The Descendants

More than 10,000 kama’aina from the Territory of Hawai’i volunteered in World War I.

It was “The Great War.” It was what people assumed would be “the war to end all wars.”

It was bloody and vicious. It was fought — in the trenches, at sea and even in the air — on a scale and with weapons that mankind had never before witnessed or imagined.

And in the end, of course, it did not “end all wars.”

We cannot allow the undoing of humanity’s hopes for enduring peace undercut the poignancy of the ultimate sacrifice made by more than 100 of those volunteers from Hawaii who never returned home.

In recognition of their valor, honor and sacrifice, Hawai’i in 1927 opened our War Memorial Natatorium. It is a “living” war memorial, not a marble monolith or an allegorical bronze figure. It is a place for people to be together and enjoy the freedoms that the warriors purchased with their youth and with their lives.

They fought, after all — and too many of them had died — for what they hoped would be a better world for their children and their children’s children.

The Descendants Project is designed, generations and nearly a century later, to bring those children’s children to a deeper understanding of their personal connections to the sacrifices their forebears made on their behalf. It is designed to bring all of us to a better appreciation of our collective debt to the men and women who volunteered to serve for us.

We’re looking to identify the descendants of World War I volunteers from Hawai’i, to learn their stories and the stories of their ancestors, and to share those stories with everyone.

If you are descended — directly or collaterally — from a World War I volunteer, think you may be, or just want to learn more, visit the Descendants Project website.

Mahalo.

Comments

  1. RWH

    Shame on the city and state for not following thru on the restoration. Aside from the moral obligation, this could have an impact on providing a venue that could/can provide greater exposure and tourism/sporting event revenues.

  2. DAVID JOHN MAY

    MY GRANDFATHER BUILT THIS WORK OF HISTORY.WITH GREAT LOVE,PASSION.IT HAS EMBODIED LOVE HAPPINESS GREAT MEMORIES TO ALL AND GREAT RESPECT TO THOSE OF WWI.I SUPPORT ALL EFFORTS,IN ANY FASHION.PLEASE CONTACT ME.I HAVE HISTORICAL ATTACHMENTS.BUT MY 92 YEAR OLD MOTHER,DAUGHTER OF JOHN CLIFF IS ILL AND JUST GOT OUT OF HOSPITAL.I CARE FOR HER AT HER HOME.IT MAY TAKE ME SOMETIME BUT WILL GET WHAT I HAVE TIME ALLOWING.MOST IS OUT OF TOWN.FROM SOCIAL MEDIA,MONIES,LEGAL ISSUES OF CONCERN PLEASE CONTACT ME. DAVID JOHN MAY 805 300 2889

  3. Carolyn

    Last night on 60 minutes, was a profile on David Rubenstein. He finances million $$$ projects (donations) for patriotic causes. The opponents of the Natatorium want to remove the water part of the memorial so they can have more beach for themselves. I recommend writing a letter and all the back ground material to Rubenstein and ask him if he wants to support the total RESTORATION of a WWI memorial. lots of stuff on the web about stuff he does.

  4. Christine sun

    Beautiful site… Should restore, it would be amazing!!!