HANAPEPE — When 91-year-old Florence Labrador Artigago and her son Kimo came to Kaua‘i, the trip was intended to visit her older brother who is 93 years old.
She did not expect to be introduced in the Special Guests section of the Kaua‘i Veterans Council Veterans Day ceremony.
Nor did she expect to be included in the special Veterans Day accompanying events, like the opening of the Kaua‘i Veterans Museum in the Kaua‘i Veterans Center on Friday, or the 248th birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps that followed the doors opening to the museum.
Kaua‘i Veterans Council commander, retired General Mary Kay Hertog, in introducing Labrador Artigago, said she was the first Kaua‘i woman to enlist in the Air Force during the time of the Korean War following her graduation from Kaua‘i High School in the 1950.
“This is the first time she’s been acknowledged as a veteran,” Hertog said. “Thank you for your service. And, for advancing women in the military like the all-girl Honor Guard from the Waimea High School JROTC.”
Florence received congratulations and military honors from the several hundred guests in attendance at the annual service, who expressed appreciation and mahalo for the military service from members of all branches, with remarks by Gov. Josh Green noting some 4,500 veterans live on the island.
Congresswoman Jill Tokuda, herself having Kaua‘i connections through relatives living on the island and spending some time as a “Puhi Camp girl,” returned to Hawai‘i from Washington, D.C. especially to make good on an earlier promise to deliver a keynote address for Memorial Day. That trip never materialized as Tokuda was kept in Washington, D.C., in a fight to keep the government operating.
Tokuda joined the sea of congratulations being poured on the 91-year-old, who said she joined the Air Force because “I don’t like marching or drills the Army does.”
She also accepted an invitation to meet Isaac Funtanilla, a Waimea High School senior aspiring for a nomination to a military academy.
“This is the first time I’ve been recognized as a ‘veteran,’” Labrador Artigago said. “I joined the Air Force because I wanted to travel, but had no money. My father opposed me joining the armed forces because he felt I was going to get into trouble with all those men. I feel so blessed, and I join the many others in thanking veterans for their service. Thank you.”
