Hawaii MOFW Commandery News June 2019

Hawaii Commandery

Commandery News June, 2019

Table of Contents:

Vol. VIII, Issue 2, June 2019 Commander’s Comments…………………………………………….. p. 1 Chaplain’s Corner…………………………………………………………. p. 2 Hawaii WWI Cadet Essay Contest ………………………………… p. 3 2019 Cadet Awards Ceremonies …………………………………. p. 5 54th MOFW Convention Report …………..……………………… p. 8 50th Vietnam Cadet Essay Contest……………………………….. p. 11 Commandery Operations ………………………………..…………… p. 15 Companion News ………………………………………………………… p. 18 Hawaii Veterans Summit ……………………………………………… p. 19 Hawaii WWI Symposium ……………………………………………… p. 19 Upcoming Events ……..……………...…………………….……..…… p. 20

Companion and National delegate Col Dave Terrinoni provides us a report from the 54th Biennial Convention held in Orland Florida. The national convention is an important component of fulfilling MOFW Purpose #3 “Strengthen the ties of fellowship among the Companions of the Order.“ The annual Memorial Day Events on Oahu provide our Companions with the opportunity to carry out MOFW Purpose #1: “Honor and perpetuate the names of brave and loyal men and women.,” and MOFW Purpose #2. “Keep in mind the memory of their martial deeds and the victories which they helped gain.” Thank you to Companions Hirai, Manchester, and Tulak, who joined with me over the Memorial Day activities in service.

Cover Photo: Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery,. Photo by PF Bentley, Civil Beat, 2014.

If you have patriotic photos you’d like to share, submit them for consideration for the cover of our next issue!

Commander’s Comments.

This issue also highlights how our Companions are serving the community in other capacities, such as the World War One Centennial Task Force, which is completing its final commemoration events this month. Complements to Companions Arthur Tulak, who served as Chairman of the Task Force since May 2015, and Sr. Vice Commander “Manny Manchester” who served since January 2017. Governor David Ige commended this group of volunteers at the Governor’s Memorial Day Ceremony.

The Commemoration is nearly complete, and Companions are encouraged to participate in the remaining events, as well as others listed on pages 19 and 20.

Aloha Companions!

We are half-way through 2019 and have completed the annual Cadet Awards Ceremonies.

Mahalo to those who volunteered to present here in Hawaii, on the other islands, and in Japan, to ensure our JROTC Cadets had a personal and sincere awards presentation. Thank you also to our presenters at University of Hawaii and University of Guam. These cadet awards ceremonies provide us with the means to fulfill MOFW Purpose #4: ‘Foster the cultivation of military and naval science,’ and are always very satisfying for the volunteers, who enjoy connecting with the best of the next generation of America’s youth, our JROTC and ROTC Cadets!!

Our Companion News section proves that our Companions also serve the community in other capacities, all while bringing credit on our Commandery. I encourage all of you to enjoy the upcoming Independence Day Holiday, and celebrate our Nation, and remember MOFW Purpose #6: “Aid in maintaining national honor, union and independence. “

I am also very pleased with our support to the Cadet Essay Contests, both the WWI Centennial Commemoration Essay Contest and the 50th Vietnam War Commemoration Essay Contest. Winning Essays are included in this issue, along with some extracts from note-worthy essays. This activity encourages scholarship among the Cadets and accomplishes Purpose #7: Foster and encourage the study of American history

“Deus et Libertas” COL, Ret. Chris Spear Commander

and particularly of American military history .

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Chaplains Corner “God,” More Than Just a Word…

By Ch, Col David Terrinoni, USAF, Ret.

Much has happened in my life over the past six weeks. My only sibling, my younger brother, was found by his wife, totally unresponsive, yet breathing, late on a Saturday night, early April. His wife was delayed on departing for her business trip when she found my brother, unconscious, in the basement of their house. He had a very serious brain bleed from a fall, earlier in the day. (Oh God, please don’t let my brother die, yet your will be done.)

The neurosurgeon said that he didn’t think he could save my brother from certain death as he was already in respiratory failure and was on a ventilator. He survived surgery. He then contracted a deep double pneumonia with two forms of bacteria the week following his brain surgery. Again, things looked pretty bad for him and the “stuff” was piling up on my brother. My family and his family were living day by day at the hospital just waiting…..and waiting is so VERY hard….(God, you are the Great Healer, please use my brother as an example of your healing power.)

My wife, Vicki, and I were going to Orlando to represent the Hawaii Commandery at the 54 th Convention of the MOFW and since we would be in Orlando, we planned on taking a week-long cruise before the Convention. Well, my brother’s situation cancelled that plan and our convention plans were in jeopardy.

The week before the Convention, after having a tracheotomy and having a feeding tube installed, my brother seemed stable enough for Vicki and me to go to Orlando. When I left Illinois, my brother was opening his eyes a little bit and minimally responsive…. ….now, two weeks since I’ve last seen my brother, he is mostly awake, aware of what’s going on, still has the trach, but is breathing on his own, pneumonia is gone, and can freely move his left arm, leg, and can mouth words! In fact, as of this writing, he will skip the skilled nursing care/rehab phase and will next go to an acute rehab facility and be discharged to home in about 2-weeks! (God, you are TOO COOL!! Thank you for hearing our prayers!)

Yes, my brother’s recovery journey is going to continue over the course of months and we all have seen what traumatic brain injuries can do to people, yet my hope and faith abound. I’ve learned that God performs many miracles, every day. If we slow down a little and look around, we will see the miracles in our lives – and when we see them, take a moment and thank God, for it is God who carries us through the tough times.

I share this story with you to help remind you that God does hear prayers, though God’s answers are not always what we want or expect. And our MOFW motto, “Deus et Libertas” (God and Liberty) continues to resonate with me as a reminder that God is more than just a word.

Peace, Chaplain David

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Hawaii World War One Cadet Essay Contest It’s Over, Over there

By Cadet Captain Shane Manuel W.R. Farrington High School Governors’ Guard JROTC Battalion

“Only the dead have seen the end of the war.”

George Santayana, 1922.

World War I was the first and at that time was thought to be the last modern war nations would have to fight. Thirty-two countries were involved in the “Great War” and over 8.5 million troops gave their lives for their countries with 21 million more wounded. So many men, husbands, sons, brothers, were lost in a period of 4 years because they had extreme patriotism for their country, sought adventure, or wanted to be a part of something greater than themselves. Among all the combatants was a small territory of the United States of America, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, that became a strong supporter in the United States’ fight against the Central Powers. That small territory was Hawaii which contributed greatly to winning what was known at the time as “the war to end all wars.”

Over 10,000 men and women are honored in the Hawaii War Memorial for serving their part in World War I. Most of the people that were honored weren’t even in combat roles; some were Red Cross workers, ambulance drivers, and missionaries. One of the events that led to the USA’s involvement in the war connected with Hawaii was

the sinking of the S.S. Aztec, one of many merchant vessels sunk by German U-boats off the coast of France. Among the crew on the Aztec were several Merchant Mariners from Hawaii. One survivor of the sinking from Hawaii was Charles Nakao, who recalled his experience in a “Letter to Honolulu”. The letter read of how it was a stormy night and Nakao watched the S.S. Aztec sink helplessly into the ocean. Nakao was later saved by a French patrol boat and transferred to Bordeaux to be shipped back to New York. But he was lucky. Six of Nakao’s Hawaiian shipmates on the Aztec were among those who perished in the sinking and became the first casualties of the US from Hawaii. By the time the Armistice was signed, more than 100 Hawaiians gave their lives for a cause that finally came to an end.

Another story related to Hawaii involves a young lieutenant named R. A. Anderson, an aviator from Honolulu who escaped from a German POW camp along with two other aviators. Anderson, who was wounded three times and road his damaged plane down 3,000 feet, was brought to a German Army hospital and later transferred to a prison camp at Fresnes. The 3 POWs escaped camp with a British Corporal evading capture through open country before coming across a German barracks that was alerted by a sentry. But luckily, they escaped. They spent days and nights retreating back to friendly lines, sleeping in woods and barns. They finally reached Belgium and stayed the night at Brussels. At day break the Corporal and one of the pilots left and Anderson didn’t hear from them afterwards. After a near death experience with another sentry they reached London.

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This story personally connects to me because it involves an aviator, who was shot down behind enemy lines and with the help of other fellow POWs escaped and they somehow made their way back to London. I loved aviation as a little boy and I am inspired to become a pilot. All of this sounds like a surreal Hollywood script, but the cool part about it is that all of this was true. Early war aircraft were open canopy meaning they didn’t have an enclosed cockpit canopy which means that the pilots were exposed to the elements and gunfire. Without the provision of parachutes they couldn’t jump out of the plane when it caught fire. I found it fascinating that the three pilots survived getting shot down, as well as surviving their prison camp escape and journey home.

On the Hawaii WWI Centennial website there was the story of Sergeant George Bung Ngon Tom who was wounded and died in France. SGT Tom, “tall and very handsome” as described by his sister, enlisted at the age of 17 in the Aloha Army Contingent and was shipped to Virginia for training. After training he was attached to the 6th Engineers and was deployed to France. He fought for two years and in the Big Offensive was wounded and hospitalized

for 6 weeks before passing away on October 8, 1918, a few weeks before the armistice was signed. SGT Tom’s body was delivered back to Hawaii along with SGT Apau Kau, another soldier from Hawaii who died in the war. Both were buried in the Oahu Cemetery, since the National Cemetery of the Pacific in Punchbowl would not be built until 30 years later. Both soldiers are honored by the American Legion Post #11, the Kau-Tom Post. Every year Kau-Tom Post #11 presents JROTC American Legion Medals at Farrington’s Annual Awards Ceremony, honoring their service. Both SGT Tom and SGT Kau left their families behind to fight a war that many didn’t want to fight and paid the ultimate sacrifice. Along with that sacrifice, they left an example of honor and inspiration for others to follow. The purpose of being a soldier is to serve and protect the United States and the U.S. Constitution, along with its’ citizens, and being ready to lay down one’s life if necessary. But at the end of the day, soldiers are regular people who wanted to be-

come part of a cause greater than themselves. Sergeant George Bung Ngon Tom and Sergeant Apau En Pau Kau are exemplary examples of this purpose and duty.

Everyone, no matter on which side they were on, had a story to tell about their experiences in the war. From artillerymen to tankers, and even carrier pigeon units, all had a part to play in the war and each with its’ own story.

Many go down as nameless statistics in the war, just another number to add to the mounting count of casualties.

But they are more than just a number. They were men with stories to tell, each as equally fascinating as the next but were unable to tell it due to no one listening or they died in the war. It is up to us to remember World War I: to remember that 100 years ago, on the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour, the Armistice to end “the war to end all wars” went into effect and the world rejoiced. They finally could go back to their families and tell their stories down generation to generation, like how their great-great-grandfather or mother was in the great war and was part of the battle of Gallipoli or had a relative who was part of the Lost Battalion in Argonne. The last few handfuls of World War I veterans have all passed, but a part of them still lives on: through us! Through us and their relatives their stories are remembered, for their heroism and the countless sacrifices they made so that we can live. It is our duty to remember them as a way to say thanks, that we can keep living in a time of freedom, peace, and prosperity.

This essay was selected for publication from among the 2019 entries from several High Schools.

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2019 Cadet Awards Mahalo to our Companions and Commandery Supporters for volunteering to serve the community by presenting MOFW Silver Academics and Bronze Leadership Medals to deserving Cadets at High School JROTC Awards Ceremonies in Hawaii and Japan, University of Hawaii at Mano, and University of Guam.

Here is a photo montage of the cadets and presenters.

COL Spear presenting the MOFW Leadership Medal to CDT Tyler Bagray, and the Academic Medal to CDT Georgette Hutchnison, Waipahu HS, 18 APR 2019.

Photo Left: Companion, Sr. Vice Commander Manny Manchester at Kaimuki presents the MOFW Bronze leadership medal to Cadet Daron Gaskin..

Photo above: From left to right: LTCOL Adam Barsby, Canadian Army, presenting the MOFW Leadership Medal to CDT Wong, and the Academic Medal to CDT Damon, Punahou HS, 8 MAY 2019. At right looking on is Senior Army Instructor LTC Bob

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Companion Manny Manchester presenting the MOFW Leadership Medal to CDT Ethan Gunotto, Kailua HS, 10 MAY 2019.

Companion Straus Scantlin presenting the MOFW Leadership Medal to CDT J'Drien Jones, Radford HS, 17 APR 2019.

Companion Fred Staedel presenting the MOFW Leadership Medal to CDT Johnson (far left), Academic Medal to CDT Gao Jones, and the Leadership Medal to CDT Kim (far right) at University of Hawaii Joint Awards Ceremony, 26 APR 2019.

MOFW Awards arrayed for presentation at Kaimuki High school

Photos Far Left: VFW Post 1054 Command Michael Castro presents the MOFW Leadership medal to : c/ MCPO Toni Ludwig "at Nile C. Kinnick High School, Yokosuka, Japan, on 28 May 2019.

Photo immediate left: The MOFW-Academics medal is presented to c/PO2 Zayne Hyider

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These ceremonies are always a rewarding experience for the presenters, and the effect on the Cadets and their families is very evident.

Junior Vice Commander, COL Peter Hirai shares his experiences from the 2019 Cadet Awards Season: “This year, because I get off work at 1500 daily and have time to travel, I volunteered to burn some gasoline and take the most distant JROTC awards ceremonies as well as several in town. Amongst those I attended this year: Roosevelt High School Army JROTC Kahuku High School Army JROTC McKinley High School Army JROTC Campbell High School Navy JROTC Waianae High School Army JROTC My odometer put in a whopping 188 miles traveling these schools! It was well worth the travels, seeing all these young leaders beaming with pride when they receive their MOFW Awards. Quite often, many of us end up presenting for multiple Roosevelt High School: C/SFC Kharmelo Banez & C/SSG Dallas Son Veterans organizations that we represent; as examples I also presented on behalf of the Oahu Veterans Council, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1540, and the Association of the US Army!�

Photo at Left: cadet PVT Victoria Mendoza being presented the MOFW academic medal from Ms. Kim Blaum, VFW Photo above: Companion Fred Staedel presenting the MOFW Leadership Medal to CDT Harrison, and the Academic Medal to CDT Mathew Leonard, Mililani HS, 15 MAY 2019.

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Report from the 54th Bi-Annual Convention

by Hawaii National Delegate Chaplain, Col. David Terrinoni, USAF (ret) The 54th Bi-Annual Convention of the Military Order of Foreign Wars (MOFW) started with a meeting of the National Council on the evening of 2 May at the Avanti Palms Resort Hotel in Orlando, FL and concluded Saturday evening, 4 May, with the traditional formal military dinner where the 2019-2021 National Officers take their oaths of office and pass the National Commander’s flag from the outgoing Commander General to the incoming Commander General (CG).

This is the third Bi-Annual Convention that I’ve attended and, in my humble opinion, the least controversial and a more productive Convention than the last two. Here are the highlights: Attendance was less than expected , but those present were sufficient to establish a quorum of motivated Companions for the Convention that helped set the foundation for a stronger Order and for future growth.

The positions of Registrar-General , Webmaster General, and Newsletter Editor have been vacant since May 31st of last year, as MAJ George Miller retired after years of effective service in these positions. The position of Registrar General is critical, as he or she tracks membership and also works closely with the Treasurer-General in budgeting income/ expenses via Commandery Head Taxes. National currently receives Head Taxes for about 60% of members on the last completed Roll at the end of 2017.

The National Commandery will be requesting all Commanderies to provide the most current membership rosters they have for corrections and updates, after the Orlando Convention. The National Commandery requests that all Companions/Commanderies have a good email address on the rosters so that National can get into the 21st Century with emailing newsletters, correspondence, invitations to future Conventions, etc.

The Registrar-General is also responsible to track Companions who have graduated into God’s Kingdom (Deus et Libertas!). This responsibility led to much discussion on appropriately and timely recognizing and honoring our Companions who have died by presenting the Next of Kin (NOK) with a MOFW certificate signed by the CG and Commandery Commander. (Purposes 1, 2, 3 of the Order).

The vacancy in the Webmaster General and News Letter Editor have impacted communications across the order, and Companions with these skills should consider volunteering.

There was much discussion on whether all appointed national positions (Secretary, Quartermaster, Asst Quartermaster Generals, etc) would be allowed to vote in MOFW business matters was continued from the last Convention. The main concern is to maintain a check and balance at the National level because it is possible that a CG could appoint all their friends and assure votes on business matters could go in a predetermined direction. Like last Convention, there was no final decision reached. Continuing another discussion from the last convention, the possibility of forming a MOFW Auxiliary was explored and no final decision was reached.

Membership recruitment and types of membership opportunities were presented for individual Commanderies to decide: - Expand Honorary members? ROTC Commanders are a good possibility to include as a conduit for MOFW exposure to cadets.

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Should Sr NCOs be allowed? Absolutely “yes” for Hereditary membership. Other than Hereditary membership, NCOs should not be allowed to join to maintain the non-fraternization perceptions for our currently active duty/ Guard/Reserve members and potential members.

We should definitely leverage the current interest in family ancestry and family history, to attract potential Hereditary members.

We should also focus on recruiting ROTC/JROTC instructors, who qualify, as members of the Order. It can be as simple as presenting our 7-Purposes (especially the education and history foci), criteria for joining MOFW and asking the instructors to present MOFW to cadets for possible Hereditary membership.

The Delegates evaluated the low attendance of this Convention (16 Companions and 27 people at the Saturday night banquet) as compared to the 2017 Convention banquet (86 people). Speculation for the lower turnout included the holding the Convention in early May (children are still in school), and that contrary to standard procedures, a specific Commandery was not assigned the Convention planning duties.

Recent tradition was for the Commandery of the Senior Vice Commander General to host and plan the Convention that the Senior Vice would be elected to CG. This Convention, in Orlando, was unanimously approved by the 2017 Convention delegates, though the Senior Vice CG was not from Florida. After some discussion, Companion Terrinoni introduced a motion that was unanimously approved by the 2019 Convention Delegates.

The motion reads: “The MOFW will create the Convention Events Committee chaired by the newly elected Junior Vice CG with three other Commandery Representatives (each from a different Commandery) and advised by past and present CGs and other experts, as appropriate.”

The intent of the Events Committee is to take the involuntary drafting of the Senior Vice CG’s Commandery out of the equation when Junior and Senior Vice CGs are nominated for their respective positions. The priorities for the MOFW Convention Events Committee are: 1. Look at potential future locations and date of Conventions 2. Ease of travel to the location 3. Overall cost to the delegates and MOFW for the Conventions 4. Availability of family-oriented activities for spouses/children at the locations 5. When planning Conventions, to get back to the MOFW Functions Manual with business in the morning and free time/family time in the afternoon. In other words, make Conventions fun.

The MOFW Convention Committee for the 2021 Convention is chaired by our new Junior Vice CG, Tom Mohler (Texas), Connecticut, New York, and Hawaii (Companion Terrinoni). National stressed the importance of support and attendance by all Commanderies as prices with venues are negotiated by assuring a certain minimum number of participants.

The Treasurer General reminded everyone the importance of keeping their paperwork current with the IRS for Tax Exempt status (501C4). Most of the Commanderies are sub-units of the National Tax ID number. Again, the HI Commandery is one of only a few Commanderies to have been set-up as a 501C3 organization where donations to our Order may be tax deductible on Income Tax – just keep the IRS paperwork current.

The Quartermaster General (QMG) presented a number of options for Commanderies: - Newer/better quality Achievement/Leadership medals are now being made by a new vendor who did not charge MOFW any set-up fees or tooling fees.

- Some delegates asked about MOFW uniform hats. The HI Commandery has all the hats in the MOFW inventory and delegates were told to talk with the HI Commandery if they want any hats.

- The QMG can have any hat/shirt/coat/etc embroidered with the MOFW logo. Just contact QMG Brad.

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- There is a MOFW Medallion of Merit available to all Commanderies to purchase and present to people outside of the Order who have helped the Order, in some special way. This Medallion can only be presented to Non-Members. If there is a Companion who has earned a special recognition, use the “Order” medals instead of the Medallion.

All medals are available on the MOFW website.

The inscription on the Medallions read, “Presented by the Commander General for Outstanding Service to the Order.”

The National Board has been looking at protecting Personal Identifying Information (PII). For all of us who have recently served in the military and US government, this topic is nothing new.

2019 Delegates to MOFW Bi-Annual Convention However, for MOFW, PII is now a big topic of concern. The National Officers will be developing a policy for MOFW. Until then, safeguard all MOFW applications and if anyone receives someone’s DD214, etc, protect those records.

The National Officers want individual Commanderies to check each application and to verify to National that the Commandery “Recommends Approval” for a qualified applicant. National does NOT want any DD214 copies. If a Commandery is going to receive a copy of a DD214 from an applicant, make sure the applicant only submits copies and NOT original DD214s. National trusts Commandery Commanders will perform the quality check for potential members of the Order.

Future applications to MOFW will include a Privacy Act disclaimer so that applicants will know what they are submitting and that it will be protected or/and destroyed after their application request is decided.

The slate of National Officers was elected without exception. Our new CG is COL (ret) Chris Herndon (DC). Senior Vice CG is LCDR Chris St Victor de Pinho (Conn). Junior Vice CG is Ch, Col Tom Mohler (Texas). The rest of the National Officers can be found on the MOFW website.

Dave between CG & HI Flags

Mahalo to the HI Commandery for allowing me to, again, represent you by voice and vote at this MOFW Convention.

Deus et Libertas!

Ch, Col (ret) David M. Terrinoni 10

2019 50th Vietnam War Cadet Essay Contest This is the 6th year of the Vietnam War Cadet Essay Contest, which provides Cadets the opportunity to write an essay for publication in one of 3 categories. This year, Cadets from Farrington and Punahou received recognition for their excellent essays. Congratulations to those recognized for 2019: 1st place (Cat 1) CDT Harlow Thomas Punahou, “On his way home” 2nd Place 2019 Cadet Tori Djou Punahou High School JROTC. “Lessons about Duty, Honor, Country” 3rd Place 2019 Cadet Calista Agmata Punahou High School JROTC, and best Cat III, “A Lack of Appreciation for those Who Protect Us” 1st Runner up for Category II -2019 Matthew Herrera Farrington JROTC 2nd Runner up for Category II -2019 John Paul Nening Farrington JROTC

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 and another from the DoD 50th Vietnam War Commemoration signed by MG James T. Jackson.

Here are some excerpts from the thoughtful Cadet essays: 2nd Place: Cadet Tori Djou, “Lessons About Duty, Honor, Country”

LTC Bob Takao, Senior Army Instructor of Punahou High School, presents the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place certificates and prize checks to Cadets Thomas, Djou, and Agmata

In 2011, my dad deployed to Afghanistan in operation Enduring Freedom. In the Vietnam war, my grandpa served as a radio operator. Both deployed with hearts of service for their country. I remember the day my dad came home. My sister and I waited with our mom and grandparents at the airport. The escalator slowly brought his mossy green and brown pixel uniform into view. My sister ran to my father and he hugged her with open arms. Tears fell like autumn leaves in abundance. I hesitated and then came to realization that he was home. My grandpa fought a different war. He deployed in a war that became the crux of scrutinization. America did not see heroes, they saw a horrific lost war. The blame was soon turned to the very people who risked their lives for their country. Behind the scenes of war ordinary citizens also fought at home for the people the cared about and served their country in a very different way. Two different wars, but no matter if it is a civilian or soldier, soldier then or soldier now they still continue to make sacrifices and serve lessons of duty, honor, and country.

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Merriam Webster dictionary defines duty as “obligatory tasks, service, or functions”. My family would describe duty as a calling to do what is right. It is not something you are forced to do, but something that moves you inside your heart. It was the Vietnam veterans’ duty to respond to the call of their country. For my grandpa, it was his duty to protect what he believed in and serve a force greater than himself. Not all people had that heart in Vietnam, but the majority did and it was unfair to categorize all veterans in that way. Civilian counterparts made sacrifices for duty as well. The families of Vietnam veterans had to keep living while knowing that someone they care about was fighting a war. The duties and responsibilities fulfilled at home were just as important as those in Vietnam. The lessons that the duty of Vietnam veterans and civilian teaches us that we all have a duty to do something. Your duty may be to serve your country through combat, but it doesn’t have to be. The Vietnam war teaches us that you must trust in your duty even when it may be unpopular. It also teaches us that we should have respect for others and what they have been called to do. Furthermore, Vietnam teaches us that everyone has a duty. A duty to be kind, to help people, to build.

The only question that remains is Are you willing listen? Nobody can decide that except for the individual.

3rd Place: Cadet Agmata, “A Lack of Appreciation for those Who Protect Us” “The parade routes were empty when veterans of Vietnam returned home; they received no hurrahs, thank you for your services, or pats on the back. Instead, many veterans were greeted by indifference and sometimes hate. Upon landing veterans were demonstrated against by protesters of the war, some even experienced being spat on and called “baby killers." Christian G. Appy explains in his book Working-Class War: American Combat Soldiers and Vietnam, "Some protesters simply did not make a clear distinction between the war and those who fought it, and they regarded American soldiers as ready and willing killers or ignorant dupes.” The homecoming experience for these vets mainly consisted of discarding their uniforms at first chance and concealing themselves and their past in civilian clothes. "There has really never been anyone who has asked me: 'What happened to you over there? What was it like?' It's like having a whole year of your life that didn't exist," veteran Jamie Bryant explained, "When you first get back, you don't think about it much.

Then you begin to wonder why no one asks the questions. Then you begin to feel like maybe it isn't something you should talk about."

The opinions of society toward Vietnam veterans wasn’t the only disappointment these men faced, the lack of support from the government also fell short. The government’s accommodations for veterans were not adequate. Veterans were entitled to 200 dollars from the government each month; which is enough for living costs but too measly to pay for further education. 250,000 veterans were unable to find a job and many of them turned to crime within the first ten years of returning. Another area veterans didn’t receive sufficient

help was medically; many veterans came from working-class families and didn’t have access to health care.

Thus, many of them relied on the government for treatment. However, the VA did not provide quality care; their hospitals were dirty, understaffed, and were unable to give veterans the help they needed physically and mentally. Thus unfortunately, due to a lack of mental and emotional support there have been 100,000 suicides committed by Vietnam veterans.

It wasn’t until the 1980s that the country began to acknowledge Vietnam veterans, and finally built a memorial for soldiers who passed. Society was determined to no longer blame the soldier, who served their country, and treat future veterans with greater respect and appreciation. America has come a long way since Vietnam, but regrettably not far enough in terms of support for veterans. Examples of this can be seen after the war in Iraq.”

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First Place Essay “On his way home”

By Cadet Harlow Thomas Punahou Army JROTC He was on his way home, riding on the long train from California to Mississippi.

He was minding his own business, trying to just remove the horrors of his best friend in millions of pieces across the field. He tried to focus on what he remembers of his young wife and newborn child. He is abruptly startled when he looks up and the teenager across the row of the train just spit in his face. He smiled and turned away. He understands the true meaning of patriotism. And, he valued that his fellow countrymen did not have to support the democracy that he so wildly defended with every ounce of being. Although truth be told, it hurt. He left his young family to defend his country, not because he thought it was the right thing to do, but because his president asked him to do it. Didn’t they understand that? My grandfather was on his way home from fighting in the Vietnam war - to my two-month-old mother when this happened to him. He was baffled, and from that day on dreaded putting on his uniform.

America was torn in half during the Vietnam war. It seems strange to comprehend that Americans were not proud of their military. They were abusive to military members walking down the street, buying hamburgers and just trying to live their lives. America was trying to establish their identity and more than half of the young population was in turmoil about the conflict in Vietnam and took it out on their fellow Americans dressed in military uniforms.

Many of the American Citizens during the Vietnam war were very against America's participation in it. Many people saw no chance of success in the War and thought that the military and government were making a huge mistake by becoming a part of it. The American civilians would constantly disrespect the returning veterans in their actions and in their response towards the draft.

Many of the civilians during the Vietnam war showed little respect for the Men and Women who had served at the time. As “wartime atrocities came to light” (History.com) the Vietnam veterans had a blanket of shame placed over them by the civilians. With more knowledge about the happenings of the Vietnam War, came more hatred and disrespect towards the veterans, even if the veterans were unbeknownst to some information or actions that were taken during the war, the blame of that belonged to certain people were washed over the military and put onto the shoulders of every single active duty or veteran person.

Some Civilians during the Vietnam War took action to spread their views on what they thought was right. There were anti-military protesters that would surround the white house and other important government buildings.

These protestors also supported draft dodgers and showed disrespect in many ways towards the military and its serving men and women.

At the time of the Vietnam War, about two-thirds of the military was filled with people who volunteered. The other third of the military was drafted. This piece of information made a lot of civilians feel very angry. There were people called “draft dodgers” who did as the name says. They avoided being drafted into the military. Because there are many reasons that are acceptable to avoid being drafted it was almost easy to do so. Some reasons are things like having mental health or physical health problems, being needed at home, having children, being married. But the people who were named “draft dodgers” were the ones who claimed to be homosexuals or fled to nearby countries to avoid joining the military.

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A lesson that could be learned from the Vietnam war, is communication. The government and the civilians had very little communication about what was going on, so when the civilians learned about certain events and situations, they would lash out and keep going strong with the anti-military protests, and the disrespectful actions towards veterans. The government should have communicated more clearly with the civilians and maybe there would have been more understanding of the government's thought process, and less hatred towards the military would have emerged. The civilians at the time had a good idea of how to get their message across, protests. Protests were a safe way to get a message to a person in a higher position. What was wrong with what the civilians were doing, was the way they that they were not trying to understand what was happening, they just wanted their way. They didn’t care who was hurt or who died, they just wanted the war to be over. Which is not a bad thing, but if you go about it by spitting on and being rude to people who fought for your country, then you are being rude to the people who were trying to end and win the war. The civilians didn’t fully understand that, and I don’t think many of them wanted to. The civilians who did the anti-military protests were trying to convey a message of peace, and how they wanted peace with other countries, but they were showing a lack of peace within their country by disrespecting the military and government.

Another lesson that could be learned from the Vietnam war, is respect. The way we should treat our fellow U.S citizens, military or not should be with respect and love. The way the veterans were treated by civilians and the government was unacceptable. Their peers hated them, spat on them, called them names, and acted like they were the enemy and not the ones fighting for the U.S. Also, their government failed them. Many veterans G.I. benefits were much less than promised. And what they did actually get was lacking in quality and quantity. Many veterans who were promised healthcare in their G.I. benefits were denied healthcare for many different reasons. Also, many veterans were unable to find good and suitable jobs because of their status as a veteran of the Vietnam war.

Stories on top of stories, tell us about the disrespect shown towards the military during the Vietnam War. And with America fighting within itself, our country was divided based on how you viewed the military. Nowadays, the respect shown towards men and women in uniform is very different. People of all ages show their respect and gratitude for our military in many ways. But from all of the turmoil and trouble caused by the Vietnam War, we can at least look back at our country's mistakes, so we can learn from them. We can better our country and ourselves by learning from the past, knowing what we can do better, and always communicating within our country so everyone always knows what is happening.

Bibliography: https://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-protests https://www.history.com/news/vietnam-war-veterans-treatment https://thevietnamwar.info/vietnam-war-draft/#ViewPollResults

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Commandery Operations — Memorial Day 2019 Centennial Task Force Memorial Day—Waikiki The first event over the Memorial Day weekend was the 31st Annual Memorial Day commemoration ceremony at the World War One Memorial and Natatorium in Waikiki. Companion Manny Manchester represented the Commandery and presented on our behalf. As an Officer of the Hawaii WWI Centennial Task Force, Manny was interviewed by KHON Television. Cadet Jarius Peralta, a 50th Vietnam War Cadet Essayist, was one of the speakers for this event alongside Congressman Ed Case and Rear Admiral Matthew Carter, Deputy Commander U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Photos: Top right: Screen capture of Manny’s TV interview with KHON Channel 2, aired on the Six O’clock news. Bottom left: CDT LTC Jarius Peralta addresses the audience on how this next generation is learning from WWI. Bottom Right: Companion Manchester presenting a wreath assisted by Young Marines from the Pyramid Rock Battalion.

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Commandery Operations — Memorial Day 2019 Mayor’s Memorial Day Ceremony — Punchbowl Commander Chris Spear represented the Commandery at the 70th Mayor’s Memorial Day Ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on 27 May 2019, presenting a wreath in honor of our War Dead. Wreath presentations at the Mayor’s Ceremony have become so popular that event organizers have restricted the diameter of floral wreaths to 19 inches to accommodate the larger number. This year, the orientation changed so that seats faced towards the ocean. This permitted a view of the graves and allowed for easier observation of the fly-over ceremony, performed this year by F-22s at Hickam Air Field. The keynote speaker was Admiral John Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations. Cadets dressed in 1950s style uniforms assisted the Mayor, the Hawaii Congressional Delegation and the Governor in presenting the main wreath.

Photos: Top left is CNO ADM John Richardson making his remarks. Bottom left, the Mayor leads the Congressional delegation and Governor in presenting a wreath. Bottom Right, Commander Spear prepares to present the Commandery 16

Commandery Operations — Memorial Day 2019 Governor’s Memorial Day Ceremony — Kaneohe Commander Chris Spear marched with the Commandery flag, carried by Cadets from the Hawaii National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Academy. Companion Arthur Tulak represented Veterans in accompanying Governor Ige, Congressman Ed Case, and BG Ken Hara, Deputy Adjutant General of the Hawaii National Guard, in presenting the State Wreath, alongside the wreath presented by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Speakers were Governor Ige and ADM Phil Davidson, Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

The theme of this year’s ceremony was “Honoring Those Who Answered the Call” and honored the Hawaii WWI Centennial Task Force for their efforts to honor and remember Hawaii’s WWI Veterans, and the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetREP), headed by Major General Antonio M. Taguba, US Army Retired and the Hawaii state-level committee, led by Anita Aloando-Acohido, for their long hard efforts to recognize the important contributions of Filipino Veterans of WWII who fought for the U.S. In his remarks, GOV Ige thanked the HI WWI Centennial Task Force for their efforts. The Hawaii Commandery was one of the first Veterans Organizations to join the Task Force, and Companions Tulak and Manchester are Task Force Officers.

Photos: Top Right Commander Spear marches with the Commandery Flag in the parade of flags.

Middle Right: Companion Tulak, BG Hara, wreathbearer, Gov. Ige and Ed Case prepare to present the wreath. Bottom Right: ADM Davidson, 3rd from right, leads the senior delegation officers representing from L-R, the XIV Coast Guard District; U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Army Pacific; Pacific Air Forces, and Marine Forces Pacific in presenting a wreath for all forces in U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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Companion News— Companion Straus Scantlin was the invited speaker for the Hawaii Aloha Council of the Boy Scouts of American Good Turn Day at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific on the Sunday before Memorial Day. The Scouts assemble to ceremoniously lay the floral lei at each Veteran’s headstone the day before Memorial Day, continuing the tradition of the very first post-Civil War Decoration Day, which started the tradition of decorating the graves of the fallen with flowers.

Photo at Right: Companion Straus Scantlin addresses the Scouts before they march out across the cemetery to decorate the graves.

Companion Manny Manchester supported the annual Civil War Graves ceremony held very year on the Saturday before Memorial Day. This event at the Oahu Cemetery was supported by the Hawaii Ceremonial Guard, the Civil War Roundtable, Daughters and Sons of Hawaiian Warriors, and the Royal Hawaiian Band.

Photos: Left: Companion Manchester with the Color Guard. Right: the Civil War Round Table Color Guard and the HING Ceremonial Guard.

Companion Arthur Tulak was awarded the Lex Brodie Above and Beyond Award for his chairmanship of the Hawaii WWI Centennial Task Force from May 2015 to June 2019. The Aloha Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution hosted the presentation on 23 FEB 2019 at the DAR House.

Feeling left out? Share your news with your fellow Companions!!

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Hawaii Veterans Summit Mark your calendars. The State of Hawaii Office of Veterans Services is proud to announce the Inaugural Hawai‘i Veterans Summit, to be held in Honolulu on June 21-22, 2019.

Over a two-day period, veterans, veterans organizations, and supportive services from all echelons, to include Federal, State, County, and private non-profit agencies will be able to educate and network with Veterans and their loved ones. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs will provide the latest information on benefits and health care.

Representatives from several service providers will be in attendance to interact with veterans to learn more about the needs of the veteran community. Connecting Veterans with vital services, conducting workshops, offering support meetings, employment information, cultural activities, ceremonies, guest speakers, Veterans benefits coordination, Social Security briefings, and Women Veterans discussions are all part of the agenda.

Junior Vice Commander Peter Hirai has reserved a table for the MOFW to participate in this event to connect with Veterans who may be interested in our organization and its mission of service.

For those who participated in the Poppy Appeal table on the Centenary of the Armistice on November 11th last year, this will be another opportunity for us to connect with other Veterans organizations to work jointly on projects of mutual interest.

Please consult your calendar to see if you will be available to fill a shift at the table to represent the Commandery at this inaugural event.

Seats are limited. REGISTER NOW: https://hawaiiveteransfoundation.org/ QUESTIONS: 2019summitinfo@gmail.com

Hawaii World War One Symposium June26-28 , 2019 The Hawaii WWI Centennial Task Force will be hosting an WWI academic symposium to mark the end of the WWI Centennial Commemoration Period to be held in downtown Honolulu at the Aloha Tower. This is the last event of the Hawaii WWI Centennial Commemoration under the leadership of the Hawaii State Department of Defense. This academic symposium is co-hosted by Hawaii Pacific University, the Arizona Memorial Visitors’ Center, and the Hawaii WWI Centennial Task Force. https://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/communicate/press-media/wwi-centennial-news/6185 -hawai-i-world-war-i-symposium-and-activities-may-26-28.html? utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery The symposium will feature speakers with presentations focused on Final military actions of 1918, such as the Siberian Intervention, as well as the major activities associated with the Paris Peace Conference. Topics include: 1) Political or social changes caused by the war/peace process/returning soldiers (spread of nationalism, diseases, anti-colonial efforts, etc.); 2) Military demobilization; 3) Civilian rebuilding and humanitarian efforts immediately post-conflict; 4) Army Expeditionary Force in Siberia; 5) Influence on/creation of Veterans or professional organizations (i.e. American Legion, Military Order of World Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Reserve Officers Assn., National Defense Industrial Assn., et al.), and; 6) the history of the Coastal Artillery Branch in Hawaii and its outlook as an operations concept in the aftermath of WWI. The symposium will run from 0800-1630 26 and 27 June. There will be a catered reception at the end of the first day. In addition to the symposium, there will be a special boat tour of Pearl Harbor, narrated by Chief Historian, NPS Ranger Daniel Martinez, to recall the events and activities in Pearl Harbor during WWI. Finally, the Arizona Memorial Theater will host WWI Film Festival at 1600 on 27 June. To register, visit https://secure.touchnet.com/C20833_ustores/web/classic/product_detail.jsp?

PRODUCTID=555&SINGLESTORE=true

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Upcoming events: • • • • •

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MOFW Quartermaster Store Sale June and July All Sales, other than medals, will receive a 10% Discount!!

6 June — 75th Anniversary of D-Day Landings in France in WWII. 14 June —Army's 244th birthday // Flag Day 14 June — U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii Army Birthday Luau at Schofield Barracks Weyand Field 16 JUN, Hawaii National Guard Youth CHalleNGe Academy Class 18-2 (50) Graduation and Awards Ceremony, 1000 hrs, Pearl City Cultural Center Auditorium 2100 Hookiekie Street, Pearl City, Hawaii . Companions are invited to participate.

21 June— Hawaii Army Museum 38th Annual Golf Tournament Leilehua Golf Course www.hiarmymuseumsoc.org/

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21-22 JUN—Hawaii Veterans Summit, Hawaii Convention Center. Companions are requested to volunteer to man our table.

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24 June — 69th Anniversary of the Korean War: Korean War Veterans Assn, 1000 hrs, NMCP 4 July— Independence Day. USAG HI 4th of July Spectacular – Weyand Field 1 August — Air Force Day 4 August — Coast Guard Day 7 August — National Purple Heart Day. 14 August— National Navajo Code Talkers Day, VJ Day 15 AUG and 17 AUG Na Koa Wounded Warrior Regatta Waikiki Beach, Fort DeRussy, 0800-1530 hrs.nakoaregatta.org 29 August — Marine Corps Reserve Birthday

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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 2019 Sponsors:

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