Pacific War bill inspired by veteran passes Senate

A bill inspired by the late Adm. Lloyd R. “Joe” Vasey, who wanted to commemorate U.S. service members who fought in the Pacific theater, passed the U.S. Senate on Monday.

Vasey, a Honolulu resident and WWII hero, died in March shortly after his 101st birthday. During his lifetime he fought tirelessly to add a Pacific War display to the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, which houses the USS Arizona Memorial.

Vasey often said a grueling 36-hour battle aboard the USS Gunnel inspired him to provide “a better way to solve international problems.”

He realized his goal of promoting world peace with the 1975 founding of the Pacific Forum, a foreign-policy think tank. But he was saddened that a Pacific War memorial had not been built during his lifetime. He estimated that wartime conditions prevented the retrieval of the bodies of some 150,000 fallen service members who fought in WWII’s Pacific theater, and wanted a place where friends and family could mourn them.

The bill Vasey inspired, which was introduced by U.S. Rep Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii) and U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah), unanimously passed the U.S. House on the 76th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The bill, which was co-sponsored by 90 House members, had sweeping bipartisan support.

“The lessons learned by Admiral Vasey and the members of the Greatest Generation must be preserved and passed on,” Hanabusa said in a statement. “This memorial will tell the story of those who lost their lives in the Pacific during World War II. It will allow loved ones to honor their memory. But most importantly, it will continue Admiral Vasey’s legacy of teaching that the best outcome of any potential conflict is non-violent diplomacy.”

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-­Hawaii) said the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Admiral Lloyd R. “Joe” Vasey Pacific War Commemorative Display Establishment Act, which was co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii).

“Admiral Vasey passed away only a short time before we were able to pass this legislation, but the bill that bears his name is a fitting tribute to his life of service and the sacrifice so many Americans made to win the war in the Pacific,” Hirono said in a statement.

Vasey’s bill, which directs the National Park Service and the nonprofit Pacific Historic Parks to create a memorial, now goes to President Donald Trump for his signature.

“What wonderful news! Dad’s last service to his country was to honor those that never returned from the wars in the Pacific. He would be so proud,” said his daughter Karla Vasey.