Island Voices
Dec. 7 at Hansen disease facility

By Bernard K. Punikai'a
An advocate for the "Quest for Dignity" for former Hansen's disease patients

The chapel was built in 1932 on the grounds of Kalihi Hospital, a Hansen's disease treatment facility at the end of Pu'uhale Road.

Ka Hale Pule O Iesu was a multi-denominational place of worship. It was used by Mormons, Protestants and Catholics. The Mormons had their services on Saturdays, maybe once a month, Catholics on Sundays at 6 a.m., Protestants at 9 a.m. The Rev. Sam Keala from Kaumakapili Church often preached there.

When patients died in the afternoon, their bodies were laid in a casket and placed in the chapel overnight. Sometimes services were held the next day. Most were cremated.

Dec. 7, 1941, the "date which will live in infamy," a few minutes before 8 a.m.: It was a bright, sunny and beautiful day, but then all hell broke loose. Chaos reigned with the sounds of bombs exploding, ack-ack guns (ours) blasting away, and black puffs of smoke all over the blue sky. Their targets were the Japanese planes overhead that were firing machine guns at anything that moved.

While all of this was going on, we could hear the voice of Webley Edwards of "Hawai'i Calls" repeatedly saying, "This is an air raid; it's the real McCoy; take cover!"

Pearl Harbor was ablaze and cloaked in thick, billowing smoke. The Arizona, Oklahoma and Utah had sunk, and many other ships were badly damaged.

Kalihi Hospital was just about three miles from Pearl Harbor, within ground zero. People were milling around looking toward Pearl Harbor when someone shouted, "Let's go to the church!" and many started walking quickly to the chapel. Soon the chapel was packed, and people started to pray.

With all of the chaos outside, with machine-gun fire overhead and 20mm. shell casings falling in twin rows into the fish pond 100 feet away, with the chapel and its stained-glass Easter lily, a symbol of resurrection and salvation, the prayers of the people brought comfort at a time of great danger.

Soon after the attack, the government was concerned that the Japanese would invade Hawai'i, so plans were begun to send us, the children, to Kalaupapa. May 15, 1942, was that day. We were sent to our new home on the SS Hawai'i. The people of Kalaupapa were lined up on the shore waiting to welcome us.