Army 1st Lt. Ehren Watada and his stepmother, Rosa Sakanishi, at the Church of the Crossroads last night. Watada faces a court-martial for his challenge to the war in Iraq. REBECCA BREYER | The Honolulu Advertiser   Watada, a 1996 Kalani High School, graduate, addresses a crowd of more than 350 people at the Church of the Crossroads. REBECCA BREYER | The Honolulu Advertiser

Watada thanked the crowd, and said there have been other men who have refused to go to war in the past.

"These men were not cowards and traitors," he said.

He asked those gathered to learn more about the war in Iraq and to make a decision about the war based on their research.

Watada faces a court-martial for his refusal to join his unit on a deployment to Iraq. A pre-trial hearing is set for Jan. 4.

The 1996 Kalani High School graduate faces a court-martial on charges of missing a troop movement and conduct unbecoming an officer for comments he made concerning the Bush administration's reasons for going to war in Iraq.