A WWII U.S. Marines Hut was lovingly restored by the MenzShed Kāpiti, and taken to Camp Russell on the 2017 US Memorial Day Service on May 29.
The hut is believed to be one of over 1500 built for the three Paekākāriki Camps as part of a massive infrastructure project to house over 15,000 US Marines during WWII.
The restored hut was constructed from a two-bedroomed Raumati beach-house originally built as a ‘weekend dwelling’ from two U.S.Marines Huts - in 1950.
The interior fit-out of the building hut has been led by Steve La Hood from Wellington-based design company Story Inc. Using a range of WWII Marines props the company has converted it into a ‘story hub’ so people can look through the windows and see a diorama of how the Marines lived during World War II.