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IN THE MILITARY

Events to recognize
Asian-American Medal
of Honor recipients

By Gregg K. Kakesako
Star-Bulletin

The Oahu Americans of Japanese Ancestry Veterans Council, in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii and U.S. Army Pacific, is planning a three-day salute to 22 Asian Americans who were awarded the Medal of Honor for their combat duty in World War II.

The commemoration will include a sunset memorial service at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Punchbowl, on Aug. 25; a parade from downtown Honolulu to Ala Moana Park, Aug. 26; and a luncheon at the Hawaii Convention Center, Aug. 26.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki is expected to attend three days of activities. Twenty of the 22 Medal of Honor recipients are members of the 100th Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

Battleship Row

The Navy has no plans to reactivate any of its Iowa class battleships, such as the USS Missouri, now a floating museum at Ford Island.

Instead, it plans to meet its heavy gunfire needs with the planned Zumwalt-class destroyers and newer guns.

Four of the dreadnoughts are still floating -- but only the USS Iowa and the USS Wisconsin can practically be brought back into service. In addition to the Missouri, the USS New Jersey has been designated a floating museum.

Congressional supporters believe the battleships would fulfill the Marine Corps' fire support needs as their forces move inland from the beach. The range of the 5-inch guns on current Navy cruisers and destroyers is only 15 miles. The Marines want coverage 50 miles inland.

The Navy is working on a satellite-guided weapons system that could direct shells 60 miles inland, but that new gun won't be deployed until 2005 and it may take another decade before the gun and the new Zumwalt-class destroyers reach the fleet.

Battleship supporters believe that the 16-inch guns on the battle wagons -- whose current ranges are 25 miles -- could be modified to fire a 450-pound shell up to 45 miles.

Moving up

Pearl Harbor: Lt. Cmdr. Leland Vulcan relieved Cmdr. John C. Simmons as commanding officer of the Naval Security Group Activity, which provides electronics support to the Pacific Fleet's submarines and surface warfare vessels.

Pearl Harbor: Capt. Peter Daspit relieved Capt. T.J. Gregory as the commanding officer of the cruiser USS Chosin. The Chosin's next six-month deployment will be with the USS Constellation battlegroup in March 2001.

Fort Shafter: Maj. Gen. Craig Whelden has replaced Maj. Gen. James Donald as U.S. Army Pacific's deputy commanding general.

Schofield Barracks: Col. Andrew Twomey assumed command of the 25th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade replacing Col. James Terry.