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Battle of Tarawa fighters remembered

By Kat Wade / Special to the Star-Advertiser

Nov. 20, 2018

1/22
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Alexandra Bonnyman Prejean, left, of Maui, daughter of Medal of Honor recipient Marine Corps 1st Lt. Alexander Bonnyman Jr., placed a rosette next to her father’s name while retired Army Maj. Gen. William M. Matz, secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission, stood by. Formerly missing, Bonnyman’s remains were identified in 2015. ABMC hosted a ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Tarawa and rededicated the memorial’s Courts of the Missing.
2/22
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The Honolulu Memorial’s limestone panels, which list the names of nearly 29,000 missing service members from World War II in the Pacific, the Korean War and Vietnam, recently underwent a $10 million renovation. Because the limestone was staining without a way to improve it and also was chipping, the decision was made to replace it with a different type, officials said. Representatives of the Tarawa families placed a bronze rosette next to their relative’s name, indicating that person had been accounted for.
3/22
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Paul Schwimmer, left, who went on 17 missions to recover remains of U.S. soldiers, stands with family members of those he recovered, Joni Mehall, Alexandra Bonnyman Prejean, from Maui, the daughter of Medal of Honor recipient Marine Corps 1st Lt. Alexander Bonnyman Jr., Carmen Kilcullen, Mary Kay Hagen, all holding photos of their recovered family members during the ceremony at the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial, located within the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific on Monday.
4/22
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Family members of those recovered at the Battle of Tarawa attend a ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary.
5/22
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Alexandra Bonnyman Prejean, from Maui, the daughter of Medal of Honor recipient Marine Corps 1st Lt. Alexander Bonnyman Jr., holds a photo of her father.
6/22
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Joni Mehall, left, Alexandra Bonnyman Prejean, from Maui, the daughter of Medal of Honor recipient Marine Corps 1st Lt. Alexander Bonnyman jr., Carmen Kilcullen, Mary Kay Hagen, Cissy Van Vleet and Peter Van Vleet during the ceremony.
7/22
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Laurie Smith, left, sits with other family members of recovered soldiers including Joni Mehall, Alexandra Bonnyman Prejean, from Maui, the daughter of Medal of Honor recipient Marine Corps 1st Lt. Alexander Bonnyman Jr., Carmen Kilcullen, Mary Kay Hagen and Cissy Van Vleet all holding photos of their recovered family members.
8/22
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American flags line the great lawn when the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) hosted a ceremony commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Tarawa.
9/22
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The 6th Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Randy C. Reeves spoke to the people gathered at the ceremony commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Tarawa.
10/22
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Katie Rasdorf, left, who helped place rosettas next to names of soldiers whose families could not attend, holds hands with Paul Schwimmer, who went on 17 missions to recover remains of U.S. soldiers in Palau, Peleliu, Belgium, Normandy, Germany, Wake Island and Tarawa.
11/22
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Alexandra Bonnyman Prejean, from Maui, the daughter of Medal of Honor recipient Marine Corps 1st Lt. Alexander Bonnyman Jr., Carmen Kilcullen, Mary Kay Hagen who wipes away a tear, Cissy Van Vleet and Peter Van Vleet during the ceremony.
12/22
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Soldiers carry wreaths to be placed at the Courts of the Missing.
13/22
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Kelly K. McKeague, the Director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency salutes after laying a wreath at the Courts of the Missing.
14/22
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Sgt. Major Kevin Williamson salutes after laying a wreath at the Courts of the Missing.
15/22
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Recovered soldiers receive a 21 gun salute.
16/22
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Cmdr. Brian Jacobson, left, Deputy Force Chaplain, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, Kelly K. McKeague, the Director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, the 6th Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Randy C. Reeves and Maj. Gen. William M. Matz, U.S. Army (Ret), the Secretary of ABMC.
17/22
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Rona F Adams, Dan OʻLeary and Woody Woods salute after laying a Vietnam War wreath at the Courts of the Missing.
18/22
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Maj. Gen. William M. Matz, U.S. Army (Ret), the Secretary of ABMC, left, opens the Courts of the Missing, with U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, project manager, Tammy Luke with the US Army corps of engineers, the 6th Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Randy C. Reeves and Kelly K. McKeague, the Director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
19/22
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Carmen Kilcullen, of Santa Rosa, places a rosette next to her first cousin, Private First Class USMC John Sainiʻs name with help from Maj. Gen. William M. Matz, U.S. Army (Ret), the Secretary of ABMC.
20/22
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Debbie Ketner, from Houston, Texas, came to honor her fatherʻs twin brother, Arthur Edward Ribeiro Jr., who remains MIA when killed in action on November 21, 1943.
21/22
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Debbie Ketner said that her father Edward Arthur Ribeiro, who died in 1973, lived 50 years as a winless twin.
22/22
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Paul Schwimmer, who went on 17 missions to recover remains of U.S. soldiers in Palau, Peleliu, Belgium, Normandy, Germany, Wake Island and Tarawa, places a rosette next to the name of Marine Sgt. Dwight Wade Randall from Fresno, Ca. who was killed in Action on November 20, 1943 whose family could not be present at the ceremony.
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