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IN THE MILITARY

POWs eligible to
apply for Purple Heart

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By Gregg K. Kakesako
Star-Bulletin

Before the law was changed in 1996, none of the 140,000 U.S. servicemen who surrendered to the Japanese in the Philippines in 1942 were eligible for the Purple Heart.

Also ineligible were other World War II and Korean War POWs.

Language contained in the 1996 National Defense Authorization Act changed that and the Army's Military Awards branch say a number of these veterans have applied for the Purple Heart on the basis of wounds and injuries they received while held captive.

Veterans applying for the medal should use the Defense Department's standard form 180, "request pertaining to military records," which are available from the Department of Veterans Affairs at 459 Patterson Road, Honolulu, HI 96819-1522.

The back of the form includes instructions and mailing addresses, which differ by the applicant's service branch and rank.

Supporting documentation is required, such as copies of repatriation medical exams, or a witness statement from a cellmate stating the applicant was abused at the hands of his captor.

The injuries or wounds must be deliberately inflicted by captors. Injuries received while on a work detail probably would not qualify.

Arizona Memorial to be feted

A concert featuring the Makaha Sons will be held Oct. 14 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center, which is operated and managed by the National Park Service.

The memorial is one of the most visited sites in Hawaii, with more than 1.4 million people a year. Its construction was the result of the efforts of the late Sen. Spark Matsunaga and Sen. Daniel Inouye. In 1977, Inouye was able to get Congress to approve $2 million to build the visitor center, only if the National Park Service would operate the memorial.

The memorial was dedicated on. Oct. 10, 1980. The park service operates and manages the visitor center and the Navy provides the boat shuttle service to the memorial above the sunken battleship.

The Oct. 14 commemoration will begin at noon with a Hawaiian re-blessing, keiki activities and conclude with a concert at 3 p.m. on the front lawn of the center. Boat tours of Ford Island highlighting the geological and historical significance of Pearl Harbor will be held at 10:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. There is no charge for the boat tours or the concert.

Merit awards

The Spark M. Matsunaga Veterans Affairs Medical and Regional Office Center has been awarded the Hawaii Electric Co.'s "energy project of the year" award. Energy efficiency innovations as well as other operational and maintenance projects resulted in VA saving $109,000 in energy costs.

Capt. Cynthia Teramae, 25th Infantry Division public affairs officer, has been commended by the Chamber Commerce of Hawaii for her work in helping the chamber organize its annual military appreciation week and her support in its efforts to honor Hawaii's newest Medal of Honor recipients in August.