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THE 2012 Medal of Honor Convention wrapped up last weekend with two major patriotic events. A block party was held outside Murphy’s Friday night and the convention ended Saturday with a Patriot Award Dinner aboard the Battleship Missouri. More than 5,000 attended the block party, including 50 Medal of Honor recipients. The highlight was a concert by actor-musician Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band.Previous medal recipients from Hawaii include Sen. Daniel Inouye and Allan Kellogg.
Many of Honolulu’s leading citizens were among the 1,000 people at the Missouri cocktail party and dinner. Tickets were $500 each. Retired Gen. Eric Shinseki, secretary of veterans affairs and former Army chief of staff, was honored with the Distinguished Citizen Award. He could not attend but sent a video expressing his gratitude. The Patriot Award went to Coast Guard retired Adm. Thad W. Allen. Sinise was featured speaker. The Honolulu Boy Choir and buglers from the Marine Corps Band performed. Dan Cooke was emcee. Co-chairmen were retired Adm. Thomas Fargo and David J. McIntyre Jr. Retired Lt. Gen. Robert Foley, 71, is the highest-ranking living Medal of Honor recipient and calls Hawaii his second home.
The 6-foot, 7-inch Foley, who was a basketball star at West Point, often visits his old Schofield unit, the 25th Infantry Division Wolfhounds. He hosted his old Army buddy, local boy Bob Corboy, during the weeklong series of events …
HAWAII OPERA Theatre’s season takes flight at 8 tonight with "Die Fledermaus" (The Bat) at Blaisdell Concert Hall. Chef Mavro owner George Mavrothalassitis and his wife, Donna Jung, are opera fans and each year they invite two visiting opera stars to the award-winning restaurant for dinner. This year, the lucky recipients were Richard Troxell and Barbara Shirvis. Chef Mavro opens today at 5:30 p.m. for pre-opera diners. It will be open on Sunday for post-opera dinners for those who attend the 4 p.m. performance. Tableside welcomes by Mavrothalassitis and complimentary house cocktails are offered to the opera diners …
HULA GRILL WAIKIKI honored sisters Leilani andPuanani Alama, hula icons, Saturday withits fifth annual "IOla Mau Ka Hula" award. Leilani, 87, a former Aloha Week queen, teaches five days aweek at her Kaimuki hula studio, Leilani Alama Hula Studio. She has been there since 1943. Puanani, 82, is the last living judge from the first Merrie Monarch HulaFestival, which will soon celebrate its 50th year. She teaches at her studio, Puanani Alama Hula Studio. Both judge competitions and anchor the NaHula o Hawai‘i Festival at Kapiolani Park asthey have every year since 1940. The women received a proclamation from Gov. Neil Abercrombie, and Pua danced for the crowd. Robert Cazimero sang and danced for the sisters, as did others. Music was provided by the Ainsley Halemanu Trio …
THE EuroCinema Hawai‘i Film Festival at Dole Regal Theatres, a fest within the Hawaii International Film Festival, is offering several award-winning pictures. The EuroCinema awards gala is Oct. 19 on the Moana Surfrider’s lawn at 7 p.m. For $125 tickets, visit eurocinemahawaii.org …
Ben Wood, who sold newspapers on Honolulu streets in World War II, writes of people, places and things. Email him at bwood@staradvertiser.com.
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