After finding out at the last minute the time the bus-loads of citizen-soldiers would pass through Kalaheo from the Hanapepe armory on their way to Lihu‘e Airport, Laurene Ranis and Cindy Baptista of Florescence organized an impromptu, unique display of
After finding out at the last minute the time the bus-loads of citizen-soldiers would pass through Kalaheo from the Hanapepe armory on their way to Lihu‘e Airport, Laurene Ranis and Cindy Baptista of Florescence organized an impromptu, unique display of Kauaian aloha.
The men of Company A, 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry of the Hawaii Army National Guard, were on their way to the airport to fly to Schofield Barracks on O‘ahu, then to Texas, for training most of the remainder of this year, before going to Iraq early next year. Ranis and Baptista lined Kaumuali‘i Highway with red, white, and blue balloons, American flags, and as many friends and family members as they could muster, to informally bid adieu to the men.
Ranis got word from guard officials at the armory of the estimated time of travel through Kalaheo, and she and her friends were ready when the chartered buses rolled through her town.
Officials from other town businesses, namely Big Save (Menehune Food Mart and Subway), Kalaheo Clinic and Taba Service also participated, as well as members of several churches and other community folks, holding flags, banners, and balloons in honor of the guardsmen.
