In 1997, while on a two-year church mission to Osaka, Japan, then-19-year-old Alex Passey visited with orphans at the Holy Family Home.
He recalled wishing he could do something to help the youngsters.
"I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to do so, so many years down the line," said Passey, 33, now a first lieutenant with the 27th Infantry Regiment at Schofield Barracks.
Four 11-year-olds from the orphanage arrived in Honolulu on Monday for a two-week visit. The two boys and two girls were welcomed with lei by their host families, other members of the armed forces and representatives from supporting organizations during a small reception at the Nehelani Club at Schofield.
It’s part of a long tradition for the regiment known as the Wolfhounds.
Since 1957 the regiment, part of the 25th Infantry Division, has hosted Japanese orphans on trips to Hawaii. The relationship began on Christmas Day 1949, when the Wolfhounds’ late Sgt. Maj. Hugh O’Reilly donated gifts and supplies to the kids.
After he died in 2006, his wife, Yuko O’Reilly, kept the tradition going with help from a nonprofit organization called Peace Bridge Inc., which also provides the orphanage with scholarships.
"It’s an honor to be a host to these children because I feel I already have some sort of connection to them because of the time I spent in Osaka," Passey said Monday.
During their vacation the children will be touring the island and stopping at places like the Waikiki Aquarium and Kualoa Ranch. They’ll also participate in activities selected by their host family.
Passey, along with wife Analiese Passey, 30, daughter Aliana, 7, and son William, 5, will host both girls, Risa and Marie. Aliana Passey said she would like to share her love for gymnastics with the girls.
"Hopefully, I can teach them how to do a cartwheel," she said.
Sgt. 1st Class Jacob Pessink and his wife, Melissa, will host the boys, Takashi and Ryota, and are looking forward to a day at the Wet ‘n’ Wild water park.
"That’s the time where (Takashi and Ryota) will be able to see how fun and goofy my family can be because we’ll be in our own element," said Melissa Pessink. The family has two sons: Jacob, 13, and Tyler, 7.
The elder has already started school at Mililani Intermediate and would have missed out on the daytime activities if it weren’t for his teachers being so understanding, Melissa Pessink said.
"We were upfront with them from the beginning, explained the situation, presented all the information, and we’re so thankful that he’ll be able to participate with us," she said.
"My boys are around the same age as Takashi and Ryota," she added. "They will be the ones to benefit the most out of this whole experience. I want them to and I’m hoping they gain lifetime friends after this."
