Posted on: Monday, May 30, 2005
ISLAND VOICES
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By Rep. Ken Ito
As a United States Air Force veteran, and chairman of the Public Safety and Military Affairs Committee in the state House of Representatives, it's my mission to make sure the Legislature does everything possible to support our troops.
We are all beneficiaries of their courageous and dedicated service, and the state bears a special responsibility to help them and their families, as well as to honor their memory.
Earlier this year, the state House and Senate unveiled a Military Appreciation Package of bills, all of which were introduced to address the many challenges facing our military personnel, particularly the disruption to their lives during deployment. The Legislature passed six bills, five resolutions, over $2.2 million in programs and services over the next two years, and over $26 million in capital improvement funds to build or improve facilities.
Military members who are students at the University of Hawai'i will now gain readmission to the university upon their return from their deployment. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs will relax their licensing restoration requirements for those who are deployed during a state or national crisis.
Advertiser library photo • Feb. 8, 2005 The major capital improvement projects in the package include $18.2 million for a long-term veterans care home at the Hilo Medical Center and $4.4 million for the Keaukaha Military Center, a complex for soldiers, airmen, veterans and retirees, including an expanded PX, commissary and office for veterans affairs.
The highlight of the 2005 Military Appreciation Package is the establishment of the Hawai'i Medal of Honor.
The Hawai'i Medal of Honor serves as the symbol of our deepest appreciation and gratitude for the men and women who sacrificed their lives while courageously defending our country. So many of our Hawai'i military personnel have demonstrated incredible acts of bravery to protect and defend America. Eighty-five service members with Hawai'i ties have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003 and would be eligible for the Hawai'i Medal of Honor under this act.
The governor signed the bill into law as Act 21.
Sen. Norman Sakamoto, Maj. Gen. Robert Lee and I will convene an interim legislative committee to determine the design of the new medal, as well as a process to certify that the recipients were legal residents of, or stationed in, Hawai'i at the time they were killed in action.
Nothing, however, can be greater than the gift these fallen heroes have given to us. In parting, they have given us a world that is safer and better because of their service. They have given us the responsibility to care for members of our team, just as they cared for their fellow troop members in combat. They have given us the inspiration to become better leaders and to make decisions with our hearts as well as with our minds.
And so that their lives will not be sacrificed in vain, they have given us hope, and the will, to achieve peace.
In the past two years the war in Iraq has changed our world and our lives, in a profound way. Ultimately, it's not about politics, it's not about money, and it's not even about winning. It's about families and loved ones and what these brave men and women sacrificed to keep us safe.
As we strive to find meaning behind such heartbreaking loss, I think we will find it in the small deeds we do each day. If we can always remember the sense of purpose and the generosity of spirit of those we honor, not just on Memorial Day but every day, the world will be a better place.
The military appreciation bills were among our priorities during the 2005 legislative session. We want our service men and women to know that they are considered a stronghold of our community. We live in freedom and relative security because of their efforts. The Legislature will continue to address issues facing our military members and their families now and in the future.
Rep. Ken Ito represents District 48 in the Kane'ohe area. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.
The Legislature honored our service members and veterans by appropriating $460,000 for the Hawai'i 3Rs program, $400,000 for the Tuition Assistance program for eligible members of the Hawai'i National Guard, $250,000 for an event to thank our troops for their service, $187,450 for casket liners and to address soil problems at the Hawai'i State Veterans Cemetery, and $30,000 to publish a Hawai'i veterans newsletter.
Likeke Bell blew a conch shell as a guard of Na Koa (Hawaiian warriors) accompanied the hearse bearing the casket of 1st Lt. Nainoa Hoe at the Hawai'i State Veterans Cemetery.
