052526: Vanikapila 20.26

BOT:

Aloha ahi ahi UFOhana,

I hope you’re all enjoying a little time off work today during this Memorial Holiday. For those of you with friends and ‘Ohana that served in our Nation’s Military, this is our time to pause, recall and share memories of their service and dedication.

Below, my Father Delfin De la Cruz Medina, Sr. in his dress blues. I think it was 1968 when the photo was taken. He had just made Chief Petty Officer.

Thanks to the US Navy, he managed to make a decent living for his wife and family of 6 kids. Of course Mom helped a lot too, she took in a lot of sewing and worked into the late hours in her makeshift sewing room, under the stairwell.

It was the Vietnam era and Dad was deployed on the USS Cochrane to patrol the waters. I would often catch her late at night reading Dad’s letters, sobbing, while taking a break from sewing.

One night she called me downstairs and handed me a letter from Dad addressed to me. This was the first time he had ever written me. I ran up stairs to my room to read it.

In that letter was a photo of a bullet riddled ship cabin. His cabin.

The cabin was dark except for the shafts of sunlight from the bullet holes. He said his ship was under aerial attack the night before while patrolling the Vietnam waters. He and his shipmate was asleep at the time, which is probably why they had survived. Had they been standing they would of surely been hit. I think it was divine intervention.

I wish I still had the photo of his bullet riddled cabin, but he asked me to promise to destroy it so Mom would never see it. He said that she had enough to worry about . . .

Thank you CPO Medina (Dad) and Mom for all you did for us.

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A note from Madison:

Sorry for getting this out late, but this is the full album of photos from the photographers (Mercedes and Stephanie)! You can download the whole thing or one photo at a time!

https://mgpphotographyllc.pixieset.com/madisonmarquis

Hope you’re doing well No’eau!

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Remember how I had described the various beaches on the West Short of O’ahu? Here’s an interesting surfing story from Wally regarding Makaha and Po’ipu.

Speaking of Makaha, here are a couple of ancient pix of me at Makaha and Poipu 1971….sheesh…so long ago yet so near! That reef at Makaha got me and the Chinese lady at the Ching Yung store in Hanalei took one look at my infection and fixed me up with some miracle cure that fixed it…she spoke no English but took one look and I was healed…I never asked her for advice she just did it cuz she saw I needed it….a miracle! Generosity!!! I am eternally grateful.

Nice board Wally! Mahalo for sharing!

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And since we’re talking about far away places. Check out our Canadian Away Team’s Tricorder readings (Trek talk for Photos).

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Below, images from our last Vanikapila. Mahalo Laura for being our heart beat that day!

Click below to join us in Cyber ‘Ohana-land this Saturday and here to register for a seat if you’ll be joining us in meat space.

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Don’t forget that Brudda Ken Emerson on June 6th!

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Okay, I hope haven’t forgotten anything.

ukEku

recalling a time,
reliving past emotions,
etching memories.

never forget those who helped you get where you are . . .

Me kealoha pumehana,

-=SqL+Nohea+Jake=-

:EOT