Retiree News is sad to report the passing of Lester Nagamine He passed in early June.
Lester was a Traditional Guardmember who served his Guard career in the medical unit.
Chaplain Robert Nagamine is his brother.
Thanks to Stanley Sato for sharing this information with Retiree News.
Retiree News extends heartfelt sympathy to Lester’s family and friends.
Through the years, the Engine Shop has been a integral part of the maintenance complex. This undated photograph show some members of the Engine Shop during the 1980s.
In the photograph (L-R) are Robert DeKine, Sy Kageyama, Gay Ross, Preston Ares, Mark Bustin, Grant Suzuki, Larry Kauleinamoku, unknown, Melvin Ige, unknown.
Thanks to John “JC” Chun for his identification assistance.
From the Images of Old Hawaii website
Site selection narrowed to about 2,200-acres of land bordered by Pearl Harbor channel on the west, Pearl Harbor Naval Reservation on the north, John Rodgers airport on the east and Fort Kamehameha on the south.
The land was acquired from Bishop, Damon and Queen Emma Estates and on May 31, 1935 Hickam Air Field was dedicated (it was named in honor of Lt. Col. Horace Meek Hickam, a distinguished aviation pioneer who was killed in an
aircraft accident on November 5, 1934, at Fort Crockett in Galveston, Texas).
From the U.S. News & World Report website
By asking the right questions about Medicare, you can avoid unexpected costs and penalties. These considerations will also guide you as you choose the Medicare plan that best suits your health needs and lifestyle.
To get started with these important decisions, ask yourself the following critical questions.
Retiree News is sad to report the passing of Melvyn Taira. He passed in early May.
Mel was a long serving technician in the Avionics Branch before his retirement. Militarily, he retired as a chief master sergeant.
He was a hard driver as a supervisor but had a low key sense of humor. For many years, his email address was melfunction@****.com
Retiree News extends heartfelt sympathy to Mel’s family and friends.
From the Air Force Magazine website
F-22 Raptors assigned to the Hawaii Air National Guard 199th Fighter Squadron and the active duty 19th Fighter Squadron, are staged on the flightline of Marine Corps Base Kaneohe, HI March 3, 2022 during Agile Combat Employment exercise Hoʻoikaika. ACE is an operational concept that leverages networks of well-established and austere air bases, multi-capable airmen, pre-positioned equipment, and airlift to rapidly deploy, disperse and maneuver combat capability throughout a theater.
Some Airmen consider the Marine Corps’ landing strip on the southeast side of Oahu island in Hawaii to be the most difficult to land on in the world. Surrounded on both sides by water and protected by a mountain range, the 7,800-foot runway is near a population center. Small islands rise from the waters of Kaneohe Bay.
It’s also perfect for practicing the Air Force’s concept of agile combat employment (ACE), which requires Airmen to practice landing in austere Pacific island locations as though they were in a contested environment.
The Hawaii National Guard Joint Force Headquarters conducts White Cell exercises. The exercise playmakers work within the white cell components to carry out the tasks assigned as part of the national exercise program known as a Vigilant Guard.
There are three main elements to the white cell. There is an overarching control cell, a higher control (HICON) and a lower control (LOCON) component comprised of various agencies. The HICON consists of state and federal agencies, nonprofit government agencies and local/regional municipalities reporting simulations and the LOCON is derived by primarily military support elements who simulate subordinate measures including additional troop support, logistics, situation reports, inputs on scenario injects and representatives from multiple military components.
This June 4, 2010 photograph show Edmund Okada, Clara Furubayashi and Galen Yoshimoto. All three were exercise participants.
Ed served a MDay Soldier for many years before his retirement. In civilian life, he was an industrial arts instructor at a local high school. Everyone remembers his large yellow truck.
Clara served as a fulltime technician with the Hawaii Army National Guard. After her retirement, she was a Transition Coordinator for the Tripler Army Medical Center.
Galen was a fulltime technician with the Hawaii Air National Guard. After his retirement, he served on the Adjutant General’s staff as a State employee. Later, he became the Public Relations Officer for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (Hawaii EMA).
The Kūkā‘ilimoku is the official e-newsletter of the 154th Wing, Hawai’i Air National Guard. The first issue came in September 1957 and continues as an e-newsletter today.
Today we feature the June 1980 Kūkā‘ilimoku issue. This issue includes the following stories:
* On to Anderson and Misawa
* Looking for a wood carver
* 154 CAM Squadron News and Views
* Sports News
Bargain hunters know the annual Amazon Prime Day retailpalooza as an opportunity to score a bevy of deals on all manner of merchandise. That’s why they eagerly await the two-day event.
Now we know the dates. Amazon Prime Day 2022 is July 12-13, per an Amazon online posting.
Amazon Prime Day dates back to 2015, when it was debuted in July to juice sales during retail’s summer doldrums. But even when Amazon Prime Day was moved to October in 2020 because of pandemic issues, Amazon posted record Prime Day sales and ended up kicking off the holiday shopping season a month early.
This undated photograph show (L-R) Bruce Minato, Fred Higa and Wayne “Wildman” Wakeman. The photograph was probably taken a retirement ceremony in the dining facility.
Bruce served his entire technician career in the maintenance complex for many years before his retirement.
Fred did maintenance analysis for the 154th Maintenance Group. Some of his innovative analysis of data became standards across other maintenance analysis functions. In addition, Fred wrote the “CAMS News & Views” column in the Kūkā‘ilimoku for many years. The column shared news of the happenings with the maintenance complex.
Wildman flew during the Phantom and Eagle eras with the 199th Fighter Squadron. You’d have to ask him how he got his call sign.
These three are representative of the Guardmembers who made the Hawai‘i Air National Guard great over the years.
Blazon: On a light blue disc edged with a narrow black border, a blue horizontal band of stylized water surmounted by an inverted yellow triangle voided of the field, overall the Hawaii War God “Tiki”, black, with red eyes, nose and mouth outlined white, bearing a red spear and garbed in a red loin cloth. Attached below the disc a blank yellow scroll.
Significance: The Air Force colors, ultramarine blue and golden yellow, as well as the National colors, are used in the design. The color blue alludes to the sky, the primary theater of Air Force operations, and yellow to the sun and excellence of personnel in assigned tasks. The “triangle” represents the three maintenance divisions of CAMRON – Field, Organizational and Communications/Armament Electronics. It also represents a strong geometric figure generally used for support and strength. The “Tiki” represents Hawaii’s War God. The red spear which the Tiki holds represents the symbolic Hawaiian weapon symbolizing the aircraft and is depicted in red to signify the aircraft’s operationally ready and “Hot” status. The light and dark blue background alludes to the Pacific Ocean, the area the Tiki protects.
Motto: NO KA ‘OI – The Best.
The emblem was designed by CMSgt Robert D. W. Choi, TSgt Rex Y. Koga, Sgt Galen R. Yoshimoto, and Miss Donna Ault, daughter of Maj Norman C. Ault. It was approved January 21, 1971.
The Kūkā‘ilimoku is the official e-newsletter of the 154th Wing, Hawaii Air National Guard. The first issue came in September 1957 and continues as an e-newsletter today.
Today we feature the June 1988 Kūkā‘ilimoku issue. This issue includes the following stories:
* Operation Readiness
* Make-a-Wish Honorary pilot Jesse Fergerstrom
* F-15 gun firing
* The Goat’s Fini Flight
* Rudy Luat retiring
* Sports News
Over the years, there were several occasions where the 154th Group/Wing flew against Marine aviation from Marine Corp Base Hawaii. This dissimilar air combat training (DACT) was an important part of training for both organizations. DACT was introduced as a formal part of US air combat training after disappointing aerial combat exchange rates in the Vietnam War.
In this undated photograph, David Snakenberg is making a presentation at the end of operations get-together. In the crowd are many familiar Group members, including John “Saigon” Lee, Kenneth Camara, Herbert Okamoto, and Kenneth “Eagle” Wicks.
The Kūkā‘ilimoku is the official e-newsletter of the 154th Wing, Hawaii Air National Guard. The first issue came in September 1957 and continues as an e-newsletter today.
Today we feature the May 1996 Kūkā‘ilimoku issue. This issue includes the following stories:
* 154th Civil Engineer Squadron conducts deployment training at Bellow AFS
* HIANG 50 Update
* HIANG offers Parent to Parent training
* Sports News
* Clinton Churchill Retirement party
Retiree News 