Veterans need YOU this weekend: Volunteer for the National Veterans Golden Age Games

23-May-11 | 1 Comment

The National Veterans Golden Age Games are coming to Hawai’i for the first time! Join the Friends of the Natatorium: We need you to help to make these games an incredible success. This sports festival for veterans 55 and older, to be held from this Thursday, May 26, through Tuesday, May 31, is drawing more than 700 veterans to our state from across the country. They’ll compete in 14 events from dominoes and checkers to bowling and table tennis to swimming, cycling, golf, shot put and discus. There are seven age groups, and divisions for veterans who use wheelchairs or
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Categories: Events, Memorial Day, Uncategorized, and Veterans.
Tags: Friends of the Natatorium, Memorial Day, and veterans.

Plan to be there: The Natatorium’s Memorial Day Observance, May 29

17-May-11 | Comments Off on Plan to be there: The Natatorium’s Memorial Day Observance, May 29

More reasons to look forward to the 23rd annual Memorial Day Observance at the Natatorium on Sunday, May 29, at 10 a.m.: –We will hear from World War II veteran Ronald M. Oba. Ron, now 88, was a member of F Company of the famous 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the all-Japanese-American U.S. Army unit that fought in Italy, southern France and Germany and became the most decorated regiment in the history of the U.S. military. The retired hospital administrator is a former president of the 442nd Veterans Club and former editor of the 442nd Go for Broke Bulletin, named after
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Categories: Events, Memorial Day, Uncategorized, and Veterans.
Tags: Duane Thiessen, Friends of the Natatorium, Memorial Day, Ronald Oba, veterans, and Waikiki Natatorium.

Navy, Army vets elected Friends of the Natatorium directors

12-May-11 | 1 Comment

Two military veterans and civic leaders this week joined the board of directors of the Friends of the Natatorium, taking on leadership roles in the fight to restore, renew and reopen the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium. The board elected Yvonne Geesey to fill the seat left empty by the recent death of longtime Natatorium supporter and veterans’ activist Fred Ballard. Maurice D. “Mo” Radke was chosen to fill the vacancy that is opening with the retirement of longtime board member and former President Lin Pang. (More later on Lin’s years of service to the Friends.) Geesey, who also replaces Ballard
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Categories: Events, Friends of the Natatorium, Uncategorized, and Veterans.
Tags: Friends of the Natatorium, Maurice D. “Mo” Radke, Memorial Day, Waikiki Natatorium, and Yvonne Geesey.

Taps: Last known combat veteran of World War I has died

10-May-11 | Comments Off on Taps: Last known combat veteran of World War I has died

A last salute to the very last known combat veteran of World War I. Claude Choules, who lied about his age to enlist in Britain’s Royal Navy, has died in Australia. He was 110. Choules saw action in the North Sea on the HMS Revenge, where he later witnessed the surrender of the German fleet in November 1918. He remained in uniform until 1956, transferring to the Royal Australian Navy in 1926 and serving in World War II as a demolition and explosives expert. Choules’ death ends mankind’s living memory of combat in the Great War. The last known American
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Categories: History, Uncategorized, and Veterans.
Tags: Claude Choules, Frank Buckles, and Waikiki Natatorium.

Mark your calendar: Natatorium Memorial Day observance on May 29

02-May-11 | 1 Comment

You are invited to the 23rd ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCE AT THE WAIKIKI WAR MEMORIAL NATATORIUMSunday, May 29, 10 a.m. [Note: Sunday, not Monday] Please join the Friends of the Natatorium for this poignant and meaningful ceremony, which is open to all. Covered seating will be available. The observance, sponsored by the Friends since 1989, recognizes the sacrifice of American soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guards and the triumph of the freedom and democratic values they fought to defend. This year’s event keynote speaker is Lt. Gen. Duane Thiessen, commander, U.S. Marine Forces Pacific. A Marine Corps rifle detail
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Categories: Events, Friends of the Natatorium, Hula, Memorial Day, Uncategorized, and Veterans.
Tags: Duane Thiessen, Friends of the Natatorium, Hula, Hula Halau Olana, Memorial Day, Prince Kuhio Civic Club Chorale, U.S. Marines, and Waikiki Natatorium.

Natatorium stalwart, veterans leader Fred Ballard has died

20-Apr-11 | 3 Comments

Sad news: A stalwart supporter of the Natatorium and one of Hawai’i’s leading activists on veterans’ issues has died. Fred W. Ballard, who suffered from pancreatic cancer, passed away on Sunday, April 17. He was 72. Fred served from 1995 until his death as a board member of the Friends of the Natatorium. He was our longtime board secretary. He was a leader and a constant source of strength to us in the fight for the preservation and restoration of the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium, the official memorial to more than 10,000 soldiers and sailors from Hawai’i who served in
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Categories: Friends of the Natatorium, Uncategorized, and Veterans.
Tags: Fred Ballard, Friends of the Natatorium, Oahu Veterans Council, and veterans.

Tuesday: Make a call (or 3) for the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial

22-Mar-11 | Comments Off on Tuesday: Make a call (or 3) for the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial

A reminder: Historic Preservation Awareness Day is today –Tuesday, March 22 — from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on the third floor of the State Capitol in Honolulu. The Friends of the Natatorium will be there, along with more than 40 other organizations, talking to legislators, staff, other state officials and Capitol visitors about the importance of preserving culturally and historically important sites in Hawai’i. Tuesday would be a perfect day for you to make a quick call to Legislative leadership just to say, “I wanted to call you on Preservation Day to let you know I support restoring the
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Categories: Events and Uncategorized.
Tags: Friends of the Natatorium, Historic Hawai'i Foundation, Historic Preservation Awareness Day, and State Capitol.

Farewell to a soldier… and a generation

15-Mar-11 | Comments Off on Farewell to a soldier… and a generation

America said goodbye Tuesday to Frank Buckles, the last-surviving U.S. soldier from World War I. Outside Washington, President Obama and Vice President Biden paid their respects at Arlington National Cemetery before the former corporal was carried to his grave and laid to rest with the traditional honors: The bugle call “Taps” and a volley of rifle fire. Here in Hawai’i, U.S. and state flags flew at half-staff in honor of the last doughboy – and in honor of all the brave soldiers, sailors and airmen with whom he served. Buckles died last month at his home in Charles Town, W.Va.,
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Categories: History, Uncategorized, and Veterans.
Tags: doughboy and Frank Buckles.

Join Natatorium supporters at the State Capitol on March 22

12-Mar-11 | Comments Off on Join Natatorium supporters at the State Capitol on March 22

Plan now to join the Friends of the Natatorium for a very important event at the State Capitol in Honolulu on Tuesday, March 22: the ninth annual Historic Preservation Awareness Day. This is our best chance each year to tell to the Natatorium’s story to senators and representatives, to legislative staff, and to Capitol visitors. And it’s a wonderful opportunity to learn about the threats to other culturally and historically important sites throughout our state. From 9 a.m. to 12 noon, the Friends of the Natatorium will be on the third floor of the Capitol with representatives of more than
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Categories: Events and Uncategorized.
Tags: Donna L. Ching, Friends of the Natatorium, Hawai'i Legislature, Historic Hawai'i Foundation, Historic Preservation Awareness Day, Isaac Choy, and State Capitol.

"Fix it, Danno!" Mainland travel writer catches Natatorium's Five-0 star turn

16-Feb-11 | 1 Comment

Turns out we weren’t the only ones who noticed the Natatorium’s guest appearance in Monday’s Hawaii Five-0 episode. Over in San Francisco, SFGate’s “Hawaii Insider” blog also was paying close attention. The blogger, travel writer Jeanne Cooper, says she’d bet that Navy SEAL and Five-0 boss Steve McGarrett would back restoration and reopening of the Natatorium. Now there’s a Five-0 plotline we’d love to see! Thanks, Jeanne and SFGate, for telling the Natatorium story to your readers on the Mainland!
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Categories: History and Uncategorized.