Posted on: Friday, December 21, 2001

Students' U.S. flag hangs at Pentagon

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

A framed American flag made of 1,001 origami cranes from 'Aikahi Elementary School was presented yesterday to U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld by Adm. Dennis Blair, the Pacific forces commander. Rumsfeld referred to the flag today in his news briefing.

Until last Friday, the origami flag was on display in the 'Aikahi school office. It's now hanging on a wall in Rumsfeld's Pentagon office, courtesy of John Hanley.

Hanley, a special assistant on Blair's staff, visited the school a week ago to thank the faculty for the education his 12-year-old son received last year and to let them know that John Jr. is doing well at his new school in Fairfax, Va. While at the school, Hanley saw the origami flag and told officials he would deliver it for them to the Pentagon.

"The secretary was impressed as we all were with the flag," Hanley told The Advertiser today in a telephone interview from Washington, D.C. "There are many displays around the Pentagon but nothing like 1,001 cranes."

Hanley's son represented his former school when the flag was presented to Rumsfeld by Blair.

'Aikahi Vice-Principal Cheryl McCraw said all 625 student in grades kindergarten to sixth and staff folded at least one crane. The 50 stars, which required six small cranes to be folded for each, was made by more experienced folders. The mother of Jami Kaneshiro, an 'Aikahi teacher, put the flag together.

The idea for the origami flag came from Kaneshiro and two other teachers, Barbara Fields and Lisa Oki, said McCraw.

"Like many schools, we were looking to do something after Sept. 11," McCraw said. "We're located outside the Marine base and the school has been adopted by the Marines. There was so much outpouring going to New York but there was a feeling the Pentagon was being overshadowed.

"Because of ties to the military, we decided to do something for the Pentagon."

The flag was presented to retired Army Maj. Alex Lum, a member of U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye's staff, in October for delivery to the Pentagon. "The presentation occurred on the same day we got the flag back from the people who framed it so the kids hadn't seen it," McCraw said. It was decided to keep the flag at the school for a period of time so everyone who contributed could see it.

"We figured it would eventually land somewhere (at the Pentagon)," McCraw said. "It was still in the office last Friday."

That's where Hanley saw it. Knowing that Blair and he would be traveling to Washington on Monday, he offered to deliver it to the Pentagon. When he saw the flag, Blair suggested that it be given to Rumsfeld.