Hawaiian Community Extends “Mahalo” to U.S. Service Members
Story Number: NNS070502-14
Release Date: 5/2/2007 4:08:00 PM
By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Paul D. Honnick, Fleet Public Affairs Center Detachment Hawaii
FORD ISLAND, Hawaii (NNS) -- The 22nd annual Hawaii Military Appreciation Month kicked off April 26 at an opening ceremony held at the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island.
The ceremony officially marked the start of a monthlong celebration to honor the 56,000 U.S. service members stationed in Hawaii, serving here and abroad.
“Military Appreciation Month comes once a year, and as far as we’re concerned in the city and county of Honolulu, it should be everyday,” said Mayor Mufi Hannemann of the city and county of Honolulu.
Hannemann explained how the military is part of the state’s “ohana,” the Hawaiian word for family.
“Should we ever face national emergencies that should come to our fair islands, I know that we’ll be protected and defended because the U.S. military knows what it takes to keep our city and our state safe and secure,” explained Hannemann.
Adm. Timothy Keating, Commander U.S. Pacific Command, spoke on behalf of the thousands of service members serving throughout the Pacific.
“A lot of cities have military appreciation day, military appreciation week; here it’s not lost on us that it’s military appreciation month,” said Keating.
Keating asked the audience to picture the men and women out on deployment right now.
“There’s a young Marine somewhere in Afghanistan on patrol; there’s an Army sergeant who has a platoon for which he or she is directly responsible [and is on] patrol in Anbar Province,” added Keating.
Numerous Pearl Harbor-based ships and submarines are currently deployed with carrier groups and expeditionary groups in the Pacific and in the Persian Gulf. Approximately 5,500 Soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division and 1,000 Marines from the 3rd Marine Regiment are currently deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Thousands more are scheduled to deploy later this year.
“The whole time I was at this ceremony listening to all the good words people were saying, all I could think about was the men and women who aren’t here,” said Chief Construction Electrician (SCW) Christopher Gwin, assigned to U.S. Pacific Fleet headquarters.
A few of the several events that have been planned throughout May to honor military personnel include:
The Hawaii Army Museum Society is scheduled to conduct Living History Day at Kuroda Field aboard Fort DeRussy on May 19; the "Combined Military Band" is scheduled to perform at the Hawaii Theater in downtown Honolulu also on May 19; Hawaii’s business leaders will present outstanding community service awards to service members from all the military branches at the annual Military Appreciation Luncheon scheduled for May 24; and United Service Organization Hawaii is scheduled to host Military Day at the Honolulu Zoo on June 2.
“It really makes me feel fantastic knowing that the state that I grew up in continues to appreciate the military that’s such a big part of the state,” said Hawaii native Rear Adm. Jim Beebe, Deputy Commander Submarine Force U.S. Pacific Fleet/Deputy Commander Navy Region Hawaii.
