The legendary Harry James Orchestra – the big band that gave Frank Sinatra his first big break – is coming to Hawai’i to play a benefit for restoration and reopening of the War Memorial Natatorium. Join us to swing dance — or just to listen — on Sunday, Aug. 11, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Honolulu Elks Lodge. NOTE: ADVANCE TICKET SALES HAVE CLOSED. TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR FOR $45.
Read More
Archives for Friends of the Natatorium
Veterans Leader Michael Soucie Elected to FON Board
Veteran, VA manager and longtime veteran advocate Michael C. Soucie Sr. has been elected to the board of directors of the Friends of the Natatorium. Michael, who retired as a chief petty officer after 22 years in the Navy, returned to civilian life as a case manager and clinical supervisor in Kalaeloa for the United States Veterans Initiative, or U.S.VETS, the largest provider of services to homeless veterans in the country. He has since moved to the Department of Veterans Affairs, assisting veterans struggling with mental illness with their return to gainful employment. Michael now oversees all work therapy programs
Read More
The 25th Natatorium Memorial Day Service | Sunday, May 26
Inspiring oratory. Celebration in song and dance. Precision military pageantry. The solemn sounding of “Taps.” Most of all: A chance to remember, honor and give thanks. You’ll want to join us for the 25th annual Memorial Day weekend observance at the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium. It’s at 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 26 – the day before Memorial Day – on the Kapiolani Park lawn in front of the Natatorium. Memorial Day weekend is, of course, all about exactly what the War Memorial Natatorium itself is all about: Our obligation never to forget. We remember the sacrifices of those –
Read More
Natatorium Op-ed by Peter Apo: Demolition Moratorium
Don’t miss the opinion piece in the May 14 Star-Advertiser by Peter Apo. It’s important not just for the substance: Peter’s call for a two-year moratorium on threats to demolish the Natatorium, providing time and a safe space for a campaign to fund restoration. It’s also important for the eloquence and passion with which Peter makes his case. “A Measure of Who We Are” Read this passage, for instance: The Natatorium, Peter says, “is priceless as a statement of the character of Hawaii’s people. It is the stuff of which great cities are made. It can rise again, joining the
Read More
Natatorium Defaced
It’s started. Less than a week after the city and state announced plans to raze the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial, someone is treating it as an abandoned ruin. This morning, Kelsey Ige spotted graffiti on the Natatorium’s mauka wall: Kelsey, art director at the Waikiki Aquarium next door to the Natatorium, took the photo and sent it to us. We are crushed that someone has defaced this legendary and important war memorial. It may perhaps have been an attempt to honor the edifice (note the “Farewell Natatorium 2013” inscription to the right). Even so, it’s a terrible shame that it’s
Read More
The Natatorium Decision: Shame and Dishonor
The city and state announcement last week that they want to raze the Natatorium was a kick in the gut to supporters of the War Memorial. One of them is Mo Radke, 30-year Navy veteran, former command master chief of the Pacific Fleet and now a board member of Friends of the Natatorium. The roots of Mo’s disappointment are in his deep respect for those who preceded him in our nation’s service. He has now written about that respect, and that disappointment, in “Honor, Courage and Commitment,” an opinion piece for Honolulu Civil Beat. “I have a granddaughter who is
Read More
Down Under Natatorium cousins: Australia's ocean pools
Friends of the Natatorium Vice President Donna L. Ching is just back from a visit to Australia, where she says there are more than 30 ocean pools in the Sydney area alone. She swam in several Aussie “ocean baths,” and brought back photos for us. “They’re everywhere in Australia!” she says. “You’d think we could get it together and fix our one and only Natatorium!” Bondi Baths Perhaps the most famous of Sydney’s ocean pools are the Bondi Baths at the Bondi Icebergs Club at the south end of Bondi Beach. Bronte Beach pool Farther down the famous Coastal Walk
Read More
Olympic champ/Natatorium friend Bill Smith has died
Sad news: Olympic gold medal swimmer and Hawai’i hero Bill Smith – a world record holder whose first competitive swimming experiences were in the waters of the Waikiki Natatorium – has died. Bill was 88 when he passed away Feb. 8, his family with him. Considered the world’s greatest swimmer for virtually all of the 1940s, William Melvin Smith was 15 when he started his competitive career at the Natatorium in 1939. Just a year later, he placed second in the mile swim at the AAU Nationals in California, where he met coaching legend Soichi Sakamoto. He later moved to
Read More
Will 2013 be the year, Natatorium friends?
Happy New Year, Natatorium friends and supporters! Like you, we hope 2013 will be another year of great progress in the effort to renew and reopen the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium. Throughout the year, we’ll keep you up to date on the latest news and on what you can do to help. Natatorium New Year reading! To start the year, we want to share with you this story from the Hawaii Marine newspaper at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Kristen Wong of the base Public Affairs Office did a great job of explaining for her Marine readers what the Natatorium is,
Read More
Paddleboard race this Saturday at the Natatorium
Come one, come all and paddle THIS SATURDAY, Dec. 8, in the inaugural Diamond Head Classic Paddleboard Race from the War Memorial Natatorium to the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The whole family will have fun on this 2.4-mile downwind run; it’s perfect for everyone from beginners to serious competitors. The Friends of the Natatorium will be there to play Reveille and signal the race’s 11 a.m. start. Details and a printable registration form can be found online here. Questions? Race coordinator Carl Kim can be reached at 808-754-6152. Come to paddle, or come to watch and cheer. It’ll be a blast!
Read More
