Iraq heavy on minds of many
By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer
Flags flew at half-staff, a 21-gun memorial salute thumped and the 199th Fighter Squadron, 154th Wing from Hickam Air Force Base screeched overhead as more than 1,100 veterans, family members and visitors gathered at Punchbowl yesterday to honor Americans who have served in the armed forces.
Photos by Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
As flags snapped in the breeze, some veterans bowed their heads and wept silently.
F-15 Eagles of the Hawai'i Air National Guard flew in "missing-man" formation over the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl yesterday, where about 1,100 people gathered to honor veterans of wars past and present.
Korean War veterans Ray Akiona, left, and Martin Pestana of the Army's 5th Regimental Combat Team presented a wreath shaped like their unit insignia at yesterday's Veterans Day ceremony at Punchbowl.
"It's a way to honor everyone in every war," said Richard Haake, an Army veteran. "It's a way of saying you're not forgotten."
While Veterans Day is meant to honor all former members of the military, active-duty personnel on patrol in Iraq were the topic of many conversations at the annual ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
"This year, we have the boys over there in Iraq. Being a veteran, I'm backing my boys, whether that be in World War II, Korea, Vietnam or Iraq," said Allan J. Kellog Jr., a Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War and recipient of the Medal of Honor.
Army veteran Fred Behm said he remembered returning home from the war in Vietnam under less-than-friendly circumstances. He said he hoped Iraq veterans would not suffer a similar homecoming.
"For a lot of us Vietnam veterans, it (the Iraq war) brings Vietnam right back to us. People don't get what's happening over there. The troops are not getting the support they need."
Gene Castagnetti, a retired Marine Corps colonel and director of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, said he hoped every new generation would see the need to serve.
"What these young men and women are doing in Iraq today is ensuring that the legacy of the veterans that went before them will not be in vain," he said.
The theme of this year's massing of the colors is commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Korean War.
Lt. Gov. James Aiona told those at the ceremony it was important to stay the course in Iraq. He also thanked veterans for paving the way for future generations.
"It's emotional. It brings back a lot of memories," Aiona said. "We need to get the job done in Iraq, let the Iraqis take over and allow freedom to prevail."
