From John Bond, Save Ewa Field

Subject: MCAS EWA: RESTORING NAMES OF ROADS TO REFLECT MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2012   9:00 A.M.

Come down and testify in support of this important military history resolution coming before the City Council of Honolulu:

MCAS EWA: RESTORING NAMES OF ROADS TO REFLECT MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS

The resolution urges changing Kalaeloa street names in former MCAS Ewa BACK to their ORIGINAL names reflecting those pilots killed in action and awarded the Medal of Honor for their heroism during WW-II:

Major Henry T. Elrod, USMC,

Captain Richard E. Fleming, USMC,

Lt Colonel Harold William Bauer, USMC,

1st Lt Robert M. Hanson, USMC, 

LINK: AGENDA REGULAR MEETING

COMMITTEE MEETING ROOM - CITY HALL

Park on the street, or in the City parking structure...would estimate that the redo won't be heard until around 9:30...

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2012 9:00 A.M.

Please try to attend to testify in favor of this resolution, which if passed would be voted on by the entire City Council just before the arrival of 50 Medal of Honor veterans to Honolulu for their convention. This would make a great Medal of Honor commemoration of Hawaii's WW-II Medal of Honor hero's...

City Councilman Tom Berg's resolution to restore an important part of MCAS Ewe honorable history...

RESOLUTION 12-265 - RESTORING NAMES OF ROADS TO REFLECT MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS.  Urging the Hawaii Community Development Authority and the United States Navy to restore the names of certain roads in Kalaeloa to reflect the Medal of Honor recipients they were originally named after.

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URGING THE HAWAII COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AND THE UNITED STATES NAVY TO RESTORE THE NAMES OF CERTAIN ROADS IN KALAELOA TO REFLECT THE MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS THEY WERE ORIGINALLY NAMED AFTER.

WHEREAS, the Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor that can be bestowed upon a member of the U.S. Armed Forces and over the past 151 years, fewer than 3,500 persons have been awarded the Medal; and

WHEREAS, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Ewa was a United States Marine Corps air station that closed in 1952 and became a part of Naval Air Station Barbers Point; and

WHEREAS, several roads at MCAS Ewa were named after United States Marine Corps (USMC) Medal of Honor recipients, including the following:

Elrod Road, named for Major Henry T. Elrod, who was the first USMC aviator to receive the Medal of Honor for his heroism in the defense of Wake Island and died in combat on December 23, 1941;

Fleming Road, named for USMC pilot Captain Richard E. Fleming, who on June 5, 1942 at the Battle of Midway led a dive bombing assault on the Japanese fleet. His plane, hit by anti-aircraft fire, caught fire and crashed into an enemy cruiser.

Bauer Road, named for Lieutenant Colonel Harold William Bauer, an air group commander and fighter pilot ace cited for several acts of valor, including leading a squadron during the Battle of Guadalcanal that downed 92 Japanese planes and helped to sink two destroyers; and

Hanson Road, named for First Lieutenant Robert M. Hanson, a USMC aviator and member of VMF-21 5 from MCAS Ewa, credited for downing 25 Japanese planes in several battles before being killed in action; And

WHEREAS, after MCAS Ewa closed and was incorporated into Naval Air Station (NAS) Barbers Point, the Navy renamed several roads including Elrod Road to Bismarck Sea Road, Fleming Road to Philippine Sea Street, Bauer Road to Vinson Road, and Hanson Road to Essex Road; and

WHEREAS, modern maps reference roads at the former MCAS Ewa inconsistently, sometimes by their original names and sometimes by the names given by the Navy; and

WHEREAS, NAS Barbers Point closed in 1999 and the roads are within the Hawaii Community Development Authority's (HCDA's) Kalaeloa Community Development District and segments of the roads are owned by the United States Navy and the State Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; and

WHEREAS, the Section 206E-194(7), Hawaii Revised Statutes, provides that the HCDA shall coordinate land use and redevelopment activities in the Kalaeloa Community Development District with county plans, policies, and programs;  and

WHEREAS, the Council believes that it would be appropriate to restore the roads to their original names of Elrod Road, Fleming Road, Bauer Road and Hanson Road to recognize the sacrifices of the Medal of Honor recipients for which they were named after; and

WHEREAS, Honolulu is hosting the 2012 Medal of Honor Society Convention from October 2 to 6 which will be attended by over 50 Medal of Honor recipients, their guests, local military personnel, and veterans, making this an appropriate occasion to show our respect to the Medal of Honor recipients;

now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City and County of Honolulu that this body supports officially restoring the names of Elrod Road, Fleming Road, Bauer Road, and Hanson Road, as shown in Exhibit A; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii Community Development Authority, United States Navy, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and Department of Planning and Permitting are urged to coordinate restoring the names of Elrod Road, Fleming Road, Bauer Road, and Hanson Road and to acknowledge the road names on street signage and future maps and plans; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Executive Director of the Hawaii Community Development Authority, Commander of Navy Region Hawaii, the Chairperson of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and the Director of Planning and Permitting.

DATE OF INTRODUCTION: Sept 13, 2012

INTRODUCED BY: Tom Berg