John-John's secret visit
to Windward Oahu

In the coverage of the death of John F. Kennedy Jr. over the weekend we kept hearing about times when Jackie Kennedy and the children stayed at the homes of big shots and were entertained by the rich and famous, but here's a story that might warm a few "common" hearts.

On a visit to Hawaii in June 1966 Mrs. Kennedy needed a respite from the children and the kids needed to have a "normal" day at play. One of the lead Secret Service agents, a big warm fellow named Jack Walsh, had an idea. He had unexpectedly met an old South Boston school mate, Rita Ellis, who was standing in the crowd at the airport to greet Mrs. Kennedy and the children when they arrived. He couldn't stop to talk but they quickly exchanged phone numbers.

Rita and her three children lived with her husband, a Marine staff sergeant stationed at the Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station, in the enlisted men's housing area. A few days into the visit, on a Sunday, Jack called and asked if he could bring the kids over for a much needed escape.

Of course, he was not refused, but he insisted that the high muckey-mucks of the base not be informed of their visit. He said that he would handle the guards at the base entrance.

This may not sound like a big deal but remember that in the caste system of the military, a visit of the children of the late president of the United States to an enlisted man and his family without the advance knowledge of the base commander is quite unthinkable, even today.

Jack and the children made it to the house. My father, John McDonough, was also an enlisted man from "Southie." We were all neighbors there on the base. The adults had a great time sharing some "home time" with old friends and all of us kids had a blast just having a normal day at play.

Late in the afternoon the world that the Kennedy children normally live in began to intrude. The base commander somehow learned that Jack and the children were aboard the station and, boy, was he furious. Nonetheless, he wanted to bask in the limelight and insisted that we all join him and his wife on his yacht which was docked at the base boathouse.

Reluctantly, we all packed up and went down to the hastily assembled yachting party attended by the base commander and his senior officers. For us kids it meant that we couldn't wrestle around in the yard or climb the trees. so, for us, the fun ended.

Of course, as enlisted families, we would never have been invited to schmooze with the officers on the CO's yacht, and I haven't been on one since.

The only highlight of the visit to the harbor for me was when John Jr. was asked by the commanding officer's wife how he liked their big boat. He replied by turning to Jack and stating matter of factly, "Our boat is bigger, isn't it, Mr. Walsh?"

We dared not laugh, of course, but the memory of the exchange has brought warmth to my heart for more than 30 years.

Tim McDonough
Denton, Texas
Via the internet

Quotables "If I were taking a trip to Hawaii, I might say I'm as excited as a kid with a new toy. But that doesn't mean I think Hawaii's a toy, if you see what I mean." President Clinton Explaining to the Israeli press that when he said he was "eager as a kid with a new toy" to meet Israel Prime Minister Ehud Barak, he was not being patronizing but was simply excited about rejuvenating the peace process "It's just like you block the blood circulation." Loretta Le OWNER OF LIN'S LEI SHOP IN DOWNTOWN HONOLULU Complaining that closing Maunakea Street for Night Markets on Saturday has drastically cut into her business

Bank robbers were no match for HPD

My congratulations to the men and women of the Honolulu Police Department for their rapid apprehension of all suspects in the recent Kahala bank heist. The proper use of resources and countless hours of tedious work with other law-enforcement agencies proved successful.

Despite the fact that scores of officers have already left to accept mainland positions due to the shortfall of a justifiable compensation, the public can rest assured that they will always be served with total dedication and community by those who remain -- and nothing less!

Harry Moleta
Retired Honolulu Police Officer
Waipahu

Let judges do their jobs without interference

The judiciary system should NEVER be opened for public debates (Star-Bulletin editorial, July 14). The whole point of separating the judicial and executive branches of government is to prevent political contamination.

The last thing we need is for our judges to be making their rulings based on what's popular with the people, including attorneys.

A judge's job is to rule according to the law. That takes years of training and experience. What makes anyone else think the rest of us are qualified to judge the rulings, including attorneys? There is a reason why lawyer jokes exist.

Alan Kwan
Via the Internet

Waikiki is no place for a war memorial

Personally, when I go to the most famous beach in the world, I don't expect to see a salt-water swimming pool in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, cajoling me to reminisce about dead veterans.

Perhaps a more reverent atmosphere for the Natatorium, and one more deserving of the sacrifices of our veterans, would be to make room for it at Punchbowl Cemetery.

Bruce Wong

Legislature Directory
Hawaii Revised Statutes
UH student news Ka Leo O Hawaii

---

Write a
Letter to the Editor

Want to write a letter to the editor? Let all Star-Bulletin readers know what you think. Please keep your letter to about 200 words. You can send it by e-mail to letters@starbulletin.com or you can fill in the online form for a faster response. Or print it and mail it to: Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802. Or fax it to: 523-8509. Always be sure to include your daytime phone number.