The U.S. 35th Infantry Regiment landed on Vella Lavella on 15 August 1943 as part of the Solomon Islands campaign.

The 58th Naval Construction Battalions landed with the Army and began building support facilities despite frequent Japanese air attacks.

In August 1943 the Seebees surveyed and cleared a site for an airfield and began building a coral-surfaced 4,000 feet (1,200 m) by 200 feet (61 m) fighter runway.

Airfield facilities such as a signal tower, operations room, aviation-gasoline tanks, and camp for operating personnel, were completed in September and the first landing was made on 24 September.

[1] US Navy units based at Barakoma included: USMC units based at Barakoma included: On 15 June 1944 the airfield was abandoned and all salvageable materials were dismantled and removed by 12 July 1944.