USS Hawaii heads to sea for first time

The USS Hawaii, the third of the Virginia class fast nuclear powered fast attack submarines, went to sea for the first time earlier this month off the East Coast and tested all of its system.

It returned on Dec. 2 sailing up the Thames River to the Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton, Conn. with a broom hoisted on its sail, a Navy tradition signifying a "clean sweep" of the sea trials.

In a written Navy statement, Cmdr. David Solms, Hawaii's commanding officer, said "the boat performed exactly as expected. The hard work, the great engineering and the efforts of the crew combined to make the whole effort very successful."

"We exercised the ship through the full range of speed and depth and I am pleased to report it operated superbly," said Adm. Kirkland Donald, director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion, who accompanied the ship on the trials.

More sea trials are scheduled, and after it is commissioned this spring, the Hawaii will be homeported at Pearl Harbor. Gov. Linda Lingle christened the submarine in June at the Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton Conn.

A group of Vietnam veterans, family and friends will gather again for the 12th year by the Korea/Vietnam Memorial at the state Capitol on Dec. 23 at 11 p.m. to celebrate Christmas. Around midnight, when it's already Christmas Eve in Vietnam, the veterans and their supporters will close by lighting candles and singing "Silent Night."

Joining the group this year will be representatives from the Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command, the Hawaii-based joint-service organization that still searches for the remains of missing servicemen in Southeast Asia and brings them home.

The Hawaii Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, in cooperation with the National Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl, will be part of a nationwide Wreath Across America presentation at noon Dec. 14 at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl. The event will occur at the flag pole near the entrance to the Punchbowl cemetery. Representatives from veterans organizations will place a wreath at the medallion of each service branch and one wreath will be presented to honor POWs and those MIA. The ceremony will take place in every state at noon on Dec. 14.

"In the Military" was compiled from wire reports and other sources by reporter Gregg K. Kakesako, who covers military affairs for the Star-Bulletin. He can be reached by phone at 294-4075 or by e-mail at gkakesako@starbulletin.com.