Follow the link for a short account of conditions faced by the Coast Guard when preparing the Loran base in 1944-
http://www.ameliaearhartbook.com/new_page_14.htm[info lifted from "The Coast Guard at War IV: Loran, Vol. II" (Public Information Division, USCG Headquarters 1946) More on the Loran station can be found here-
http://www.loran-history.info/Gardner_Island/gardner.htm …CLEARING GARDNER ISLAND SITE…
“…The job of clearing a circle of 300 feet radius, for the antenna poles and ground cables, and enough area outside the circle to build the station, was begun by cutting a path from the camp to the center of the circle. Standing in the center of this circle, the trees and vines were so dense that the sky could not be seen, and no sea breeze could penetrate. Palm trees, native hardwood trees, and dense jungle growth covered the entire area. The bulldozer began pushing the brush and vines out of the way, and then attacked the smaller trees. Soon the remaining trees were too deeply rooted for the bulldozer to uproot and fell by itself. These trees were out down by the men, and the stumps were blown out with charges of dynamite. Most of the work had to be done by the bulldozer, not only because it was the most logical way of handling the job, but also because the men could not stand up under the terrific tropical sun. Gardner Island is only four degrees from the equator. These men, who were picked for their physical stamina, found themselves exhausted after a few hors [sic] in the jungle...”