LIHUE — A totally unexpected scene greeted Ida Cruz Wednesday morning when she arrived for work at the Kauai Veterans Center.
“The police were there,” Cruz said. “So was Johnette Chun, the Kauai Veterans Council adjutant. We were vandalized some time late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.”
Mary Kay Hertog, commandant of the Kauai Veterans Council, said unknown person, or persons breached the locked gates at the Kauai Veterans Center and brought the American flag down to half staff. They also brought down the Hawaiian flag and turned it upside down and ran it back up full staff, placing it above the American flag. The neighboring Missing In Action Prisoner of War banner was untouched.
What followed was a barrage of phone calls from people who witnessed the sight. Additionally, Cruz said the scene was posted on social media which further aggravated people who saw it.
“We have a lot of angry veterans,” Cruz said. “People left me very distressing phone calls and messages.”
Hertog said veterans drive by the center daily and look at the flags, and we are grateful they take such notice.
“Sadly, many of these veterans suffer from PTSD and this is not helpful to them,” Hertog said. “Our veterans absolutely respect everyone’s right to free speech and peaceful protest. Veterans have fought and died to preserve those First Amendment rights. But when someone trespasses onto the Veterans Center grounds, which is private property, and does this to our flags, we interpret it as a sign of disrespect to our Kauai veterans.”
She said, “Our veterans are beyond upset, many are downright angry that someone would disrespect them in such a manner. We heard it loud and clear in the many phone calls we received about the flags.”
A police report has been filed, and Kauai Veterans Center officials are scrutinizing footage of the surveillance cameras for more clues on this act of vandalism.
“Kauai veterans come from every ethnic background represented on this island, including native Hawaiians,” Hertog said. “They have served with pride and dignity in all conflicts. To disrespect them like this is hurtful.”
