Hawaii Commandery Military order of foreign wars
JUNE 2021
Commandery News
Table of Contents:
Vol. X, Issue 2, June 2021
maintaining our ongoing commitment through multiple programs held virtually, individually, and in small masked and distanced groups as the rules applied by location at the time.
Commander’s Comments……………………………………….……….. p. 1 Chaplain’s Corner…………………………………...………………………. p. 2 Illinois Stands up Provisional Commandery …………………….. p. 2 Celebrating ANZAC Day ………………………………....……….....…. p. 3 Chinese Veteran grave registration project ……..……...……..p. 5 50th Vietnam War Commemoration …………………………..…. p. 5 Eighth Annual 50th Vietnam War Cadet Essay Contest….. p. 6 1st Place Essay by Cadet Rhapsody Esperitu……………...…… p. 8 ROTC, JROTC Cadet Awards Ceremonies…. …………….……... p. 10 Memorial Day Observance …………………………………..……..… p. 12 Spring Poppy Appeal at Camp Smith ………………………..……. p. 13 Hawaii’s Military Memorials ……………………………………..…… p. 14 Commandery Operations …………………………………….………. p. 15 Companion News ……………………………………………..…………… p. 16 Quartermaster Report ……………….…………………………………. p. 16 Upcoming Events ……..……………...……………………..…....……. p. 17
Great job to all! “Deus et Libertas”
Curtis “Manny” Manchester III LTC, USA Ret. Commander
Cover Photo: The Commandery marked ANZAC day on April 25, 2021, with a special ceremony conducted under COVID restrictions. This wreath, hand made by Ms. Teddy Harrison, President of “Remember the Lady.” a volunteer organization dedicated to honoring and remembering Army nurses.
From the Secretary As we approach our June meeting, we are completing the first year of the two year term of office for Commandery Officers. There are many leadership opportunities in the Commandery, and many hands make light work. Double, and triple-hatting of duty positions is a risk to mission success and does not help to train Companions for leadership positions. If you have not considered volunteering to lead a standing committee or fill an office, now is the time to do so.
Commander’s Comments.
Aloha Companions and Friends,
The Hawaii Commandery has completed its tax filings with the IRS and the State of Hawaii for 2020, which are required for us to maintain our 501 (c) 3 status as a non-profit organization.
As your Commander, I wish to tell you how very proud I am of our commandery and our companions as we continued our commitment to responsibly serving our veteran, historic, cadet, allied, and other causes in our community under the current constraints and restraints of a global pandemic.
The 50th Vietnam War Commemoration continues until 2025 and the Commandery should recommit to supporting this important commemoration. This issue carries the winning essay of the 8th Annual Cadet Essay Contest, marking another successful year. This contest, and the Vietnam Veteran Recognition program should be a priority for all companions. Our goal is to recognize Vietnam Veterans who have distinguished themselves for their volunteer efforts in the community. We should endeavor to show progress on this in these pages over the next few years.
I encourage us all to draw lessons from our military service as we begin to open up and loosen restrictions, as veterans we are looked on for examples in discipline and order in the society, we need to follow the current guidelines to protect those who are still vulnerable amongst us as our community and national leaders gradually loosen the constraints and restraints. We all know the importance of following not only lawful orders and regulations but also the SOPs of local units, same as we transition now. Our Commandery has done an excellent job of doing this over the last year and two months while safely and properly
Arthur N. Tulak COL, USA Ret. Secretary 1
Chaplains Corner By Fred Staedel, Th.D. We all have “hope” that Tier 4 is in our futures. We are grateful that the criteria for Tier 3 have been expanded by our new mayor and such actions by him “hopefully” portends that a full opening and some normalcy is in our near futures. But “hope” often seems to we humans as a shallow and often ineffective emotion that does not yield desired results. How often have we heard it said, “Well you can always hope it will happen?” Or the other standard, “We can hope it will come true!” But the Bible gives us hope that “hoping” is not a futile petition. Romans 15:13 confirms this: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” And having one’s trust in God with a hopeful spirit is also praying. And the Bible tells us to: “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. (Romans 12:12) So, what does our futures hold for us? What should we hope for in the post Pandemic future? Do we hope to go back to the normalcy of the past? Or should we hope for and look forward to what is now being called the “new normal?” An answer in the abstract is that we are all hoping for a future per se by surviving COVID-19. Well Psalm 39:7 says it better than your author could ever conjure up. “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.” Yes, the message is to keep prayerfully “hoping” for whatever future God’s Holy Spirit has in store for all of us. And the ultimate answer is found in Proverbs 23:18, “Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.” Fred
Illinois Stands up Provisional Commandery! Hawaii Companion Dave Terrinoni has been steadily laying the groundwork for the reestablishment of the Illinois Commandery, which was instituted May 20, 1896, and incorporated on June 8th of that year. The Illinois Commandery was founded with a good number of Veterans from the War with Spain, and Charter hereditary members tracing their ancestry to the Revolutionary War. The First Commander was Colonel George Mayhew Moulton, U.S.V. (1851-1927), who commanded the Second Illinois Volunteer Infantry during the War with Spain, and was the 2nd Great Grandson of Colonel Jonathan Moulton (1726-1787), who commanded the Third New Hampshire Troops from 1776-1780 during the War of the Revolution. In 1886 he was commissioned as a major in the Second Regiment Illinois National Guard, and later promoted to colonel COL George M. Moulton, of the Second Infantry Illinois National Guard. When his regiment was called into service in the first Commander of the IlliSpanish American War, he was mustered into the United States Army in May, 1898. His reginois MOFW Commandery. ment formed part of the Army of Occupation of Cuba. He was detached from his command and detailed on special duty in Havana to organize the police department, becoming the first mayor and the first chief of police of Havana under the American flag. Returning from this war service, he was appointed aide de camp and subsequently inspector general of the Illinois National Guard on the governor's staff. On July 4, 1907, the governor of Illinois commissioned him as a major-general and assigned him to the command of the First Brigade of the Illinois National Guard stationed at Chicago. The Illinois Commandery surrendered its Charter in 1949, when it could no longer sustain an active membership. Dave served as our Commandery Chaplain for years, and has penned the Chaplain’s Corner of these pages even after his PCS move out of the state. Dave now has 18 applicants for the Illinois Commandery, of these, only 3 are also members of another State Commandery, demonstrating the exceptional recruitment effort made over 8 months in pandemic conditions. Dave will now formally apply for a Charter. Companion Arthur Tulak attended the Illinois Commandery’s 18 May meeting on ZOOM, along with the MOFW Commander General, Christ DePinho, TX Commandery Commander (and former MOFW Junior Vice Commander) Col Tom Mohler, Don Bratton the Commander of the Ohio Commandery, and the MOFW QM General Brad Hopkins to show support for the re-constitution of the Illinois Commandery. The Hawaii Commandery congratulates Companion Terrinoni on this tremendous accomplishments and wishes the Illinois Commandery all success. 2
Celebrating ANZAC Day in the Year of the pandemic of 2021 By COL, Ret. Arthur Tulak, The Hawaii Commandery recommitted its support to New Zealand Corps (ANZAC) Day with a pared-down ceremony at the WWI Memorial. Participation was limited to remain below 10 persons, in accordance with City and State regulations on assembly. Participants included: •
Col, Ret. Jason Seal, Chairman of the Committee to restore the Naval Air Station Barbers Point Memorial, and Companion of the Gaylord Dillingham Chapter of the Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW)
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Daniel Martinez, Chief historian of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, and member of the successful HI WWI Centennial Task Force
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Major Alberto Nunez from U.S. Indo-Pacific Command J9,
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Ms. Teddy Harrison, President of “Remember the Lady” organization devoted to commemorating Army nurses, and her husband Franklin, both supporters of the Hawaii WWI Centennial Task Force, and;
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Kim Greely of the Celtic Pipers who provided the musical portion of the ceremony.
Commander Manchester was the Master of Ceremonies, and led a program designed to follow the ANZAC Order of Service ceremony.1 In his opening remarks, Commander Manchester recalled that as there were no ANZAC Day activities available to the public this year and last, the Hawaii Commandery was keen to honor our Australian and New Zealand Allies who have served alongside Americans in her foreign wars. A key element of the ceremony was the wreath laying, performed by Commander Manchester, while Ms. Kim Greely played Amazing Grace with her bagpipes. The wreath was hand made by Ms. Harrison especially for this event, and included freshly gathered flowers and leaves of significance to Australia and New Zealand. The wreath displays ribbons of colors of Allied banners, an outsized Flanders Poppy, a cluster of smaller poppies, Australian golden wattle, rosemary, various grasses, a magnolia, noni leaves (noni being suggestive of relieving pain), symbolic decorative, wearable buttons representing WWI scenes & recruiting posters. The purple ribbons that are arranged amongst the natural greenery represent mourning, spirituality, dignity, & several other manifestations of devotion & the gallantry of those lost in war. VA nurse during Vietnam & Red Cross nurse, Presidio, San Francisco during Major Alberto Nunez, of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, J9, held the colors aloft for the ceremony, and represented the acthe evacuation of Saigon, "Operation Babylift” & US Army tive-duty military. Nurse Corps captain during Desert Shield/Desert Storm. As a registered nurse in California, Ms. Harrison, provided care for WWI Veterans, and has been a great supporter of the HI WWI Centennial. Commander Manchester presented the wreath on behalf of all organizations represented by the members of the official party.
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Companion Tulak led the following element of the order of service, which is the “Recitation of the Ode.” The Ode comes from the poem “For the Fallen,” written by the English poet and writer Laurence Binyon. It was published in London in The Winnowing Fan: Poems of the Great War in 1914. This verse, which became the Ode for the Returned and Services League, has been used in association with commemoration services in Australia since 1921: They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. Elements of the Order of Service that could not be performed were explained to all present. The “Last Post,” which follows the Ode, is a bugle call, that In Australian military tradition, signifies the end of the day's activities. It is also sounded at military funerals, similar to our Taps, to indicate that the soldier has gone to his final rest and at commemorative services such as Anzac Day and Remembrance Day.” Commander Manchester solemnly initiated the “minute of sacred silence” which is then followed by the ‘rousing of the flag.’ On Anzac Day the Australian flag is flown at half-mast. Following the minute of sacred silence, the flag is raised back to the top of the pole accompanied by the playing of a bugle call known as 'the rouse', and is followed by the playing of the national anthem. The presence of the MOFW Commandery Flag symbolically represent this element of the ceremony.
Commander Manchester stands with Ms. Teddy Harrison, and Col, USMC Ret. Jason Seal representing the Military Order of World Wars.
Ambassador Jane Hardy, the Consul-General of the Australian Consulate in Hawaii, thanked the group for conducting the ceremony in a letter sent to Companion Tulak, expressing her heartfelt appreciation for remembering ANZAC day in spite of the many challenges.
Participants from L-R: Col Jason Seal, COL Tulak, LTC Manchester, Mr. Daniel Martinez, MAJ Alberto Nunez, Teddy and Franklin Harrison.
End Notes:_ 1. Queensland Australia ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee, “ANZAC Order of Service.” Retrieved from: https://anzacday.org.au/serviceoutline
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Chinese Veteran grave registration project By Companion Manny Manchester Honor and Duty: The Chinese American WWII Veterans Project previously captured the names and service records of the 22,827 Chinese and Chinese Americans who served during the last world war. The project originated with the Chinese American WWII Veterans Recognition Project, culminating with the passing of the Chinese American WWII Veterans Congressional Gold Medal Act. Since the bills were passed into law in 2018, more veterans’ names and service have come to the preservation team’s attention. In Hawaii, we hope to find many more -- with the help of local residents. The preservation team has come to the islands of Hawaii because of their unique set of circumstances. First, because Hawaii was not a state at the time of WWII, records of service were not well recorded. Secondly, because Hawaii was a territory, the Chinese and Chinese Americans from the Hawaiian Islands were arbitrarily assigned to Idaho as their state of origin in the military record. Thirdly and most importantly, there are families in Hawaii with multiple backgrounds in their genealogies with surnames that are often associated with China, Japan, the Philippines and other parts of East and Southeast Asia, and may not be recognized as having Chinese origin or Chinese association by those outside Hawaii. The Hawaii mission for the Honor and Duty team is to capture (photograph) the grave markers and columbarium niches of Chinese, Chinese Americans and Chinese Hawaiians who served during WWII on behalf of the U.S. Armed Forces and the U.S. Merchant Marine Corps. Thus far, we have recorded over 3,500 names and markers from the islands of Maui, Kauai and Oahu. We need help from the community to walk the cemeteries on Oahu, Lanai, Molokai and the Big Island, examining each headstone and niche plate for possible inclusion. It is our intention to take the photographs of the headstones containing these names, and cross reference them with the records we have by the end of 2021. During our last week on Oahu, we must record the names of veterans interned at the Kaneohe Veterans Cemetery, Oahu Cemetery and Nu’uanu Cemetery. The unusual heavy rains during month of March have made this work very challenging thereby making scheduling walks even more difficult. MOFW Hawaii Commandery took part in the planning and implementation of many of these surveys and discussions, and maintains an ongoing commitment to assist when the survey teams return in autumn to go over the smaller cemeteries throughout Oahu and other Hawaiian islands. We plan to incorporate other Veterans’ Service Organizations and Military Orders to proactively have surveys started before the Honor and Duty team arrive from the U.S. mainland.
50th Vietnam Veteran Recognition Program Recognizes Vietnam Veteran Jack Miller The Hawaii Commandery presented the 50th Vietnam War Commemoration Medal to CDR John “Jack” Miller, of the Hawaii Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and Aloha Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America.
CDR Miller served on active duty in the U.S. Navy from March 23, 1958 to July 1, 1983. For his service in the Vietnam War, CDR Miller received the Navy Commendation Medal with Valor and the Combat Action Ribbon. After retiring from Military Service in the Navy, Jack devoted himself to Community Service, serving 3 terns as the President of the Hawaii Chapter of the Military Officers’ Association of America (MOAA) as well as holding other positions in the Chapter. He also served as Chairman of the Eagle Scout Committee of the Hawaii Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, and was a member of the Kailua 4th of July Parade Committee. The presentation took place on March 31st in Kailua. 5
Companions Dan Curtis and Arthur Tulak present the 50th Vietnam War Commemoration Medal to CDR Jack Miller in recognition of his service in war, and as a volunteer to the community in Hawaii.
2021 50th Vietnam War Cadet Essay Contest By COL, Ret. Arthur N. Tulak, Chair, 50th Vietnam War Commemoration Comm. This is the 8th year of the Vietnam War Cadet Essay Contest, which provides Cadets the opportunity to write an essay for publication in one of 3 categories. The purpose of the essays is to challenge the JROTC Cadets and CAP Cadets to appreciate the sacrifices made by Vietnam Veterans who served their country in an unpopular war, and to discern lessons of citizenship, loyalty to country, and commitment to duty and service. This effort encourages the Cadets to identify and share these lessons with their own generation, while simultaneously honoring the Vietnam Veterans who continue to serve their local community, and who fill the ranks of many Veterans and Civic organizations in Hawaii, and the nation at large. This year, we introduced a new category focused on those who waited for their servicemember at the home front, and asks “What lessons can we learn about duty to country from the families at the home front, who waited for their service members to return from War? “
The first place essay is published in full in the June edition of the Commandery News, and all the winning essays are shared with other Veterans Organizations in Hawaii. Winning essayists receive a certificate from the Hawaii Commandery MOFW, the Hawaii Chapter of AUSA, and the DoD 50th Vietnam War Commemoration signed by COL Larry Brom, Acting Director of the DoD 50th Commemoration. Congratulations to those recognized for 2021: 1st place Cadet Rhapsody Espiritu, Farrington High School JROTC. “Homefront Heroes” 2nd Place Cadet Michaela Ballesteros, Farrington High School JROTC. “Vietnam Veterans: The Forgotten Fighters” 3rd Place Cadet Michaela Patdu, Farrington High School JROTC, “Hometown Hero: James ‘Kimo’ Gabriel Jr.”
Here are some excerpts from the 2nd and 3rd place essays: 2nd Place: Cadet Ballesteros’ essay draws many parallels to the events of today. “One of the immediate impacts of entering the War was the need for manpower, a demand that would be met with draft lotteries, a method of randomly selecting men to fight in Vietnam. Several drafts were held from 1970 to 1976, the first of which selected men born from 1944 to 1950, the latter drafts for those aged 18-19. Many of these men were attending college or had just graduated. Campuses soon became crucibles of protests against the draft, which the students saw as a looming cloud of uncertainty over their futures. Many of these protests were “mostly peaceful” and incorporated ‘teach-ins,’ which were seminars indoctrinating students about the Vietnam War. As the war raged on, the turnout to these protests grew, and the methods of “resistance” soon turned violent. One of the largest took place on October 21, 1967, when about 30,000 protestors marched on the Pentagon. The protest soon turned into a large brawl between demonstrators and the U.S. Marshals guarding the building, resulting in hundreds of protestors being arrested. In 1968, thousands of protestors organized in Chicago, on the week of the Democratic national Convention, where Lyndon B. Johnson, who was currently overseeing the war, was expected to be renominated. Over 500 protestors, 100 bystanders, and 152 police officers where injured over several confrontations. The brutality of these anti-war demonstrators culminated on May 4, 1970, at Kent State University in Ohio, as a ‘peace rally’ turned violent when students began throwing rocks at National Guardsmen, four students were shot and killed, as well as 9 others injured. The American citizenry turned against the military that was fighting to protect them. A slow fade from the original motifs of the war were lost on the citizenry. A descent into hostility and animus [followed]. When these veterans returned. They were struck with shock: a decade of fighting didn’t make them heroes, it made them [in the eyes of society] ‘murderers,’ and ‘baby killers.’ Veterans weren’t able to get a job or live comfortably, many of them becoming homeless, and suffering service-connected conditions and injuries. The Vietnam War is an outlier from other wars America has fought. The citizenry hadn’t known how drawn-out the war would be. They
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simply couldn’t comprehend the point of fighting a proxy war in a country many didn’t even know existed. They didn’t understand why they needed to adhere to the draft….”
3rd Place: Cadet Patdu’s essay captures how American popular culture turned on Vietnam Veterans, denying them any expression of gratitude, respect or honor, and heaping instead, scorn, ridicule, and isolation. The Vietnam War was the first War that it could be said America did not “win.” The absence of a victory and appearance of a stalemate that was considered too costly impacted the views of American society on the war, and the servicemembers who fought it: “The Vietnam War was the first war America ever lost, and this loss led to a heavy impact on the American Homefront. Numerous soldiers suffered greatly from this war physically, mentally, and socially. These soldiers fought to protect the people of the United States, while risking their own lives. A lot of these brave men were either killed or injured. In addition tothis, they did not gain the deep and never ending respect they deserved at the time. Many of the soldiers came back to the United States and [were made to feel like] a criminal. The particular reason for this circumstance is due to the negative outlook portrayed [by media and war protestors] as a condemnation [assigning blame] to soldiers as the reason why the United States was losing…. [A]ll these Veterans protected our country and its values. They did this by putting their lives on the line every day, in foreign countries, against enemies with little or no moral code, or regard for human life. They willfully did this whether or not their efforts were appreciated by [their fellow Americans] or not.”
Principal Carganilla and VP Ledgerwood present Cadets Rhapsody Espiritu and Michael Ballesteros the MOFW Silver Academic and Bronze Leadership Awards, respectively, at the annual awards ceremony conducted May 18, 2021.
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First Place Essay “Homefront Heroes” By Cadet Rhapsody Espritu Farrington Army JROTC
A child had said this to his mother, who was struggling to describe what their father was like after he had come home from the Vietnam War, “You know Mom, Dad was killed in Vietnam, it just took him forty years to die.” Everyone has a role to play in maintaining a strong and functional country. Duty to our country does not only mean joining the military and going off to fight in a war, but instead duty to our country is a complex concept that can only be fully understood when peering into the lives of service members’ family’s experiences and lifestyle. Many military families undergo a different type of war, a war that happens in their own home. Lessons such as the importance of being independent, considerate, adaptable, and resilient can all be learned from these military families. On November1, 1955, the Vietnam War began, involving several countries including Communist China, the Soviet Union, Laos, Cambodia, South Korea, the United States of America, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (the Communist regime in North Vietnam), and the Republic of Vietnam (actually democratic nation in South Vietnam). The main cause of U.S. involvement in the war was the widespread fear and threat of communism. With exact dates unclear, in 1965 the United States entered the war with three thousand five hundred Marines near Da Nang. During the time the U.S. was involved, about two million two hundred thousand men were drafted. Soldiers, untrained citizens, and young men were all fighting against the spread of communism and serving out their honored duty to their country. The U.S. feared that if Communist Vietnam in the north took over democratic Republic of Vietnam in the south, then other countries would fall into a domino effect and convert into a communist form of government. This type of government was unwanted because it was the opposite of a democracy, it is a type of political and economic system that controls major productions and natural resources, which allows the government to possess higher control over their citizens. Many U.S. soldiers stayed in Vietnam for long periods of time as the U.S. finally began to withdraw troops in 1973. As soldiers were being deployed to Vietnam, their spouses' and families had to prepare for their absence. As military wives and mothers they must keep up their end of things at home, such as raising their children alone. With their husband’s long absence, many families struggle with separation and maintaining healthy relationships (Syringa Cinema, 2018). A particular married couple, Terry Allen Jr., and Jean Allen, had experienced such struggles and many more as “the needs of a military career would dominate their marriage” (Public Broadcasting Service) during the time of the Vietnam War. As separation was a known stress factor within a military marriage and Jean had felt the sense of hopelessness as Terry’s deployments became more frequent and eventually elongated as the U.S. became involved in the Vietnam War. In February 1967, Terry was off to join his comrades in the Vietnam War, leaving Jean and his three children back in Texas. Jean’s isolation and postpartum depression grew as Terry “seemed to focus too heavily on the operational side of life in the country” (Public Broadcasting Service), resulting in the start of an unhappy marriage. As the Vietnam War was going on many Americans became anti-war. Jean’s exposure to their views left her in doubt of not only the integrity of the U.S.’s involvement in the Vietnam War, but also her marriage. Her doubt further grew like a poisonous vine that had slowly creeped up and around her leg, continuing to consume the rest of her body. Eventually, doubt took over and her isolation and depression were relieved after Jean had “an affair with a local rodeo clown and wrote a "Dear John" letter to Terry telling him the marriage was over” (Public Broadcasting Service). Although it is unclear, Jean was an independent woman that was able to raise three young children alone while still working a full-time television job. Her success in keeping up her end of things 8
made her a “model of this self-sufficiency” (Public Broadcasting Service) standard, but other struggles got the best of their marriage. Woefully, this situation happened far too often during the Vietnam War. Thankfully, more programs have been created in hopes of providing counselling and other tools to help military spouses and family members prevent similar situations. Through the eyes of the children of soldiers and draftees from the Vietnam War, their experience and struggle were unique to only them. Vietnam Veterans’ children had felt a similar alienation from their peers as their mothers had, but in the sense of maturity and responsibility. Many children put on a fast track to growing up in consideration for their mother and father, having to help around the house at a younger age and cause less trouble than a normal child would. In a group interview, different children told their stories of their experience in being a child of a Vietnam veteran in which a common theme of pain was being exhibited from their stories. One of the boys within this group explained why he had felt different from other kids his age that had dreamed of, in his perspective, frivolous things. At the tender age of thirteen he had claimed to have felt five years older, explaining that he “was ahead of them as far as maturity” was concerned (Hoffman, 2019). These children were aware that compared to their peers they’ve “...dealt with a lot of stuff that they’ve never even thought about having to deal with” (Hoffman, 2019), that contributed to their higher level of maturity. When answering another question, a teenage girl brought to light a terrifying event she and her older brother had experienced at the ages of seven and eight years old. In detail she explained that when “You do something bad, you really get in trouble for it. He would scream and holler. He only hit me a couple of times, but every night till about two in the morning he would chase my mother around the house and throw things at her and beat her up. I hated him. Me and my older brother would be up every night when we were little, and I am talking about seven/eight years old. We would just sit upstairs in our room and we have this little vent in the hallway that goes downstairs, and we would take it out and we would sit there and watch him chase her around the house. Just making sure he wouldn’t kill her or anything” (Hoffman, 2019). This kind of unfortunate turn of events is due to the development of PTSD that their father and many other Vietnam Veterans suffered from, as a result of their experiences during the war. Their stories showcased their considerate nature, adaptability to change, and their resiliency as part of their duty to their country. Even today, military families continue to fight their war between their moral values, relationships, and the important obligation of duty to country. The sacrifices they give for our country teaches us the importance of being able to live independently and to be considerate of others’ situations and their values. They teach us what resilience is at its unbearable core and how being adaptable is part of being strong. Military families must allow their serving family members to risk their life, and then helping with their transition back into civilian life. They must deal with injuries, illnesses, and even death that could be possibly inflicted upon their loved one returning from a war such as the Vietnam War. Staying strong for one another to maintain a functioning family and healthy relationships is key. Works Cited
1. “One Family's Vietnam War Story.” The experience of Terry and Jean Allen, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/two-days-in-october-military-families-and-vietnam/. 2. David Hoffman, 5 Sept. 2019, “Children Of Vietnam Vets Tell Their Stories.” YouTube, , youtu.be/ ebB_nGTOMDM. 3. Syringa Cinema, Feb 21, 2018, “I Married the War - The Story of Wives of Combat Veterans.” YouTube, 21 Feb. 2018, youtu.be/99SAxng-ugc.
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ROTC and JROTC Cadet Awards Program 2021 COL, Ret. Arthur Tulak, Chairman of the Cadet Awards Committee The Corona Virus pandemic continued to disrupt the annual awards ceremonies in 2021, as the ROTC and JROTC programs attempted to switch to on-line venues to recognize their top-performing cadets. Companion Tulak participated in the on-line Joint Army and Air Force ceremony held on ZOOM on May 6th, presenting for the MOFW and the Hawaii Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. This first ever virtual awards ceremony held jointly by Army ROTC Warrior Battalion and Air Force ROTC Detachment 175, was followed later in the day with an in-person ceremony, where Companion Tulak presented awards on behalf of the Hawaii Chapter of the AUSA, which is a sponsor of the Commandery’s Cadet programs. Companion Tulak “virtually” congratulated Cadets Arias and Atkins on receiving the Leadership Excellence Medal, and Cadets Betancourt and Driscoll for the Academic Excellence Medal.
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JROTC awards Just a few of the JROTC Cadre reported the names of the cadets receiving the Siler Academic and Bronze Leadership MOFW Medals. Here is a summary compiled from those individual reports received before publication: • McKinley High School Army JROTC: C/SSG Tyger Young received the Silver Academics Medal, and C/PFC Travis Tran the Bronze Leadership Medal. • Waianae High School JROTC: Silver: Cadet C/CSM Jared Bacon • Nanakuli Army JROTC Cadet Private First Class Sandrine Marquez & Cadet Private First Class Hana KekiwiTodd • Kealakehe High School Army JROTC: Silver Academic Medal to Cadet Forella, Xayvion, and the Bronze leadership medal to Cadet Friday, Kam-Zara • Leilehua High School Army JROTC MOFW Leadership Excellence - Cadet Juwan Gwinn and MOFW Academic Excellence - Cadet Zamamrie Familia • Kapaa HS Army ROTC : Bronze: c/SGM Keio Wakuta Silver: c/ SSG Kevin Dolino • Mililani High School Army JROTC : MOFW (Silver) - Cadet LET 3 Cyan Tote, (Bronze) Cadet LET 3 Joshua Deuz (Mililani High School) • Nile C. Kinnick High School Navy JROTC, Yokusaka Japan The Commandery looks forward to next year’s awards ceremonies to once again present these medals in person at the annual Cadet Awards Ceremonies.
Congratulations to all awardees!!
Cadet Patrick Nguyen, recipient of the Silver Academics Medal, Nile C. Kinnick High School, Yokusaka Japan.
Cadet Maria Pidgeon, recipient of the Bronze Leadership Medal, Nile C. Kinnick High School, Yokusaka Japan. 11
C/CSM Jared Bacon is the recipient of the Silver Academics Medal from Waianae High School Army JROTC.
Memorial Day 2021 By COL Arthur N. Tulak, Ed.D. As with last year, the COVID Pandemic resulted in the cancellation of the large public Memorial Day ceremonies. The Governor did not hold his annual ceremony at the State Veterans Cemetery in Kaneohe, and the Mayor of Honolulu did not hold his annual ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. At the World War One Memorial, the Friends of the Natatorium, and VFW Post 8616 held a ceremony on Sunday, 30 May, that was kicked off by the Color Guard and firing detail from 8th Theater Sustainment Command. At right above is ComAmerican Legion Riders with their traditional “Rolling Thunder” motorcycle mand Master Chief Petty Officer Mo Radke, Masdrive-by of approximately 80 motorcyclists from veteran and other clubs ter of Ceremonies. Photos by Greg Concilla. rumbling down Kalakaua Avenue. The riders were saluted by Celtic Kula Pipe Band playing “Scotland the Brave.” The brief program included Peter Apo as national and state anthem soloist and color and rifle details from the 8th Theater Sustainment Command at Fort Shafter. SGT Ben Dawkins, a bugler from the 25th Infantry band sounded Taps to conclude the observance. In addition to the Pyramid Rock Young Marines, individuals representing the VFW, American Legion, Scottish American Military Society, Military Order of Foreign Wars, Military Order of World Wars were in socially distant attendance. Since 1989, the Friends of the Natatorium have sponsored this annual Memorial Day Weekend ceremony in memory of Hawaii’s beloved dead from all American wars and in honor of the state’s military veterans. Participation in this year’s ceremony necessarily remained limited. A full public ceremony for Memorial Day weekend 2022 is planned. At the Commonwealth Graves, in Oahu Cemetery, Companions Dan Curtis and Arthur Tulak represented the Order, attending a ceremony held by the UK Military Contingent at HQ, U.S. IndoPacific Command. CAPT Chris Dyke, Royal Navy, the UK Liaison Officer, officiated the ceremony, attended by members of the UK Officers assigned to Camp Smith. The Commandery presented a lei on the cross over the grave of John Gemmell, Engineer Sub-Lieutenant, Royal Navy Reserve, who served aboard the H.M.S. Ophir, under the command of Captain Norman L. Stanley. Lt. Gemmell contracted pneumonia whilst aboard, and died at the Army military hospital, Fort Shafter on Sept. 19, 1918. His marker, erected by his shipmates notes that Sub Lieutenant Gemmell died at Age 27, and CAPT Chris Dyke, RN, officiates the ceremony. At right, the Commandery’s lei is on the carries the message from the Book of cross at Sub Lieutenant Gemmel’s grave. Matthew Chapter 11, verse 28, "I will give you rest." There are 51 UK citizens buried at the Oahu Cemetery, and this ceremony honors those who served in the Armed Forces. This is the first time the Commandery was invited to attend, and we anticipate attending this and the similar ceremony officiated by the Canadian delegation in November for Armistice Day. 12
Commandery Poppy Appeal at Camp Smith by COL, Ret., Arthur Tulak The Commandery conducted a Poppy Appeal outside of the Marine Exchange Mart at Camp Smith on 26 and 27 May. Our Commandery is the only Veteran Organization meeting on Camp Smith, and was the first organization to be approved for fundraising during the pandemic last November ahead of Veterans Day. Volunteering to carry out this important two-day event were Companions Tulak, Curtis, Manchester, and Fred Staedel, accompanied by his wife Becky. Over the course of the two days, the volunteers engaged in conversation with many passersby, informing them about the history and purpose of Memorial Commander LTC Manchester, Becky and Fred Staedel outside the Day. The holiday tradition of communities remembering their Marine Mart at Camp Smith, 27 May 2020. fallen Veterans with flowers on their graves began in Georgia, in the spring of 1866, when the Ladies Memorial Association of Columbus, Georgia , passed a resolution to set aside one day annually to memorialize the Confederate war dead. The States that joined to form the Confederacy established different dates for Confederate Memorial Days as State Holidays, many which continue to be observed today. Following the Confederates, on May 5, 1868, the Grand Army of the Republic established “Decoration Day,” by General Orders, No. 11, issued by General John Arthur Logan designating the 30th day of May as a remembrance holiday “… for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country” during the war. As flowers were a central component of the holiday, holding in during the Spring time ensured that flowers would be in bloom and available to decorate so many graves from America’s deadliest war. Most Veterans Organizations have identified a flower to represent their organization, which then became its symbol for their recognition of our War dead. Many of the victorious Allied powers of the First World War, the poppy was adopted as the memorial flower, a tradition carried on today by our Australian, British, Canadian, and New Zealand Allies. The Hawaii Commandery has selected the Poppy flower, as it is appropriate for recognizing those who died in WWI, and therefore the perfect symbol for our support to ANZAC Day and Armistice Day (Veterans Day) commemorations. The selection of the poppy also symbolizes the fact that the Order includes Allied Officers, of which many are posted to the HQs of the Joint and Service Commands in the State of Hawaii. Here are the flowers selected by various Veterans Organizations that are their symbol for remembrance: •
Veterans of Foreign Wars (est. 1898), voted at its 1923 annual encampment, to have VFW "Buddy"® Poppies assembled by disabled and needy veterans who would be paid for their work to provide them with financial assistance.
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American Legion (est. 1919) selected the red poppy flower, and established an annual “National Poppy Day”® which for 2021 fell on Friday, 28 May. The American Legion explains on its website “The red poppy is a nationally recognized symbol of sacrifice worn by Americans since World War I to honor those who served and died for our country in all wars.”
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Marine Corps League (est. 1923) adopted the “Marine Corps Rose” as its flower for remembrance
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Military Order of the Purple Heart, (est. 1932) adopted the Purple Heart Viola as its official flower.
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American Veterans (AMVETS, est. 1944) selected the White Clover as its official flower in 1946. The meaning of the White Clover is “remember me,” with its four clover leaves representing the Armed Services.
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Vietnam Veterans of America (est. 1979) has adopted a symbolic flower with red stamen pistils emerging from yellow petals laid over a green circle of the sepal that represents the colors of the Flag of the Republic of Vietnam, for which its members fought to protect from Communist oppression.
Mahalo to our Poppy Appeal Volunteers! 13
Hawaii’s Military Memorials— By Vice Commander COL Peter Hirai We are in constant search of memorials dedicated to Soldiers that made the ultimate sacrifice. One example about a mile out of downtown Honolulu is a small, unassuming plaque situated on the grounds of the Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin Temple. As you head up on the Pali Highway toward the Ko’olau Range away from downtown, you will see a large white temple on your right about ¼ of a mile after crossing over the Lunalilo Freeway. You will have to access the temple from Lusitania Street, as they have blocked off the Pali Highway entrance. As you face the front of the temple, look off to the right and you will see an aging plaque set onto a white Boy Scouts from the Hongwanji place a lei for Memorial base. The plaque contains the names of 385 Soldiers.
The plaque is dedicated to Buddhists from Hawaii that fought and died in World War II. All the names are Japanese. Interestingly, the plaque breaks down the city each of the Soldiers were from, ranging from 2 Soldiers from the small town of Ninole on the Big Island of Hawaii to the 134 Soldiers from metropolitan Honolulu. As you see from photo number 2 below, the church regularly honors the Soldiers. The photo is of a small, intimate lei-draping ceremony in May of 2020, necessitated during the Coronavirus – 19 pandemic. The plaque was dedicated on Memorial Day, Sunday May 30, 1948. At the time, Memorial Day was always celebrated on May 30, and didn’t move to the last Monday in May until the 1968 Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved it in 1971, according to a History Channel article I accessed at https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history. As I read over the names inscribed on the plaque not a single one had an English name. They were all of first or second generation of Japanese ancestry, wanting to prove their loyalty, no doubt they all knew someone who had been imprisoned by the very government they pledged their loyalty to. If you attend the annual Obon Dance held at the Hongwanji Temple in the late summer, I urge you to pay your respects to the Soldiers inscribed on the plaque who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their Nation.
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Commandery Operations — Companions were happy to once again be able to meet in person as the COVID 19 pandemic continued to disrupt the lives of people across the globe. At the March Commandery meeting, convened at the Sunset Lanai at Camp Smith. Plans for ANZAC Day and Memorial Day were developed. Regarding recruiting, the issue of Warrant Officer eligibility of Warrant Officer was raised. Per Section 10, Article III of the MOFW Constitution: “As used in this Constitution, the words "officer" and "officers" include chief and commissioned warrant officers, and the words "commissioned officers" include… warrant officers and chief warrant officers.” And on p. 14, “As the oldest existing order of commissioned officers and warrant officers, the Order is interested in outstanding officers who have served our nation well.” On the topic of memorials and commemorations, the Executive Committee voted to approve a donation to the Committee to Restore the Naval Air Station Barbers Point Memorial, led by Col, Ret. Jason Seal, formerly the Officer in Charge of the Kapolei Marine Corps JROTC unit. Companion Arthur Tulak is serving as Vice Chairman on this committee. Another important topic is the The Commandery’s Vietnam Veteran Recognition Program , which was on “pause” for the last year due to the pandemic making medal presentations impossible. The 50th Committee Chair, COL Tulak, called for re-engaging with Veterans and Military Professional organizations to submit their nominations. The Commandery will resume honoring retiring JROTC Cadre, who have served honorably, as determined by the Hawaii Multiple Schools Unit, with the MOFW Meritorious Service Medal. The first award is expected to take place in July. The Commandery also took great satisfaction in inducting Companion LTC Dan Curtis into the Order following the business agenda. Companion Curtis took the oath of Companionship in front of the Flag of the Order and assembled Companions to witness.
Above: The Sunset Lanai prepared a reserved table for our business meeting. From L -R: Companions Larry Dicks, Arthur Tulak, Manny Manchester, Fred Staedel and Peter Hirai. Below: Following the induction ceremony, our newest Companion, LTC Dan Curtis, 3rd from left. Not in the photo is Jeffery Whittington, guest of Dan Curtis.
Above: The insignia of the Order, membership card, and diploma for Companion, LTC Dan Curtis.
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Companion News
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Companion Sumner Hunnewell was recognized by the Hawaii Commandery with an MOFW Citation award as a Contributing Author of Distinction for his significant article “James Coolbroth: Casualty in the First Naval Battle of America’s Revolutionary War,” published in the June 2020 Hawaii Commandery News. This article recounted the first naval battle of the American Revolution, known as “The Lexington of the Sea.” Sumner also continues his research to uncover his military ancestors and honor their service in the records of hereditary societies...and is applying for membership the Aztec Club of 1847, the Society of the Cincinnati, and the United Empire Loyalists. Companion Fred Staedel was recently featured in the Civil Air Patrol’s National website programs section for his contributions to Aerospace Education efforts., as a Lieutenant Colonel in the CAP, and an Aerospace Education Officer. The volunteer spirit runs in the family as his wife Becky is a 2nd Lieutenant in the CAP. Companion Dan Curtis was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal by the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, and completed a successful term of office as the Vice President of the Hawaii Society. Companion Arthur Tulak was awarded the Silver Roger Sherman Medal by the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, and elected as the incoming President of the Hawaii Society.
Lt. Col. Fred Staedel teaches navigation to a museum group.
Feeling left out? Share your news with your fellow Companions!! From the Quartermaster: We have new items available from the Quartermaster General! A new line of decals are available, and the Commandery QM has some in stock for sale at the next Commandery event. The first is a vinyl round sticker, much like the one for the Hawaii Commandery, and the other is a clear decal for windows. Another new item is the MOFW embroidered patch, in two color versions. Each is 3 inches in diameter.
We are coordinating for a group order of MOFW Garrison Caps. Any Companion seeking to get a new MOFW garrison cap is requested to immediately contact the Commandery Quartermaster to provide size.
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Upcoming events: • • • • • • •
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6 June — 79th Commemoration Ceremony and Naval Air Station Barbers Point Memorial Dedication at the Air Control Tower, 91-1259 Midway Rd., Kalaeloa Airport, Kapolei. June 11 — Commandery Social at the Sunset Lanai, at 1700 hrs. This event will have minimal business and will include pupus for Candidate companions to meet the current Companions. 14 June —Army's 246th birthday // Flag Day. 23 June— United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Birthday 25 June — 71st Anniversary of the start of the Korean War. 27 June— PTSD Awareness Day 21 July —Anniversary of the establishment of the Department of Veterans Administration. July 21, 1930, when President Herbert Hoover signed Executive Order 5398 and elevated the Veterans Bureau to a federal administration—creating the Veterans Administration 25 July— Hire a Veteran Day 29 July— Anniversary of the Army Chaplain Corps. On July 29, 1775, the Continental Congress authorized pay for one chaplain for each regiment of the Army. 4 August— Birthday of the U.S. Coast Guard in 1790 15-21 August— National Aviation Week - (Always during the week of Orville Wright's Birthday on Aug. 19) 18 September—Birthday of the U.S. Air Force, celebrating its founding as a separate branch of the U.S. Armed Forces on September 18, 1947 20 September— National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on (2019 date) at 1000.
Hawaii Commandery, Military Order of Foreign Wars A non-profit 501 (c) 3 Veterans Organization Oahu Veterans Center, 1298 Kukila St. Honolulu Hawaii, 96818
Mahalo to our 2021 Sponsors:
Hawaii Chapter, Association of the United States Army 17
