Your next-to-last-chance to say “aloha” to the Kaua‘i members of Company A, 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry Regiment of the Hawaii Army National Guard, is today, Wednesday, Aug. 18, at Vidinha Stadium. They leave later this week for O‘ahu and Texas,
Your next-to-last-chance to say “aloha” to the Kaua‘i members of Company A, 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry Regiment of the Hawaii Army National Guard, is today, Wednesday, Aug. 18, at Vidinha Stadium.
They leave later this week for O‘ahu and Texas, coming home briefly around Christmas before leaving again for, eventually, deployment to Iraq some time in February of next year.
Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste and many others have organized Aloha 299, a public show of support for the citizen-soldiers free and open to the public beginning at 6 p.m. The soldiers will file into the stadium around 6:15 p.m., and those attending are encouraged to bring lei for their favorite soldier or soldiers.
There will be time given to meet and talk-story with the soldiers, according to Kaui Tanaka, a worker in Baptiste’s office who has been organizing the event. The event is scheduled to last until 9 p.m.
Kaua‘i members of the 29th Support Battalion left yesterday for O‘ahu for processing of paperwork and more training.
At the stadium entrance, Shelley Teraoka, private secretary to Baptiste’s Administrative Assistant Gary Heu, will be passing out flags and yellow ribbons. At a nearby table, staff of The Garden Island newspaper will be offering huge yellow ribbons just like the one wrapping this page.
