Reported Burials
1944
Remains Recovered
1946
Unidentified Remains
2021
Unaccounted For
2021
Buota is one of the small islands that makes up the northern rim of Tarawa atoll. Codenamed “Ella” for Operation GALVANIC, Buota was spared the violence that descended upon Betio to the southwest and Bauriki to the northwest. Batteries based on Buota fired support missions during the campaign, but the primary activity after the Americans arrived was the establishment of air bases. The 98th Naval Construction Battalion arrived on 23 November, and within twenty days damaged heavy bombers were able to land safely at “Mullinix Field” on neighboring Bonriki. For most of its brief existence, “Naval Air Base Ella” supported the operations of the 7th Air Force.
While warlike activities centered around Mullinix Field, Buota housed a number of buildings and installations – including the base cemetery. Between January and June 1944, twenty-four men were buried on Buota. Aviation accidents were the primary culprit, with two particular crashes accounting for the lion’s share of fatalities.
Tragically, the first skipper of Mullinix Field – Commander George Tilghman – was the first man buried on Buota. On 4 January 1944, Tilghman parked his jeep beside the runway to watch a flight of B-25 bombers land. One of the aircraft ground-looped and roared down on the commander’s jeep; a propeller mangled the vehicle and killed Tilghman instantly.
Later that month, on 24 January, B-25G #42-64887 (820th Bombardment Squadron, 41st Bomb Group) suffered damage on mission to Maloelap. The pilot (2Lt. Edward Nachajski) managed to coax his bomber within fifty miles of Mullinix Field, but ultimately crashed into the sea, killing the six-man crew. Over the next several days, the bodies were spotted and retrieved from Tarawa Lagoon.
The largest single loss of life occurred on 5 March 1944, when Captain James A. Andrews of the 26th Bombardment Squadron scheduled a routine flight in a B-24 bomber named “I’se A Royal Hawaiian.” Apparently Andrews was approached by a half-dozen Marines of the 2nd Defense Battalion who hoped to take a joyride. With permission secured, the Marines climbed aboard and Royal Hawaiian roared down the runway. The bomber barely cleared Mullinix Field before it slammed into the water 300 yards offshore of Buota. Andrews, three other aviators, and the six Marines died on impact.
As the progress of the war pushed targets far out of operational range, Buota and Bonriki were largely abandoned by American military forces in August-September 1944. A small force remained behind to maintain the airstrip and a few key buildings. Today, Mullinix Field is the site of Bonriki International Airport.
The natural beauty of Buota was the first draw for the troops of the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company. After arriving on Betio and realizing what a mess awaited, Lieutenant Isadore Eisensmith allowed his men to take overnight recreational trips to “Ella Island.”
Of course, there was work to be done there as well. “The Territai Operation” on Buota commenced on 9 April 1946. First Sergeant Gebhart, accompanied by Father William O’Neill (a Navy chaplain and Tarawa veteran), fourteen enlisted men, and three Gilbertese islanders, boarded an LCVP at Betio and sailed across the lagoon to Buota. They had been told to expect “ten bodies of Marine and Navy dead,” and were surprised to find twenty-four markers. The weather worsened as they unloaded their equipment, and devolved into a rain squall powerful enough to disrupt radio communications with Betio.
Despite the rain (which lasted the entire operation), the 604th soon had all 24 remains above ground. They were pleased to find index cards – likely Reports of Interment – included in each casket; a sign of accurate and correct burial protocols. “Contrary to all the other graves (or cemeteries) on Tarawa, there was no doubt about the identification of these remains,” noted their final report. However, they were temporarily stymied by Commander Tilghman’s elaborate casket, which had been crafted from half-inch thick steel covered in wood. Tilghman was placed aside while the other 23 remains were prepared for transit to Betio. Gebhart’s group returned to base on the evening of 10 April, with many men complaining about catching colds from the rain on Buota.
Six days later, a small team armed with a cutting torch succeeded in opening the steel casket. “The remains had been embalmed,” noted the unit report, “and the formaldehyde fumes almost blinded the man handling the cutting torch.” Commander Tilghman, the first man buried on Buota, was the last man to leave. He joined his comrades in Lone Palm Cemetery, and was ultimately sent home to his family.
No mis-identifications or unknown remains are associated with Buota Cemetery.
