ALL INVITED - USMC VMA-214 EXPECTED - USCG AIRCRAFT - VINTAGE WW-II PLANES

by John Bond, Save Ewa Field

Mark your calendar --December 10, 2011-- for a commemoration of the 70th anniversary of Pearl Herbor-Ewa Field attack and the 100th anniversary of Marine Corps Aviation.  The event at Barbers Point/Kalaeloa is free and open to the public. This is an officially recognized Marine Corps Aviation event. Also participating will be the US Coast Guard from Air Station Barbers Point.

The National Park Service will be bringing a wreath to present honoring those Marines, Navy and Army airmen, Soldiers and Civilians killed in West Oahu On December 7, 1941. US Marine Corps will be supporting this event with full Honor Guard, Rifle salute and MarForPac Band. This Special ceremony will start at 9:30 AM and run to approximately 10:30 AM, Saturday, December 10.

Our theme is: 70-100 - 70th and 100th Anniversaries- This event marks the 70th Anniversary of the Ewa Field - Pearl Harbor attack and the 100th Anniversary of USMC Aviation.

WHEN: The event runs from 9 AM to 5 PM on Saturday, December 10, 2011.

WHERE: Part of it will be outside and part of the event will be in a large WW-II hangar – all at Barbers Point - Kalaeloa Airport. 

The 70-100 Event will feature several distinguished speakers.

Among themLt. General Hank Stackpole, USMC, Ret. Lt. General Stackpole when on active Marine Corps duty was the Commander of Marine Forces Pacific and his career spanned more than 30 years. His decorations include the Silver Star Medal, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart with gold star, the Government of Japan Order of The Rising Sun, and theVietnamese Cross of Gallantry.

Also handling Master of Ceremonies duties for the December 10 Anniversary Event will be Tom Schmidt, who will serve in the capacity as Executive Director of the 70-100 Event.

Mr. Schmidt is a US Marine Corps veteran, pilot, longtime member of the Experimental Aircraft Association - EEA,member China National Air Corporation (Flying Tigers), and member of the Pacific Aviation museum.

We expect military aircraft to be flying in to participate as display aircraft for families to exploreclose up.If landing conditions are good, we will have a patriotic skydive parachute jump into the event as well.Attending will be 92 year old John Hughes, Maj. USMC Ret, who is a Pearl Harbor Survivor and MCAS Ewa Field attack veteran, as well as several other Pearl Harbor survivors and veterans. We will be honoring over a dozen little known West Oahu soldiers, sailors and Marines, and civilians, killed on December 7, 1941 in West Oahu.

We will have classic WW-II planes, vehicles and classic cars. There will be good food and live music.

We will also be showing the West Oahu premiere of the new Hi-Def release of "Tora, Tora, Tora." The movie "Tora, Tora, Tora" was filmed on location in 1969 at then Naval Air Station Barbers Point and what was formerly MCAS Ewa. Part of our event will be in a WW-II hangar and we will have attending some former military pilots who flew the "Japanese" planes and the US P-40's and B-17's in the movie.

We never forget that the attack on Pearl Harbor-Ewa Field forever changed the future of the United States and US Marine Corps aviation. The mighty MCAS Ewa aviation hub and air base was the response to the Dec. 7 attack on Ewa Field, resulting in 125 Marine Corps aces and 8 Medal of Honor winners, including the great and famous VMF-214 Black Sheep, a "signature squadron" of USMC Aviation history.

For More Information, call John Bond 808-685-3045.

More Info: LINK

Photos and Directions: LINK