THE Military Order of Foreign Wars Hawaii Commandery
Vol. III, Issue 2, August 21, 2014
Commander’s Comments. Aloha Companions and Commandery Supporters! A big Mahalo to all our volunteer presenters at the ROTC/JROTC and Youth ChalleNGe Academy awards ceremonies for 2014. Our next awards event is the Hawaii Civil Air Patrol awards banquet in October. As the school year begins here in Hawaii, we look to another year of support to our JROTC. Our Commandery continues to improve its legal and financial standing, all necessary for effective operations We once again accomplished the mission in honoring our war dead on Memorial Day. As we prepare for Veterans Day in November, let us strive to simultaneously improve th our support to the DoD 50 Commemoration of the Vietnam War. I solicit your ideas on how we can support the WWI Centennial. These commemoration efforts enable us to draw attention to the sacrifices of our ancestors and to memorialize their acts of service.
Arthur N. Tulak, COL, U.S. Army, Retired.
Chaplains Corner I count it a privilege and a great opportunity to be able to serve as the Chaplain and fellow Companion for our Commandery. Thank you for taking the time to read this portion of our Newsletter. If you have lived in HI for a while, you may have heard about the existing concerns regarding the homeless situation on some of our Hawaiian Islands, and predominately, the Island of Oahu. Our state presently has the 2nd highest homeless rate in the nation with some 4,700 homeless individuals and families. One out every six homeless is a US veteran (500 in Oahu on any given day)! As the Outreach Coordinator for a National organization which primarily serves homeless
veterans and families, I personally witness how hundreds of our Ohana daily face despair and uncertainty despite the valiant efforts of many to alleviate the pain. Envisioned is a network of city, state, federal and non-profit organizations working together to address the pressing human needs, which alone none can fully meet. The good news I want to share with you is that a recent effort at the grass roots level is developing. Say it is a “Good Samaritan” wind which is beginning to blow; a spirit of good will which is starting to signal better days ahead for many. Some are calling it the Aloha Color Initiative - Moving toward the goal of Homefulness! It has to do with putting color into aloha! We are asking you to join us in prayer for the wellbeing of thousands. Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened unto you (Matthew 7:7). Needed are: • 1000 PARTNERS - Recruit, train and equip residents who share the common goal of bringing homefulness to those living without. • 100 INVESTORS - Partnering with businesses, religious and civil entities, as well as other organizations that strive to keep hundreds of Ohana from falling into a “black hole” of indignity. You can be a part of the solution and a conduit that brings dignity and hope to those in crisis: veterans, families, and others. Call the Aloha Color Initiative for more information. 808 343-9943. Mahalo and blessings,
John C. Molina, Chaplain (LTC), U.S. Army, Retired
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National Commandery News The Order mourns for Past Commander General LTC (Ret) Ron Sommers who passed away On Sat, May 10, 2014 from illness. PCG Sommers also served the Order at the National level in various capacities, including Awards, Quartermaster, and Newsletter Editor. The National MOFW Newsletter has improved steadily in content and quality under his watch and has been a unifying force for the Order. Accordingly, MOFW Commander-General has posthumously appointed PCG Sommers as Editor Emeritus. See the appointment at page 11. PCG Sommers was instrumental in the establishment of the Hawaii Commandery, and was the ever-ready quintessential resource for MOFW leaders across the globe.
MOFW-NAUS Alliance At the July meeting of the National Commandery, CG Emeritus Wulf Lindenau and National Association of the Uniformed Services (NAUS) President Lt Gen (Ret) Jack Klimp, signed the affiliation agreement between MOFW and NAUS. As MOFW members we are now entitled to a 20% discount in membership for their first initial membership term (life membership excepted). NAUS Annual dues are $25, so MOFW members can join for just $20 for the first year.
The NAUS is active in Hawaii through Chapter 1, which is a contributing member of the Oahu Veterans Council. Unlike the MOFW, the NAUS is active in representing the military community to State and Federal government and is an advocate during for legislation concerning security policy, Service programs, and legislation impacting Veterans, Retirees, Active/Reserve service members and their families.
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50 Comm. Vietnam War Cadet Essay Contest Winners The winning cadets of the Vietnam War Essay Contest received their cash prizes at the annual awards ceremonies alongside MOFW medal recipients. 1st Place essayist Cadet Brittany Copp’s essay was published in our last newsletter. Her Senior Instructor reports “ Brittany is a junior cadet who helps anyone she sees in need of it. She motivates her peers and fellow cadets to do the best they absolutely can, whether it be academically, or physically. Brittany is currently our Operations Officer here, and is doing an outstanding job of it.
Photo 2: 1st Place Essayist, Cadet Brittany Copp (L) , and 2nd place essayist Kristina Ancheta (R) receive their certificate and prize checks at the Campbell HS NJROTC Awards Ceremony.
She continues to challenge herself within the unit, and with school, as she is in advanced placement classes. Brittany's future aspiration is to join the military after high school.” Photo 1: PCG Wulf Lindenau and Lt Gen Jack Klimp, Pres.and CEO of the National Association of Uniformed Services with which I signed an Affiliation Agreement, 3 June 2014.
NAUS membership includes subscription to the Uniformed Services Journal in print and on-line (go to http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naus/usj_20140708/ #/6 to see the July/August edition).
Second place essayist Cadet Kristina Ancheta received praise from her instructor: “Kristina is a junior cadet who strives to do her best. She is currently our Supply Officer. Kristina works hard and diligently, and won't stop until the assigned task is completed. She is enrolled in full International Baccalaureate courses. Her future plans are to be able to attend the Naval Academy and pursue nursing.” Congratulations to Campbell H.S. for producing the top two essays for this year’s contest.
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Youth ChalleNGe Academy! Companions Mark Takai and Arthur Tulak attended the graduation of Youth ChalleNGe Academy Class 13-2 and presented the MOFW Silver Academics and Bronze Leadership medals at the 20 June ceremony. This is the second time that MOFW medals have been presented. Major General Daryl Wong, Adjutant General of the Hawaii National Guard, presided over the graduation th ceremonies for the 40 class of the YCA.
Photo 2: The firing detail from Marine Corps Base Kaneohe rendered the honor salute at the base of the status Columbia.
Photo 3: The Commandery flag is 6th from the left guarded by Waipahu JROTC Cadets. Only a select few organizations were invited to post their colors in honor of the fallen. Photo 3: COL Tulak presents the MOFW medal to Youth Challenge Cadet Kenneth Onion.
Companions Jim Burkholder and John Molina supported the Governor’s Observance of Memorial Day at the State Veterans Cemetery.
Memorial Day Support Companion Tulak posted the Commandery flag at the Memorial Day observance at the National Cemetery of the Pacific, and participated in the wreath presentations. The Commandery Flag was prominent due to its impressive size and stood out clearly among the thirteen organization flags posted opposite the National and Service colors to the left of the dais. Waipahu High School JRTOTC Cadets from the Raiders Battalion were the color guards for the organizational flags. Photo 4: Companion Molina's Army Service cap is visible just behind the start of the procession of Youth Challenge Cadets bearing the organizational colors. The large MOFW Commandery flag attracted notice on its 8 ft pole.
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The Commandery Flag was at the front of the parade of flags and posted prominently throughout the ceremonies, even making the television news broadcast on Channel 4. Mahalo once again to our volunteers who so professionally represented the Order at these very important local events. See the letter of thanks from the Director of the Hawaii State DoD on p. 9.
Photo 5: Youth ChalleNGe Academy Cadets provided the color guard detail for the Governor's observance. The Commandery flag is clearly visible on the right of the choral group.
Poppy Appeal The 2014 Poppy Appeal got off to a strong start over the Memorial Day holiday period with two days of effort raising awareness on the meaning of Memorial Day distributing information sheets on the history of the
holiday in the U.S., along with memorial poppies to wear in remembrance of those who gave their lives in the service of our nation in war. The two day effort brought in seven hundred dollars in donations while also informing the military communities of Schofield Barracks and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam of our Commandery activities.
Photo 6: Commandery Supporter LTC (Ret) Russ Rebmann and Commander Arthur Tulak conduct the Poppy Appeal at the Schofield Barracks Post Exchange 22 May 2014
Sprucing up the poppy display were several poppies made by the children at 1SG Samuel K. Solomon Elementary School.
Photo 7: Poppy Appeal at the Base Exchange Hickam Air Force Base, 23 May 2914
Photo 8: A young supporter takes a poppy to remember the fallen.
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Recent Meetings The Commandery convened at Schooners on 21 May to farewell COL Terrinori. Companion supporter LTC (Ret) Russ Rebmann attended as a guest to get to know the Companions.
Col Terrinoni sent the following note to the Commandery: We just got our house last week and our HHG are now in the house...now to settle in. We also have a new grandson, Gabriel, who joined our other grandson, Anthony, at RAF Mildenhall, England. Please pass on my warmest regards to our folks. God Bless and Peace, Dave
Photo 9: Commandery Meeting 21 May: from L-R, Companions Tulak and Terrinoni, Candidate Rebmann, and Companion Burkholder.
Photo 10: View from Schooner's Restaurant over the Pearl Harbor yacht harbor. Photo 11: Pinning on the Eagles.
Companion News Companion Col Dave Terrinoni was promoted to Colonel in a ceremony held at the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. The officiating officer was Chaplain, Colonel Dondi Costin, PACAF Command Chaplain. Dave’s wife Vicky and Col Costin pinned on the Eagle insignia of rank.
Companion, LTC Mark Takai won the Democratic primary election to run for Hawaii's 1st Congressional District in the General Election. Mark has served in the Hawaii State House of Representatives representing the Aiea-Pearl City region and Aiea district. Mark has been an active supporter of Veterans issues as a House Representative and enjoyed strong Veteran voter support in the primary.
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In response to the North Vietnamese attack of August 2 and the assumed attack of August 4 in the Gulf of Tonkin, President Johnson orders the U.S. Navy to launch Operation PIERCE ARROW from the aircraft carriers USS Ticonderoga and USS Constellation. Aircraft strike petroleum storage facilities at Vinh, North Vietnam, as well as naval craft at several bases. Two aircraft are lost during the strikes. One pilot, Lieutenant (jg) Richard A. Sather, is killed in action and the other, Lieutenant (jg) Everett Alvarez, is captured. Alvarez becomes the first U.S. prisoner of war in North Vietnam. He is held captive until February 1973.
Photo 12: The Takai family: Mark, wife Sami, son Matthew and daughter Kaila (Photo credit: Midweek)
Private Organization Status The Hawaii Commandery has been approved to operate on Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam. This is another endorsement of our Commandery as a value-added veteran’s organization in service to the community. We will have to submit an updated request at the end of the year to carry us through 2015. See the letter on p. 10.
50th Vietnam War Commemoration: 50 years ago this month, the Tonkin Incident unfolded in which U.S. and Communist North Vietnamese forces engaged in combat. Current members of our Commandery qualified for Veteran Companion status as a result of their service in the Vietnam War. On August 2, 1964, the destroyer USS Maddox is stationed in the Gulf of Tonkin in support of South Vietnamese espionage operations off the coast of North Vietnam. Three small North Vietnamese vessels engage the Maddox by launching torpedoes, each of which miss their mark. One round from their deck guns hits the Maddox’s superstructure. Shellfire from the Maddox hits the attackers and F-8 Crusader jets, dispatched from the aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga, strafe all three enemy boats, leaving one dead in the water and on fire.
This incident led to Congress passing the Tonkin Gulf Resolution on 7 August, which paved the way to the introduction of U.S. Armed Forces into the Republic of Vietnam.
World War I Centennial Commission: Some of our members can trace their roots to ancestors with military service in the First World War, and indeed one hereditary member of the Commandery qualified based on the WWI service of her ancestor. WWI began when Britain and Germany went to war on 4 August 1914. From 2017 through 2019, the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission will coordinate events and activities commemorating the Centennial of the Great War. The Commission has partnered with a broad range of organizations across the United States and around the world to spotlight events publications, productions, activities, programs, and sites that allow people in the United States to learn about the history of World War One, the United States involvement in that war, and the war's effects on the remainder of the 20th century, and to commemorate and honor the participation of the United States and its citizens in the war effort.
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The Commission will serve as a clearing house for the collection and dissemination of information about events and plans for the centennial of World War One. The Commission will also encourage private organizations and State and local governments to organize and participate in activities commemorating the centennial of World War One.
August 5, 1864 saw 18 Union ships sail past the entrance to Mobile Bay. The C. S. S. Tennessee, the prized ironclad of the Confederate Navy awaited the attack. As the U. S. S. Tecumseh sinks Admiral David Farragut orders "Damn the torpedoes, go ahead." His flag vessel Hartford took the lead. The Union ships destroyed the Confederate fleet.
Visit http://worldwar-1centennial.org/ for more information.
August21, 1864 – CSA General Nathan B. Forrest liberates Memphis. Almost 2,000 Confederates occupied Memphis for a few hours during the day, nearly capturing Major Generals Stephen Hurlbut and C. C. Washburn. The raid forced troops operating in the area to withdraw to Memphis, giving Forrest free reign to raid William Tecumseh Sherman's supply lines
While the U.S.A. did not declare war upon Germany until Germany April 6, 1917, and on the AustriaHungarian Empire on 7 December 1917, the war was immediately felt in Pacific, as the British Commonwealth prepared for operations to neutralize the potential German threat from their nearby possessions. In Australia and New Zealand, the centennial commemorati0ons of the War celebrate the Australian & New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). For more information go to http://www.anzaccentenary.gov.au/index.htm or http://ww100.govt.nz/
Civil War Sesquicentennial. Some of our members can trace their military roots to the Civil War. While an ancestor’s service in this war does not qualify for hereditary companionship in the MOFW, it is part of the military heritage our Order seeks to preserve for future generations. It is interesting to note that Major General William Rufus Shafter, after whom Fort Shafter Hawaii is named, earned a Medal of Honor in the Civil War, and yet did not qualify for membership in the order until he served in the Spanish-American War. MG Shafter later served as the Commander of the California Commandery. As we chart the course of America’s deadliest conflict, the month of August has many interesting engagements. Two are selected here for your reading pleasure.
For more interesting history, go to http://www.civilwar.org/150th-anniversary/
Treasurer’s Report The Commandery has filed its annual IRS Form 990 Postcard, and has submitted an official request for federal determination of our tax exempt status. This is a long process that will take from 3 to 6 months. In the meantime, we remain registered as a tax-exempt organization for the purposes of tax filing, and have been granted exemption from excise taxes from the State of Hawaii.
Days to display the American Flag: 11 Sept - Patriots Day 17 Sept – Constitution Day 18 Sept – U.S. Air Force established 1947 20 Sept – POW MIA Recognition Day
Commandery Future Operations The next Commandery meeting will take place on Thursday 4 September at the Monterey Bay Canners restaurant (Pearlridge Mall), 98-1005 Moanalua Rd, Aiea, HI 96701, at 1700 hrs. Retiree Appreciation Day The U.S. Army Retiree Council, of Hawaii will host the annual Retiree Appreciation Day at the Nehelani banquet center, Schofield barracks September 13, 2014, 0800 – 1400. Volunteers are needed to man the MOFW Information Table. Please contact the Commander at Hawaii@MOFWUS.org
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RETIREE APPRECIATION DAY PROGRAM 0800
0900
Assembly and Registration (Displays/handouts by veteran organizations and Army activities; medical checks and flu shots)
0900
0905
Posting of the Colors (Leilehua JROTC Color Guard)
0905
0915
Welcome Remarks Lieutenant General Allen K. Ono, USA Retired Chairman, U.S. Army Retiree Council, Hawaii
0915
0935
Tribute to Deceased Retirees Command Sergeant Major Donald Devaney, USA Retired Co-Chairman, U.S. Army Retiree Council, Hawaii
0935
1000
Opening Remarks General Vincent K. Brooks, USA Commanding General, U.S. Army Pacific
1000
1015
Break
1015
1040
TAMC/TRICARE INFORMATION BG Dennis D. Doyle, USA and COL Dunning, USA Commander, PRMC and Commander Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) Mail Order Pharmacy/Handicap Parking/TRICARE Office Closure
1040
1100
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) COL James Horton, USAF Retired Director
1100
1120
CSA Retiree Council Update CSM Joel R. Jenkins, USA Retired Protocol Officer/Congressional Liaison PRMC & TAMC/CSA Retiree Council Member
1120
1150
NAUS (National Association for Uniformed Services) LtGen Jack W. Klimp, USMC Retired President & CEO Discuss latest legislation affecting Retirees & Families
1150
1155
Closing Remarks Lieutenant General Allen K. Ono, USA Retired Chairman, U.S. Army Retiree Council, Hawaii
1155
1200
Retiring of the Colors (Leilehua JROTC Color Guard)
1200
1400
No-host buffet luncheon
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