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Veteran’s Corner

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

Hello veterans, old Jesse here with all the veterans’ news and upcoming events. Firings should be made public; the Navy fires bad commanders early, often and openly. Top Navy leadership believes the fleet is best serves by holding commanders publicly accountable for their misdeeds – whether that means fraternization, drunken driving, poor command climate, or any other serious offense. The sackings are announced in the news press releases, and sometimes by senior leaders, are seen as valuable real life lesson of actions, and consequences.

Firing commanders in the Marine Corps, Army and Air Force, however, is a shadowy business. One day a colonel is there, the next day he or she is gone. The troops usually are left to gossip and speculate as to why. Col. Robert Petit was fired from command of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit early this year after being accused of stealing from a Wal-Mart. Details of the incident for which he was found guilty, were gleaned from local police, and the county court. Beyond confirming Petit’s firing, leaders at Camp Lejeune kept quiet about the incident. There is a greater good to making colonel firings public: To demonstrate that rules and regulations are enforced regardless of rank, and that failure to conduct oneself as is expected of a leader will not be tolerated.

The American Academy of Pain Medicine says the deaths of wounded combat veterans from unintentional overdoses of pain medication are tragic, but it is concerned about a backlash that would discourage the use of pain killers. The answer to pain is not to just prescribe a painkiller or block a nerve, said Dr. Perry Fine, the academy president. These tragic reports are truly a call to arms for better education, and training for physicians about the science and specialty of pain medicine. Physicians and researchers are looking for advancements in both medication, and treatment plans that treat pain without putting wounded combat veterans at risk of depression and suicide.

Thousands of sailors aboard the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson jubilantly returned to Naval Base Coronado, Calif. on June 15, nearly seven weeks after the ship carried Osama bin Laden’s body to a burial at sea. Carl Vinson was in the Arabian Sea on May 2 when it received a Navy Seal team carrying the al-Qaida leader’s body. The body was placed in a weighted bag, an officer made religious remarks, and it was dropped into the sea. Sailors have been ordered to avoid talking about the operation.

Please remember that the Appreciation Luncheon Celebration, honoring Senator Daniel K. Akaka is on Friday, Aug. 26. If you would like to attend, please call the veterans center at 553-8387, and talk to the watch commander. Please remember our troops that are in harm’s way around the world and help them in any way you can. Here at home if you see a veteran wearing a yellow Veterans Caring for Veterans shirt, while you are out and about, please say hello and thank them for their service.

If anyone has any news or stories that they would like to share, or if you just want to talk about your experiences while in service of this great country, please give old Jesse a call at 553-3323. A big mahalo to all our veterans and the people of Molokai, you’re the best and I love you all.

Aunty’s Column

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

Aloha, Aunty here. Woo Hoo! Did you see us at the Relay for Life? Did we see you? There were lots of people walking around the track.  I must admit that I could only do two laps but our team walked all night until the end.  Way to go jelly roll!  I want to thank our fabulous sponsors who helped us reach our goal of $500. After all the soap suds from our car wash and talking to businesses and friends we had raised over $700!  Next year I think we’ll have to do a lot more.  Thank you Auco Construction, GT Auto, Bill’s Construction and Molokai Realty for your support! You simply are da bes’. The Dispatch gang made these really funky t-shirts with lots of bling; you just can’t have too much sparkle!

I went shopping in Wal-Mart last week in Honolulu.  As I walked through the store, I fell into a trance. Whew, what an experience.  Don’t get me wrong, I love our stores, but once in a while you just have to do the big store.  That same weekend I went to a party at a home in Kaneohe and met some people who danced in the Hawaiian Room at the Lexington Hotel in New York.  One lady told me that they could only be Hawaiian to dance there.  Our very own Uncle Kulani Purdy was the glue that held these very homesick young people together by making telephone books so everyone could keep in touch while in New York.  If you ever want to see what it was all about Uncle Kulani has many scrapbooks chronicling the many activities and years they were there.  Many of the books are in the library for you to look at. 

Also in Honolulu, DJ Pelekai, Sue, Kawika, Lailani and I attended a workshop put on by my niece, Maile.  We were honored to work with a Halau from Mexico City.  The most amazing thing was that there was a very tiny 3-year-old girl who picked up a papa hehi (treadle board) and the kala’au (long and shore sticks) and began to do this most complicated beat as if she had been doing it forever.  Whoa! So amazing, especially since us older ones were not so hand-eye coordinated.

There are seven wonderfully beautiful ladies who celebrated their 90-and-over birthdays at Home Pumehana.  I believe that the oldest is 94.  What interesting stories they have.  I asked Aunty Lilly-belle how she was and she said she was “hanging right on aunty!”  Also, my neighbor across the way from me passed away.  I miss her at her sink at night when I’m getting ready for bed.  She was a brilliant knitter and made some beautiful sweaters.  I only knew her a little but loved her a lot.

The other day someone brought in a very strange looking seed.  Have you ever tasted a peanut butter tree seed? Yes, Virginia, there is a peanut butter tree.  It tastes just like peanut butter.  I guess the tree grows in Halawa.

Well, I’ve rattled on long enough. Hug your kids, pet the dog, feed the cat and “Malama your Momma.” Love you lots, a hui hou, Aunty.