Veterans Day 2024

Photo by Jack Kiyonaga

This year’s Veterans Day was marked by the Molokai Veterans Caring For Veterans celebration at Memorial Park in Kaunakakai. Attended by State Sen. Lynn DeCoite, as well as staff from U.S. Sen. Maize Hirono’s office, the ceremony honored the Molokai men and women who have served their nation. In particular, this year was dedicated to the 442nd Regimental Combat team, which had various volunteers from Molokai’s Nisei, or second-generation Japanese American, population.

One of the celebration’s keynote speakers, John Wa’a Nahoopii from Molokai, honored the late founder of Molokai Veterans Caring for Veterans, Larry Helm, with a portrait that he had created featuring Helm’s military medals.

“We just want to honor [Helm] for the hard work that he did,” said Wa’a Nahoopii.

Wa’a Nahoopii also brought with him many flags of those who could not be at the celebration – including a flag for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and a Texas flag, representing their honorary Texan status after their daring rescue of a Texan Battalion in the Vosges Mountains in World War II.