Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 3, Number 11, 1 November 1986 — Hawaii's Military Heritage on Display at DeRussy Exhibit [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hawaii's Military Heritage on Display at DeRussy Exhibit

The U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii at Fort DeRussy opened a newly designed exhibit featuring Hawaii's military history through the monarchy period. The new exhibit in the renovated coast artillery battery is the first of three phases detailing Hawaii's military heritage. The Hawaiian Gallery includes scale models of a war eanoe and J<amehameha's Pu'ukohola heiau by Toni Maiava, a sculpture of a Hawaiian warrior by Rocky K. Jensen and replica of Hawaiian weapons. Influence of western technology and culture are shown in Herb Kane's painting"Kepuwaha'ulu'ulu" and in costuming of the Royal Household Guard and Hawaiian Cavalry. The museum is housed in Battery Randolph, whieh is on the Nahonal Register of Historic Places, and its exhibits trace the military history of Hawaii and the U.S. Army in the Pacific.

Artist Herb Kane's illustration of Pu'ukohola heiau. One of the sources used by Toni Maiava in creating the three-dimensional scale model in the Hawaiian Warfare Gallery at the U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii at Fort DeRussy. Phase II, "The U.S. Army in Hawaii: The Early Days" is scheduled for eomplehon in July, 1987, and will feature defense activities in early aviation, field artillery, engineers, cavalry and infantry. Phase III, "From Pearl Harbor to Vietnam," will open the following year and will pay tribute to Hawaii's civilian support of war efforts, the admirable "Go For Broke" volunteer units, and tell of Hawaii's role as a training and staging base. Museum Director Thomas M. F airfull says, "because of the nature of the museum's story, the history of the Army in Hawaii and Hawaii's military heritage, members of the Armed Forces stationed here, as well as the loeal community ean understand that story better." Artist Rocky Jensen concurs saying, "through this exhibit, we are trying to change some of the attitudes of the civilians towards the military. I am impressed at the outcome." The museum is open free to the public. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Sundays.