Posted on: Sunday, November 14, 2004
Maui's veterans plan party to show aloha to deployed
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau
The Vietnam War was notorious for its lack of homefront support for U.S. troops. On Maui, Vietnam veterans are working to make sure that doesn't happen again, at least not during the upcoming holidays.
The Vietnam Veterans of Maui County is planning a big holiday bash to honor all of the island's deployed veterans and their families. The plan is to shower them with gifts at a party around Christmas.
"We're going to try to help the lives of these soldiers and their families by covering them in aloha," said Bill Stroud, a combat veteran and president of the Vietnam Veterans of Maui County.
Stroud said the idea for the celebration came up during planning of the organization's annual Christmas party. "The thought was, 'Is it really worth it?' And then it was, 'Instead of having a party for ourselves, why not for everyone?' "
The group took the idea to the Veterans Council of Maui County, an organization of 20 Maui-based veterans groups, and the project took off from there.
"We've been working on it like mad ever since," he said. "Everyone we've run into thinks it's a fantastic thing."
Not the least of whom are the family members.
"It is amazing," said Virginia Brown of Kahului, whose husband, Sgt. Clement Brown, is with about 40 Maui Army reservists serving in Iraq with the 411th Engineer Battalion. "I can't tell you how heartwarming it is."
Brown, who leads the Maui Family Readiness Group that supports the spouses and children left behind, said it's an exhausting job fund raising and carrying out support activities at a time when many are just trying to get by as single parents or working two jobs.
"To be invited to something where you don't have to do anything, where you're being honored — that's a wonderful thing," she said.
Lisa Texeira, the wife of Army Reservist Sgt. Christopher Texeira, couldn't agree more.
"It just shows the spirit of aloha is alive and well. Maui is no ka 'oi," she said.
Texeira said Maui's veterans have been extraordinarily helpful since the reservists were called to active duty in January.
"We appreciate all of them. We know that we wouldn't be here with our freedoms and liberties if it had not been for the wars they fought," she said.
For Nora Asuncion, the holiday party will be doubly special. Her daughter, B.J., was just sent to Iraq from her Air Force base in Arkansas, and Nora's husband, Ron, is training in Texas with 85 Maui members of the Hawai'i Army National Guard in preparation for going to Iraq.
"Everyone's really pleased about this," she said.
For the Vietnam Veterans of Maui County, the tentative plan is to hold the event at a large community center around Christmas. A specific date hasn't been chosen yet.
The veterans are looking for gifts, aiming to collect between 300 to 400 items, including toys, jewelry, clothes, gift certificates, auto repairs, tires, cars, surfboards, bicycles, skateboards and movie tickets. Monetary donations will go to purchase something from the families' wish lists.
"We already have a few tradespeople who will go to a family's home and do some repairs," Stroud said. "There are some snorkel dives, a piece or two of jewelry, tax preparation services and some others, but we need more."
Donations of gifts or money may be sent to VVMC, P.O. Box 3, Kahului, HI 96732, with checks made out to VVMC; or call (808) 250-1770 for more information.
Reach Timothy Hurley at (808) 244-4880 or thurley@honoluluadvertiser.com.
