Plans move ahead for statue honoring Filipino WWII vets

The preliminary design for a monument honoring Filipino World War II veterans depicts four life-sized bronze figures atop cast-concrete bases representing the Hawaiian islands.

The bases, which would be installed on blue paving stones to signify the ocean, could include historical text, maps and imagery, said nationally renowned artist Kelley S. Hestir.

“I’m hoping the kids will be interested in reading the story on the bases,” she told members of the Filipino Veterans WW II Memorial Art Advisory Committee at a June 7 meeting at the Waipahu Public Library, where the statue will be installed.

“This is your personal history,” she said.

Following a slide presentation on the monument concept, committee members offered feedback, and Hestir is expected to present an updated design to the panel in September. The monument will be located on the Ewa side of the library grounds near the entrance, with construction tentatively set to begin next May. The committee, which includes veterans, is aiming to hold a dedication ceremony in January 2021.

Jonathan Johnson, executive director of the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, said he anticipates the monument will inspire residents and visitors to recognize the military service and sacrifice of Filipino WWII veterans.

The committee chose Hestir to create the monument based on her work on the Bataan Death March Memorial in Las Cruces, N.M. The sculpture was unveiled in 2002 on the 60th anniversary of the surrender of Bataan.

Hestir earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in fine arts at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She taught sculpture classes in the UH Art Department for five years before returning to her home state of New Mexico in 1995.

Last year she traveled to Hawaii to interview Filipino veterans and their families as part of her research for the project.

Committee member and WWII veteran Art Caleda, 95, requested “strength” and “victory” as themes in the monument to reflect the contributions of Filipino soldiers who fought alongside U.S. soldiers during the war.

In 2017, Gov. David Ige enacted a measure authorizing the Foundation on Culture and the Arts to select an artist to design and build a $200,000 monument to honor Filipino WWII veterans.