See Bora Bora WWII Guns, French Polynesia

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Part of a United States supply base from early 1942, this part of Bora Bora still holds eith Navy 7-inch guns. Two are located at Fitiiu Point: Take the path just past Hotel Matira to the east side of the bungalows to a ridge above the restaurant. One at Tereia Point: When you see an old ferry jetty look for a concrete tank. Hike up the hillside to find an American canon above the tank. After the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States chose the main island of Bora Bora to serve as a military supply base in the South Pacific, under the covert name “Operation Bobcat.” The tiny island was stocked with ships, equipment, an airstrip, and more than 7,000 soldiers, although it never saw combat. The army base was closed in 1946, but its influence is still felt on the island and not only in the 19-mile (31 kilometer) road it built around the island or the now defunct international airstrip. Many of the G.I.s decided to stay on the island paradise after the war and marry Polynesians, and you can still meet many American expats and their descendants.

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