Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 20, Number 12, 1 December 2003 — Mākua needed [ARTICLE]

Mākua needed

Sir, this letter is not to be eonstrued as a vindictive one nor one to vindicate. (Letters Nov. 2003, Gaby Gouveia Jr. and Oct. 2003, Bill Prescott). Mr. Prescott served in the military as I have. Whether he trained at Mākua during that time, I don't

know. I did not. However, whatever the area the military used for training, be it land, sea or air, my gratitude goes to those who allowed us the use of those training areas. Without these areas, we who served and those who are still serving would lose our most valued commodity: our lives. For without the valuable traiing we received, we would have been hard pressed to be in harm's way and survive. It does make sense that one would be more concerned about surviving when one is in harm's way, than about the plants or snails. Oh, by the way, have you heard of the Army's restoration program? They have one! I was one of a contingent of soldiers that replanted pine trees in the Kahuku training area in 1960. Mr. Prescott might just have a loose steel plate in his head, I don't know. What I do know is, he did suffer from wounds during the Korean War. So know what you say, Gouveia Jr., and be humble. David Moku III 'Ewa Beach OHA reserves the right to ed.it all letters for length, defamatory and libelous material, and other objectionable content, and reserves the right not to print any submission. All letters must be typed, signed and not exceed. 200 words. Letters cannot be published unless they are signed and include a ielephone contact for verification. Send letters to Ka Wai Ola o OHA, 711 Kapi'olani Blvd., Ste. 500, Honolulu, HI 96813, or email kwo@oha.org. ■