Posted on: Thursday, August 26, 2004
Honolulu police officer laid to rest
By Mike Gordon and Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer
With a somber, white-gloved salute, the men and women of the Honolulu Police Department said goodbye to one of their own as the funeral procession for officer Issac Veal glided past the Beretania Street station today.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser It was headed for Hawaiian Memorial Park in Kane'ohe and a private burial service.
Veal, a 25-year veteran, was killed Aug. 16 after he lost control of his sport utility vehicle while responding to a call in Mililani.
"It's a devastating loss," said Maj. Stephen Kornegay, Veal's commanding officer. "He took his job seriously, but not himself. He could laugh at himself and make other people laugh even in the most down times."
At the services yesterday, Veal's family and friends gathered in the middle of the memorial park as the department formally bid farewell to an officer who was described by his peers as a friend and brother. Clear skies and a light breeze met those in attendance with the sculpted green slopes of the Ko'olau as a brilliant backdrop.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser Hundreds of officers, including members of the motorcycle unit and specialized services division, gathered to give their final respects. A rifle salute, delivered from a hillside overlooking Veal's final resting place, launched the service a little after 11a.m.
Five rows of officers stood rigidly at attention as members of a color guard folded the flag that was draped over Veal's casket. Acting Chief Glen Kajiyama presented the flag to Veal's family, who filled the rows in front of his casket.
Two HPD helicopters circled the park during the services. At the end of the ceremony, both helicopter pilots banked to the left and flew right by the burial site, showering the formation of officers, family and friends with flower petals.
"It is not the first time tragedy has impacted the department," Kornegay said. "But it affects you tremendously."
Reach Peter Boylan at 535-8110 or pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.
The procession was led by seven police motorcycles riding in formation. Hundreds of officers stood at attention on the makai side of the street when the hearse with Veal's body drove past at 10:08 a.m.
Honolulu Police Department motorcycle officer James Causey and his wife, Colleen, were among the hundreds of people who paid their respects at services for officer Issac Veal at Hawaiian Memorial Park in Kane'ohe. Veal died Aug. 16 in an SUV accident.
Veal was laid to rest at a plot about 200 yards from the cemetery's gate.
Acting Police Chief Glen Kajiyama presented the American flag to Honolulu police officer Issac Veal's widow, Donna.
