 Hi, I'm Jay Fidel. This is ThinkTech, the two o'clock block on a given Thursday. We're talking about military in Hawaii, the military in Hawaii, a very important program. And we're going to cover the 75th commemoration of the end of World War II. It's just a remarkable thing. It's coming up soon. And for this discussion, we have retired major general Darryl Wong and Tony Varchella, formerly of the, what, the Hawaii Tourism Authority. And now he's the executive director of the commemoration event, which is really something. And you guys are going to tell us about the event, and we're going to drill down on that. So since you're the executive director, Tony, why don't you tell us what this event is all about? Clearly. And thank you very much, Jay. Darryl and I on the Hope Committee appreciate it. So this is really all about our greatest generation. It's about our World War II events. And it's about those who not only fought on the battlefield, but who served on the home front here in Hawaii, across the country and across the world, you know, to end the deadliest conflict of all time. And the fact that that historic, significant date is quickly approaching, you know, September 2nd, 1945. So it's September 2nd, 2020. We only have a couple of weeks before that will occur. And it's really about saluting the service and honoring the hope of our veterans and of our greatest generation, as I mentioned, and doing all we can to let people know and to also have an example and hopefully a model from them as to what determination, sacrifice, patriotism, character, what all those things really meant, because nobody sacrificed more than our residents and our military during that whole period of time when the U.S. entered the war. So we can learn a lot from them. And especially in today's day and age and what the world is going through right now, sacrifice is something that they really did. And what people are being asked to do today is so small in comparison to keep their fellow men and women safe and healthy and so on. So we have so much to learn from them, so much to always remember and never forget, and to keep things going beyond the commemoration itself. So there's a number of programs that are created, which we'll talk about not only leading up to and commemorating that particular day of September 2nd, but hopefully things that will live on long beyond this time, that people of all ages from around the world can look at, learn from, and continue to always remember. Yeah, the greatest generation. I was telling Gary before the show that in today's New York Times is a column by Thomas Friedman, where he says that for today's generation, voting is our d-day. And everyone should think back to those heroes who got off the boats at Normandy and gave their lives. It's the least we can do to honor them to vote now. It's a very touching column. I'll send it to both of you. Thank you very much. I'd love to see that. So, Dara, why are you involved in this? Just because you're a major general doesn't mean you have to be involved in it. No, that's an interesting question. You know, kind of like Tony, we have a passion to honor veterans of World War II. I remember I was close to some of the Nisei guys and asked them, why did you guys fight so hard? You know, they were small compared to Germans and I was wondering, so in hand-to-hand combat, how did you guys, you know, why did you guys fight so hard? You know, it was for the country, but they said they fought hard because they did not want to sell the family name. But this generation came back and they did a lot of things in our community, you know, Senator Noyce and Rukaka, you know, a lot of people that we don't even hear about. So this generation really came back, not only to help create peace, but they helped create a better island, a better United States. So that's why this generation is so great. I've been watching the Asians in America series on PBS lately. It's the second time it played, but it is so touching. It is largely about that time, about the 442nd, about the way things were in Hawaii, how World War II affected Hawaii, and your comments make me think of that. We haven't thought about those people in a long time, but the three of us are old enough, even Tony is old enough to remember some of these great people who were involved in that time and who carried forward and built the state, right? Like Dan and... And if you think about it, you know, our Japanese American veterans, our Chinese American veterans, our Filipino American veterans, our Hawaiian American veterans, and then the broader community between 1941 and 45, I mean, it was so close-knit between the military and the resident population of Hawaii around all the islands, because there was a common purpose. There was a common goal. There was no issue of us and them, and it was just one common mission, and that was to end this deadliest conflict and usher in, I mean, 75 years of peace, of a free and open, you know, Indo-Pacific area, a free and open world for that matter, just unbelievable what people did for the greater good, truly. And Jay, to add on to that, you know, why when I was asked to do this, you know, I said, you know, I'm from the Air Force. Why aren't you asking an admiral? But truly, Hawaii plays such a role, and that's one of the stories that need to be told in this, that our components really help bring global peace to this region, and we continue to do this by supporting all the military on island, and the historical significance, like Pune on Maui, I used to fly over that all the time, and then when I finally heard what it was used for, all the Navy fighters trained there before they went out into the Pacific, and then when they came back, they went back there and trained in tactics that the enemy was using, and then went back out to war. You know, Kahului Airport was Kahului Naval Station before it was Kahului Airport. So, you know, this story is all over these islands of how our ancestors helped support not the fight, but to bring global peace into this region, and this generation really needs to understand and learn that history. Yeah, it's connection with the government and the country. You've been in the service for a long time, decades and decades, and I think that people, you know, who spend all that time in the service, and I'm going to say enjoy maybe the wrong word, but they experience the service, they experience service for country, and they come away with a special kind of patriotism, and I wonder if you could describe your own experience in that regard. What is the nature and depth and character of your patriotism, Darrell? Well, you know, I came from the Vietnam era where, you know, when you had short hair walking on the street, you weren't very well liked, but you know, being in the military and flying alongside, which is what I did, and a lot of other people, and seeing the, seeing death, you know, seeing crying widows on fences, because I flew towards the talent of Vietnam, and we cleaned out, we, you know, we took people out of Thailand, we took a lot of people out, baby airlift, refugee airlift. I saw the devastation that war can do, but I think just the training that you get, and the understanding of nation, of dedication, and of, I mean, it's easy to use the word patriotism, but it's something you live day to day, because you make those decisions day to day. You can easily leave, but the ones that stay very long, they're very patriotic, and for whatever reason, whatever decisions they make, they make it for the good of their country, and for their state, and for their family. I'm reminded of a show we did a few years ago with Zapp Slatterper, you must know him, he's Navy Fire Ultimate. Yes, okay, well then you have to ask him about this, so we had a show commemorating Memorial Day back a few years ago, and we asked him to, you know, tell us something that was really profound for him on Memorial Day. So he said he was a young lieutenant pilot, and he was asked to ferry a plane from the east coast all the way to Vietnam, which he did, and it happened to be, oh yeah, it was July 4th, we were talking about July 4th. It happened to be on the evening of July 4th, and it was flying west at whatever, it was a fighter plane, whatever altitude you would fly, and he could see below him large portions of the country. You know, over a period of a couple hours, he saw the whole country, and what did he see? He saw the fireworks down there, from shore to shining shore. He saw it all, the whole country was involved in his fireworks, and it really was an experience, and it was an experience hearing him talk about it. When you see him next time on your committee, ask him about his experience flying across the country on the evening of July 4th during Vietnam. Wow, yeah, yeah, we'll definitely ask him. Yeah, anyway, so what is your committee made of? A lot of military people, what is it Tony? Actually, the committee is made up of our two co-chairs, of course, Daryl and Steve Cologne, who was retired as well and was a captain. We have some retired folks, Admiral Slatterper, Admiral Fargo, General Gardner, all retired. So the committee itself is made up of retired military, community leaders, people from the media, and other parts of the community. We have a liaison set from active duty military within the US Indo-Pacon Group. So it's really a mixture, many of which were part of our committee four years ago, when we were honored to be part of the 75th anniversary of the Takenboro Harbor in 2016. So many of those folks then were so moved by that experience and being part of that, that they really, when we called upon them, they really wanted to be part of this, and I was one of those people that was very honored and proud to have worked at that time and was an easy choice when this opportunity came up of really going 1000% into this one and honoring our veterans and our greatest generation. You know, I was going to say it's important that you do this. It's important that we have this with us, but you know somehow, gentlemen, it seems much more important now, right now. Absolutely. Our democracy is at risk these days and so much divisiveness. This is really helpful to everyone, I think, to heal. I think this whole thing can be really lifted up as a prime example on two fronts. One, all that we can learn about what true sacrifice, character, determination is all about. Relative to what people think they're going through these days. So on that level, and these people are just the absolute best model for us to emulate. And then on the other hand, I think the approach that we're all taking about sticking with this and doing this particular commemoration at this time can be an example of it's not easy, but how if everybody collaborates together, you can create an environment that is workable and under the COVID-19 cloud, so to speak, and still make it as safe as possible for those people that express their willingness to be part of it. So what's the program? Sorry, Dara, go ahead. No, I think what I wanted to add on top of Tony was this committee felt long and hard to whether to keep this on September 2nd or move it, everyone felt we needed to keep it on the date that it happened. So it was not some whimsical decision. We called an emergency meeting to make sure that everyone's on board as we continue to push forward. And then the other sacrifices by even the warbirds coming here and the amount of support we got from DOD to bring them here. They couldn't get that done in the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, but it was done here for the 75th commemoration at the end of World War II. And Tony can tell you that too. Can you tell me what the warbirds is? Sure. Well, Dara can tell you more about the warbirds with his Air Force backgrounds. I'll let him do that and then I'll get you into some of the events that are happening. Go ahead, Dara. I was able to hop now with some of those guys. All of them have some in the military but great background. These guys have sacrificed so much to come here. So we have 14 World War II warbirds. I think you've seen in the news the B-25 which was in the Do Little Raiders that raided Japan. You have the Wildcat that flew against the Zeroes. You have the T-6 trainer. You have the PBY that did a lot of what we call today ISR and some other aircraft. But this coordination started a while ago and Indo-Paycom allowing these airplanes to go on to the Essex to come over here and offload. I mean just that piece alone is tremendous. The effort that people have put together to fly these warbirds around this island. They'll fly three times. On the 29th they'll fly Waikiki on the east side of the island. On the 30th and the second they'll be flying on the west side of the island and people around the Pro Harbor area will see them. And those legacy of peace aerial parades, the three that Dara mentioned are planned out so that every person on this island will have an opportunity to step outside on a socially distanced basis of course and be able to see these aircraft and all that they stand for. You know as a symbol of those same veterans, the same greatest generation and a reminder that on September 2nd 1945 in Tokyo Bay when the surrender instrument of surrender was being signed on the decks of the USS Missouri there were upwards of 800 aircraft flying above. So on September 2nd when our commemoration ceremony occurs that very day right before the ceremony starts these warbirds will be flying over Pearl Harbor, the Arizona Memorial, the Missouri and that whole event is going to be live streamed and we'll talk more about that hopefully in a few minutes. But the fact that they're here is phenomenal all the work and effort of so many organizations, military and civilian to make it happen and to bring this to Hawaii. We're hopeful that we could have brought brought them to the neighborhoods as well. We can't do that directly but we're going to be filming what's happening and we're going to make sure that that's shared not just with the folks around our islands but around the nation and around the world. So it's very significant. It's great symbolism and as Darrell said the owners and pilots and mechanics and crew of these aircraft they've maintained them all these years. These are the real deal and they've sacrificed a lot to be part of this because they know that it is truly something that they want to do for the right reasons not just for the historic significance but for the people that did so much for us to have the freedoms that we have today. Sure because a lot of those people are are gone or going. They're at an age now where they're dropping off like flies and this is the time to catch them and honor them. Darrell? No part of that aerial parade is to fly over every base that was here during World War II. So you know there's a lot of little significant things that are happening and then I forgot to add there's P-51 is also going to be flying and that was the one of the planes that was used as a flying tiger. So a lot of history in this group of aircraft. And the the PBYs there were you know during the attack in 1941 I think the numbers about 33 of them were destroyed here in Hawaii and we have two of two of the surviving ones back here for this commemoration ceremony and there's a lot of stories connected to veterans who some of which were in some of those destroyed PBYs but who survived. So there's so many you know connections to the military community and the civilian community. So I imagine given the current COVID circumstances a lot of this will be by remote by zoom but will you have a you know a venue also will be on the on the deck for example of the Missouri? Where will you be when you when you broadcast this? Sure so on September 2nd which is of course the historic date. That everything that day will be filmed and made accessible on a live streaming basis Facebook live all the avenues and channels that you can think of. We are doing that to the world and it'll be roughly from 8 30 a.m to 11 a.m and we can tell people a multiple uh multitude of ways to do that. The actual ceremony itself will be on the USS Missouri fantail and of course as you mentioned in this environment it'll be a very very limited number of people involved in that physically socially distance of course and following every health precaution possible. Very few speakers or dignitaries and that all will be streamed out. We will be involving people from around the country and elsewhere in a live stream basis to invite them to be part of that ceremony. So we can do this in the best way possible and reach a vast majority of people in the 30 plus countries around the world who participated in World War II. So very small footprint there on the USS Missouri fantail and then streamed out you know to the world. Well that's fabulous that's really that's the new time but you know frankly it can be just as effective as we've seen from the Democratic National Convention. So Darrell are should I plan to be emotionally affected by watching this? You know you and I are well I guess you're a little older than I am. You know I think everyone who watches this should feel some kind of emotion you know depending where you are in in your knowledge of history but like you said I mean Hawaii has been a place that helped bring peace to this region. There's an article of the Missouri calling it the altar of peace when it was in Tokyo Harbor. So I mean it truly is. I mean we've had 75 years of peace as Tony was saying and Hawaii continues to help support that. I think that's an important message that everyone in these islands because every island did support it. It's just hopefully we can get that history out to everyone. So when you ask should you be emotional I think it should because a lot of people have come together to celebrate it on that day at that time 75 years ago in Pearl Harbor which was where we started World War II quite significant. And the battleship itself of course as you all know in less than two years it went from this big powerful symbol of war and battle to the symbol of peace that it became and still is 75 years later and will remain as a symbol of peace for the world well beyond well beyond this year. But it was only commissioned in you know two years before September 2nd well not exactly two years but close to that. And in two short years it went from this this weapon of really ending conflicts to the symbol of peace that the world understands and looks up to. And that day and the words that General MacArthur used that day were of such significance although they were short in number they were you know powerful in the messaging and the message wasn't about victory the message wasn't about you know hatred for anyone or anything or what has occurred or all the deaths that occurred it was about what this was going to lead to and that ties right to the to the theme which we are happy to utilize of saluting the service and honoring the hope of all that fought on so many fronts around the world to end it. It's really emotional time I think that people during that time should step back and think about their lives and what they've enjoyed in their lives what the opportunities they've had because of the 75 years since that time think back to your parents and your parents parents and all that they went through because many of them were part of that very conflict they were part of that sacrifice and think about how none of us would be here having this particular conversation truly if the world would have gone a different way. Yeah Jay I'll send you that article um Alter of Peace it explains how they scripted Missouri the signing how the you know how the DVs would come up especially the Japanese and as Tony was saying it wasn't to to show any anybody that anyone won it was really to show that you know it was time for to have peace now. Yeah that was part that was part of the greatest generation we acted correctly in the end of the war we didn't humiliate anybody in particular we were kind and gentle what we did in Japan was so constructive and for that matter in Europe the Marshall Plan was an example of our our our attitude about the people we had been fighting with and we created it hadn't existed before we created a new world order a world order that not only our generations and American generations in the interim enjoyed but the whole world enjoyed and it regrettable that we may be slipping away from us now and this event is the kind of thing that makes you think and remember how valuable it was for all of us everyone in the world and how we ought to try to hold on to it even when it seems to be slipping away that to me that's an important aspect of this program but between august 12th and 14th we had an international student leadership forum that Admiral Grocky and the um the Daniel K. Annoy Institute of Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies were connected with uh and that was all done on a virtual basis of course it was intended to be different but this was done virtually to bring students together from different parts of the world and it was all focused on leadership so that has already occurred the state library system has created working with lots of folks from different parts of the state have put in a phenomenal program together for people of all ages not just our youth to educate people about World War II and all the roles that everybody played and to have this live on well beyond September 2nd of 2020 so that's happening there's an outreach program scheduled in the public schools not just here in Oahu but on the neighbor islands involving the Pearl Harbor Historic Parks involving our military together in going out to schools the hope is that that will occur from early October until probably the the break for the Christmas holiday and of course under the proper conditions as to how it is allowed to effectively occur there's a lot of educational elements so these are rolling forward there's exhibits being created which will be accessible to people around the state and around the world that will house the stories the whether they be audio stories or print video clips imagery all about World War II and our civilian organizations our civilians ourselves and our veterans so that these things can live on and be part of an educational platform that anybody can enter so many things are happening on this educational front but again it's not just for the youth only we all could learn and even at our age as you referred to earlier we're all capable of learning we should keep our minds open right so lots happening on that front so that the legacy of peace aerial parades the commemoration ceremony itself on the 2nd and all the methods that we're going to have for people to connect so that they can participate in that way and then they could also share that hopefully with their family their friends create their own watch parties you know these days you can easily create a watch party and be together and experience something without physically being together just like we have us are together right now and Jay you know one out of 10 people in Hawaii is a veteran I mean we have more veterans per capita than most people and you know we and we honor our veterans here probably unlike any other state so you know the state should be proud of that and I mean even though we're honoring the World War II veterans but truly you show that you honor all the veterans by doing this well I'm a veteran Tony are you a veteran too I am not I've always been very you know close to especially here in Hawaii you know to the different parts of the military community and military history community but I never was actually in the military but when I got deeply involved in the 75th commemoration of the attack on Pearl Harbor and now for the commemoration the end of war I certainly have let's just say crammed a lot in there in the last four years and I'm just absolutely honored and proud about the fact that I had this opportunity to to learn from so many and the veterans themselves are that's where the the inspiration comes from you know the emotion and inspiration is all from from them and members of our greatest generation here throughout Hawaii that's where we learn from that's where we should remember and we should hope that we can pass on to others what they have done for us and what they've shared with us so well I'm very impressed with the fact that it doesn't end on September 2nd that your organization is going to continue to have programs and show people teach people bring people together over this issue and as Darrell said and I fully agree with this is that for a long time the military has been you know an essential part of the culture of Hawaii and I mean every aspect of the culture of Hawaii the Navy came to Pearl Harbor in 1850 and played a role since then so you know you can't set it aside you can't say you know that it's it's no longer relevant it's very relevant and it will always be relevant and that's the value of this program it reminds us of that it reminds us that we are intertwined all of us with the military we should respect the military we should care about the the welfare of the people in the military Darrell you have closing comments yeah so you know every every everyone has been in the military even like yourself you know when they leave the military they're going to find a place to choose as home and they'll become statesmen in that region so that's where their patriotism is not only on the battlefield but also when they come home to to raise their family and really take care of the community that they're in but again this event even though it's international and national it really highlights the importance of Hawaii in its role during World War II and the importance of our relationship between our state and the DOD here as we continue to support peace in this region which we're continually doing thanks and thanks Jake for allowing us to to speak on your show okay well we we want to just spend a minute with you Tony and Darrell to find out how people can access this the video and information about the commemoration can you talk about that for a minute absolutely thank you very much so first of all in terms of accessing all the information which includes uh history and imagery and video clips and all regarding the commemoration the official website is of course www.75thwarward2commemoration.org and we'll provide that as well so we can get that up there and then importantly the best way for people to engage on September 2nd 2020 which is a Wednesday and it'll be from 8 30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Hawaii standard time is through live streaming there's going to be three paths for which that'll occur one just go to the website that I just mentioned and there'll be a link directly there another one for all of us as individual consumers of course is Facebook live and that's simply facebook.com forward slash 75th world war two which is 75th wwi and that's the facebook live platform and then of course the producer of record for this is Hawaii news now which is providing a clean pool feed to media around the world as well as the defense media activity group which will do the same throughout the whole military community in the world they are going to stream that out so that broadcast networks and we'll have that from anywhere in the globe so for all of us as consumers probably the quickest and easiest is either go to the official website or go to the facebook live channel sorry so major general Darrell one what would you add to that how much of that you agree with I agree to all of it it needs to be something that continues in perpetuity or whatever you get you call it you know these things can't these stories cannot die how's that these have to be shared with generations and generations because this was our greatest generation let's remember to salute their service and honor the hope of those world war two veterans and our greatest generation and of course their families uh tony very cello darrell one of the 75th commemoration of the end of world war two event on september 2nd you'll be hearing more about it tune in and find out thank you so much gentlemen thank you very much aloha thanks