Protesting Navy use of Kaho'olawe as a shelling and bombing target, eight Hawaiians occupied the island January 4, 1976. The Navy had used the island since 1941 and claimed that it still played a vital role in maintaining national defense. Protesters, on the other hand, felt a deep cultural connection with the island and wished to preserve its role as a place of spiritual and cultural significance. Their occupation of the island led to a compromise with the Navy and regulated monthly visits by non-military personnel were then allowed.