Pan American Airways thumb|Pan American flew three of the largest aircraft built in the US up to that time, the Martin M-130 (pictured), on routes across the Pacific using remote islands like Wake as stopovers on flights to China, the Philippines, and Hawaii thumb|upright=0.8 |Remains of Pan-Am pier for the seaplane refueling station and airport Juan Trippe, president of the world's then-largest airline, Pan American Airways (PAA), wanted to expand globally by offering passenger air service between the United States and China. To cross the Pacific Ocean, his planes would need to island-hop, stopping at various points for refueling and maintenance. He first tried to plot the route on his globe, but it showed only open sea between Midway and Guam. Next, he went to the New York Public Library to study 19th-century clipper ship logs and charts and he "discovered" a little-known coral atoll, Wake Island. To proceed with his plans at Wake and Midway, Trippe would need to be granted access to each island and approval to construct and operate facilities; however, the islands were not under the jurisdiction of any specific U.S. government entity.
Pan American Airways thumb|Pan American flew three of the largest aircraft built in the US up to that time, the Martin M-130 (pictured), on routes across the Pacific using remote islands like Wake as stopovers on flights to China, the Philippines, and Hawaii thumb|upright=0.8 |Remains of Pan-Am pier for the seaplane refueling station and airport Juan Trippe, president of the world's then-largest airline, Pan American Airways (PAA), wanted to expand globally by offering passenger air service between the United States and China. To cross the Pacific Ocean, his planes would need to island-hop, stopping at various points for refueling and maintenance. He first tried to plot the route on his globe, but it showed only open sea between Midway and Guam. Next, he went to the New York Public Library to study 19th-century clipper ship logs and charts and he "discovered" a little-known coral atoll, Wake Island. To proceed with his plans at Wake and Midway, Trippe would need to be granted access to each island and approval to construct and operate facilities; however, the islands were not under the jurisdiction of any specific U.S. government entity.