Rota is the second most southern island in the Marianas Islands chain.  Below it is the U.S. territory of Guam.  Rota is the
southernmost island in the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI).  Like the rest of the Marianas, Rota was
first settled by the Chamorro people in prehistory.  The Spanish colonized the chain in the 17th Century.  Guam was lost to
the U.S. during the Spanish-American War.  Spain sold the rest of the chain to Germany.  Germany administered the
islands until it lost World War I, when the League Of Nations decided the islands were mandated to be administered by
Japan.  The northern Marianas had a long, generally fruitful relationship until World War II.
 The U.S. was intent on retaking Guam from the Japanese, both for its strategic position in the Pacific and for reasons of
national pride.  The northern islands that caught the American eye were Saipan and Tinian (from these islands would be
launched the atomic bomb missions in 1945).  Rota was bypassed and left to wither.  This has created a very unique
situation on Rota.  All the war remains are Japanese.  There are very few sites left, but Rota and the CNMI keep the island
a virtual natural sanctuary, so Rota is better known for its status as a golfing destination and a place of viewing untouched,
tropical jungles.
 Today the CNMI is a self-governing commonwealth in political union with the United States.  More about this, and Rota's
cultural history, can be read at Airdale1524.com (go to the "Scenic Index").  Rota once had a thriving sugar industry, but
the American government in the post-war period sold off most of the infrastructure the Japanese had built for scrap metal,
thereby killing most of Rota's economy.  Not one of the U.S.' more wise and far-sighted decisions.
 Rota, CNMI, is a small island (you can drive around it in less than half a day).  30 miles north of Guam, the two islands
can see each other on a clear, hazeless day.  Modern geographic features are labeled in yellow.  The Japanese historic sites
are marked in white text.  Road maps are available at most hotels for free, and rental cars are easy to come by.  Be
warned--many roads on Rota are not only not paved, but are one-lane affairs.  On these you have to pull off into the
jungle to allow a car traveling in the opposite direction to pass.  The danger lies in that the road running the southern
coastline is often bordered by a steep cliff wall going up one side and a steep cliff drop-off on the other.  Also, unseen
rocks in the brush can quickly dent, damage, or otherwise bang up your car.
 Starting at the Rota International Airport (quite
possibly the single smallest international airport I
have ever flown into!) are a collection of Japanese
aircraft engines and one anti-aircraft gun.  Mounted
on concrete and coral rock pillars, there is one in-line
engines and several of the same model of rotary
engines.  This one has an incredibly bent propeller
blade.
 The Rota Airport was originally built by the
Japanese, and was used to harass the American
forces on the neighboring islands.
 Bullet holes piece
this propeller blade.  
The American forces
continually pounded
Rota to keep it
neutralized.
 As my visit was in
December, the air-
port authority had
wrapped Christmas
lights around most of
the engines.
 Also wrapped in Christmas
lights is this twin-mount
Japanese AA gun at the airport.
 There are no historical
markers to ID these engines or
this gun, but such information
is easily found if you feel like
doing a spot of research on the
Internet on your own time.
 Among the remains of the original Japanese airfield
are these cisterns.  Designed to collect rain water, they
are now, 60 years later, filled with earth.
 Rota has the dubious distinction of the being the
single-most bombed island in the Pacific War.  After
bombing it during the initial Saipan/Tinian invasions,
the Americans used it for B-29 bomber target practice
to train new bomber crews.  Then, any B-29 Super
Fortress with a breakdown that forced an early return
from a mission would drop their bombs on Rota before
landing on Guam.  Finally, of course, American aircrew
would periodically strike the island just to keep the
Japanese forces there from being able to harass the
other islands with sporadic air strikes of their own.
 The collapsed remains of a Japanese observation tower are in
the jungle just to the east of the airport road.  As late as 1998
(see lower left photo) the tower was still standing.  By
December of 2004, it has fallen.  (1998 photo courtesy of and
copyrighted to Mr. Dave Lotz).
 South of the airport are a tomb and the remains of the Japanese command post.  
The tomb (upper left and immediately left) is quite simple, but meticulously
maintained.  The little remaining of the command post (upper right) consists of this
mortarless stone wall.  There are further caves in the cliff line, but these are on
private property and you'll need to get permission to explore them.