stores to small establishments serving 140 Soldiers manning machine-gun positions on top of Mount Kahala.

The Fort Shafter PX in the early ‘60s.

From July 1980: The Aliamanu Polynesian Group entertain shoppers outside the Hawaii Area Exchange’s Hickam main store in celebration of the Exchange’s 85^th Anniversary Sale and the Grand Opening II of the Hickam store.

Today, the Exchange operates stores at Schofield Barracks, Joint Base Pearl-Harbor Hickam, Fort DeRussey, Fort Shafter and other installations.

Sources: One Hundred Years of Service: A History of the Army & Air Force Exchange Service; Exchange Post archives; Exchange History Flickr; 7 December 1941: The Air Force Story by Leatrice R. Arakaki and John R. Kuborn