Editorial: Peace, not war, honors the fallen

While Memorial Day events, ranging from parades and wreath presentations to aircraft flyovers, prompt us to pause to pay tribute to the fallen, we’re also mindful of the military’s everyday presence here, as Hawaii serves as a home to all five armed forces and an estimated 100,000 veterans.

Today, much of the military’s immediate focus is on President Donald Trump’s order, issued on Friday, to send hundreds of additional troops and a dozen fighter jets to the Middle East in the coming weeks to counter what the Pentagon has described as a campaign by Iran to plan attacks against the U.S. and its interests in the region.

A defense system designed to track and destroy incoming missiles, called a Patriot battery, is already in the region, staffed with about 600 troops. Another 900 troops are slated to operate intelligence surveillance radar and drones. A fighter squadron will also be deployed.

Amid the troops build-up, which Trump described as intended to be “mostly protective,” talk of war should be further tamped down. After briefings on Capitol Hill last week, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said: “Our biggest focus at this point is to prevent Iranian miscalculation. … We do not want the situation to escalate.”

Indeed, cool heads must prevail. Among well-known quotes pertaining to war and peace is a remark attributed to novelist Margaret Atwood, who has said: “War is what happens when language fails.” Along those lines, the Trump administration and the military must now push hard for combat-free pathways.

On Oahu, Pearl Harbor National Memorial is filled with historical accounts that underscore the devastation, as well as bravery, tied to military conflict.

A Memorial Day ceremony is slated for midday at the USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center, during which visitors will be invited to take flags affixed with name tag stickers. All together, there are 2,390 — one for each of the military members and civilians killed in the Dec. 7, 1941, attack.

Establishing this first-time ceremony as an annual remembrance tradition would be a welcome gesture, as would stepping up repairs to a faulty Arizona Memorial dock. Walk-on visitation to the site was halted last May — one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state.

The National Park Service has said that the damage stemmed from failure of the dock’s anchoring system, which allowed too much lateral movement. It’s understood that the fix and funding requires regulatory hoop-jumping. Still, a recent Park Service posting that noted on-the-ground construction is projected to begin late this month raises eyebrows.

Should it really take longer than a year to repair a dock used to access one of the most revered spots in American battle history? The shutdown is surely a disappointment for visitors who rank the shrine room’s marble wall — etched with the names of the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed on the USS Arizona during the attack— as a must-see poignant destination.

Service members who could not be recovered from the ship remain on-board the sunken vessel, making the site an active military cemetery.

According to military custom dating back to the early 20th century, a special flag protocol is observed on Memorial Day, once known as “Decoration Day.”

In honor of those who gave their lives in defense of our nation, the flag should fly at half-staff until noon. Then, it should be raised briskly to the top of the staff for the remainder of the day. The full-staff salutes the living military service members, first responders and their families.

On this day, which doubles for many as an unofficial start of summer festivities, take a moment to reflect on the somber significance of the national holiday.