HANAMA‘ULU — The sun broke through the cold morning wind at Hanama‘ulu Beach Park, where Kaua‘i Vietnam Veterans were gathering for their meeting Saturday morning.
The bright yellow of their colors served as a magnet to draw the warming rays of the sun into the pavilion where they gathered.
Bill Honjiyo pointed to three people busy preparing food for those drifting in for the gathering as the morning advanced.
Frank Cruz, Richard “Soupbone” Kashiwabara, and Alfonso “Gus” Garcia worked at opening large cans of beans and franks and cutting up portions of smoked pork for the lunch that would follow the meeting, the trio not looking at all like the rifle squad or color guard they belong to.
The trio is part of the Kaua‘i Honor Guard that is more affectionately known as “The F Troop,” people being aware of who they are by seeing them at numerous events they attend as color guards, or rifle squads performing the honorary 21-gun salute.
Honjiyo explained that in the military, when a veteran passes on, it is customary for the different branches to honor their own, the Air Force sending an Air Force honor guard, the Army doing the same for its members.
However, due to budget constraints and the recent on-call status of the Hawaii Army National Guard 25th Infantry in Schofield, it has become difficult for regular honor guards to attend these functions.
Enter The F Troop.
Kashiwabara said he remembers the volunteer form of the honor guard dating back to the 1950s when they operated under the auspices of the Veterans Club.
Today, the honor guard, whose number totals 16, veterans of many wars, but most coming from the Korean and Vietnam era wars, operate as an all-volunteer arm of the Kauai Veterans Council.
“A veteran is a veteran!” Kashiwabara said. “And, if circumstances prevent honor guards from flying over from Honolulu, then, we are here.”
Honjiyo said that as more and more of the older veterans pass on, coupled with the recent on-call status of the active military, the local, all-volunteer honor guard has become increasingly important to Kaua‘i veterans and their families.
But, their duties are not limited to just the traditionally recognized events, as the trio performed culinary duties at the meeting while other members were involved in a firing at the Hanapepe armory in conjunction with regular National Guard members.
Kashiwabara added that they would also like to see more improvements at the Hanapepe Veterans Cemetery, but their requests have fallen victim to budget shortfalls.
Members of the Kaua‘i F Troop include: Cruz, Garcia, Kashiwabara, Angelo Bactin, Norman Braun, Adam Carvalho, Edward Generaldo, Benny Kali, Bernard Kamala, Randy Keliikuli, Flor Labuguen, Jonathan Oyamot, Donald Rapozo, Tony Silva, Sixto Tabay, and Ron Viquelia.
Kashiwabara said this is “All aloha!”
Sports Editor Dennis Fujimoto may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or mailto:dfujimoto@pulitzer.net.
