LOCAL historian Don A. Farrell has just completed the final layout and design of his latest book, “Seabees and Superforts at War: Tinian’s Critical Role in the Ultimate Defeat of Japan.”
“We print in Hong Kong. It takes about two months from the time we make the order for the shipment to arrive at Saipan. We should be ready to go to print in about two months,” he said.
“The editor must give the entire book one last read, and I must complete the index. If all goes well, the book should be on island and ready for sale by fall,” Farrell said.
The book’s objective is to highlight Tinian’s role in World War II.
“When most stateside Americans think of the Pacific War, they think of Pearl Harbor, Midway, Guadalcanal, Saipan, Guam, Iwo Jima or Okinawa. They are literally ignorant of Tinian’s role in the war. The objective of this book is to correct that,” said the author who is a Tinian resident.
According to Farrell, “Gen. Hap Arnold, commander of the U.S. Army Air Force, bet the war on the B-29 Superfortress, the largest bomber ever built at the time. First the Navy had to capture a base close enough to Japan for the Superforts to strike Japan directly. Then the Navy Seabees had to build a forward operating base. Finally, the Superforts had to move to Tinian, as well as Saipan and Guam, to take the war to Japan.”
In doing research for the book, Farrell visited the U.S. National Archives Annex at College Park Maryland and the U.S. Navy Seabee Museum at Port Hueneme, California.
“The Northern Marianas Humanities Council provided some funding for the research,” he added.
“Covid prevented travel to the archives for some time. Other than that, once I returned to Tinian with the historical documents and photographs, the book came together fairly quickly. Editing took time, as did layout and design, but it went without any major holdups thanks to the help we received from so many people,” Farrell added.
The book will be Farrell’s 12th. He has also started work on “The Reconstruction of Guam: 1944-1950,” which is Volume IV of the “Pictorial History of Guam” series.
“The Reconstruction of Guam” will complete a series that includes “The Americanization of Guam: 1898-1918,” “The Sacrifice: 1919-1943,” and “Liberation 1944.”
Farrell also authored the “Modern History of the Northern Mariana Islands” which is used as a textbook by the CNMI Public School System.
Born in Redmond, Oregon, Farrell moved to Guam in 1977 where he taught at Inarajan Junior High School and John F. Kennedy High School. In 1987, Farrell moved to Tinian where he worked as a teacher at Tinian High School and as a historical consultant of PSS.
He is a former chairman of the Board of Education, former public information officer of the Tinian municipal government and former chief of staff of the Tinian mayor.
Don A. Farrell
