Na Leo O Na Koa - MOAA-Hawaii · Na Leo O Na Koa Newsletter of the Aloha Chapter, ... A Hawaiian...

Volume No. 15, Issue No. 7 Web Site: http://www.aloha-moaa.org July 2014

(Voices of Warriors)

Chartered January 27, 2000

Na Leo O Na Koa

Newsletter of the Aloha Chapter,

An Affiliate of the Military Officers Association of America

2007 Chapter Rating

June Luncheon at the OVC Thirty-eight Oahu MOAA members and guests gathered at the Oahu Veterans’ Center on Thurs-day, 19 June, for a bountiful buffet luncheon and slide presentation by LTCOL Raymond Swalley, USMCR, Ret., of all of the planes he has flown since just before World War II.

His talk was interspersed with three anecdotes of near-death experiences, the first of which hap-pened in 1922 when his dad took his mom on a ride in a two-seat, open-cockpit biplane. His dad sat behind the pilot and held his wife on his lap. He almost lost his grip of her when the pilot did a loop; Raymond was born two months later.

The other harrowing episodes occurred during WWII when he was flying off an aircraft carrier, USS Bunker Hill, in the battles of Okinawa and Iwo Jima. His ship was hit by two kamikaze air-craft and survived. So did Ray, happily and luck-ily, but he ended up in sick bay for 5 days.

Including Ray, only 4 members of the 27 pilots in his Marine Squadron VMF-451 are still alive.

Ray, 92, has had a life-long love of flying, since before his birth. He has flown innumerable types of planes.

Tour of FAA Tower at HNL

The Federal Aviation Administration dedi-cated its state of the art Air Traffic Control fa-cility on January 11, 2002 to support air traffic needs in the State of Hawaii and the National Airspace System (NAS).

The facility centralizes the Honolulu Center Radar Approach Control (CERAP), the Hawaii Pacific System Manage Office (SMO), Honolulu Airport Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) and the Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON).

The Honolulu Control Facility enhances the FAA’s ability to provide for the safe, secure and efficient movement of air traffic, and ensures that NAS users are provided op-timum levels of s e r v i c e and safety. The com-bined services provided by the HCF include the control of en-route air traffic, arrivals, depar-

See FAA Page 3

Inside July Issue

Birthdays 7 Bridge Report 5 Calendar of Events 2 Chairman’s Corner 2 Chapter Leaders 8 Golf Report 6 HAMS Golf Tournament 4 JROTC Awards 2 Membership Application 7 MOAA Picnic 5

A Hawaiian Airlines Boe-ing 717 with HNL's new control tower in the back-ground

COL Joe Kuroda, USA, Ret., left, led the group in the Ma-rine Hymn before the presentation by a fit LTCOL Ray-

mond Swalley, USMCR, Ret.

Nā Leo O Nā Koa No. 15, July 2014

Chairman’ s Corner

By Mark Webster

Last June 19th MOAA members and their spouses and guests gath-ered at the Oahu Veterans’ Center in Foster Village for a catered luncheon and a presentation on

the aviation experiences of LTCOL Raymond Swalley, USMCR, Ret., who has flown scores of different aircraft since before World War II.

Many of our Aloha Chapter members attend our functions and some are even active partici-pants in our chapter. Unfortunately, as in many organizations, only about 10 to 20% of the mem-bers join in the festivities and/or offer a leader-ship role to the chapter. I would like to note, be-latedly, that one of our more active members is

Notice This newsletter, my 103rd issue of Nā Leo O Nā Koa, is promulgated electronically monthly as an official pub-lication of Aloha Chapter, Military Officers’ Association of America, P.O. Box 201441, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96820.

Views expressed herein are not necessarily chapter policy.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

20 July 2014 1300, Bridge Party, Fahrni Realty Class-(Sunday) room, Aiea.

23 July 2014 1000, Tour of FAA Tower at HNL followed(Wednesday) by Luncheon at Sam Choy’s Grille, Hickam

25 July 2014 0900, Golf Outing, Barbers Point Golf (Friday) Course, 2249 Essex Road, Kapolei 96707

10 Aug 2014 1200, Annual MOAA Picnic, Pavillion 5A,(Sunday) Bellows AFS, Waimanalo, Oahu

4 Dec 2014 1730, Annual Christmas Dinner Party, Sunset(Thursday) Lanai, Camp H. M. Smith, Aiea Heights

(Note: Changed from a luncheon to a joint dinner)

our Treasurer, LTCOL John Kim, USAF, Ret., who presented the MOAA and the MOAA Schol-arship Awards to deserving cadets on 3 May at Kaiser High School’s annual AFJROTC Awards Banquet held at the MCBH Officers’ Club.

This summer we hope to see many of you, hopefully many new faces, at the events our Pro-gram Chairmen have worked hard to set up, spe-cifically, our tour of the FAA Tower in July and the MOAA Annual Picnic in August.

At the luncheon, Aloha Chapter Life Member LTC Darrell Large, USA, Ret., proudly displayed a procla-mation that our chapters have raised $13,000 for the Schol-arship Fund to fellow Life Members COL Joe Kuroda, USA, Ret., and COL Hal Kuwahara, USA, Ret.

A table of happy friends having a good time before lunch. Note the beautiful table decoration by the Society of Mili-tary Widows

John Kim, left, with Cadet Conner Mau, who just received the an-nual MOAA Award

John Kim with Cadet Tyrus Griffin, who just received the MOAA Scholarship Award

No 15, July 2014 Nā Leo O Nā Koa

FAA Tour Continued from Front Page

tures, and over-flights in and around the nu-merous airports of the Hawaiian Island chain, as well as to aircraft from the U.S. Mainland, Asia, South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia.

The complex includes an air traffic control operations room with 17 radar control posi-tions; a Service Operations Center for the Pa-cific; an electronic equipment room; mechani-cal and electrical environmental area; adminis-trative offices, building support warehouses and an employee cafeteria. More than 200 FAA employees work in the facility.

Our MOAA special tour of this FAA Center and Tower will commence at 1000, Wednesday, 23 July 2014. We will meet at the Security Guard Gate at 0945 and our host, Darrell Hood, will meet us to guide us through the security gate. Everyone should have a government issued ID.

The Security Guard Gate is located at the end of Worchester Road about a half mile past the Hickam AFB Mamala Bay Golf Course. After passing the old Sea Breeze Res-taurant, now Sam Choy’s Seafood Grille Res-taurant on Mamala Bay Drive, the road makes a sharp right turn and becomes Worchester Avenue. It passes under the taxiway to the HNL Reef Runway before the Mamala Golf Course and then ends at the Security Guard Gate.

We will go back to Sam Choy’s Seafood Grille Restaurant after our tour for our individually ordered lunches. We must provide to the res-taurant which of the three choices we prefer, so the Reservation Form on page 7 must be submitted before the deadline date of 18 July. Why don’t you mail it along with your check right now before you forget.

Hickam Guard Gate

Security Guard Gate

X

Major General Herbert E. Wolff Memorial Golf Tournament

On Friday, 20 June, the Hawaii Army Museum Society’s (HAMS) 33rd Annual Golf Tourna-ment was again held at the Leilihua Golf Course. It was an absolutely beautiful day with light tradewinds, a perfect day for golf.

The Chairman for this event, the only fund-raiser every year for HAMS, was our mem-ber LTC Leslie Bise, USA, Ret.; COL Ed Gayagas, USA, Ret., of the Hawaii Army

Museum Society was in charge of the volun-teers, mostly from the Aloha Chapter.


Before the tournament started at noon for the approximately 140 golfers, a nutritious stew and rice was served to all of the volunteers and players. This meal was donated by Island Palms

Communities, LLC, as was the buffet dinner consisting of prime rib, fish, chicken and salad. The Masters of Ceremonies after dinner were the well-known media couple Linda Coble and Kirk Matthews. They told quite a few humor-ous golf jokes and then awarded many prizes to the golfers and, finally, the grand prize of a two-night stay for two at the Westin Maui Re-sort & Spa, two rounds of golf at the prestig-ious Kapalua Golf Course and round-trip air-fare for two to Kapalua, Maui, on Mokulele Airlines. That was the grand finale to another fun and successful HAMS Golf Tournament.

Norm Fujiwara’s son, Nelson Fuji-wara, and daughter-in-law, Kerri Fuji-wara, came from

Houston, TX, to help out at the check-in registration.

Marion Von in the background is also

helping.

MG Stephen Tom, USA, Ret., and LTCOL John Kim, USAF, Ret., taking a break from moni-toring the Closest-to-the-Pin Contest at the 17th Hole.

The foursome of GEN David Bramlett,

USA, Ret., left, CSM Henry Lee, USA, Ret., Norma Bramlett and Judy Fray

Another happy foursome, left to right, Aloha Chapter Life Member LTC Leonard Katsarsky, USA, Ret., his son Mark Katsarsky, and the tournament

MC’s Kirk Matthews and Linda Coble

No 15, July 2014 Nā Leo O Nā Koa

Aloha Chapter Party Bridge

Because our Party Bridge Coordinator, Shirley Ihara, departed on a cruise with her husband, Les, right after the June bridge gath-ering on Sunday, 22 June, the June Party Bridge Report will appear in the August newsletter along with the July Party Bridge Report.

Shirley Ihara, Party Bridge Coordinator, and her husband, COL Les Ihara, USA, Ret., en-ergetically monitoring the 12th Hole for the Closest-to-the-Pin Contest during the annual HAMS

Golf Tournament at the Leilehua Golf Course

More Golf Tournament Photos Alex, left, a sopho-

more and JROTC cadet at Mililani

HS and LTC Jack Bohman, USA, Ret., waiting for the Longest Drive on the 10th Hole

Aloha Chapter President BG

John Ma, USA, Ret., left, and his brother, Dickson

Ma, playing a round of golf in support of the

HAMS tournament


June Golf Report Since I was planning to be away from the island during mid June, I thought I would send out the sign-up notice early, a bad omen or it’s time to change my deodorant. Of the first ten responses that I received initially, nine re-

sponses were nays, only one aye. Somewhat troubled, I kept monitoring my in basket; I be-lieve I received a reversal to the initial problem after I received a surprise aye from California. Yes, our snowbirds from Novato would be in town, Stan & Phyllis Yasumoto. This was the beginning of many more positive re-sponses. Unfortunately, on the day of our golf outing, Phyllis was unable to play.

Anyway, at the end of last week, I had a total of twenty-one players, thanks to the number of guests: Myron Brumaghin brought three guests and I brought four guests, my son and his wife from Houston, and my neighbor Tony Marks and his friend, Rick Kimk.

All the players met at Mamala Bay Golf Course in Hickam Air Force Base at the proper time on Friday, 27 June. Prior to our ap-pointed time of 0900, the group was led off by our usual leader Kelly Lau, with Steve Tom, John Ma and Ken Munechika; they were fol-lowed by Gordon Cho, Mel Soong, Eddie Lee and Stan Yasumoto; the third group was led by Myron Brumaghin, Bob Nagao, and their guests, Andrei Soto, David Umeda and Wayne Toma; in the fourth group were Tony Marks, Rick Kimk, and Nelson and Kerri Fu-jiwara; in the final group were Mert Agena, Curtis Lee, Vernon Von and yours truly. Needless to say, the weather was just wonder-ful, one of those described as "lucky come Ha-waii golf weather" by Joe Kuroda.

When all the putts were made and we all headed for the snack bar, with the help of sev-

Norm Fujiwara

eral players, we were able to get our blind part-ner programs going. We first ensured that the entire score card had been completed properly with each player's net score, we then had the players draw numbers to determine who the blind partners were and their scores were com-bined to determine each pair's score. After comparing the all the scores, in third place were the partners of Steve Tom and Mert Agena, topping the fourth place partners by 6 strokes; in second place were the partners of Gordon Cho and Stan Yasumoto, ahead of the third place partners by 3 strokes; and in first place our grand champions for the mega-jackpot were the partners of John Ma and Curtis Lee, ahead of the second place partners by 11 strokes, a pair of superior scores! Congratula-tions to all the winners. One big Mahalo to all the contributors to our mega jackpot.

Now for our thought of the day: “How wise are the ten commandments! Amazingly, each one applies to somebody I know.” (Editor’s comment: Gee, Norm, I wonder about some of your friends. I hope they are not in the Aloha Chapter!)

To all you players that participated in today's Aloha Chapter golf outing and any others that wish to do so, our next golf outing will be on Friday, 25 July, at Bar-bers Point Golf Course.

Aloha, Norm

Add these Websites to your “Favorites”

http://www.aloha-moaa.org http://www.moaa.org

Welcome To Our New Member

Stephen F. Logan, COL, HARNG

No. 15, July 2014 Nā Leo O Nā Koa

Hau'oli lHau'oli lHau'oli lHau'oli lā hhhhānau!nau!nau!nau! Partial List of

July Babies K. Mark Takai 7/01

Mert Agena 7/02

Jack Bohman 7/02

Noberto Baysa 7/04

Wesley Fong 7/06

Kiyo Itokazu 7/06

Les Ihara 7/11

Shigeru Tsubota 7/16

Robert Ackerson 7/17

Vernon Von 7/17

Charles McCauley 7/23

Wallace Dung 7/24

Taffy Wells 7/25

Kenichi Watanabe 7/26

Patricia Kubach 7/27

Hon Ping Chee 7/28

Best Wishes for many, many more Birthdays!

Aloha Chapter

Military Officers Association

Of America

P.O. Box 201441

Honolulu HI 96820-1356

* 2002 5-Star Chapter


* 2004 Winner Best Website

* 2004 2nd Runner-Up Electronic Newsletter


* 2005 Winner-Cat VII "Give Me 10" Recruitment Campaign



* 2007 2nd Runner-Up Print Newsletter


* 2008 2nd Runner-Up Print Newsletter

Aloha Chapter Awards

2014 Aloha Chapter Leadership

Directors

Effective 1 January 2014

(Term in years indicated in parenthesis)

(1) Mark Webster, USN Chairman

734-5994 [email protected]

(1) Lawrence Enomoto, USAF Parliamentarian


(2) Wesley Fong, USA


(2) Mel Soong, USA


(1) Robert Kozuki, USA


(2) Ira Tagawa, USA


(2) Harold Takenaka, USA


Executive Committee & Committee Chairs

President: John Ma, USA 486-4805 [email protected]

Vice President: Stephen Tom, USA 295-2570 [email protected]

Secretary: Ira Tagawa, USA 487-5448 [email protected] Treasurer: John Kim, USAF 988-3349 [email protected]

Community Affairs: Wesley F. Fong, USA 595-6127 [email protected]

Legislative Liaison: Robert G. F. Lee, HARNG 486-1488 [email protected]

Membership: Lawrence Enomoto, USAF 685-1521 [email protected]

Personal Affairs: Harold Okita (Windward), 262-0882; & John Jefferis (Leeward) 372-6601

Programs: Stephen Tom, Ira Tagawa. Melvin Soong & Helene Webster

Publications/PR: Mark Webster, USN 734-5994 [email protected]

ROTC/Veteran Affairs: Harold Kuwahara, USA 944-4010 [email protected] Bridge: Shirley Ihara 239-7947 [email protected]

Fundraising: Herb Nakagawa, USAF 271-1172 [email protected] Golf: Norman Fujiwara, USA 626-4630 [email protected]

Scholarships: Curtis Lee, USA 836-6733 [email protected]

Na Leo O Na Koa - MOAA-Hawaii · Na Leo O Na Koa Newsletter of the Aloha Chapter, ... A Hawaiian...

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