Newly minted Navy Ensign Christian Tsukamoto flashed fellow Hawaii native President Barack Obama a shaka as he approached the president at the U.S. Naval Academy commencement ceremony last weekend.
Obama responded: "Oh, a Hawaii boy," said Tsukamoto’s mother, Cherie.
"Yes," the 2009 Mid-Pacific Institute graduate replied, causing the president to break out in a big smile, Cherie Tsukamoto said.
The encounter was photographed by Tsukamoto’s sister, Brianna, from her seat in the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md., May 24. The Navy said more than 30,000 people attended the commencement exercise.
The academy reported that this year’s graduating class included 764 Navy ensigns; 264 Marine Corps second lieutenants; three Air Force second lieutenants; and 16 foreign officers from 13 countries.
Cherie Tsukamoto said Obama shook the hands of all the graduating cadets.
"The last girl in line threw her arms around the president and gave him a bear hug," she said.
The weather was windy and cold with a little bit of rain, she added.
"We all had to wear ponchos," Tsukamoto said, "but a little bit of rain was not going to damper anyone’s spirit.
"They worked so hard. Nothing was going to damper their spirits. They were all so proud and elated."
Joining Cherie and Brianna Tsukamoto in the stands were Christian’s father, Art; and brother, Tyson.
Tsukamoto was nominated to attend Annapolis by U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka and spent part of the summer before his senior year at Mid-Pacific attending an orientation session at Annapolis to get a taste of cadet life.
Tsukamoto will report this month to the USS Rushmore, a Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship homeported in San Diego. There, he will be part of a crew of 22 officers and 375 enlisted sailors whose job is to transport up to 500 Marines.
Until then, Cherie Tsukamoto said her son has spent most of his time surfing "as soon as he got home."
Besides Tsukamoto,the academy said there were eight other Navy ensigns who listed their home state as Hawaii:Ryan Benito from Wahiawa (Leilehua High School); Brian Gureck (Radford High School); William Gureck (Mumford High School in Michigan); Bailey Miller (Kaiser High School); Nicolas Ogier of Kihei, Maui (The American School in Japan); and Damon Pescaia of Kailua (Kamehameha Schools).
Two members of Tsukamoto’s class from Hawaii were commissioned as second lieutenants in the Marine Corps — Caralyn Broyles of Kekaha, Kauai (Waimea High School); andMatthew Shibata (Mid-Pacific Institute).
The academy said 16 presidents have addressed the graduates and Obama is the sixth president to do so twice. His first address there was four years ago.
