A PACIFIC HISTORIC PARKS PUBLICATION
43rd Pacific Consortium July 8-12, 2019 Tumon, Guam
SPRING 2019
CONTENTS
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SPRING 2019
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13 President & CEO Aileen Utterdyke
94-1187 Ka Uka Blvd. Waipahu, HI 96797 www.pacifichistoricparks.org (808) 954-8729 Toll-free: (888) 332-1941
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Board of Directors Neil A. Sheehan, Chairman Alan Mattson, Vice-Chairman Clif Purkiser, Secretary Jeff Bell, Treasurer James M. Boersema Noel W. Bragg
REMEMBERANCE SPRING 2019
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President’s Message
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43rd Pacific Circle Consortium
Connecting Past and Present in the Pacific
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The Ragdoll and the Marine
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Saipan On the Road to Recovery
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How Feathers Brought
Communities Together
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Annual Report
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Thank You Pacific Historic Parks Volunteers!
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Curator’s Corner
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Pearl Harbor Gram, Prayer for the Dead
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You Make It Happen!
MISSION STATEMENT To support the USS Arizona Memorial and other Pacific historic locations through education and interpretive programs, research, preservation, and restoration, to perpetuate the memory of events and honor the people involved in these sites. Remembrance is published four times a year as a benefit to Friends of Pacific Historic Parks.
Board of Directors (cont.) Alma M. Grocki Patricia A. Lucas Edward J. Lynch Mark Y. Matsunaga Edward H. Noh Alby L. Saunders Mathew Sgan James E. VanDerKamp Kwai S. “Sunny” Young Directors Emeritus James K. Sylva Geoffrey M. White
Legal Adviser Joachim P. Cox Publication Advisers Aileen Utterdyke Edean Saito Gail Ann Chew Chandra Kim Sarah Walsh Layout & Design Chase Nuuhiwa
President & CEO Message Who kept the faith and fought the fight; The glory theirs, the duty ours. - Wallace Bruce
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ounded to ensure the legacy of those “who kept the faith and fought the fight” in defense of our country and for peace around the world, Pacific Historic Parks’ mission embraces the importance for all of us to never forget . . . to always remember. As Wallace Bruce wrote, “the duty is ours”. For if we don’t remember, if we don’t provide education for and encourage others to remember, if we neglect our duty – then the sacrifices of so many will be for nothing. This year we will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Guam and the Battle of Saipan with special ceremonies at the War in the Pacific National Historical Park (Guam) and the American Memorial Park (Saipan). Both engagements were integral to the American position in the Pacific during World War II. In Guam, U.S. forces not only acquired a key harbor and several significant airfields, but also liberated U.S. territory that had been captured by enemy forces in 1941. Saipan was strategically important because its capture would allow Americans to build runways long enough for its B29 bombers to reach mainland Japan and return to base in Saipan, as well as cut off enemy forces from their homeland.
As we reflect on these battles and commemorate the sacrifice of our military service men and women, let us always remember . . . not just one day, but every day because it is our duty and because if we don’t, then who will pass on this history, share this history with future generations? Our Spring Edition of Remembrance features the return of the “Curator’s Corner” where we feature artifacts and stories behind valuable pieces of history. Our mission to preserve history, and to share it with future generations is critical now as time is working against us; the survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor and World War II veterans are aging, and soon their stories will be gone forever. We at PHP want to ensure their voices and their stories are not lost--stories such as those of Walter F. Staff, Carpenter’s Mate 2nd Class, who was aboard the USS Oklahoma. With your support as friends and members of Pacific Historic Parks, we are able to expand our educational, interpretive and research initiatives to reach audiences around the globe to remember and honor the sacrifices that ensure the freedoms we have today.
AILEEN UTTERDYKE
President & CEO
A copy of the latest financial report, registration filed by this organization, and a description of our programs and activities may be obtained by contacting us at: 94-1187 Ka Uka Blvd., Waipahu, HI 96797, (808) 954-8777. Pacific Historic Parks was formed in Hawaii. If you are a resident of one of the following states, you may obtain financial information directly from the state agency: Florida: A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE, WITHIN THE STATE, 1-800-435-7352 (800-HELP-FLA), OR VISITING www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. Florida Registration #CH17306 Georgia: A full and fair description of our programs and our financial statement summary is available upon request at our office and phone number indicated above. Maryland: For the cost of copies and postage, from the Office of the Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis, MD 21401. Mississippi: The official registration and financial information of Pacific Historic Parks may be obtained from the Mississippi Secretary of State's office by calling 1-888-236-6167. Registration by the Secretary of State does not imply endorsement. Nevada: Contributions may be tax deductible pursuant to the provisions of sec. 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. ¤170(c). New Jersey: INFORMATION FILED WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CONCERNING THIS CHARITABLE SOLICITATION AND THE PERCENTAGE OF CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED BY THE CHARITY DURING THE LAST REPORTING PERIOD THAT WERE DEDICATED TO THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY BY CALLING (973) 504-6215 AND IS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/charfrm.htm. REGISTRATION WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT. New York: Upon request, from the Attorney General Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271. North Carolina: Financial information about this organization and a copy of its license are available from the State Solicitation Licensing Branch at 1-919-814-5400. The license is not an endorsement by the state. Pennsylvania: The official registration and financial information of Pacific Historic Parks may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Virginia: From the State Office of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23218. Washington: From the Secretary of State at 1-800-332-4483 or http://www.sos.wa.gov/charities/ West Virginia: West Virginia residents may obtain a summary of the registration and financial documents from the Secretary of State, State Capitol, Charleston, WV 25305. Wisconsin: A financial statement of the charitable organization disclosing assets, liabilities, fund balances, revenue and expenses for the preceding fiscal year will be provided to any person upon request. REGISTRATION WITH A STATE AGENCY DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OR IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THAT STATE. More information about charity state disclosures and charitable solicitation registrations.
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By hosting PCC in Guam for the region’s educators, we will highlight pivotal moments in Guam’s history, focusing on a theme revolving around remembering our past, understanding its ramifications, and moving toward the future. Hence the theme of this year’s consortium is Connecting Past and Present in the Pacific: Educating Across Generations. Subthemes for conference sessions are as follows: 1. Effective School Improvement Initiatives 2. Innovative Approaches in the Teaching of History in Primary and Secondary Schools 3. Education Curricula for the 21st Century & Reflections of World War II
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Connecting Past and Present in the Pacific: Educating Across Generations By Nicole Calvo, Education Specialist at Wa r i n t h e P a c i f i c N a t i o n a l H i s t o r i c a l P a r k
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019 marks a momentous year for Guam and her people as they prepare to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the island during World War II by U.S. military forces. The occupation of the island by the Japanese Imperial Army from December 1941 to July 1944 dramatically changed the lives of the indigenous people of Guam, the CHamoru, forever. In commemoration of this historic milestone in Guam’s history, Pacific Historic Parks (PHP) will host the 43rd Pacific Circle Consortium (PCC) Conference this July in Tumon, Guam. Established in 1977, PCC is an initiative in international cooperation between educational research and development institutions in the Pacific region to promote international and intercultural understanding and cooperation among the peoples and countries in and around the Pacific Ocean. With a membership that draws an international crowd, we anticipate session presenters as well as conference participants from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Malayasia, The Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, Mexico, Vietnam, and the United States. PHP has been a member of the Pacific Circle Consortium since 2016 and has taken inspiration from previous conferences as it provided teachers a forum on educational global trends and opportunities to generate innovative curriculum ideas in their respective communities. It is the hope of PHP that by working in partnership with various local and federal agencies in Guam, Hawaii and Saipan, we inspire teachers to engage youth to reflect on the lessons learned from World War II in the Pacific.
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REMEMBERANCE SPRING 2019
4. Impact of Globalization within the Pacific 5. Transference of Traditional Knowledge Jaclyn Balajadia, the Education Manager for PHP and the Co-Chairperson of the 43rd PCC explained, “Hosting PCC in Guam offers educators in our region a chance to participate in presentations, discussions, and networking that will contribute to the advancement of educational research and development in the Pacific, as well as to share the historic sites, monuments and memorials at War in the Pacific National Historical Park.” Local teachers will also have the opportunity to earn professional development graduate credits by attending the conference. Since November of 2018, PHP has conducted outreach presentations at local public and private high schools and middle schools to encourage the island’s teachers and administrators to participate and enroll as conference registrants. Balajadia said, “We hope to fill the Hyatt Regency in Tumon, Guam with 300 educators from Guam and the region of Micronesia as well as from the other Pacific island countries and territories that are members of the Consortium to engage in a forum that can shed light on best practices and innovative strategies to help our children become life-long learners.” Cindy Rapadas, PHP’s Regional Director of Guam and Saipan and the Co-Chairperson of the 43rd PCC, said, “With PHP’s vision to be the leading organization supporting significant historical sites in the Pacific for future generations, we are able to provide this incredible opportunity for teachers – who are the backbone of any educational system – as we look for ways to expand how we reach these younger generations to understand and perpetuate the memory of the events and honor the people involved in the historic sites all across the Pacific. We are excited and we welcome all to participate as conference presenters, registered attendees and/or donors.” The 43rd Pacific Circle Consortium will be held at the Hyatt Regency Guam in Tumon, Guam from July 8-12, 2019. For more information, visit the website at www.pccguam2019.org.
The Ragdoll and the Marine By Cindy Rapadas, Regional Director of Guam and Saipan at Pacific Historic Parks
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n July 1944, on a small island in the Pacific, the United States military landed to liberate the people from the tyranny of the Japanese occupation in World War II. War is especially confusing and fearful for children. However, it is on Guam that a young United States Marine gives a young island girl her first toy. The Ragdoll and the Marine is about a young United States Marine liberating an island he knows very little about and a child, who had very little understanding of the danger around her. This story is beautiful and timely. Beautiful, in that it is written more than 50 years later by the child’s daughter and timely because we could all read about kindness and generosity. Fifty years after the end of World War II, the now elder Marine, Richard Washburn reaches out to find the whereabouts of the recipient of the ragdoll, Natty Calvo. A reunion is planned and the wonderful celebration of love and gratitude is seen in the blending of two families. Natty’s youngest daughter, Nicole Calvo takes you on the journey as seen through her eyes. She is a master storyteller whose obvious love and respect for her mother resonates in each page and paragraph.
To purchase your copy of The Ragdoll and the Marine, visit our online store.
WWW.PACIFICHISTORICPARKS.ORG
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Saipan On the Road to Recovery by the Pacific Historic Parks Staff
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n October 24, 2018, Super typhoon Yutu passed over the Marianas Islands early in the morning. The eye of the typhoon passed directly over the islands of Tinian and Saipan, who experienced gust of 180+ mph winds. Thankfully, all Pacific Historic Parks (PHP) and National Park Service (NPS) staff in Saipan were unharmed. Island residents woke up to roofs ripped off homes and business, toppled power poles and downed trees. The island of Saipan was left with no power and many electrical power poles and lines blocked the main road ways. There was spotty phone and data service island wide. Some places had no running water. It became obvious early on that restoration and recovery would take months. Upon learning of the devastation on Saipan, Pacific Historic Parks gathered relief supplies and sent to their fellow teammates in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) food, water, clothing, and other emergency supplies. PHP also sent over 2,000 backpacks, water bottles, and pencil cases to help students in the CNMI Public School System, who were in need of these supplies.
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The Pacific Circle Consortium (PCC), an international forum of educators, promotes understanding and cooperation among the peoples and countries in and around the Pacific Ocean. PHP will be the host of the next PCC in Guam this summer. Our goal is to assist with scholarships for about 10 teachers from Saipan, an island still recovering from the ravages of Yutu.
How Feathers Brought Communities Together By Mikiala Pescaia, Interpretive Ranger and Education Specialist at Kalaupapa National Historical Park
Wewehi Mōkapu i ona lei hulu, a huhulu ana i ke ‘ala lipoa, E ala mai e nā hoa, nā hoa iō Ahiona Ahiona i ka ‘ai hāwane, i ka lau nape Ahiona kīkaha a ‘iwa, i ka pae Kalawao pae mai ho‘i nēia kama, i uka i ka ulu ‘āweoweo papa pāpā ‘ole ‘ia ke ala kūpono, ua hiki pono mai…‘ano ‘ai.
learned the chants and protocols associated with feather work. They learned the methods of skinning the birds, plucking the feathers and washing them. Once the birds were cleaned, the feathers were separated by size, color, thickness, and then arranged into small bundles that were then lashed to a cordage base to make the lei.
- A chant for the guardian birds of Kalawao by Kamuela Yim
One of the participants was 30 year old, Ipolani Ma‘e. “I had the opportunity to visit the ‘Hulu Kupuna’ exhibit at the de Young Museum in San Francisco. Hulu (feathers) have always intrigued me, so when the opportunity arose to participate in this workshop, I jumped on it. It was my first time actually touching birds like the ‘iwa (Great Frigatebird), ka‘upu, ‘ā (Brown Booby) and mōlī. I couldn’t help but think, this was the way my Kupuna did it. Making a lei, a kahili, a cloak or a helmet, is no easy task. In today’s fast-paced individualistic world, this workshop reminded me of how my ancestors valued focus, intention and integrity. This work requires lots of patience and collaboration and experiencing that with this group of masters and beginners was amazing.”
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alaupapa National Historical Park was asked to host a feather lei making workshop for cultural practitioners, primarily of the Molokai community. Kalaupapa’s historical ties to feather work and feather collection, its established seabird populations, as well as its ongoing efforts to increase suitable seabird habitat made Kalaupapa the ideal setting for this workshop. The goal was to gather experienced and aspiring feather workers to discuss and share the protocols and techniques used to collect, process, clean, store and prepare seabird feathers for cultural use. Birds were a source of food and their feathers were incorporated into prized items of adornment and symbols of royalty. Though mountain birds like the mamo (Black Hawaiian honey creeper ) or ‘ō‘ō (Black Hawaiian honey eater) are well known for making feather lei for chiefs, other seabirds like the mōlī (Laysan Albatross) and ka‘upu (Blackfooted Albatross) were used in making lei for religious purposes. Seabirds rarely set foot on land and the workshop was an opportunity for practitioners to see some of them up close.
In 2017, Kaua‘i held their workshop and gifted a pair of lei to the Molokai community. “We were blessed and it was our turn to pay it forward,” said workshop participant Mokihana Paleka-Jackson. By the end of the workshop at Kalaupapa, two feather lei were completed and gifted to the Ho‘okena community on Hawaii Island for their Lonomakua image for Makahiki. “We need to do this more often, and we need to do it here in Kalaupapa, there is something special about this place, it’s the mana.” (Paleka-Jackson)
Under a cultural use permit for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, several ka‘upu and mōlī that were found dead, were collected by interns in the marine bird field camps in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands last summer. The specimens were distributed among the island practitioners who work in partnership with Kure Atoll Conservancy and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to perpetuate these cultural traditions. During the workshop, participants learned the anatomy of the birds, the different kinds of feathers, and all of the Hawaiian language terminology associated with them. They WWW.PACIFICHISTORICPARKS.ORG
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Annual Report Forging the Future, The Unconquerable Spirit of America
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he Pearl Harbor National Memorial (PHNM) is a memorial, one of our nation’s most sacred sites, serving as a constant reminder of the valor, courage, and sacrifices of the “Greatest Generation” that forever changed the course of our nation and the world. The site is entrusted to the National Park Service (NPS), and in collaboration with Pacific Historic Parks (PHP), we are dedicated to ensuring that future generations will honor and be inspired by all that occurred in this hallowed place. In addition to the standards-based, onsite educational curriculum provided to over 40,000 school age children from around the world annually, PHP also supports ongoing research, restoration, preservation, and interpretive programs. PHP produces and provides for distribution NPS orientation materials for visitors of all ages, including translations in multiple foreign languages, reflecting the diversity of the international composition of nearly 2 million visitors each year (i.e., Japanese, Chinese, Korean, German, French, and Spanish). PHP continues to leverage the latest technologies in an effort to align with current and future generations. Currently, PHP offers audio, virtual reality, and digital education tours at the USS Arizona Memorial. These tours provide an in-depth educational experience in the form of various narrations, text, images, and videos. The tours include more than 20 points of interest around the park. They are available in numerous languages that serve as a virtual ranger, providing international visitors with the opportunity to experience and learn about Pearl Harbor in their own language. This includes interactive educational exhibits available onsite, online, and through mobile devices; as well as a migration to an interactive, guided tour, and a smart searchable online national database. This will also provide the foundation for future content management, public access, and ongoing education.
Pearl Harbor National Memorial - $1,562,440 $16,481
$61,146 $123,255
PHP also funds a large portion of the curatorial program at the PHNM. In addition to cataloging and protecting documents, photographs, and objects in the park’s collection, we are creating a content management system that will serve as a gateway to history, a technology that will allow the public to see what exists in the archives of the park. The preservation of the personal stories and experiences of the World War II generation, through the acquisition of oral histories, is an integral element of PHP’s dedicated program funding. As the numbers of Pearl Harbor survivors, military and civilian witnesses, World War II veterans, and Americans of Japanese ancestry (AJA) decrease each year, the significance of capturing their voices to ensure that future generations will forever remember is critical. The majority of PHP’s resources, staff, and financial assistance are spent throughout the year to support the parks through research, preservation, restoration, fund development, education, and interpretive programs of Pearl Harbor National Memorial, Honouliuli National Monument, War in the Pacific National Historical Park in Guam, American Memorial Park in Saipan, Kalaupapa National Historical Park on Molokai, and Diamond Head State Monument. We do this through our education programs – Junior Ranger Academy, Reef Ranger Camp, River Ranger Environmental Education, Arts in the Park, Ticket to Ride, Every Kid in the Park and Teacher Workshops. PHP also supports a number of various programs, such as fulfilling the one true wish of a child with life threatening medical conditions. Through our partnership with MakeA-Wish Hawaii, we are given the privilege to fulfill the wishes of severely ill children and their families with the ultimate tour of Pearl Harbor. PHP partnered with the NPS Submerged Resources Center in developing the Wounded Veterans in the Park program, engaging wounded service members in the scientific study, interpretation, and protection of the USS Arizona. War in the Pacific National Historical Park - $160,107
Park Support Aid
$8,877
Interpretation
Park Support Aid
Preservation and Conservation
$169,640
$963,451
$228,467
Special Events Mission Support Education Programs
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Education Programs
$151,231
At PHNM, with an annual attendance of 1.9 million visitors, we help maintain a high standard of visitor services by supplying required support staff and materials. PHP supports the annual commemoration of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Annual events include Memorial ceremonies, lectures, and gatherings honoring survivors, World War II veterans, AJAs, and their families. Many events are open to the public, and thousands of visitors from around the world join in the commemorative events. Diamond Head State Monument (DHSM) is a PHP partner park. Among the most visited sites in the state, with over 1 million visitors each year, PHP provides a narrated tour in English and Japanese and just added translations in Chinese, Korean, German, French, Spanish, and Hawaiian. PHP also supported DHSM’s first Kids to Parks day. PHP supports Kalaupapa National Historical Park and its Volunteers in the Parks (VIP) program, providing opportunities for students, church groups, nonprofit organizations, civic clubs, Hawaiian organizations, and seniors to make a deeper connection to Kalaupapa as a special and sacred place through hands on work, including the cleaning of historic buildings, removing invasive species, clearing and maintaining historic sites, and beach clean ups. PHP conserves critical resources, such as the preservation of grave markers for the thousands of patients who lived in Kalaupapa, through rehabilitation of the Pali Trail, and by providing a shelter to be used as an outdoor classroom for students unable to visit the settlement. PHP’s support of the War in the Pacific National Historical Park in Guam resulted in a comprehensive educational program that reached every 4th grader, enabled the educational Art in the Park initiative to develop into a community wide art event, including displays featuring the various divisions of the Park, engaging volunteers, and engaging people from throughout the community to learn about their National Park. Other programs supported by PHP include the Preservation Rangers Program, Junior Ranger Academy, and Teacher Workshops. Financial support from PHP to the American Memorial Park in Saipan is integral to their Art in the Park Program, as well as sustaining their efforts in educating and engaging their community and visitors with programs dedicated to the protection and preservation of natural and ocean resources. Honouliuli National Historic Site, a place of detention during World War II in Hawaii, is now a place to reflect on wartime experiences and recommit to the pursuit of freedom and justice. Partnering with internment sites regionally, as well as the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, National Park Service staff at Pearl Harbor National Memorial are creating the Foundation Document
to identify the purpose, significance, key interpretive themes, and fundamental resources. This document when completed will provide a strategic “road map” to ensure that all work will honor the multifaceted history of Honouliuli National Historic Site. PHP provides support staff to Honouliuli. PHP values the importance of history – it needs to be protected, researched, preserved, and passed on to future generations. Your support ensures that education programs reach students, important artifacts are preserved, natural resources are restored and conserved, new museum exhibits are designed, and World War II Veterans and Pearl Harbor Survivors are remembered and honored. Our efforts with your support touch the lives of millions of park visitors, school children, and veterans each year.
Amerian Memorial Park - $68,665 $997 Education Programs
$10,855
Park Support Aid Special Events
$56,813
Kalaupapa National Historical Park - $34,161 $824 $1,911 Park Support Aid $3,350
Special Events Interpretation
$28,076
Preservation and Conservation
Diamond Head State Monument - $126,835 $208
Park Support Aid Education Programs
$126,627
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Financial Operations Total Revenues, Gains and Other Support
$7,826,769
Total Program and Support Services Expenses
$7,307,036
Other Income $26,640
Total Support Services $1,337,693
Total Public Support $416,597 Total Public Support $7,383,532
Total Program Services $5,969,343
REVENUES, GAINS AND OTHER SUPPORT Public Support - Net revenue bookstore operations Contributions Membership Fees TOTAL PUBLIC SUPPORT
$6,616,802.00 $715,248.00 $51,482.00 $7,383,532.00
Investment Income, Net Other Revenue and Support TOTAL REVENUES, GAINS, AND OTHER SUPPORT
$416,597.00 $26,640.00 $7,826,769.00
EXPENSES
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Programs Services Direct Aid to Parks Program-Related Support TOTAL PROGRAM SERVICES
$1,826,566.00 $4,142,777.00 $5,969,343.00
Support Services Fundraising Management and General TOTAL SUPPORT SERVICES
$613,396.00 $724,297.00 $1,337,693.00
TOTAL PROGRAM AND SUPPORT SERVICES EXPENSES CHANGE IN NET ASSETS NET ASSETS, BEGINNING OF YEAR NET ASSETS, END OF YEAR
$7,307,036.00 $519,733.00 $13,837,187.00 $15,223,465.00
REMEMBERANCE SPRING 2019
Thank You, Volunteers! We couldn't do it without you!
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Curator’s Corner By Scott Pawlowski, Curator at Pearl Harbor National Memorial
P the Pacific.
earl Harbor National Memorial loves to collect Pacific War photo albums. A number of them have been donated to us by veterans or their families. We collect albums from veterans stationed on other Pacific Islands, ships and shore installations across
One that is of particular interest is Walter Staff’s photo album from his time aboard the USS Oklahoma (BB-37): Walter F. Staff, Carpenter’s Mate 2nd Class, was a 20 year old stationed aboard the battleship USS Oklahoma on the morning of December 7, 1941. Like most sailors, he found life in the U.S. Navy exciting and adventurous with the opportunity to learn a trade, participate in many different shipboard functions and activities, and visit far-away and exotic places. These memories were preserved with the keeping of photograph albums and scrapbooks. Photo albums in many cases had fancy leather covers with embossed ship names and a photo and/or artwork on the cover. The photographs they contained would be a mix of those they or their shipmates took with their own cameras, stock photos purchased ashore, and of family and friends sent from home. Oral history interview with Walter Staff on December 4, 1986: I just came down from breakfast and I was in, standing inside the Carpenter’s shop. GQ went, general quarters, and everybody was grousing, you know “Sunday morning, why are they bothering us?” And nobody moved, and the chief, the bosun mate, over the P.A. system, he says, “Jesus Christ, this is a Japanese air attack. No ****. Get moving.” And the first explosion, I thought, “What in the hell are they firing the turrets in the harbor?” Well, the ship kind of jumped out of the water, you know,…and the whole thing shook, just like picking it up ten feet and dropping it back down. I came out of my hole and there was five of us down in there. And by that time, you could see it was listing. And we got another hit and it knocked all the lights out, I mean just shattered them. One that last hit, when it got black. I was the senior petty officer.
Photo of the rough seas off the island of Oahu 12
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And I says, “Time to get the hell out of here.” And we didn’t know at the time, but that’s about the time the shipped turned over. And there’s only two of us come back out. The other three, evidently were panicked and drowned when they-and of course, you make for the top, you know. Anyway, after we calmed down, which how long I don’t know. Hour, maybe, or whatever. I saw something shining on the bulkhead over there. I made my way over there and it was a phone on the bulkhead. The phone’s upside down... and then we realized that we were upside down and we were just resigned to the fact, we thought the air would go bad and that would be that. The ship wasn’t actually upside down. It was on a little angle, so you had a kind of corner where you, we could hover on that corner and be out of water. We could hear the Maryland was inboard and they had these new 1.1 guns, you know, pom-pom, “Pom, pom, pom, pom.” We could hear them firing and that was evidently the second wave that came over. Well, like I say, you got no idea of time, but it must have been early Tuesday morning or late Monday night, we heard some tapping. So then it gave us new life. I found a little open end wrench with--we tapped. Neither one of us knew the code because we weren’t signalmen. We were pounding on one of the bulkheads. It took them about an hour, talking to them later, to work their way down through the double bottoms. It took ‘em about an hour to cut a whole big enough for a man to get out through the plate. The water was running out, like I say, the hull wasn’t right flat. And that, the rescue team left because they were afraid of getting flooded, and that was the worst feeling, ‘cause you’re that close and then...and unbeknowing to us, they were going to come back on a little different route. And that’s when we really felt the worst. ‘Cause, I mean you’re that close to getting out and then you see ‘em leave. This Cxxxx was, tried to drown himself and I pulled him up. And I says, “We’re not quite ready yet.” And then you could hear ‘em tapping again. They came back on a little different direction. This is Tuesday morning. And finally we came out. I know this Thomas, the ship fitter, he asked if we’d heard any more tapping, ‘cause he was—in, they tried for, I think, another day and a half, there was still more tapping, they just couldn’t locate ‘em. It was a sickening scene when I came out and saw all the fleet on the bottom. The Arizona was smoldering and, and all the battleships sitting on the bottom. We knew we were sunk.
ALFRED BK RODRIGUES, SR. (1920 - 2019) On Sunday, February 24, 2019, we lost one of our national treasures, one of our heroes, Pearl Harbor Survivor Alfred Benjamin Kame’eiamoku Rodrigues. Born on February 7, 1920, Al grew up in Kapaa on the island of Kauai in the Territory of Hawaii. He moved to Honolulu after graduating from Kauai High School. He worked at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and did a lot of surfing in Waikiki during his time off. He joined the Navy Reserves and was called to active duty for one year in November of 1940. In November 1941, his reserve unit was extended for an indefinite period of time.
ended, he returned to Hawaii ad joined the Regular Navy and retired after twenty-four years of service.
Al would later work for the General Services Administration for thirty years and again retired as the Manager of the GSA Customer Al was stationed at the Section Base, Bishop’s Point, Pearl Harbor. This base was Supply Center located at the entrance to Pearl Harbor and just across the street from the Hickam located on Hickam Army Air Field. The purpose of the base was to provide logistics for the small Air Force Base, Hawaii. craft that docked alongside and also to furnish men to maintain the submarine nets that spanned the entrance to the harbor. Al joined the National Park Service’s Volunteers-In-Parks program and became one of the USS Arizona Memorial’s long serving volunteers. He On Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, Al had watch and was on duty when loved to share his experiences with visitors with his stories of the attack on he heard about the USS Ward dropping depth charges on an unidentified Pearl Harbor. Over the course of the many years of his volunteer service, submarine operating in the defensive zone located about a mile outside of the he came into contact with over a million visitors, touching their lives with harbor entrance. He was just about to eat breakfast when the general quarters his stories, sharing his experiences. alarm sounded. While everyone raced from the gallery to the armory, they could see the red “rising sun” on the wings of the incoming planes, and they instantly In his autobiography, Diary of a Pearl Harbor Survivor, Al recounts his knew that the planes were Japanese. Al was issued a .30 caliber rifle and started role in Pearl Harbor, and then life at sea aboard the USS Washington. shooting at the planes as they passed overhead. They were “low enough that you could actually see the faces of the Japanese pilots”. The attack lasted for a few Al loved to take photos with visitors. His charm was endearing. He gave hours and then quickly calmed down. Being near Hickam Field, Al witnessed so much of himself, always with a smile, with lots of love and aloha. He Japanese fighter aircraft shooting at American B-17 bombers that were arriving loved spending time with Make A Wish kids, who often came to Pearl from California. Al laughingly recalls, “I never had the opportunity to finish my Harbor during their trip of a lifetime. ham and eggs that morning!” Thank you Uncle Al for many years of service to our country in active In 1943, Al was transferred to the battleship USS Washington (BB-56) operating duty and in civil service. in the Pacific area. The USS Washington was the only naval ship that sank a Japanese battleship, the IMS Kirishima. In early 1945, Al was transferred to new We have been blessed to have Uncle Al in our lives. We love you, miss construction and was eventually assigned to the District Material Redistribution you, and you will always have a special place in our hearts. You will never Office located in the Third Naval District in New York City. When the war be forgotten.
Prayer for the Dead
“Eternal rest grant unto them and let perpetual light shine upon them and may they rest in peace.”
Donald M. Armstrong USS Tennessee Sterling, CO
Frederick S. Bertsch USS Case Palm City, FL
Bob F. Castle USS ITALIC Tennessee Sacramento, CA
Jack Evans USS Tennessee La Mesa, CA
John E. Kerber USS Nevada Columbus, OH
Victor John Paradis Submarine Base No. Mankato, MN
Glen Richard Rosenberry Hickam Field Caldwell, ID
Walter D. Ashe USS Raleigh Bristol, TN
Joseph R. Blaise Fort Shafter Lecanto, FL
Earl W. Chaffee Naval Base Pearl Harbor Melbourne, FL
Frank G. Forgione Sr. USS Oglala Miami, FL
Ralph H. Laedtke USS Solace Washougal, WA
Steve F. Phillips Ford Island NAS Challis, ID
Stanley J. Azevedo Schofield Barracks Madeira Beach, FL
Donald L. Bloomfield Hickam Field Lady Lake, FL
John Chapman USS West Virginia Walnut Creek, CA
Vere Gardner Naval Base Pearl Harbor Gridley, CA
Dorwin F. Lamkin USS Nevada Mission, KS
John Robert Quier USS Dobbin Fallbrook, CA
Paul Smith 3rd Defense Battalion Marines Naples, FL
Robert J. Bailey Schofield Barracks Clover, SC
Donald L. Bloomfield Raymond Barron Chavez Camp Malakole USS Condor Midland, MI Poway, CA
Henry Griffoul USS Phelps San Jose, CA
John E. Lowe Jr. USS Neosho Milford, TX
William O. Raney USS Sacramento Fort Meyers, FL Alfred B.K. Rodrigues Naval Base Pearl Harbor Bishop’s Point Kailua, HI
Robert Winslow USS Helm Beatrice, NE
Vernon S. Rose USS Farragut Temple, TX
Marion Wood Schofield Barracks Gooding, ID
Buster B. Barbee USS Pelias Blountstown, FL
Charlie Ray Boswell USS Tennessee Turnersville, TX
Bill Cobb Schofield Barracks Orlando, FL
James L. Hancock Naval Base Pearl Harbor Skokie, IL
Milton Mapou USS Detroit Columbus, OH
Harold “Bill” Beebe USS Blue Pocatello, ID
William E. Breland Hickam Field Kokomo, MS
Robert Coley USS Pelias Summerville, SC
Lester C. Hartley USS Jarvis Greenfield, IN
Patrick McIntyre Jr. Kaneohe NAS Millington, TN
William Lee Benny USS Nevada Port St. Lucie, FL
Vernon Z. Carter Hickam Field Jefferson, GA
Alfred Dula Camp Malakole Georgetown, TX
William E. Hughes Sr. USS Utah Grand Prairie, TX
Gale Donald Mohlenbrink Naval Base Pearl Harbor Buhl, ID
Hobart C. VanDeventer Schofield Barracks Streator, IL John F. White USS St. Louis Twin Falls, ID
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THE 1941 SOCIETY
IN HONOR OF William Toler, USN Lou Conter, Donald Stratton Donald and Chyrl Butler Lauren Bruner, Lonnie Cook, Ken Potts Stan Cromlish Ray Evelyn, USA David Case Kim Orlando, USA Charles E Gamble II S Sol Flores Nona Flores Roger Wilbur Cherrington Stephen Hatfield John Tracy I Anthony Sesnauskas Albert Kuckelman, USA Patricia Cook Daniel Kuckelman
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LEGACY SOCIETY Marjorie M Bruckmueller Rev. Nicholas Inman
Harold Woodall, USN, WWII William Woodall
Pasha Hawaii
IN MEMORY OF Lawrence Schmidt Joanne Anello
Arthur J DuPree USN, USS Arizona Scott DuPree
Jay Groff Jr, US Air Corps, WWII Michael and Iris Bachmann Susan McClure Nancy Willison
Howard J Gersims Yvonne M Gersims
Dewey H Chew Gail Ann Chew Harold Keith Stephanie Cosgrove Marvin Carol Olsen Michael Dehm
Marshall Raymond Hatfield Stephen Hatfield
Robert M Oliver, USN John J Jacobson, USN Catherine Lyons Goran Anderson Barry Cicero Richard A McMahon Jr
George E Sullivan, USN Roberta A Sullivan Joseph Peniston Todd, USS Solace Joseph and Merry Todd Connie Meakins Barb Van Beek
William B Kingseed, USN (Ret.) Cole and Mary Kingseed, USA (Ret.)
Aurther “Bud” Hess, USN Lee Bleves, USA John Montgomery, USN (Ret.)
Dean Kreek, USN Arnold Kreek
Ronald Washburn Rhonda Palmer
Harry Lee Rowland Sr Cynthia Waller
Frank Larsen, USN Mark Larsen
Spencer Southward, USN Donald Southward
John Kelleher, USMC Jay Gatti, USMC Gary Wilk
MX Aydell, USN Mary M Vernoy
THANK YOU TO OUR FRIENDS Walter Adamchik Jeffrey and Junko Ady Alaska Airlines Patricia and Donald Allen `Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach Paul Ancona Nathan A Anderson Anthology Marketing Group, Inc Aqua-Aston Hospitality, LLC James and Mary Ann Asaph Richard Assmus David Aulen John G Bachman Leigh W Barrett
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REMEMBERANCE SPRING 2019 call (808) 954-8729 or visit www.pacifichistoricparks.org To donate,
Karen and Jeffrey Intemann Jack Rogo Les Isaacowitz Phillip J Ronish Angela Buehler James Royal Hawaiian Limousine LLC Kenneth R Jobe Thomas H Ryan Sr JTB Hawaii Inc Edward and Reena Kanner Edean Saito John and Paula Kendrick Paul J Sanborn Chandra Kim Ricarda Schellenberg Kintetsu International Express (U.S.A.), Inc Sheila Schroer Wallace G Klein Mathew Sgan John and Laura Knight, USA Shanghai Ctrip Commerce (Ret.) Ko Olina Resort Operators Co, Ltd Association, Inc Shanghai Utour International John Korbel Travel Service Co Ltd Selma Kull James Skelton Kyo-ya Hotels and Resorts, LP Randy Lamb Southwest Airlines James P Larsen John R Stevens, USMC Hubert and Judy Lattan Randall Stites Lorenda Leber Sam Taber James HS Lee Douglas Lentz Robert and Colleen Taylor James Judy Liddell Arthur L Thomas John B Litman John Thomas Margaret Lopez Cornwell Patricia A Lucas Theresa Thomas Jason Lum TTA Inc Dave Magill Bill Tuccillo Brendan Mallee Joyce H Tupper Terry and Myriam Mansell Marriott International, Inc Turtle Bay Resort Christopher Martinez June E Valentino Nicholas and Arleen Martino Billie Van Ark William Harvey Massicot, USN (Ret.) James and Barbara William E.McAnany Jr, USN VanDerKamp (Ret.) Sam Virgillo Bruce R McCaw Imogene McIntire Richard and Maryann Visin Irwin H Mess James and Laurel Von Schilling David and Katie Millwood Moore Thad Minaldi Sarah R Walsh Brian Miskell The Walshe Group P L Michael Murray David and Sarah Mustow Cindy Walton Thomas Nance William F Waters Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association WC Watson III George Nelson Brandon Wehner Norwegian Cruise Line Merris A Welge Jr Holdings LTD Michael Nowotny Maureen M Wetnight Joe O’Gara Melissa Whelan John and Nancy Ogg Edward R White, USN Alex Olsen Brian and Pearl L F Whittaker Pacific Islands Institute, Ltd George H Pann Howard and Gail Wilkes Richard H Patnaude Robert K Wilson Daniel E Pepping Wendy Lou Wilson Ernest Perez Hiromi Peterson Cynthia Winkler Gregory and Jacqueline Phillips Douglas G Wright David W Pikop Edward and Deborah Wright Jr Pleasant Holidays, LLC Timothy Wright Polynesian Adventure Tours David M Powell Kwai and Norma Young Erin Powers Karl Zappa Stephen and Jackie Proctor Harold and Peggy Ziegler Clifford E Provencal Jr William B Ransom Jr Frank and Marcia Ziemba
The Legacy Society Create a legacy that will ensure history will never be forgotten Since 1980, millions of people from every state of our nation and from 40 countries around the world have seen, experienced, and been inspired by the valor and sacrifices of the Greatest Generation at Pearl Harbor and throughout the Pacific Basin. The Legacy Society was created to acknowledge and celebrate family and friends who desire to keep history alive and to honor the sacrifices of the World War II generation. Members have affirmed Pacific Historic Parks in their estate plans or through other planned gifting arrangements. Planned gifts provide a unique opportunity to preserve our country’s military heritage through supporting Pacific Historic Parks while possibly receiving tax benefits on income. TYPES OF PLANNED GIFTS Charitable Bequest Life Insurance Life Income Gifts Charitable Gift Annuity Charitable Remainder Trust
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Established in 1979, Pacific Historic Parks is a 501(c)(3), tax exempt cooperating association committed to preserving the legacy of our historic heritage by providing support of research, preservation, restoration, education and interpretive programs to the National Park Service at World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument (Pearl Harbor), War in the Pacific National Historical Park (Guam), American Memorial Park (Saipan), Kalaupapa National Historical Park (Molokai) and Diamond Head State Monument (Oahu).
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