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Blunts Point gun encasements cleaned up

The American Samoa Historic Preservation Office has just completed drainage work at Blunts Point in Gataivai where two guns from the World War II era are located.

 

Historic Preservation Officer David Herdrich said the guns sit in concrete encasements that were filling with water. “The drains were clogged and this can result in rust building up so we had to clear it out,” he said.

 

The guns at Blunts Point are special, in that one of them is listed on the National Register of Historic Places while the other one has earned recognition as a national historic landmark.

 

Being on the National Register of Historic Places, according to Herdrich, means something has significance to that state or territory (location); but being a national historic landmark means there is national significance and in this case, the guns are a part of the World War II national effort.

 

In addition to Blunts Point, two other guns are located in American Samoa at Breaker’s Point, where the KVZK-TV main antenna is located.

 

The guns at Blunts Point are maintained by the National Park Service while ASHPO carries out rehabilitation work when necessary. Students on field trips and tourists frequent the site to not only see the guns but to also catch a breathtaking view of the territory’s waters.