Captain Canaan K. Blake, 31, a Kaua‘i native now of the Texas Army National Guard, has served his country in Bosnia and, now, Iraq. Not to be outdone, his kid sister, U.S. Army Capt. Courtney M. Sugai, 28, also a
Captain Canaan K. Blake, 31, a Kaua‘i native now of the Texas Army National Guard, has served his country in Bosnia and, now, Iraq.
Not to be outdone, his kid sister, U.S. Army Capt. Courtney M. Sugai, 28, also a Kaua‘i native, has served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
All of this has had an unsettling effect on both their father, retired County Attorney Hartwell H.K. Blake of Koloa, and their mother, Rosemary Blake, of Pt. Charlotte, Fla.
“I suppose it’s like the families of World War II and Korean War veterans felt,” said Hartwell H.K. Blake, who said he’s been “on edge for two years. It’s never over,” he said.
“One comes back, and one goes,” he said of Courtney Sugai, who is back at Fort Bliss, Texas, and earlier pulled duty in Iraq, and Canaan Blake, who is there now.
“Family members worry terribly about their loved ones in harm’s way,” said Rosemary Blake. “However, most of our soldiers do consider it a privilege to serve under our flag. That makes parents very proud,” she said.
“When Canaan went to Bosnia, it was scary. Courtney went to Afghanistan — another time my heart flipped over. Then Courtney and Iven (Sugai, her husband) both went to Iraq, (causing) great anxiety,” Rosemary Blake said.
“When Canaan went to Iraq, I thought, ‘how can I handle the stress again?’ The answer is faith,” she continued.
“Somehow, each time that you wait as a family member, you gain strength and more faith. Each time you have learned better coping skills,” she added.
“Every time we think that we won’t be able to endure it, but we do because each time we have stronger faith. It helps us maintain in spite of the worry,” she said.
“There’s always this level of anxiety that you experience,” Hartwell H.K. Blake said. “All you can do is say your prayers, and be thankful to friends and acquaintances for including your children in their prayers, and pray for those who have lost loved ones,” said Hartwell H.K. Blake, who served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and is active in various veterans organizations on the island.
While Canaan Blake doesn’t have the kind of access to e-mail and telephones as his sister did when she was in Iraq, Hartwell H.K. Blake said when he has heard from his son, he talks glowingly about the men under his command.
“He says his men are just top-notch, dedicated, committed,” Hartwell H.K. Blake said. Still, the father worries about complacency, now that the unit, whose members were activated in July, 2004 and arrived in Iraq in January of this year, have reached the midpoint of their deployment.
After several months in the war zone, the men might think they’ve seen the worst they’ll see, and there is a danger of complacency, Hartwell H.K. Blake said. His son is working hard to make sure that doesn’t happen, spending many available hours training his troops so they don’t let their guards down for a second, Hartwell H.K. Blake continued.
Canaan Kekoa Blake, whose Hawaiian middle name translates to “the protector,” “warrior” and “courage,” and his men, are providing route security for armored convoys in Iraq, among other duties.
“We worry about him. We pray for him,” said Courtney Sugai, his sister. “He’s doing a really good job. We know he is.
“The unit has been together for years. They care about each other, and that benefits him, makes them safer,” she said.
“They really are a family, and take care of each other,” Sugai said. Canaan K. Blake is company commander for C Company, 3/112 Armor, 56th Brigade, 36th Infantry Division, the same division whose members in World War II were rescued in Europe by members of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team that included many Americans of Japanese ancestry from Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i. The Texas troops were known as the “lost battalion.”
Both the 36th and 442nd suffered massive casualties during that action.
“I know he is doing a wonderful job, because he wouldn’t do it any other way,” Sugai said. “He loves his soldiers, and takes good care of them.”
Canaan and Jocelin Blake met when both were students at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, and both were Army ROTC participants. Jocelin Blake is attending veterinary school on a U.S. Army scholarship, which means she will be an Army veterinarian after she graduates.
“Thank you so much for doing articles about the kids, and of all the soldiers serving in Iraq. As a proud parent, I appreciate it so,” Rosemary Blake said.
In Florida, Rosemary Blake is a case manager for Big Brothers/Big Sisters. She works with children in a school mentoring program. Many of them wrote letters to Canaan Blake in Iraq, she said.
“He answers each one with a personal letter. One boy drew him a beautiful American flag, and asked Canaan if he liked being a soldier,” Rosemary Blake said.
“Canaan’s answer is that he likes being a soldier because it is an honor to serve our country and the flag that the boy drew,” she said.
“Our men and women in uniform are proud, caring, and protective warriors. We are blessed to have so many soldiers who are willing to sacrifice for all of us back home,” Rosemary Blake said.
“I always think that if they can do what they do for us, the least we can do is keep a very positive attitude and help others in our own communities. That way, we honor their sacrifice. We need to live up to the example they have set for us,” she said. Canaan K. Blake is a graduate of Kaua‘i High School and the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, and attended Wilcox Elementary School in Lihu‘e.
“Our family is very thankful for the positive thoughts and prayers of family, friends, and others who have remembered and supported our children and Hawai‘i’s soldiers,” Hartwell H.K. Blake said.
