Johnston Atoll (Yellowstone: 1936)

Johnston Atoll, also called Kalama Atoll in Hawaiian, is an American territory in the North Pacific Ocean (situated between New Zealand and Hawaii) that primarily functioned as an airfield for the U.S. Pacific military forces. It is under the jurisdiction of the American Pacific-Asiatic Zone.

History
The Kingdom of Hawaii and the United States annexed Johnston Atoll in 1858 as part of the Guano Islands Act of 1856. Both nations would dispute the sovereignty of this atoll. It became part of the United States when the country annexed Hawaii and made it a territory. The U.S. mined the guanos in this atoll during the late 1880's. Somewhere in 1909, the atoll was leased to a private citizen. In 1926, Johnston Atoll and the Sand Islands were designated as a wildlife refuge. In 1935, the U.S. military began its military occupation of the island.

The Yellowstone Eruption of 1936 would cutoff troops stationed on Johnston from the mainland. Instead, they continued to come in contact with the Territory of Hawaii. Upon the creation of the American Pacific-Asiatic Zone in which Hawaii became a member, Johnston Atoll was placed under its jurisdiction.

During the Pacific War, the island was shelled by the Japanese. Naval guns stationed on the islands returned fire, driving the Japanese out of the area.