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Today’s Veterans Day marks the 25th anniversary of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., a complement to the iconic Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Hawaii resident and veteran Allen K. Hoe was to be among today’s speakers there; a version of his remarks are presented here, below.
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I would like to begin with an ancient Hawaiian warrior chant:
ALOHA E! ALOHA E! ALOHA E!
EO MAI, E NA HOA KAUA,
Harken, O comrades-in-arms,
E MOE MALIE I KA LA’I.
Who sleep softly in the stillness.
WELO KA LA I LEHUA.
The sun sets at Lehua.
ALOHA E! ALOHA E! ALOHA E!
The power of this oli from antiquity connects all warriors, past and present. Presenting this chant at the Wall, honoring the spirits of warriors, provides redemption of mind and spirit in a tribute to those we honor; their sacrifice makes it our duty to remember their gift of freedom.
Today, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial is an honor to the legacy of service of all women veterans. We honor the legions of brave young women who have worn our nation’s uniform. It is long overdue. Women have stood shoulder to shoulder with their brothers proudly serving, sometimes fighting and sadly, also giving their last full measure of devotion for those precious things we all hold so dear: our freedom and liberty.
Women now command the “Long Gray Line” of West Point, are Army Rangers and in combat arms units. They are Purple Heart recipients, having been wounded or killed in combat. Many have received combat awards for valor under fire — but more importantly, they have done so willingly with a desire to make a difference. Today’s women and men amaze me as they do so, in a time of uncertainty and war.
The Wall is a special place of healing, a place of solace for the loved ones of those who did not return. It is also a place of miracles.
As a 20-year-old combat medic, I volunteered to go to war — the Vietnam War. I was young and immortal, seeking adventure, wanting the combat experience. There but for the grace of God, I could easily have been a statistic, like the 50-plus young men I served with, whose names are carved in stone on this Wall.
Twenty-nine years ago, my 12-year-old son, Nainoa, stood at the Wall, where he “met” 18 of my buddies from Recon Team Snoopy, who had given their last full measure on Mother’s Day 1968.
When Nainoa touched the names of my buddies, he also happened to touch the name of a warrior from Idabel, Okla.: 1st Lt. Edward Guthrie. Some 37 years earlier, Edward had commanded Charlie Company, 3/21 INF, the Gimlets — the same platoon that Nainoa was to later command, and in 2005, like Edward, would die while doing so. Is it fate, karma? I have given up trying to explain it. To me it simply is.
We honor all our beloved nurses, whose caring ways have healed — body, spirit and mind. Each Memorial and Veterans Day, a “talk story” is held at the Vietnam Women’s Memorial — a very intimate and personal experience for veterans and servicemen and women, allowing them to share their story at this sacred place.
I vividly recall Memorial Day 2005, when Army nurse Paula Coughlin was invited to share her Iraqi experience. I met Maj. Coughlin while giving her a lei: As she leaned forward for me to place the lei over her shoulders, she reached out and grasped the “My Hero” button on my coat. Then softly, she said, “I know him.”
The world around us came to a halt; everyone literally held their breath. “He is my son,” I mumbled. “He was killed in Mosul.” In the most angelic voice, she whispered, I was with him when he died.
I sensed the deep pain in her voice, and we embraced each other for the longest moment. That was my special miracle.
These memorials set here are to remind us of our honored dead. We best honor them by remembering them, so their deeds, and more importantly, they themselves will live on in our hearts and minds. It is only when they are forgotten, that they will have truly died, and yes, our lives will then have been in vain. They will not be forgotten.
Allen Hoe is a Honolulu lawyer and Vietnam War veteran.
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