U.S. servicemen and servicewomen from Hawai‘i serving in the Middle East will be honored during Memorial Day services scheduled at 10 a.m. this morning at the Hanapepe Veterans Cemetery. “We are going to lay a wreath at a memorial wall
U.S. servicemen and servicewomen from Hawai‘i serving in the Middle East will be honored during Memorial Day services scheduled at 10 a.m. this morning at the Hanapepe Veterans Cemetery.
“We are going to lay a wreath at a memorial wall at the cemetery,” said Frank Cruz, president of the Kauai Veterans Council and a Vietnam veteran. “It will be the first time we will be recognizing our active military from Hawai‘i who are in the Middle East.”
The island’s yearly Memorial Day ceremony is to “honor the guys who gave it their all for the freedom of our country,” Cruz said.
The Marine Corp. League, Detachment Kauai will be sponsoring this year’s ceremony. Bud White, a retired USMC sergeant major and member of the Marine Corp. League, Detachment, Kauai, will be the guest speaker.
White was the past commandant of the organization. J.Q. Smith is the current commandant of the group.
As part of the ceremony, Hawaii Army National Guardsmen will perform a 21-gun salute as well.
The Kauai Veterans Council also will present a certificate to acknowledge the commander of the Hawaii Air National Guard units from Kaua‘i, Cruz said.
Cruz said the Kauai Veterans Council consists of 14 veteran organizations, including the Military Order of the Purple Heart; Kauai Veterans Club; Veterans of Foreign Wars; Disabled American Veterans; Korean War Veterans; 100th Infantry Battalion; the 442nd Infantry regiment; American Legions Post 2, Post 51, Post 54, American Legion Ladies Auxiliary and the Marine Corp. League, Detachment Kauai.
