Guard troops back from Afghanistan
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National Guard homecoming gallery |
By David Waite
Advertiser Staff Writer
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Mother's Day is still a month away, but Thelma Halemano got the greatest gift she could ever hope for when the final three members of her extended family returned home, without so much as a scratch, from a year in Afghanistan with the Hawai'i National Guard.
"Actually, this is better than Mother's Day — it's like Christmas and all the other holidays rolled into one," Halemano said.
She can't remember, exactly, what words were exchanged with her oldest son, her granddaughter and her son-in-law when the trio returned to Schofield Barracks yesterday.
She can't remember if there were any words at all.
But there were hugs and tears of absolute joy that come from knowing that a family is whole once again and out of harm's way — at least for the time being.
The three were among 67 Guard members who returned yesterday, the last of the 2,200 citizen soldiers attached to Hawai'i National Guard units who were called to active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. The last-returning soldiers are with the 298th Engineer Combat Battalion and the 117th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.
"I tell you the truth, the most nerve-wracking part of this whole past year was the final minutes we spent waiting for them to come through the door at Schofield," Halemano said.
In due time, they all appeared:
"We kept track of them all, mostly through e-mail," said Thelma Halemano, who is 63, lives in 'Ewa Beach with her husband, Colbert Halemano Sr., and volunteers at her church.
But, she said, she has a small confession to make.
"If you ask any of them, they will tell you that I am the worst at sitting down and working at the computer."
But each of the incoming e-mails was a treasure, to be read several times over and then forwarded to other family members, who would also share the e-mail they received.
"We place our faith in ke Akua and knew he would take care of them and return them to us safely," Halemano said.
Yesterday was the second time Halemano has welcomed National Guard troops home. She was there to greet another son and grandson in January.
Colbert Halemano Jr., 45, and his son, Keoni Halemano, 22, returned from a year in Iraq.
Colbert, a security officer at Wai'anae High School, served as a forward artillery observer while Keoni, who was working part time at Sears and going to school, was an infantryman.
Thelma and Colbert Halemano Sr. have six children.
"The three oldest are boys and the three youngest are girls," Thelma said. Their youngest daughter is 30. "My husband, Colbert Sr., was in the National Guard and I think the children were following in their father's footsteps."
She and her husband wanted to spend as much time as they could yesterday with the newly returned family members.
"But we told them all to go home. They have spouses, children of their own and other family members who love them just as much as we do," Thelma said.
But Easter is coming and that may be a time for the family to get together to give thanks for everyone's good fortune, she said.
"It just feels so good to have them all home and safe again — more than I could ever tell you."
On Monday a Hawai'i National Guard spokesman said that it will likely be five years before Guard troops here are called on again for possible war duty.
Reach David Waite at dwaite@honoluluadvertiser.com.
