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IN THE MILITARY

Medal of Honor
recipients eligible
for $600 a month

By Gregg K. Kakesako
Star-Bulletin

Seven surviving World War II veterans who will receive Medals of Honor in a June 21 White House ceremony also are eligible for special $600-a-month pensions.

The pensions will be payable during each veteran's lifetime; payments will begin after the Department of Veterans Affairs approves each veteran's application.

However, the payments will not be retroactive to the date of their World War II deeds.

Unlike other states, the Medal of Honor recipients here are not now entitled to special vehicle license plates, according to David Mau, the city's assistant motor vehicle and licensing administrator.

Special military plates now only honor veterans of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War; Pearl Harbor survivors; former prisoners of war; and the combat wounded. It would be up to the state Legislature to determine if Medal of Honor awardees should be added to the list, Mau said.

The 25th Infantry Division will be receiving two new assistant division commanders with the appointments of Brig. Gen. Karl Eikenberry and Col. William Caldwell.

Eikenberry is currently a defense attache in Peking, and Caldwell is executive assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Two local Army officers were among the 24 junior officers recognized for their leadership skills at a recent Pentagon ceremony.

They are Army Reserve Capt. Samuel Membrere, commanding officer of headquarters support company of the 411th Combat Engineers Battalion, and Capt. Teresa Condron, who represented the U.S. Army Pacific.

Condron is commander of Detachment A, 125th Finance Battalion at Schofield Barracks.

They received the 1999 Gen. Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award from Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki.

MOVING UP:

U.S. Pacific Command: Brig. Gen. Philip Mattox, director for logistics, engineering and security assistance, to deputy for acquisition and readiness at the U.S. Army Soldier and Biological Command.

Pearl Harbor: Cmdr. Dennis O'Meara relieved Cmdr. James Hiser as commanding officer of the USS Paul Hamilton, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer.

Pacific Submarine Fleet: Cmdr. Ralph Ward relieved Cmdr. "Buffalo" Bob Hennegan as commanding officer of the fast attack submarine USS Buffalo.

Camp Smith: Brig Gen. Thomas Miller, Pacific Command deputy director for operations, will become the assistant division commander at the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum in New York.