Boy Scouts clean Kailua war memorial
By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer
KAILUA — A memorial built by a Mississippian for Windward O'ahu service members who died in World War II and the Korean War got a facelift last month, giving participants a chance to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser
Members of Boy Scout Troop 231 of Kane'ohe and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10154 of Kailua pressure-washed, scrubbed, repaired and painted the war memorial at Castle Junction, which for decades was the site of Memorial Day services in Windward O'ahu.
David Gramann and his twin sons, Eagle Scouts Adam and Douglas, 17, of Troop 231, are seen at the war memorial at Castle Junction. The boys' troop recently cleaned the memorial as part of a community service project.
Services now are held at the Hawai'i State Veteran's Cemetery in Kane'ohe.
The memorial was built in 1946 by Earl Finch, who first met Nisei soldiers from Hawai'i when they trained for World War II in his hometown of Hattiesburg, Miss., according to Seiji Naya, whom Finch adopted and educated after Naya moved to Hawai'i from Japan.
While others in Hattiesburg shunned the Hawai'i soldiers, Finch befriended them, Naya said. Thus, the memorial holds significance not just because it honors fallen soldiers but because of the person who helped build it, said Naya, a former University of Hawai'i economics professor and director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
"The fact was that there was a haole guy from Mississippi who was nice to Japanese Americans," Naya said.
"He was outcast from his community, but he continued his friendships with the Hawai'i soldiers because he believed it was the right thing to do."
Finch was invited to Hawai'i by veterans after the war and ended up moving here.
The stone-and-brass memorial has the names of 14 war dead from World War II and 16 from the Korean War.
Over time, the 4-foot boulder had become encrusted with dirt, bird droppings and fungus.
When the Boy Scout troops were looking for a community project, the Kailua VFW post that sponsors the troop suggested the project.
"I'm so proud of those guys," said state Rep. Ken Ito, a member of Post 10154.
The boys not only helped clean the monument, but they learned some of its history and can pass it on to the next generation, said Ito, D-48th (Kane'ohe).
Disabled veterans who live in Kailua had been the memorial's caretakers, but they are mostly in their 80s, said George Barlett, 10154 post commander.
The community service project included filling cracks in the concrete, replacing bricks and fixing the flag pole, which also has several plaques, Barlett said.
After the cleaning, a ceremony was held Sept. 28.
Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.
