Hawai’i Public Radio’s Adrienne LaFrance was on hand for Sunday’s 22nd annual Memorial Day ceremony at the Natatorium and filed a report that aired Monday and Tuesday.

The story does a fine job of both capturing the spirit of the event and updating listeners on the natatorium issue.

One excerpt from the story seems particularly worth thinking about. It quotes our keynote speaker at Sunday’s ceremony, Lieutenant General Benjamin Mixon, commanding general of the U.S. Army, Pacific.

LaFrance observes that “veterans from World War I, the soldiers the memorial was built to honor, are no longer alive to see it.” But, she continues, General Mixon “says the very purpose of war memorials is to outlive those who lived through the periods they commemorate.”

“In a time when many of our young people are not focused on that history,” the general told LaFrance, it is “easy … for the young people to go to [a] memorial, look at the names that are on the wall of remembrance and they will understand enough about the history of this great country and the sacrifices of all its service members.”

If you missed the HPR story, you can listen to it here.

Lieutenant General Benjamin R. Mixon speaking to a youngster after his keynote address at the 22nd annual Memorial Day ceremony at the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial.

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Marine Cpl. Marcus Smith plays "Taps."

Mahalo to everyone who joined us at the Natatorium on Sunday for our 22nd annual Memorial Day observance! It was a beautiful day and a memorable morning: thought-provoking addresses by our speakers, Lieutenant General Benjamin Mixon and Kim Napier; beautiful, meaningful vocal and hula performances; the inspirational participation of our military men and women and the King’s Guard; the presence of so many veterans.

Here are just a few photographs from the ceremony. To see more on Flickr, click here. For a slideshow, click here. Another set of photos is available on Picasa here. A Picasa slideshow here.

Thanks again!

Hula Halau Olana and the 15th Air Wing Honor Guard.

Lieutenant General Benjamin R. Mixon, commander, U.S. Army, Pacific.

The King's Guard

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Please join us this Sunday morning, May 30, for the 22nd annual Memorial Service at the Waikiki Natatorium.

We remember Hawai’i’s soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines with music, hula and oratory. And we do so at the place dedicated to their memory by the people of our state.

A music and hula prelude starts at 9:30 a.m. and our moving formal ceremony begins at 10 a.m. This year’s theme is “Ku pa’a i ka ho’ihi, ka ho’omana’o, me ka ho’ala,” or “Committed to Respect, Remembrance and Renewal.”

Our keynote speaker, representing veterans and active duty military personnel, will be Lieutenant General Benjamin R. Mixon, Commander, U.S. Army, Pacific, and a highly decorated veteran of Operation Desert Storm, Afghanistan and Iraq. General Mixon commands all U. S. Army active and reserve forces across the entire Pacific Theater.

Also speaking will be A. Kim Napier, editor of Honolulu Magazine. Participants include an Air Force honor guard and the King’s Guard Drill Team. There will be performances by Hula Halau Olana, Prince Kuhio Civic Club Chorale, Nalani Olds and others.

All are welcome, and covered seating will be available. Look for the tent in Kapiolani Park right outside the Natatorium’s gate. Bring your family, and invite your friends to join you in showing your respect and admiration for our military men and women. You will be glad you came. Mahalo.

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You are invited to the 22nd annual Memorial Day Service at one of Hawai’i's most important monuments to America’s military heroes: The Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium.

Mark your calendar: 10 a.m., Sunday, May 30 (the day before Memorial Day), in Kapiolani Park right outside the Natatorium’s gate.

We gather there every year to commemorate Hawaii’s honored war dead in speech, ceremony, song and dance. We gather there because the Natatorium stands as a symbol of the freedom and of the American way of life preserved for us by the men and women who have fought in all our nation’s wars.

Representing our veterans at this year’s ceremony will be Lt. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon, commanding general of the U.S. Army, Pacific, and a highly decorated veteran of Operation Desert Storm, Afghanistan and Iraq. The general is the recipient of the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Bronze Star, among many other awards and honors.

Also speaking is A. Kim Napier, editor of Honolulu Magazine. The observance will feature a U.S. Army honor guard, the Royal Guard, the Prince Kuhio Civic Club Chorale and Hula Halau Olana.

Join us and demonstrate your support of our veterans and respect for the fallen. The ceremony is open to all and covered seating will be available. Contact Friends of the Natatorium event chairman Frank Weight at 258-5881 if you want to help or if you belong to a group that would like to be included in our list of supporters.

Related posts:

1. Join us: Memorial observance at the Natatorium on Sunday
2. Memorial Day Service on Sunday, May 24th, 10am
3. Photos from the Natatorium’s Memorial Day Service

On Monday, March 15, we will be at the State Capitol participating in Heritage Day from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Come down and check us out!

On Wednesday, March 17, we will be addressing the Waikiki Rotary at their noon meeting.

It’s never too early to mark your calendar for our annual Memorial Day Service on Sunday, May 30, at 10 a.m.

Stay tuned for other opportunities to learn more about the Natatorium.

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“82 years ago, Duke Kahanamoku, the Olympic Legend and Hawaii’s original Ambassador of Aloha, inaugurated the Natatorium.  What a glorious day that was.

If he could be with us today, he would be appalled and deeply saddened by what he would see.  He would be outraged that our elected officials were considering demolition, because he had a deep aloha for what this Memorial stood for — reverence, honor and respect for those who defended us.”

— John Henry Felix from his remarks on May 24, 2009 at the 21st Annual Memorial Day Service at the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium.

Watch more from his address:

Related posts:

1. Memorial Day Service on Sunday, May 24th, 10am
2. Waikiki Natatorium Memorial Day Service Honors Solemn Commitment to Remember Those Who Sacrificed
3. Save the Date! Memorial Day Service on Sunday, May 30th

Advertiser Reporter Mary Vorsino in a May 17th article and Columnist David Shapiro on May 20th claimed that the Friends of the Natatorium intend to use the 21st Annual Memorial Day Service on May 24, 2009 to “launch a last-ditch fundraising drive.”  

For two decades, the Napoleon/Weight Ohana and Friends of the Natatorium have faithfully organized this annual observance and invited the public to honor our collective commitment to remembering those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. We have and would never profane such a solemn and important occasion with fundraising.

On May 27, 2009, the Advertiser issued a retraction for the assertion in both pieces and amended the online versions of both the article and column.

Related posts:

1. Memorial Day Service on Sunday, May 24th, 10am
2. Save the Date! Memorial Day Service on Sunday, May 30th
3. John Henry Felix’s Memorial Day Service Address, May 24, 2009

21ST ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE AT THE WAIKIKI WAR MEMORIAL NATATORIUM

Sunday, May 24, 10 a.m.

“Kupa’a i ke kuleana, Ka ‘ihi, Ka mahalo, a me ke kupili”

Committed to Responsibility, Respect, Reverence and Reason

The ceremony includes both somber and joyful moments, celebrating the sacrifice of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guards and the triumph of the freedom and democratic values they fought to defend. This year’s event will include a keynote speech by Brig. Gen. Gary Hara (chief of staff of the Hawaii Army National Guard) and remarks by US congressional candidate Ed Case and former City Councilman John Henry Felix. Also featured will be the traditional bugle call “Taps” and a 21-gun salute. Performances include patriotic music from the Royal Hawaiian Band and Hawaiian songs and hula from Hula Halau Olana, The Prince Kuhio Civic Club Chorale and soloist, Nalani Olds.

The Friends of the Natatorium is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium, the state’s official memorial to those from Hawaii who died in the cause of freedom in World War I.

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Halau Hula Olana

Related posts:

1. Halau Hula Olana perform at the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial Event, May 25, 2008
2. Alea and Leilani Alama Hula perform at the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial Day Ceremony at Sans Souci (Kaimana) Beach
3. Join us: Memorial observance at the Natatorium on Sunday