Posted on: Saturday, June 4, 2005
At last, base gets a real chapel
By Will Hoover
Advertiser Staff Writer
KANE'OHE — For the first time in the history of Marine Corps Base Hawai'i, service members here will be able to bow their heads in an actual house of worship.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser "But in all those years, we've never had a structure ... that was specifically designed to be a chapel," said Trautman, who will soon take command of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in Okinawa, Japan.
"In fact, our current chapel is a renovated mess hall."
That Marines have been praying all these years in a mess hall, said U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, was what motivated him to get a facility on base specifically meant for religious purposes.
"Having spent time in the military and knowing how important a chapel is to the quality of life for service members and their families, I felt strongly about making sure that Marine Corps Base Hawai'i received funding for a chapel," said Akaka, who also spoke at the dedication.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser Eventually he convinced them of the importance of providing a place devoted to the spiritual needs of those here who risk their lives in the fight for freedom.
The 22,755-square-foot chapel has 543 seats, a smaller 42-seat chapel, a sacristy, a crying room, reception and administrative areas, a kitchen, five chaplain offices, and numerous offices and multipurpose rooms, including a conference room and library.
The building's crowning glory, however, is its five intricate stained-glass windows.
"When you go inside you're going to see that it's a fantastic building, beautiful in every respect," said Brig. Gen. Trautman on his final day of command at the base. "But, it's just a building. What will make it strong are the people coming into the building."
In highlighting the times in history when spiritual strength was needed to see the nation through, Trautman mentioned that the U.S. currently finds itself in such a period — one that has directly affected those stationed at Kane'ohe.
"We find ourselves engaged in a global war on terror and other contingencies that have cost the lives of many of our brave young warriors, some of whom had families and came from this particular base in the past 12 months," he said.
After the dedication ceremony and a Hawaiian blessing delivered by Rev. David Kaupu, the chapel was opened for all to see.
"This is wonderful," said a wide-eyed Andrew Jackson of Florida, one of a number of Marine veterans at the dedication who are known as "The Chosin Few" for their part in a fierce battle at the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea in 1950.
Also present was Robert F. "Bob" Burt, 15th chaplain of the U.S. Marine Corps, who, like Jackson, was struck by the chapel's stained-glass windows.
"The first few services people will be staring intently at that," said Burt. "Then, after a while, they'll get used to it and start listening to the chaplain."
In dedicating a $9.5 million chapel yesterday, outgoing Brig. Gen. George J. Trautman III told a crowd of onlookers that for decades the base has played a vital role in preparing sailors and Marines to head into harm's way.
The architectural highlight of the new chapel at Marine Corps Base Hawai'i is its panel of stained-glass windows. The 22,755-square-foot chapel has 543 seats. The building also contains a smaller chapel, a kitchen, offices, a conference room and a library.
Even as chairman of the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on readiness and management support, Akaka said, it took him two years to secure the money needed to build the chapel because his colleagues on Capitol Hill were preoccupied with the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Marines listen to speakers at the dedication ceremony, including the outgoing base commander who said "the people coming into the building" will strengthen the chapel's spiritual foundations.
