[ WEEKEND SCENE ]
Island-style fun as seen
through the camera’s eye
Cody Burke, 11, from Troop 223 Kailua, placed leis over flags that were distributed by Boy and Cub Scouts over every gravestone at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific yesterday. Veterans' grave sites will be short some 6,500 flower leis for Memorial Day this year.
Punchbowl grave sites
lack in adornmentsDespite Cub and Boy Scouts’ efforts,
some don't have flower leis
Veterans' grave sites at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl will be short some 6,500 flower leis for Memorial Day this year.
As of yesterday, cemetery officials had accumulated 28,500 leis, not enough to lay one lei upon each of the 35,000 veterans graves at Punchbowl as is done annually by Oahu's Cub and Boy Scouts. Instead, leis will be distributed to graves that do not already have flowers from family members, such as the 2,923 unknown soldiers buried there.
"We're not sure why we're short this year," said National Cemetery Director Gene Castagnetti. "We have 180,000 school children -- if each one came forward with a lei we would be fine."
The lei shortage did not prevent some 2,000 scouts from showing up to Punchbowl Cemetery to place American flags and leis on the veterans' graves. The volunteers were well aware of the significance of such a simple task.
"By giving them leis, we don't only honor the people who died in the war but those people who are still fighting," said 10-year-old Travis Lefrandt, a Webelo Scout with Pack 528. "We're honoring the people who help us."
Boy and Cub Scouts placed flags and leis on graves yesterday. Because of a shortage, leis will be distributed to graves that do not already have flowers from family members, such as the 2,923 unknown soldiers buried there.
Veterans were also honored during the "Roll Call of Honor In Remembrance." Those veterans present included retired U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Major Allan Kellogg Jr., a 20-year Kailua resident who was awarded the Medal of Honor in Vietnam, for his actions during a grenade attack.
"It was March 18, 1970 ... I got night ambushed," said Kellogg. "Instead of throwing (the grenade) back to them, I don't know why, I yelled 'grenade,' rolled over and tried to push it down into the mud.
"It went off just as I got my hand away from it. The only thing that probably saved me was I had two flak jackets on, and it was a real muddy paddy."
Tadayoshi Sato was among many family members who were carefully fixing flower arrangements, his for Yoshitomo Sato, who died on March 8, 1954, in the Korean War and whom he still refers to as his "kid" brother.
"It was an accident, when a truck ran him over," said Sato. "After World War II he volunteered and went to the Korean War.
"I told him he served his time already, but he went anyway."
Some said Memorial Day this year takes on an added meaning with troops overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. All veterans are asking for is that people pause, reflect, and remember at some point this weekend.
"Just remember that people are fighting a war while everyone is here having picnics," said Kellogg. "They're defending us. Just remember."
Girl Scouts Sarah Oermann and Tia Harris took a break after draping the non-sectarian chapel behind the Lady Columbia monument with leis at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Girl Scouts from Senior 70 and Cadet Troop 530 of the Wahiawa and Schofield area participated in the civic activity.
Cub Scout Reyn Koizumi, 9, waved a flag before placing it on a grave.
