LIHUE — The U.S. Coast Guard made Genevieve Anderson an offer she could not refuse Saturday during the annual Christmas luncheon presented by the Kauai Veterans Council.
“Ginny is the oldest living female veteran at 101 years,” said Mary Kay Hertog, installed as the commandant of the Kauai Veterans Council. “We’re celebrating her birthday today along with the holidays, and the USCG Station Kauai has a special presentation for her.”
Nearly 200 veterans and their families gathered at the Kauai Veterans Center to watch the Coast Guard present Anderson with a commemorative shirt from USCG Station Kauai, and an offer to pilot one of the station’s boats “any time she wanted to.”
The special gift painted a big smile across Anderson’s face as she nodded her approval.
She was joined by a special escort: the former mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and freshman Kauai County Councilmember Felicia Cowden.
“When Ginny joined the USCG, women were prohibited from getting on the boats,” Hertog said. “Now, she has an offer to pilot one of the latest boats.”
The birthday presentation was just one of the highlights of the luncheon that included prize giveaways provided by community sponsors, the installation of the Kauai Veterans Council officials, and entertainment from Mary Lardizabal and the Kapaa Middle School ukulele band and choir.
Lunch was provided by Kenny Ishii of the Ono Family Restaurant and prepared by food safety certified Becky Komaki and her band of volunteers.
Representatives from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs were also on hand to help veterans and their families with issues. The counselor was kept busy with back-to-back appointments that flowed to the separate room set aside for personal meetings.
Also in attendance was Ed Kawamura Sr., still reeling from being the grand marshall Friday at the 2018 edition of the Lights on Rice holiday parade.
“I still have my sign,” said Kawamura, who helped coordinate the luncheon with Lorenzo Gonzalez and other veterans. “I brought the sign so I could put it up somewhere. Gabriel Cataluna — he’s even older than Genevieve — was supposed to ride with me, and come to the luncheon. But he wasn’t feeling so good so he’s not here today.”
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Dennis Fujimoto can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
What a neat thing to do. Congratulations from an old resident of the U.S. Coast Guard Light Station at Kilauea Point.