Reflections on Memorial Day

The USS Missouri is an important reminder of yesteryear’s heroes who secured today’s freedoms

By Michael Carr

As president of the Battleship Missouri Memorial, I have the unique pleasure of welcoming veterans and active duty service members to the ship each and every day. For the veterans who come to visit the Missouri, the ship takes them back to their own days of service, whether or not they served on board the Mighty Mo.  

Employees and volunteers who work on the ship are always in awe of their stories, their passion and how clearly they recall their service.

For active-duty service members, the ship is a preferred venue for re-enlistments, promotions and retirements — and tens of thousands of service members from all branches of the armed services choose the Missouri to renew their commitment to their profession and their country. The Missouri is a proud memorial to all who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and given their lives for our country.

It is on this day that I think particularly of my own father, a World War II and Korean War veteran, and of my grandfather, a World War I veteran. On my mother’s side, my grandfather fought for the French in WWI and received the Croix de Guerre, twice — today those medals sit in my office here on the ship.

As a Vietnam-era veteran myself, I look back at my entire family’s military history and am amazed how we all were so fortunate to live long lives and raise wonderful families. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to all those service members who did not — and to those who continue to sacrifice their lives for our freedom.

Originally meant to honor those who perished in the Civil War, this day of remembrance was changed to honor all Americans who have died in all wars. Many years have passed since then and, unfortunately, many more wars have taken the lives of our American heroes serving in the United States armed forces. As so many of these heroes of past wars, especially WWII, are passing on, we must not forget all the quiet heroes who came back from these conflicts and went about living quiet and meaningful lives — like my dad, who was to me, one of the greatest American heroes I know.

The USS Missouri (BB-63) was built by the U.S. for one purpose only — to fight and to destroy our enemies. Yet, within two years of her launching, she instead became an eternal symbol of peace, ending the worst conflict in the history of man on her decks on Sept. 2, 1945.

Now the ship sits proudly in Pearl Harbor keeping watch over the 1,177 crewmen buried beneath the waters in the USS Arizona. It is a task that we are proud to bear, welcoming thousands of visitors each day and serving as an instrument to tell the story of the sacrifice endured by so many.

We are surrounded by history every day at the Battleship Missouri Memorial and are constantly reminded of the many sacrifices made by so many that allow us to lead the very privileged lives that we lead today.

Connective seas between Hawaii and Japan inspire Lantern Floating’s hope for healing and harmony

By Roy Ho

Each Memorial Day, the sun rises over observances held across America to honor those who have fallen in service to our country. It then sets upon tens of thousands of people from around the world who gather at Ala Moana Beach in remembrance of loved ones who have passed.

Memorial Day in Hawaii is a day that speaks to the human spirit of wanting to protect, care for and serve others. Community members sew lei to place on veterans’ graves, and in the same spirit of service, hundreds of volunteers from near and far offer themselves over several months to construct lanterns, assist at the beach, and to clean and store the lanterns that are refurbished each year for the Lantern Floating Hawaii ceremony.

From 1971 through 1984, the founder of Shinnyo Buddhism, Master Shinjo Ito, made annual visits to Hawaii from Japan.  Of primary importance on each trip was paying his respects at Pearl Harbor, the Arizona Memorial and the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl. He would say that words could not describe the deep emotion he felt as he offered prayers for the victims of war.

The waters of the Pacific Ocean flow freely between Japan and Hawaii and merge with other oceans, connecting all shores. Believing that Hawaii is a special place where people are guided by the aloha spirit to create harmony amid diversity, and wanting to continue his prayers for all with no distinction of borders or boundaries, Master Shinjo wished to hold a lantern floating ceremony in Hawaii. On Memorial Day in 1999, nearly 10 years after his passing, his successor, Her Holiness Keishu Shinso Ito, officiated the inaugural Lantern Floating Hawaii ceremony.

The theme of Lantern Floating Hawaii is “Many Rivers, One Ocean.” Although the core of the event is a traditional Buddhist ceremony for the spirits of all who have passed, those who gather on the beach, and the many who experience it through the live telecast or internet stream, know that this ceremony transcends any differences of belief or culture. In that moment of remembrance, we are very much the same.

Lantern Floating Hawaii allows people a personal moment to remember, reflect and offer gratitude to those who came before us. It is also a collective experience where families, friends and even strangers extend warmth, compassion and understanding to support one another. We are strengthened as a community as we reach out to support others and build understanding of our common human values and experiences.

Keishu Shinso shared these ideals in her address at last year’s ceremony: “The Buddha taught that our great potential as a human being emerges when we practice altruism with wisdom and loving compassion. When we act with courage and concern for others in the face of difficulty, we bring out that great potential. The obvious purpose of the Lantern Floating is to think of the departed and to express one’s gratitude. The message is to carry over those feelings into our daily lives, and care more for those around us.”

The 14th Annual Lantern Floating Hawaii ceremony will take place Monday at sunset. Each person’s participation gives deeper meaning to the event. We hope that you will join us in person, or in spirit, and that your participation brings a sense of comfort, warm connection and harmony with others around you.

War is hell — but when we honor sacrifices made by troops, it recognizes loyalty to a higher calling

By Gene Castagnetti

As a teenager, if I were asked to explain the meaning of Memorial Day, I would’ve said: “To remember our war dead.” If pressed, I might have added: “To pay tribute to courage and sacrifice.”  

Now, as a retired U.S. Marine, and as one who has had the privilege of being the keeper of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific for more than 22 years, I can see that Memorial Day is more than remembering adherence to duty and honor, and yes, the sacrifice of others. Memorial Day is the most somber ritual observed in the nation.

When we — Americans — gather on the pastoral lawns of cemeteries on Memorial Day, we are recognizing loyalty to a higher calling. We are recognizing the ideals of freedom, life, liberty and unalienable, God-given rights. And we are recognizing elements in our spiritual selves.

Observance of Memorial Day reflects the theme that the way a nation honors and cares for its war dead speaks volumes as to the character of its society. As President John F. Kennedy memorably said: “A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces, but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.”

As we gather for this ritual at cemeteries on Monday, we remember the men and women who served, sacrificed or died in war.

We don’t glorify war — war is hell! But we aim to memorialize the good character of the citizen soldier who believes in the Judeo-Christian definition of the just war, that evil must not be allowed to remain unchecked.  

On Memorial Day, we come to renew our collective dedication to the true meaning of the moment. To publicly signify that we enjoy the abundance, blessings and lives we lead because generations of Americans gave their last full measure of devotion. And to pledge that they did not die in vain.

In my many years of planning with active-duty military, veterans and civic organizations that are in Hawaii — a melting pot of races, ethnic groups and religious denomination — to the last man, all want to conduct a ceremony in a venue that evokes a sense of history and patriotism. They view the National Memorial Cemetery as the appropriate location to silently pledge to renew the collective dedication to the true meaning of a ritual that we the people publicly signify the blessings and lives we lead are because others made the ultimate sacrifice.  

Those who wore the fabric of this nation’s military gave up their tomorrows for our todays.

Cemeteries are for the living — for millions of Americans and foreign visitors, who come and reflect on what it truly means to live in freedom, and that freedom is bought with the blood and sacrifice of Americans.

Memorial Day is a ritual to behold — for the young, in-between and the old; where race, religion, politics are left cold; and every grave marker memorializes a life of devotion untold. Memorial Day raises the question: What if I was called? The answer is not easily resolved.

Hawaii’s ‘Aloha and Warrior Spirit’ helps military endure a dangerous, sometimes painful, profession

By David Brostrom

As we all know, Hawaii is a very special place. It is a beautiful state with a diverse and tolerant people that overflow with the Aloha Spirit.

Hawaii is also one of the few places that a special “Warrior Spirit” surrounds us through our large resident military population rich in history and culture. This Aloha and Warrior Spirit had profound impacts on my two sons, both of whom decided to receive their commissions and serve on active duty.

My oldest son Jonathan attended Damien Memorial School, where the meaning of the school motto, “Act Manfully,” was taught through religion, brotherhood, discipline and respect. The values that my son learned at Damien High, combined with the military culture here, would influence his decisions on the field of battle. On July 13, 2008, our family was informed that our son Jonathan had been killed in action in Afghanistan, along with eight other soldiers.  

During the firefight, Jonathan without hesitation sacrificed his life trying to save the lives of his fellow soldiers. Jonathan’s bravery and sacrifice is no less than that of the hundreds of other Hawaii-based military who have selflessly given the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of our country. What is important for all U.S. citizens to understand is that almost four years later, the grief of Jonathan’s loss has not subsided. This grief enables my family to constantly reflect on the memories of our brave son, making us proud of his life and sacrifices.  

Many have asked why, after such a terrible loss, my family supported our youngest son, Blake, to pursue his military career and deploy to Afghanistan. The answer is simple: My youngest son was motivated to volunteer in honor of his brother. The values he learned from our family and his experience here in Hawaii gave him the spirit to continue to serve his country.  

Recently during a ROTC commissioning ceremony for 30 young officers, the University of Hawaii honored its fallen, which included five graduates who were killed

in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, and seven Japanese-Americans who died serving in the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

Allen Hoe — whose son, Army 1st Lt. Nainoa Hoe, was killed in action in Iraq — proudly presided over this solemn occasion honoring the new officers and fallen warriors with a traditional Hawaiian Warrior ceremony. I also had the privilege of meeting the Gold Star parents of the fallen Army aviators from the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade killed in action when their helicopter crashed during a rescue mission in Afghanistan. Despite the tremendous sadness, it was clearly evident what transcended each one of these Gold Star family members was the overwhelming feeling of pride they had for their fallen loved ones.

On Memorial Day, I would ask all of the citizens of Hawaii to take a moment to remember that our country is still at war — but most important, reflect on the sacrifices of the thousands of our Hawaii-based military and families that have given so much. Your support and aloha really does help our military endure a very dangerous and difficult profession.

A few months before he died, our son made the following comment speaking at the memorial service for his close friend and platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Kahler, killed in action in Afghanistan: “Remember when you climb into bed at night and get cozy under your warm blanket of freedom, that freedom didn’t come free and many of the men here have paid the ultimate sacrifice so you can live comfortably in the greatest country.”