A PAC I F I C H I S TO R I C PA R K S P U B L I C AT I O N
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Interim President & CEO Aileen Utterdyke
Board of Directors Neil A. Sheehan, Chairman Alan Mattson, Vice-Chairman Clif Purkiser, Secretary Jeff Bell, Treasurer James M. Boersema Noel W. Bragg Giorgio Caldarone Alma M. Grocki Colette J. Higgins Patricia A. Lucas Mark Y. Matsunaga Alby L. Saunders George E. Sullivan James E. VanDerKamp Kwai S. “Sunny” Young
Directors Emeritus James K. Sylva Geoffrey M. White
Legal Adviser Joachim P. Cox
Editor
Contents
94-1187 Ka Uka Blvd. Waipahu, HI 96797 www.pacifichistoricparks.org (808) 954-8726 Toll-free: (888)332-1941
Chairman’s Message....................................................3 “My Wishes for a Suitable Memorial”.... 4-5, 14-17 Day at the Museum: Preservation in Action..........6 Restoration at American Memorial Park................7 Foundation Planning Document, Honouliuli........8 Restoring the Natural Landscape of Diamond Head........................................................9 Kalaupapa Architectural Documentation Project....................................................................10 A Rendezvous with History.....................................11 Rising to the Challenge, 76th Anniversary.........12 Pearl Harbor Gram, The Lone Sailor, Prayer for the Dead.............................................13 You Make it Happen!.......................................... 18-19
1,000 Cranes In November 2016, Mr. Yuji Sasaki (Sadako’s nephew) visited students and faculty at ‘Iolani School. He told stories about his family, dispelling a few of the myths that have been written in some of the books about his aunt. He shared a tiny paper crane that Sadako had folded with a needle. ‘Iolani Theatre teacher, Mr. Rob Duval, was inspired to write a new play based on Mr. Sasaki’s visit. In August 2017, ‘Iolani students performed 1000 Cranes at the renowned Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. By the end of the show, the cast draped exactly 1000 paper cranes on the set. They played to sold out audiences, and received not only a favorable review (9.5 out of 10) but a nomination for the prestigious Freedom of Expression Award from Amnesty International. After each performance, the students taught audience members how to fold their own paper cranes.
Aileen Utterdyke
Editorial Advisers Gail Ann Chew Chandra Kim Edean Saito
Mission Statement
Pacific Historic Parks supports the National Park Service through research, preservation, restoration, fund development, education and interpretive programs of WWII in the Pacific and other Pacific historic sites. Remembrance is published four times a year as a benefit to members of Pacific Historic Parks. 2 | REMEMBRANCE FALL 2017
The cast of 1000 Cranes in the final tableaux of the production.
The cast invites children in the audience to join them in a Bon Dance.
Sydnee Kokubun (who plays Sadako) poses with two audience members (twin 8 year olds) after the show.
Chairman’s Message A
utumn – the season of harvest, a time to reflect on the bounty of our year, and a time to pause and to begin looking ahead to new beginnings. Our Fall edition of “Remembrance” is dedicated to the theme of research, gathering, recording and preserving the precious history that helped to shape and define our nation. In his recent memoir – All the Gallant Men, USS Arizona survivor Don Stratton wrote: “. . . I came to understand the sacrifice that had been made and the importance of honoring that sacrifice by remembering it.” In these few words, Mr. Stratton sums up the heart and soul of why it is so vital that we preserve history. We learn and are shaped by the times in which we live, but what we gain through research and the study of times past, help us grow beyond our preconceptions and attitudes. Most importantly, we honor the memories of those who sacrificed for us through all that we do to preserve history for future generations. In this issue, Daniel Martinez, Chief Historian at the WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument – Pearl Harbor, shares with us the USS Arizona Casualty Project – a comprehensive research study of the casualties of the USS Arizona at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, Missouri (pages 4-5, 14-17).
In recent months, our “Rendezvous with History” team has had the honor to meet with and learn from people who describe themselves as “ordinary people”, but whose sacrifices are forever embedded in history. In this edition, you’ll meet Lewis Walters (93 years old), and in the next edition we’ll introduce you to David Russell (97 years old, USS Oklahoma), and Lt. Col. John Stevens, USMC (Ret.) (97 years old). Friends and Donors to Pacific Historic Parks enable us to keep history alive. You are vital to programs and activities such as A Day at the Museum; Preservation in Action at War in the Pacific Guam on page 6; Historic American Buildings Survey documentation at Kalaupapa National Historical Park on page 10; and Restoration of the Court of Honor and Flag Circle at American Memorial Park, Saipan on page 7. Thank you for your commitment to Remember, Honor and Understand. “The great lesson we too often learn from history, however, is that we are so prone to forget the past. And there is a price to pay for our forgetfulness.” – Donald Stratton
Neil A. Sheehan Chairman
September 21 is International Peace Day. The story of Sadako Sasaki and her wish for world peace and origami paper cranes folded by students in Japan with messages of peace are shared with visitors at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.
onoring Th e c i v Ser
THE USS ARIZONA Young M
CASUALTY RESEARCH PROJECT
arines…Just Boy
BY DANIEL A. MARTINEZ, CHIEF HISTORIAN, WORLD WAR II VALOR IN THE PACIFIC NATIONAL MONUMENT
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y mid-morning of December 7, 1941, the fate of the USS Arizona (BB-39) and its crew was no longer in doubt. Fires roared from the amidships to the bow. Thick black smoke billowed out in large volumes, cloaking the details of the vessel’s terrible destruction. It was evident that there were few survivors of the celebrated battleship. Three days later the fires went out, the ship’s mangled remains gave mute testimony to the success of Imperial Japan’s attack on the US Pacific Fleet. Over the next few days, Pearl Harbor and its survivors began to restore order out of the chaos the raid had left behind. Soon the navy understood the staggering losses the Arizona had suffered. She had lost more men than any warship in US naval history. Of the 1,512 men attached to the ship’s company, 1,177 were killed. Of the ship’s 88-man US Marine Detachment, only 15 survived. The math was horrifying; 77.7 percent of the crew was dead. Only 335 of the crew survived, some of whom had been on leave, liberty, or detached duty. A week after the attack, a young ensign named Joe Langdell was having breakfast at Bachelor Officers Quarters when a
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naval officer interrupted the meal by shouting out: “Is there an officer here from the Arizona?” Langdell raised his hand. He had been ashore during the attack, assigned to the Fleet Camera Party. He was aware his was lost, but had no idea what had happened to his shipmates. The officer who had come looking for Arizona men took Langdell aside and explained that the young ensign was to lead a party of some 20 men, most of them Arizona survivors, to recover bodies of their shipmates. They’d been chosen because they were familiar with the ship and its crew, which might be helpful in identifying casualties. Issued sheets and pillowcases to collect the human remains, the men marched down to the landing and got into a large whaleboat. In his 1991 book, Battleship Arizona: An Illustrated History, naval historian Paul Stillwell notes that “the emotional impact of seeing dead shipmates was even more profound than would be the case for men who had never known the crew of the USS Arizona. The recovery party wrapped the complete corpses up in sheets and took them to a waiting motor launch for further transfer. The men retrieved portions of bodies and sometimes swept up ashes; storing them in pillowcases for the trip to the cemetery….” Later in Langdell’s life, writes Stillwell, “the memory of those days ... bothered him many times.... He used to think of the many who would now be grandfathers but never got the chance.” In 2015 Langdell rejoined his shipmates when, upon
“My wishes for a suitable e r i F memorial” y b
heir Memor his death, he became the 39th Arizona survivor serviceman’s service jacket -- a folder containing interred into the ship. all his military records. Together with the service jackets of men who survived the attack, On December 9 while Langdell went about his these would form a sort of portrait of those who grisly work, President Franklin D. Roosevelt served on the Arizona. spoke again on the radio to a concerned and determined nation. “We are going to win the war Chief Commissary Steward Ralph Byard took a and we are going to win the peace that follows,” personal and professional interest in preserving FDR stated in his report on the progress of these records. His meticulous work helped hostilities with Japan. “And in the dark hours preserve the papers of his fallen shipmates. of this day --and through the dark days that Another Arizona survivor, Yeoman Jim Vlach may be yet to come – we will know that the vast went to work compiling a muster role of the Wehuman majority of the members of the 350 men who survived, but could confirm only stern race are on our side. Many of Unio 80 names. Finally, in February of 1942 salvage n…A divers found the ship’s muster roll in the them are fighting with us. mess age o executive officer’s office. With those All of them are praying for f dea th records in hand an accurate us. For, in representing our cause, we represent theirs as count of the dead and living well—our hope and their could be constructed. hope for liberty under God.” One service jacket retrieved The pressed dubbed the from the Arizona was that of president’s message the Sergeant Dexter Wilson Fincher, “Spirit of 1941”. a marine from Prineville, Oregon. In the weeks that The information in the jacket paints followed, the navy a detailed picture of Fincher, his continued retrieving the personal background, his military career, effects of the officers and removing and what his commanding officers the dead. The recovery crews found a total of thought of him. 235. Most were buried at the newly established Fincher was born on February 22, 1917, the year cemetery at Halawa Valley, less than a mile east America entered World War 1. From his service of Pearl Harbor. jacket we know he enlisted into the US Marine Meanwhile, other recovery efforts were focused, Corps for a four year hitch on July 10, 1939 at a not on human remains, but on important recruiting station in Portland, Oregon. At the paperwork. Officer country [maritime slang time of enlistment, he was 22 years old, six feet for the officers’ quarters aboard a ship] was tall, weighed 164 pounds, and had blue eyes and traditionally located in the aft section of a ship, brown hair. He had to sign an acknowledgment and so it was aboard the Arizona. This area was stating, “It has been explained to me and I well virtually untouched by the fatal explosion of the know that I am NOT enlisting for aviation duty, forward magazines, which had caused most of the band duty, nor for any special kind of duty; and battleship’s casualties. Pay records were likely to I thoroughly understand that I am enlisting for be found in the officers’ area, and finding these General Service only.” records was an urgent matter. Many families had Sent by train to the Marine Corps Recruit been notified that their loved ones were either Depot San Diego in California, Fincher started missing in action or declared dead. Without these boot camp on July 12, 1939. records, the families couldn’t receive the money Emerging as a fullowed to them. Dealing with grief was hard fledged marine, he enough without the additional financial burden went to Sea School the dependents would suffer if they couldn’t be on September 2 paid or receive Navy Relief (assistance from the that same year, and Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, a charity after successfully established to help navy and marine personnel completing his and their families or survivors in times of training he was financial hardship). assigned to the Once recovered, these valuable pay records would ultimately be preserved in each fallen (Continue on page 14)
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Day at the Museum Preservation in Action BY JACLYN BALAJADIA, PACIFIC HISTORIC PARKS EDUCATION MANAGER AT WAR IN THE PACIFIC NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, GUAM
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n March 25 and April 1, influenced by the Hollywood fantasy-comedy film, Night at the Museum (2006), the Pacific Historic Parks Guam Education Team reflected over the names of the people that were written in the walls of the exhibits, memorial, and monuments in the War in the Pacific National Historical Park. We imagined what the park would look like if these individuals suddenly sprung to life. We wondered, “What might these individuals say?” or “What important stories would they want to pass down to the residents of Guam today?” and “What values of the time period could be expressed through a short first person narrative?” Pacific Historic Parks collaborated with War in the Pacific National Historical Park to make this project come alive. Titled, A Day at the Museum: Preservation in Action and funded through a grant from the Guam Preservation Trust, this new Service Learning youthfocused project integrates fine art/theatre into schools’ core curricula through encouraging and educating the island youths, their families, and the community to engage with the stories of people during World War II on Guam. Guam public high school students visit and utilize the resources available at the War in the Pacific National Historical Park to learn about the struggles of Guam’s indigenous population, the Chamorro, the Battle for Guam, and the lasting impact of World War II on the island. Guam public high school Language Arts teacher, Rhonda Rekdahl, worked with Pacific Historic Parks to create and implement the curriculum. “This project makes connections to the past and makes history ‘come alive’ and makes human experiences come to life,” Rekdahl said. “My students can feel what it was like living on Guam with 6 | REMEMBRANCE FALL 2017
limited resources, struggling to survive, losing (and sometimes joyfully reuniting with) family members, famine, illness, injuries beyond what any ‘average’ citizen would experience on Guam during ‘peace time’ years after World War II.” Students select a historical figure that lived on Guam during World War II to research and write a report. With the assistance of their teacher, a Historical Research Coach, and a Theater Coach, they develop their research paper into a monologue performance. Students dress up as a historical figure and portray that person in an interactive presentation called a first-person interpretation. First person interpretation is when someone embodies the persona of a historical figure or character, speaking as if they were that person in that time period. Scheduled performances will be held at the T. Stell Newman Visitor Center on December 9, 2017. A Day at the Museum: Preservation in Action project fulfills Guam Department of Education’s curriculum standards and students can gain more than memorizing historical facts. “In creating and performing their monologues I hope students will experience empathy for several history figures,” Rekdahl said, “and gain a unique perspective and be able to share that perspective with others.” This cultural, historical and student-centered project supports a distinct set of learning and skill-development objectives for youth ages 13 to19 years old, fulfills the GDOE Service Learning requirements, and provides a creative avenue to convey the experience of the War in the Pacific National Historical Park’s vast collection of personal stories of survival, triumph, peace, and forgiveness in World War II.
Restoration at American Memorial Park JOVANNALYN MAFINAS, EDUCATION SPECIALIST AT AMERICAN MEMORIAL PARK, SAIPAN
The Court of Honor and Flag Circle
was dedicated on June 15, 1994, the 50th Anniversary of the American landings on Saipan. The Court of Honor is a memorial to honor the American military personnel who died during the Marianas Campaign of World War II. In honor of their sacrifices, the names of 5,204 fallen servicemen are inscribed on the memorial plaques surrounding the Flag Circle. The Flag Circle has the American flag displayed in the center, surrounded by the flags of the United States Navy, Marine Corps, Army and Coast Guard, the armed service divisions that participated in the campaign. For many
years, the Court of Honor and Flag Circle has been a symbol of American Memorial Park and its mission. On August 2, 2015, Saipan took a direct hit from Super Typhoon Soudelor, one of the strongest storms of that year. The island was devastated and a state of disaster and emergency was declared. Many homes were destroyed, and the entire island was without running water and power for months. American Memorial Park received much damage as well. Many trees had fallen, lights were broken, the Visitor Center Theater was damaged and the center pole of the Flag Circle holding up the American flag broke off. The community was happy to see American Memorial Park recovering from the damages caused by Typhoon Soudelor through restorations throughout the park. ď‚Ť
BEFORE
Photo taken by AMME
NPS Maintenance Div
ision
Photo taken by Jovannalyn Mafinas REMEMBRANCE FALL 2017 | 7
Foundational Planning Document for Honouliuli National Monument Underway BY REBECCA RINAS, HONOULIULI, NPS OUTDOOR RECREATION PLANNER
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esignated as a new unit of the National Park Service (NPS) in February of 2015, there is still much work to be done before Honouliuli National Monument can be developed and opened to the public. Challenges such as the lack of a public access road and heavy vegetation overgrowth, as well as the need to gather critical baseline data on the monument’s cultural and natural resources, all need to be prioritized and overcome in a logical order. The question therefore, is where to begin? Intended to serve as underlying guidance for all planning and management decision making, the answer lies in the creation of something called a Foundation Document. A Foundation Document essentially serves to achieve a unified understanding of what is most important about a park unit such as Honouliuli, articulating the purpose, significance, key interpretive themes and fundamental resources and values that NPS and partners should be striving to preserve and protect. A second part of the Foundation Document defines the issues a national park unit is facing and creates a roadmap of planning and data needs to address those issues. Especially because key project partners and community stakeholders have been conducting research and outreach on Honouliuli since the late 90s, the Foundation Document for Honouliuli is a medium through which community knowledge, 8 | REMEMBRANCE FALL 2017
perspective and experience can be synthesized and built upon. Starting in February (2017), NPS began gathering feedback from a broad base of monument stakeholders through the distribution of a questionnaire. After obtaining this initial input, a three day planning workshop was organized with a select group of subject matter experts and partners who are highly knowledgeable about various historical and physical aspects of the monument. Several of these participants – such as staff and volunteers from the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii – were key players in the grassroots effort to get the monument designated in the first place. Other dedicated participants included faculty members from the University of Hawaii West Oahu, the Hawaii Korean Cultural Center, the Japanese American Citizens League, Densho, Pacific Historic Parks, regional NPS staff and other local authors, scholars and partners. After three long days of exchanging information, listening to each other’s ideas, and considering input from a broader range of experts, enough content was generated to begin working on a draft of the document. Once the Foundation Document is completed (2018), NPS and partners will have a cohesive and vetted “to-do list” to move planning forward in a strategic manner. Even more importantly, the document will help to ensure that all decision-making considers how to thoughtfully and meaningfully work towards honoring the complex and multifaceted history of the monument— starting in the planning phase and moving into daily operations after the monument is open to the public.
Restoring the Natural Landscape of Diamond Head BY EMILY HAUCK, INTERPRETIVE TECHNICIAN AT DIAMOND HEAD STATE MONUMENT
From a biological standpoint, one of the most
incredible things about Hawaii is the specific biomes that exist within the 8 main islands. The State of Hawaii has 10 of the world’s 14 climate zones. Everything from black sand beaches to arid climates and freshwater marshes to dense rainforests, Hawaii certainly has no shortage of fascinating environments. Protecting the unique areas across the islands from the threat of invasive species, wildfires, and erosion is a constant battle for land managers and scientists. Even just within the landscape of Diamond Head, DLNR, Division of State Parks struggles to reintroduce the native dryland vegetation into the crater. The tuff (not to be confused with ‘tough’) soil that makes up Diamond Head State Monument is a hard, clay-like substance. As you may imagine, this texture is not ideal for thick, lush vegetation and most efforts to landscape the crater have suffered due to the soil and climatic factors. Dominated by low-growing, dryland plants, Diamond Head’s low rainfall (25 inches annual average), semiarid environment are not the only circumstances influencing the native plant restoration efforts. These conditions are ideal for brush fires. A history of fires in the 20th Century and historic modifications have both shaped the vegetation pattern on the crater slopes and floor. Because of these leading factors, we have little confirmed data of the native forest that once existed within the crater walls. Three invasive species, Kiawe (Prosopis pallida), Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum), and Koa Haole (Leucaena leucocephala) are the primary rulers of the modern-day crater floor and slopes, too often overshadowing what few native species are left. Ilima is one of the native species ground cover plants observed in the crater today, but some other likely plants in this environment would include ma’o (Hawaiian cotton), ‘a’ali’i (Dodonaea viscosa), naio (false sandalwood), and kokio (Hawaiian red hibiscus).
Scientists suggest that plant community restoration can help to reestablish the overall ecosystem. Meaning that, encouraging native vegetation may eventually lead to healthy populations of other native animals and plants. If you build it they will come. A study published in Nature this year found that restoring a habitat can improve its ecological functioning, giving hope to facilitators determined to see successful ecosystem restoration. To promote native species, State Parks has planted and irrigated in the areas around the parking lot and restroom. These plantings represent a mix of native species and introduced ornamentals, including kukui (the State tree, and Hawaiian introduction), shower trees, Formosan koa, plumeria, etc. A row of kou and milo trees, and pohinahina, a native shrub, were planted along the walkway by the restroom to display native vegetation in the crater. Sadly, not all of these native trees have survived, and the numerous factors mentioned earlier that come into play greatly influence the Park’s ability to help native plants flourish. We do, however, have a secret weapon: Volunteers! For years, State Parks’ staff has been working hand-in-hand with KUPU interns, KCC students, and other local organizations to beautify the land and restore as much of the landscape as possible. Their hard work and dedication has helped replant and repair a significant amount of land within Diamond Head crater. State Parks Staff can always use more helping hands to propagate native species, remove noxious invasives, and advocate for the restoration of Diamond Head State Monument for the next generation. You can find more information on how to volunteer through the Hawaii State Parks volunteer website at dlnr.ivolunteer.com. REMEMBRANCE FALL 2017 | 9
KALAUPAPA ARCHITECTURAL DOCUMENTATION PROJECT BY TODD CROTEAU, FORMER ACTING CHIEF OF CULTURAL RESOURCES FOR KALAUPAPA NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK
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acific Historic Parks and Kalaupapa National Park co-sponsored a Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) documentation project in November of 2016 to aid in the preservation of St. Philomena’s Church and coastal buildings in the settlement. HABS is a national program within the National Park Service that prepares measured architectural drawings, large-format photographs, descriptive and historical reports of historic architecture, industrial sites, and landscapes throughout the United States. The records are produced to high archival standards and are deposited in the Library of Congress, where they are held in the public domain and made available through the library’s website. The village buildings along the coast are aging and threatened by the effects of the marine environment and potential tsunamis. The HABS project in Kalaupapa will “preserve on paper” the unique features, current conditions, and history of the significant buildings that contributed to the story of the settlement. The project will provide baseline documentation to monitor the deterioration and aid in future restorations. The HABS program intends to continue recording structures and landscapes along the coast and throughout the park to gather a complete set for the settlement, including the cemeteries and grave markers, as well as archeological sites. The HABS team from Washington, D.C. included Dana Lockett, Daniel DeSousa, Ryan Pierce and Lisa Davidson, and was assisted in the park by Todd Croteau, Acting Chief of Cultural Resources and Kaile Luga, National 10 | REMEMBRANCE FALL 2017
Council for Preservation Education. The buildings were recorded using a variety of techniques including hand-measuring, 3D laser scanning, and digital photogrammetry. The data collected is being translated into measured drawings that accurately depict the elevations, plans, and details. The park will be able to use the drawings to restore or replicate the buildings as needed in the future. For more information about HABS go to https:// www.nps.gov/hdp/ or email todd_croteau@nps.gov The documents will eventually be available online via the Library of Congress website at: http://www. loc.gov/pictures/collection/hh/
A Rendezvous with History BY EDEAN SAITO, SPECIAL PROJECTS AND PROGRAM SERVICES MANAGER AT PACIFIC HISTORIC PARKS
On the morning of December 7, 1941, Lewis
Walters was at home when he heard that Pearl Harbor was being attacked. He went outside to look towards the base and “we seen the Japanese planes flying over us. They were flying so low you could see the red circle flag on their tails.” His father, George Walters was a shipyard crane operator and engine man at Pearl Harbor. As the Japanese planes attacked the ships in dock, George purposely drove the crane he was operating and swung his boom to defend the ships and sailors in the adjacent docks from incoming strafing and bombing. At 93 years old, Lewis recalls being a 16 year old in the electrician apprentice program at Pearl Harbor Navy Yard. “We were driving into work early in the morning towards Nimitz gate the day after the attacks. There was fire and smoke everywhere. Bodies everywhere. When we got to Dry Dock #1, the base commander told us to start helping gather all of the bodies. A group of us was helping to take the bodies out of the water and later they were transported, tagged and stored in Shop 31.” After the Battle of the Coral Sea, Lewis was part of the workforce that repaired the USS Yorktown in record time. “We knew that Admiral Nimitz wanted the Yorktown battle ready, so everyone was working 16 hour shifts, around the clock and didn’t leave Pearl for those days until the job was done.” “We were able to get Yorktown war ready and set off to the Battle of Midway, which was the battle that changed WWII.” As Lewis Walters’ story unfolded, it was an OMG moment when we realized that his life touched all 5 parks Pacific Historic Park supports. When he was an infant, his father was the lighthouse
keeper on the Kalaupapa peninsula, where Lewis spent his childhood and played with the Hawaiian children that lived outside of the settlement. When his family moved to Oahu, he lived on the foothills of Diamond Head. Lewis worked as an electrician in Bldg 214 Pearl Harbor Navy Yard for 39 years, from June 1941 to May 1982. Drafted into the Army, he also served on active duty 1944 – 1945, which sent him to Guam and Saipan. As an electrician for Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, Lewis was sent to the far corners of the world to install and repair badly needed equipment, throughout the Korean and Vietnam Wars. There’s definitely more to his stories and we are planning to revisit Lewis as we attempt to learn more about his life. With each year that passes, members of the Greatest Generation are leaving us. Soon they will live on only in our collective memories. Pacific Historic Parks’ oral history program, “Rendezvous with History”, is the collecting and preserving of these precious stories of the members of the World War II generation, to gain new insights into the ways individual men and women helped shape our past, for generations we hope to inspire to never forget, to Remember, Honor, and Understand. What is oral history? Oral history or talking history, is the historical information captured through recorded interviews (in audio and/or video) with participants who have experienced significant events or times. Do you have a story to share? Every person’s story is significant and unique. Please email us at oralhistories@pacifichistoricparks.org or toll free at (888) 332-1941. REMEMBRANCE SUMMER 2017 | 11
Rising to the Challenge In the first year since Imperial Japan attacked Oahu,
the United States is still stunned but adapting quickly to new realities — sacrifice, commitment and a need to rise to the challenge in Europe, in the Pacific and on the home front. In the first six months of the war the Allies suffer defeat after defeat. But in early June of 1942 the Battle of Midway brings a glimmer of victory — and hope — in the Pacific. On December 7, 1942 Sailors and civilian workers gather at the USS Arizona (BB 39) to pause, reflect and
Military Band Performances
Dates: Dec. 2, 3, 4, 6, 2017. Time: 9:00 a.m. Location: Pearl Harbor Visitor Center Lanai Enjoy live music at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center Lanai when military bands perform a variety of patriotic and inspiring songs.
USS Arizona Interment Ceremony in honor of Estelle Birdsell (Closed to Public) Date: Tuesday, Dec 5, 2017. Time: 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Location: USS Arizona Memorial
The National Park Service and the US Navy will conduct the interment of Estelle Birdsell with full military burial honors.
Blackened Canteen Ceremony Date: Wednesday, Dec 6, 2017 Time: 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m Location: USS Arizona Memorial
This ceremony is co-hosted by the Pacific Aviation Museum (PAM), National Park Service, and Dr Hiroyo Sugano. This annual commemoration of peace and reconciliation ceremony with a silent prayer and pouring of bourbon whiskey from a World War IIblackened canteen into the hallowed waters of Pearl Harbor as an offering to the spirits of the fallen. The public is invited on a first-come, first-served basis by calling PAM event coordinator Gary Meyers, 808-282-6570, for reservations.
Spirit of Liberty Foundation Freedom Opening Ceremony and Bell Ringing
Date: Wednesday, Dec 6, 2017 Time: 10:00 a.m. Location: USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park
The Spirit of Liberty Foundation Freedom Bell returns to Pearl Harbor at the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park with opening ceremonies at 10 a.m. Following the ceremony, the public is invited to ring the Freedom Bell in memory of the service of a loved one. 12 | REMEMBRANCE FALL 2017
remember those who were killed in Pearl Harbor. A single pole displays an American flag that flutters in a Hawaiian breeze. It is the first of 76 years of remembrances to follow. This year we remember a nation rising to the challenge to eventually create a peaceful and free Japan and Western Europe. Today, here in Pearl Harbor, we celebrate the peace shared between the United States and Japan and all our friends and partners. December 7, 2017 marks the 76th Anniversary of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and here’s a glimpse of some of the events planned:
USS Utah Memorial Sunset Ceremony (Closed to Public)
Date: Wednesday, Dec 6, 2017 Time: 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Location: USS Utah Memorial, Ford Island USS Utah Memorial Sunset Ceremony honors the loss of the USS Utah (AG-16) and 58 of her crew. Ceremony is open to those possessing access with valid military, DoD, or DOI ID and their sponsored guests.
76th Anniversary National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Commemoration Date: Thursday, Dec 7, 2017 Time: 7:45 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. Location: Pearl Harbor Visitor Center
The National Park Service and the US Navy will co-host the 76th anniversary of the annual commemoration of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The ceremony will take place at the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument’s Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. The public is invited to attend. Parking will be available at the Aloha Stadium with free bus shuttles provided from the Aloha Stadium to the ceremony and back. For more information, visit www. pearlharborevents.com. Note: If you are a Pearl Harbor Survivor or World War II veteran, please contact the Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs Office to receive an invitation and seating for the ceremony: (808) 473-3152, 473-1173, or 473-0664 or email navyhawaiipublicaffairs@ gmail.com.
Hickam Field Remembrance Ceremony (Closed to Public)
Date: Dec 7, 2017 Time: 7:50 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Location: Atterbury Circle, Hickam Field, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam The 15th Wing will host a remembrance ceremony at the Atterbury Circle historic flagpole on Hickam Field to honor the 189
killed and 303 wounded during the attacks. The ceremony is open to military and DoD ID card holders and their sponsored guests.
USS Oklahoma Memorial Ceremony Date: Thursday, Dec 7, 2017 Time: 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Location: USSOklahoma Memorial, Ford Island
This ceremony honors and commemorates the loss of the USS Oklahoma (BB-37) and 429 of her crew. Public wishing to attend the ceremony may catch a free shuttle departing every 15 minutes from the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, which is adjacent to the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.
Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade
Date: Thursday, Dec 7, 2017 Time: 6:00 p.m. Location: Ft. DeRussy in Waikiki to Kapiolani Park This parade honors the remaining Pearl Harbor Survivors as the Grand Marshals and honors and recognizes all veterans, active duty military, and their families. The parade begins at Ft. DeRussy, continues along Kalakaua Ave., and ends at Kapiolani Park. For more information, visit www. pearlharborparade.org.
Freedom Bell Ringing
Date: Dec 7 (12 pm to 5 pm) and Dec 8, 9, and 10, 2017 Time: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Location: USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park The public is invited to ring the Freedom Bell from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Dec. 8. The bell is rung in honor of all men and women who have served, or are serving in the Armed Forces. The bell will remain until Dec. 10.
To learn more about the events, please visit pearlharborevents.com.
PRAYER FOR THE DEAD The Lone Sailor The Lone Sailor statue is the iconic symbol representing the US Navy Memorial’s mission to honor, recognize and celebrate the men and women of the sea services. By placing Lone Sailor statues around the world, we honor, recognize and celebrate these men and women wherever they serve. On October 13, 2017, the 242nd Navy Birthday, this Lone Sailor Statue was dedicated on the grounds of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument.
“Eternal rest grant unto them and let perpetual light shine upon them and may they rest in peace.”
Clarence “Smiley” Bonn Wheeler Field Torrance, CA
Joseph Peniston Todd USS Solace Newman, GA
Rolla “Ed” Malan USS Preble Fairborn, OH
Robert H. Van Druff USS Aylwin Brookeville, MD
Richard James Pauls USS Medusa Indianapolis, IN
Louis H. Whitford Jr. USS Nevada Jacksonville, FL
John Seelie Schofield Barracks Port Charlotte, FL
Pearl Harbor Survivor Al Rodrigues Sr. with the Lone Sailor.
PEARL HARBOR SURVIVORS ASSOCIATION REPORT OF DEATH Unit or station on December 7th:__________________________________________________________ Name:________________________________________________________________________________ Address:______________________________________________________________________________ Date of death: _________________ Services: ______________ Funeral Home:_____________________ Interment: ____________________________________ Continue sending Remembrance? Yes No Next of kin: __________________________________ Relationship:______________________________ Address:______________________________________________________________________________ Remarks:______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Form prepared by: _________________________ Relationship:____________________Date:_________ Address:______________________________________________________________________________ Email: ___________________________________________ Phone: _______________________________ PLEASE INCLUDE AN OBITUARY NOTICE, IF POSSIBLE
This form is available online at grams.pacifichistoricparks.org/PDFs/Report-of-Death.pdf Please complete and mail to: Edean Saito, Special Projects Manager Pacific Historic Parks, 94-1187 Ka Uka Blvd., Waipahu, HI 96797 REMEMBRANCE FALL 2017 | 13
HISTOR by hed
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(Continued from page 5)
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USS Arizona. He joined the ship and her marine detachment at the Arizona’s homeport, Long Beach, California on October 6, 1939. In the summer of 1940, the Pacific Fleet moved to Oahu’s Pearl Harbor and began operating in the Hawaiian Islands amid growing tensions between the United States and Japan. On May 13, 1941, Fincher, who had been ranked as a field cook, accepted a reduction to private, in order to switch to general service. Immediately, in fact the same day, he was promoted to private first class; he made corporal the very next day. One July 1, 1941, Fincher was promoted again, this time to sergeant (ships warrant). Major Alan Shapley noted in Fincher’s fitness report that his regular duties had expanded to sergeant of the guard and gun captain of Arizona’s Gun #7, a 5-inch/25 caliber anti-aircraft gun mount. When Japanese naval air forces commenced its attack on the Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor and US bases on the island of Oahu on December 7, 1941, the Arizona lived only 11 minutes. In the aftermath, Sergeant Dexter W. Fincher was listed as missing in action. By January 1942, he was numbered as one of the 1,177 men killed aboard the Arizona. Fincher’s service jacket contains a copy of a January 28, 1942 letter from Lieutenant General Thomas Holcomb, the US Marine Corps’ commandant, notifying Grace Fincher back in Prineville, Oregon, that her missing son had been declared dead. In effort to console her Holcomb wrote, “There is little I can say to lessen your grief, but it is my earnest hope that the
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knowledge of your son’s splendid record in the service, and the thought that he nobly gave his life in the performance of his duty may in some measure comfort you in this sad hour.” Mrs. Fincher wrote back to the commandant more than once. In September 1943, she thanked him for the Purple Heart medal she had received on behalf of her son, and mentioned the dedication of Dexter Fincher VFW Post #1412 in Bend, Oregon named in her son’s memory. She went on to say “This all seems like a bad dream… from which I half expect to awaken someday. And yet I know so many dear ones will never return.” In October 1949, four years after the war had ended (and nine months after the death of her husband, TE OF FA Sergeant R E T Fincher’s father), A MAT Mrs. Fincher wrote to the US Marine Corps asking for funds to purchase a cemetery memorial to her son, whose remains were never found. “Perhaps I am entirely out of order, expressing my wishes for a suitable memorial, to show that one, Dexter Wilson Fincher did exist,” she wrote. A little more than 12 and a half years later, her wish was fulfilled when the USS Arizona Memorial was dedicated on Memorial Day, May 30, 1962 at Pearl Harbor. A key feature of the Memorial is the shrine room wall inscribed with the names of the fallen. Set aside was a section that listed the members of the Marine Detachment. It included the name of D.W. Fincher. The memorial’s designer, architect Alfred Preis
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understood the importance of listing the names of those who lost their lives. He designed a wall made of Vermont marble, with each individual casualty’s name engraved with his rank or rate. How the names were collected and what database was used is still a mystery. The wall was replaced twice in its history. When a new wall went up in 2014, however, it was without a fresh verification of names and rates. That became the source of controversy, confusion, and bitter disappointment.
But a verification effort was already underway. After much discussion about the wall’s historical accuracy, Robert Sutton -- then chief historian of the National Park Service (NPS) -- and I had decided that a comprehensive study of USS Arizona casualties would be conducted at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, Missouri, part of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The project was daunting to say the least. The first order of business was to put together a comprehensive research plan, beginning with finding an expert. Enter Mike Wenger, experienced researcher of World War II documents, whose specialty is personnel records and who had done research projects for the Memorial over the years. In January 2015, with the research plan complete, the team traveled to St. Louis. Discussions began with NPRC staff to coordinate the research and scanning of the Arizona crew records. The first trip to the record center in St. Louis would determine how our project would unfold I soon found out a research project of this size was unprecedented in the NPRC’s history. There were a number of questions that needed to be answered. How do you organize and pull 1,177 service jackets from among millions of records?
How many NPRC staff members would be needed? How would the records be dispensed? How much workspace would the research team require? And finally, once the records had been reviewed and tabbed, how much time would staff need to prep the records for scanning? (Prepping includes the process of flattening the documents and determining their condition. If the record is too fragile, a Mylar sleeve must be used to protect it.) Other questions would come up when the project began in mid-March. Another consideration was cost. Where would it come from in this era of diminished NPS budgets? We were fortunate to have the interest and support of Pacific Historic Parks, the USS Arizona Memorial’s private-sector non-profit association, whose funds are raised primarily from sales in the visitor center’s bookstore and support from donors and members. It’s safe to say that without Pacific Historic Park’s support, the USS Arizona Casualty Project would not have happened. But with funding allocated, Wenger and I focused on developing a research team. During our first visit to the
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6, 1941, only to perish in less than 24 hours. One fallen sailor died on his birthday, December 7. And the letters inside these records, handwritten to President Franklin D. Roosevelt or Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, were heart-wrenching, each pleading and begging as to where the writer’s boy, husband, or father might be. For many spouses or parents back home, the only communication was a telegram or letter declaring their loved one missing in action. This left them to wonder: were their boys dead or alive? I cannot think of another phrase that could be so emotionally troubling. Oh yes, there was one… “Declared dead.” Those messages came too. One can only imagine the fear that Americans felt when the Western Union Telegram truck drove down their street in December 1941 or early 1942. We know through these records that this did happen to Sergeant Dexter W. Fincher’s family.
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“There is little
NPRC, we had scanned and reviewed more than 30 service jackets (commonly referred to as “bricks” because the paper record-holder is red and square). After looking into these records and seeing what they contained, it dawned on me that this project was not just about the accuracy of each subject’s name or rate/rank on the Memorial’s wall. It was about documenting and memorializing the lives and deaths of human beings.
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These records spoke to me. They disclosed each subjects’ place of birth, his parents’ names, where he grew up and went to school, and the age at which he enlisted (some were as young as 17 years old). Some of the men were single; some were married with children. One young Marine reported to the Arizona on December 16 | REMEMBRANCE FALL 2017
nion…A m
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Postscript Those who are aware of this project have asked what will be done with the thousands of scanned documents that make up the service jackets of the fallen crew of the USS Arizona? Well the first thing to be done is to prepare the records for the review of names and rates and ranks that are currently listed on the USS Arizona Memorial in order to insure the accuracy of the fallen. It is interesting to note that this is the first time in American World War II history that all of those killed on a U.S. Navy ship has had all the service jackets digitally scanned. After we completed the two year scanning project, the next phase is the process of document preparation. As part of the initial scanning of a service jackets, notations were made to capture significant information that would support the review of names that had been placed on the shrine room wall. These notes were identified by placing a colored dot on the Excel spreadsheet to indicate a rate or rank contradiction or in citing a significant personal letter, like the one of Mrs. Grace Fincher. Other notations will be made to footnote an error regarding the initial of the first or middle name. The preparation of these significant military documents will be critical elements to the success of this ambitious endeavor. The term “Turn & Trim”, is the procedure that will be applied to every document. • Ensure documents are properly oriented, cropped and color corrected
• Remove duplicates • Consolidate and sort duplicate file folders • Identify and remove misfiled documents from other service Jackets This process is the last step to be done before the review of the names and the eventual posting of the USS Arizona casualty records on our website. This project was made up of a team of very talented historians and computer technicians, with the unflinching support of our donors and friends. USS Arizona Casualty Research Team Daniel A. Martinez, Chief Historian, Project Director Michael J. Wenger, Historian, Consultant & Project Manger 2015-16 Thomas Z. Reece, Project Manager, Project Manager 2017 Donny Chambers, Computer/Scanning Technician Ray Sandla, Consultant & Computer Technician Denice Dearing, Computer/Scanning Technician Kelsea Holbrook, Computer/Scanning Technician Eve Barnett, Computer/Scanning Technician
e I can say to le ssen your grief…”
REMEMBRANCE FALL 2017 | 17
You Make it Happen! Your contributions help us meet our mission to ensure that the legacy of the valiant, courageous men and women who served our country during World War II are never forgotten. We would like to recognize and thank the following donors for their recent contributions.
IN MEMORY OF
IN HONOR OF
Thomas Burbank Rebecca Burbank
Maj. John Gaston, USMC (Ret.) Trust U/A 10/24/68 Alexander Gaston
Dewey Chew Gail Ann Chew
John A. Tracy I Anthony Sesnauskas Patricia Cook
USMC Sgt. Angel L. Tirado (Desert Storm, Grenada) Herberto Tirado
Paul D. Devall, USN Valma De Vall Joseph Peniston Todd, USS J. Patrick Todd
Catalino T. Diama CPO-NAVY WWII Cindy Villalon Diama-Medina
Special thanks to the George and Elizabeth Harrison Trust Gail L Anderson
Malee P Burress
George Despotis M.D.
Albert N Antaki Jr.
David A Caputo
Richard C Dickson
The Estate of Andy Joseph Antosik
Alexandra Castainca-Costa
George E Diehl
Jennifer S Austin
Castle Resorts & Hotels
Thomas W Dillon
John G Bachman
Edwin Charbonneau
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Joseph E Chassereau Jr.
Robert L Dunlap
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Maxine M Childres
Dale J Dupuy
Estelle L Becker
Victor Conrad
Dorothy Ene
Roy Biscamp
Ralph A Cook
Rose Eng
James M Boersema
Combat Artist Collection
Kenneth J Falkenstein
Robert A Bonin
Kristin G DeCoster
Patricia B Finie
Ascenzo J Bonitati
Judith DeGraff
Jacqueline A Flagg
Jennifer A Boyd
Daniel J Del Monte Jr.
Raymond Francis Sr.
Don G Boyer
Ronald DeMarco
James Fromel
Robert Briggs
Frank DeNave
E. Funakoshi
Raymond E Burke
James D Denison
Daniel Goodman
To donate, call (808) 954-8726 or visit www.pacifichistoricparks.org. 18 | REMEMBRANCE FALL 2017
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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 I’m interested in discussing my options for a planned gift with Pacific Historic Parks. Please contact me at the number listed in the form below. I already have a planned gift set up for Pacific Historic Parks. Please specify type: _________________________ Pacific Historic Parks may recognize my membership in The Legacy Society in its publications.
Richard J Madlinger
Visual World
Dennis R Mar
Impressions
Jeffrey S Marten
Cynthia Waller
Donna Masucci
_________________________________________________ Name
Margaret McFadden
Thomas Walters / Annette Stelk
_________________________________________________ Address
Heidi Meeker
J. Patrick J White
James Miller
Josh Whitehead
_________________________________________________ City, State, Zip
Karen Mitchell
Volney L Willett
Michael Mochizuki David H Mueller James Mueller Joseph T Noddin
Brian Witt Nancy Working John Yarbor
Michael O’Brien
Donald J Young
Nancy Oelkers
Gabriel J Zinni
_________________________________________________ Phone _________________________________________________ Email 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).
94-1187 Ka Uka Blvd. Waipahu, Hawaii 96797
One Saturday a month, students and teachers from Punahou and Island Pacific Academy share the story of Sadako Sasaki and the message of world peace, while teaching visitors the art of folding an origami paper crane.