'Da Kine' recruits take roll call
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau
It was the summer of 1953, the Korean War was winding down and 185 fresh Marine Corps recruits, most of them straight out of high school, stood before the governor of Hawai'i.
The induction ceremony on the steps of 'Iolani Palace marked the creation of the first all-Hawai'i company in the history of the Marine Corps, a group that would be known as the "Da Kine" Marines.
On that day, Gov. Samuel Wilder King presented the recruits with the territorial flag, a symbol that would inspire them in their training on the Mainland in the months ahead.
Fifty years later, "Da Kine" Marines will meet in Honolulu again in a ceremony at 4 p.m. today at 'Iolani Palace. The ceremony will feature a roll call of the company members and a symbolic return of a replica territorial flag to the state, representing the end of service for the group.
"We just wanted to put this thing to rest. After all, in a few years there won't be many of us left," said reunion organizer Sam Kaleleiki, 68, who retired as a sergeant major after 30 years in the Corps.
At least 30 of the Hawai'i Marines have died, and another 30 have indicated they are coming to the ceremony, but Kaleleiki is expecting more to show up.
Maui native Bill Garcia said he was awed by the induction ceremony and, for that matter, everything around him. He remembers joining the Marines to get off the island, and when they sent him to Honolulu, it was the first time he had seen the city.
"It was the first time I saw a three-story building," said Garcia, who attended St. Anthony High School in Wailuku.
After some initial training at Pearl Harbor, the company was shipped to Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, where it was divided into three platoons. Platoon 243 was called the O'ahu Platoon, Platoon 244 was the Hawai'i Platoon and Platoon 245 was the Maui Platoon.
The platoons engaged in friendly competition in boot-camp contests made up of marching drills, marksmanship and personnel and equipment inspections. The platoon that accrued the highest performance marks each week carried the territorial flag during formation marches the next week.
"That flag gave us a sense of belonging," said Kaleleiki, a member of the Hawai'i platoon. "It made you feel very proud."
Garcia, who would reach the rank of master sergeant in his 29 years in the Corps — including two tours of Vietnam — said cultural differences represented the biggest challenge for the Hawai'i recruits. Especially diet.
"It was the first time we were eating something different. A lot of us had to be weaned off of rice and some people had a lot of adjusting to do," he said.
Language posed another obstacle. "A lot of us were pidgin-English experts, and the drill instructors had a hard time understanding us," he said.
In place of some of the longer Hawaiian and Japanese names, the instructors assigned the men numbers and letters.
As for their soldiering and fitness skills, the Hawai'i recruits more than held their own. Instructors were surprised by the physical prowess of the Hawai'i boys, including their swimming and diving skills, marching ability and marksmanship. Most of the recruits were seasoned swimmers and hunters, and many participated in high school ROTC programs, Garcia said.
"Most of the surprises were on their side, not ours," he said.
Still, Richard Nakahara, a McKinley High School graduate, recalled basic training as one of the most brutal experiences of his life.
"That was rough stuff over there," said Nakahara, a member of the O'ahu Platoon who spent four years in the Marines. "If you didn't do something right, some drill instructors would whack you with a saber. Sometimes it would be in the head."
After basic training, Nakahara joined Kaleleiki in advanced tank training, and they ended up in Korea together mopping up after the war.
The territorial flag used in the 1953 induction ceremony was left behind in San Diego, apparently used as a wall decoration and tablecloth. Kaleleiki said a friend found the flag and sent it to him.
"When I saw it, it looked like an old rag. I gave it a farewell goodbye and burned it," he said.
For today's ceremony, a replica from the Marine Corps Base Hawai'i color guard will be presented to Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona. The Royal Hawaiian Band will play the Star-Spangled Banner, the Marine Corps Hymn, Hawai'i Aloha and Aloha 'Oe.
"The banner was a unifier for this company as well as a sign of honor," Kaleleiki said. "We wanted to give it the honor it deserves."
Reach Timothy Hurley at thurley@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 244-4880.
