HANAPEPE — Hawai‘i Army National Guard 1st Sgt Cory Soares said COVID-19 will not take away Memorial Day.
Monday morning, the sergeant in charge of Funerals Detail for the Kaua‘i detachment activated a group of troops in a non-Department of Defense activity to raise the American flags over the nearly 3,000 spaces at the Kaua‘i Veterans Cemetery in Hanapepe.
Traditionally, this act is performed by members of the Aloha Council Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of Hawai‘i in partnership with the Kaua‘i Veterans Council that host the annual memorial observance which was canceled earlier in the year due to safety concerns arising from COVID-19.
When Soares learned of the cancellation, he worked with the Kaua‘i Veterans Council and devised a plan to have Guardsmen replace the Scouts in planting the flags that add to the enjoyment of the cemetery by visitors who come to visit loved ones who rest, and others who come to honor the sacrifices by veterans of many skirmishes to protect our freedom.
Scotty Vidinha was visiting relatives’ graves that were graced by the Guard-placed flags.
“I ran into this guy in the store the other day,” Vidinha said. “I told him, ‘Da good thing about COVID is we all gotta wear masks to cover our face — now, us ugly guys can go out.’”
General (retired) Mary Kay Hertog, KVC commandant, also visited the cemetery, Sunday and Monday.
“I have a few lei sewn by the Girl Scouts,” Hertog said. “I’m going to place them on undecorated graves. Monday, I’m bringing Ginny Anderson, Kaua‘i’s oldest veteran, to visit the cemetery. She’s been living here for a quarter of a century and has never had the opportunity to visit.”
Born in 1917, Anderson was escorted by Hertog and Lynn Aylward-Bingman, Monday as the veteran toured the rows of American flags blowing in the cooling tradewinds off the Kalaheo plateau.
“I just read ‘Flanders Fields’ this morning,” Anderson said, pausing at the Banana Patch-created mural in the pavilion. “This reminds me a lot of Flanders Fields.”
Joining the trio in the growing number of visitors, Verizon Kaua‘i general manager Ella Bactad gathered her group together to distribute the 250 lei they created for Memorial Day, heedless of the “Sew a Lei for Memorial Day” activities that were canceled on O‘ahu by Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s directive.
“We have several of our people working remotely at home,” Bactad said. “But we can all sew lei. This is something we wanted to do for the community.”
The rumble of motorcycles broke the morning tranquil of families gathered — compliant with the less than 10 rule — to share time with departed people.
“This is not normal,” said Larry Feinstein, one of the riders. “Traditionally, we get maybe 10 riders. Today, we have a lot — and more keep coming.”
A lady umbrella-ed from the rapidly-rising morning heat stopped as the convoy rumbled past the flagless avenue leading to the cemetery.
“Bless our loved ones,” she said. “Thank you for serving our country.”
