Hawaii, cont. Monday, August 19, 2013

This has been a hard post for me to get to.  The ones before, the ones after, no problem.  And while we were in Hawaii the post about what we did on Monday would have been no issue.  But after we got home things changed, and because of that I had to work through some personal feelings and come to some personal conclusions before I felt comfortable about posting this blog.  After days of research and discussion, however, I finally can post this with confidence that it is correct.

Just a short explanation:   Brent did a lot of research before we went on the trip to prepare for Monday at Fort Shafter.   Leo served in World War II at this location for three years - from 1943 until 1946 (January).  He was the assistant secretary to the General and served in the General's offices in a building they called the Pineapple Pentagon.  We weren't able to get him to confess much about what he wanted to see or do while in Hawaii, but one thing became apparent:  he wanted to return to the offices where he served, and mostly he wanted to see his beloved insignia posted at the entrance to the base.

So Brent searched the Internet, studied maps, and even wrote to the base to prepare to take his father back to what later was named Richardson Hall.  He was excited because he was prepared to take his father back in time to a place that was home to him for nearly three years - and in Leo's mind and heart ever since.

Monday was the first day after our arrival that the base was really open, since Friday is generally a slow down day and the weekend is pretty much, well, what weekends are anywhere.  So the first thing on our agenda for Monday was to go to Fort Shafter.

We took the short freeway out to Ft. Shafter, which was easy because when they constructed the Moanalua Freeway it nearly sliced the base in half, so when you exit it at Ft. Shafter you are already at the gate entrance.  Of course, since 911 there are a few safety measures you have to go through - like registering with the base, proving you are a safe citizen and not a maniac radical.   So we were directed to the little shack where that processing took place and then we were able to drive at will through the base up to Palm Circle - the base's central headquarters.

Below is a photo of what Palm Circle looked like before World War II (upper half of the photo shows the buildings surrounding a large oval field)  (photo from the Internet, 1920):

Bet you didn't know you were getting a history lesson today, did you?

Bear with me.  I had to learn all this after the fact, too.  But Brent knew it all before we left.

Basically, Palm Circle itself still looked like this when Leo first arrived in Hawaii, though the surrounding area had grown some.  He was in-processed at Schoffield Barracks north of Honolulu and then sent to Ft. Shafter where he would serve in the commanding general's office.  Pretty neat, huh?  I mean, think about it:  the middle of WWII and our very own father, father-in-law, grandfather, great-grandfather was plunked down right in the epicenter of all the action in the Pacific.

Now in 1944 it became apparent that the quarters they were working out of would never do for the needs the very busy command Ft. Shafter had become.  I'm a little fuzzy on this, but I believe at this time they were working out of one of the barracks located near the yellow arrow below.  The yellow line shows the main entrance to Palm Circle at that time.  There was one area still open on Palm Circle (red circle) and it was decided to build a new office complex there.  The plaque on the wall of the building says that construction commenced on May 10, 1944 and the building was occupied on June 29, 1944 - an amazing 49 days.  Leo says it actually took 90 days, however.  We are not sure where the discrepancy is - maybe we ought to have the History Sleuth/Mystery/Whatever Guy look into it for us.  It may be that they started moving into one section before the rest of the building was completed?  Who knows.  But the fact remains, it was put up in a record time.

Below is an aerial view of the same area from a later date, from a different angle, but you can see where the new building stands.  It was nicknamed the Pineapple Pentagon - not because it was built in a pentagon shape, but because it was from here that all the Pacific War was directed. 

You can also see a new entrance to Palm Circle Drive that was constructed after 1949 when a new gate was added.  Since 911, the area for security registration was also added turning right instead of left at that new entrance.  When Buckner Gate (see white lettering) was built, they closed off the original Palm Circle Drive entrance (in yellow) and constructed a new road up to Palm Circle (blue).   You can see all those entrances from the street view on Google Maps, if you're interested.

So this is what the offices looked like while Dad served there during the war:

Pineapple Pentagon, August 28, 1945.  Photo by an Army photographer from Dad's collection.

As I said before, we arrived.  Went through Buckner Gate, were directed to the place we needed to go to get our visitor's pass, and finally drove up to Palm Circle.  You can't tell from the photos, but the Circle is located on the top of a small hill.   We drove all the way around the Circle, just to look at the old homes, offices, and barracks that were located there.   On Oct. 26, 1984, this site was added to the National Register of Historical Places (NRHP) and on  May 28, 1987 it was also added as a U.S. National Historic Landmark District (NHLD).  With that double protection, the buildings here cannot be removed.  So they are being preserved for posterity.  Interior modifications are allowed, but nothing can be done to change the exterior.

From the south end of Palm Circle, Brent took this picture of Richardson Hall (Pineapple Pentagon):

Richardson Hall (building behind the flag pole) from across Palm Circle.  Photo by Brent Loveridge, 8/20/2013

We drove back around the circle and parked at Richardson Hall.  Brent, Edna, Leo and I slowly made our way to the entrance.  A service man was busy polishing a vehicle parked near the entrance.  Leo asked him if he knew where the "Pineapple Pentagon" was?  "You're there, sir," he responded, pointing with his polishing rag towards the entrance to Richardson Hall.  Dad took a minute to tell him he had served here during WWII and worked in that very building.

Entrance to Richardson Hall.  The panels were added to the entrance in 1945-46, but you can see that the insignia above the door, and the tall pillars supporting the veranda shown in the earlier photo remain in place today.   (Photo 8/20/13 by Brent Loveridge)

Leo at the entrance.    (Photo 8/20/13 by Brent Loveridge)

Edna and Brent at entrance.

Just to give you just a little idea of what life was like for Leo while he was at Ft. Shafter, here are a couple of photos from his collections:  

Back L-R:  Leo, Diana Kaneshiro, Grace Okimoto, Connie Rumion.   Front L-R:  Mary Takaki, Itsuye Tanaka, Bessie Okimoto, and Eleanor Ouo.  The girls at church.

L-R:  Orra Lundgren, Bill Nako, Leo Loveridge  (yes, Howard does look a lot like his dad!)

He was surrounded by beautiful women, and learned to do the hula (really, Dad, we'd love you to show us!)   That would be any young soldier's dream, right?  Fortunately, Dad only had room in his heart for one woman, however.   In November 1945 he was able to slip home and be married for time and all eternity to his one true love, Edna, before rushing back to finish his duties in the Army.  He returned home for good in January 1946.

But most of what Dad did during his time in the Army took place inside the Richardson building.  He was one of the quiet forces behind the scenes that kept things moving.  He downplays his part in the war, but in reality we all know the entire world would stop if there were no secretaries pushing things along.  

Inside the entrance was a little memorial/museum kind of area we enjoyed browsing through for a few minutes. 

Leo and Edna looking at the photo display of the leaders who have served as commanders at Ft. Shafter.  Dad mostly served with Gen. Richardson - his photo is the third row down (or up), second from the right (next to the officer with the hat on).

Leo standing next to a portrait of Gen. Richardson.

 

But the main reason we went inside the building was to hopefully find a way to let Dad see his old offices, again.  There didn't appear to be an elevator (or if there was one, it wasn't accessible to the public), so Brent and Leo took the stairs to the third floor, while Edna and I waited in the museum area.   It seemed to take a very long time.

 We waited.

We looked at the video presentations.

And we waited some more.

Finally they returned, with several Army personnel accompanying them.  While we were waiting, this is what they were doing:

When they got to the top floor they found a locked door barricading them from entering the General's offices (umm, go figure?).  But one man, Col. Honeycutt, came to the door and after finding out why they were there, invited them in and accompanied them through a tour of the offices (whew!). 

Col. Honeycutt (standing) and Leo.  Leo is showing them photos from when he served there.

Exterior view of the top floor offices through the arch from where they were standing in these photos.  Note the air conditioners in the windows.  The one on the right is the same one you can see in the first photo.   Of significance is the number on the building:  T100.

Brent said they were genuinely pleased to hear the stories Dad had to tell.  We had Dad carry a small recorder in his pocket during the visit so we have had fun replaying the recordings and hearing the discussions again.

When they entered the offices, Dad confirmed that this was, indeed, where he had served during the War.  He sounded pleased to be back in those quarters.

One story he enjoyed sharing was that of the insignia (below).   It was adopted as an official insignia in 1944 while Dad was there.   Of course, they were in the middle of World War II at the time and Dad said the patch showed the Red Arrow of War pointing directly at the star of Japan.

After the War was over, using that insignia didn't seem appropriate anymore, seeing as we were now allies again with that great nation.  Any reference to it (other than its placement in those side panels at the entrance) appeared to have disappeared.

When Leo and Edna returned to the base many years later, there was no sign of the insignia.  Leo talked to someone about it and they had never heard of it, so after they returned home, he mailed them an extra patch he had.  He later heard that the insignia was found everywhere on the base.  This same patch was being worn by the soldier he and Edna visited with the previous Friday at the Dole Plantation.  It was inset in the entrance to the building and graced large replicas at all the entrances to the building, and also at the entrance to the base  (photos below). 

It's been slightly modified so the arrow no longer points directly at the star, and all the symbolism has been modified to meet the needs of today's army:

The red arrow of war denotes the valor and self-sufficiency of the forces of the command.
The blue field represents the vast expanse of the command area.
The white stars portray the North Star, Big Dipper and the Southern Cross, which locate the command headquarters.

The stars of the insignia also recall a key date in the history of the U.S. Army and the U.S. Armed Forces in the Pacific.  The total of the 12 stars represent the month of December, the seven stars of the Big Dipper represent the 7th day, and the four stars of the Southern Cross plus the North Star, the year '41.  Together Dec. 7, 1941, the date the United States entered World War II.

Metal replicas of all the insignias on display in the secretary's office.

When you see Dad in his Sunday suit today, you will notice a small metal replica of the patch pinned to his lapel.  I believe Kevin brought that home for him (correct me if I'm wrong), and he is so proud of it.

Through the arched door in the earlier photo was this room, which was in the far corner of the building.  By Dad's right ear, you can see the doorway to his former office.  These quarters were quite tight and Brent was unable to get a photo of Dad in his office, but we can hear him on the tape recording saying, "Yes, this is it."

Below is the only photo Leo could find of what the General's Office looked like during the time he was there.  He tells about the walls being paneled in Philippine Mahogany, wiped white.  (He liked that so much that when he and Mom built their home over on 400 North in Lehi, they had white washed cabinets as well - though not built from Philippine Mahogany).  This photo was one of the few of the General's office.  It has a few faces you may or may not recognize with General Richardson (far left).

Bob Hope (far right) and entertainers in Gen. Richardson's office (far left) during WWII.  - Army photographer, photo part of Leo's collections

A photo from a later date:

A photo I found on the Internet which also shows the white washed paneling (I think - how do you tell in a black and white photo?)

This is the office as it looks today.

Dad was very disappointed to find the white washed mahogany replaced by the paneling you see here.  But it is beautiful, just the same.   And the current General has had the desk moved to the next wall from where it was, but this photo was taken from pretty close to the same angle as the one from 1983.

Col. Honeycutt introducing Dad into the General's office.

One story Leo likes to share is the following experience after the war was over when General Richardson was granted permission to pin the fourth star on General Wainwright:

Dad is generally a quiet man.  He doesn't talk a lot, and when he does it is usually very quietly.   But up in these offices they had a hard time getting him to stop talking long enough to snap a photo.  He enjoyed sharing his experiences with the men and women who are working in the same building today.

The Army personnel from upstairs all came down with Dad as he and Brent left.  We got a few photos - this one by Brent.

The Army PR man (civilian) visiting with Leo outside the entryway.  Julie's looking on.  (Photo by Brent)

Still visiting

Beautiful greenery down the long side of the building.  It has definitely grown in since the time Dad was there.

Greenery down the short side of the building.

This photo I took confused me when I saw it after we got home because I knew we were on the bottom floor, but this looks like we were on the top floor and I know we were not.  Then I remembered.  The buildings behind were down the hill from the original building.  This shows the walkway connecting the bottom floor of the first building (T-100) with the top floor of building T-101.

Ok, one more photo of Dad with the insignia outside the side door entrance to the offices.

This fountain was one of several art projects completed by the Italian POWs around Hawaii during the war.  

We loved our time with Dad and loved having the chance to walk with him on the same grounds where he had fallen in love with the islands called Hawaii.   We felt honored to be there.   Since we've returned home, he is struggling with his memory.  He is certain we never made it to the correct building.   He is certain we cheated him on that.   I've struggled with that, and so has Brent.  But the more we discuss it, the more I've researched it, the more I've realized that it is simply a sad fact of life that when a person nears 90 years old, his memory just isn't going to serve him the same as it did when he was younger.

He may not think we were in the right place today, but while we were there, he knew it was.  And for those few hours, he was happy and living in a time long ago once again.  We are so grateful we've had that chance to spend that time with him.  And regardless of the outcome, our memories of that experience are fresh and happy ones.  And it's okay.  Without question, we were in the correct building.   There is simply no other place it could have been, and Richardson Hall was the building that was erected during the time Leo served there.  That was where we were.
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After we left Fort Shafter, we found some lunch and then headed north over the Pali Highway to visit with Mildred Kwak shown here with her daughter Nan who lives with her.  She was delightful and kept trying to feed us, but we were stuffed from lunch still.  The fresh mangoes she served us were the best I've ever tasted, however.   Then when we were leaving she came running out with ice cream bars for all of us.  And then when we were backing out in the car, she came running out with a tub full of Coconut Chocolate-coated Macadamia Nuts.  I am not a fan of macadamia nuts plain, but mix them with coconut and chocolate and they have found their true calling!  Wish we could get those at our Costco here, too.

Leo, Edna, Mildred Kwak and her daughter Nan.

Mildred's memory is also fading, but she was delightful to visit with.  Her husband passed away several years ago.  Mom and her talked while Dad, Brent, and some of the time I napped in and out.

After we got back to the hotel and dropped Leo and Edna off to catch a nap, Brent and I found a gas station.  While sitting in the car as Brent filled the tank, I watched a homeless man who had made his room in the abandoned entry way of an empty store front.  Birds were swarming him by the hundreds, eating the food he tossed out.  I found it fascinating.

Waikiki, it appears, has become home to hundreds of vagrants.  We would see them pushing shopping carts loaded high with their personal belongings.  Early in the morning, the parks would still be full of tents from these homeless.  I guess it isn't a big deal to be homeless in paradise.   I kept thinking I'd take some photos of them but never got a chance.   The thing I noticed was none of them ever sat on street corners with their hands out.  They were just living their own life their way and didn't seem to expect anyone to pay for it.

While we were out, we grabbed a couple of pizzas and brought them back to the hotel to share with Leo and Edna.  It was a pleasant evening.  They were exhausted and we left them to go to bed early.  On Tuesday we would be doing the Polynesian Cultural Center and we knew they would need to be rested.   But the sun was just starting to set.  You couldn't see that from our hotel room at all and I love to watch the sun set on the ocean so Brent and I grabbed our cameras and went for a walk.

Across the street from Aqua Palms where we were staying is the Hilton Hawaiian Village - a huge complex of high rise luxury hotels and condominiums facing the beaches.  When we crossed the street we found ourselves in an entirely different world.  The shopping cart pushers were definitely not in this part of Waikiki.   We found the beaches and found the sunset and I'll just leave the rest of this post alone with these photos to close it down.

Aloha