MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII -- The Waikiki Ballroom at the Hale Koa Hotel in Waikiki was filled July 26 with smiling faces of all ages who awaited the premiere of the Hawaii Veterans Project documentary.
The documentary was a labor of love for Kathleen Larson, the executive producer of the project. Larson and the documentary’s host, Charlie Garrett, contacted and interviewed veterans who served in every branch of service since World War II.
“Charlie called me and asked me to get involved in the project,” said Ernie Boerlin, a former Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class stationed here as an aviation support equipment technician for Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 24, Marine Aircraft Group 24. “I was glad to be part of it and very glad they did it. I wish people would do more stuff like this.”
The documentary searched for a way to help Hawaii veterans tell their stories, Larson said. The goal of the project was to help preserve former Hawaii-stationed service members’ first-hand war accounts, before they themselves can’t tell them.
“Our goals are to gather the memories and the memoirs of Hawaii’s veterans from World War II to present conflicts,” Larson said. “This documentary is just a drop in the bucket for what needs to be done for Hawaii’s veterans.”
The hour-long documentary made its television premiere Saturday on the FOX network. It was complete with an introduction and conclusion by James Bradley, author of “Flags of Our Fathers” and “Flyboys” whose father, Petty Officer 2nd Class John Bradley was a flag raiser at Iwo To, which until recently was known as Iwo Jima. The introduction and close out were originally filmed at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii’s Pacific War Memorial, but the footage was lost and re-filmed two days before the premier, Garrett said.
“I think Kathleen and Charlie did a great job,” said Toby Rushforth, a retired Air Force colonel who served in Vietnam and now works as a civilian contractor at Camp Smith. “They managed to capture all the things service members did in the past and relate their stories to what today’s warriors are experiencing. It’s wonderful to be around young people who volunteer for the service.”
After well wishes were extended to today’s service members and thanks given to the local businesses that participated in the project, Larson closed out the evening with a thank you to all the veterans who participated in the project.
“Thank you, Hawaii veterans,” she said. “Mahalo for graciously sharing your stories, a part of your lives so we can always remember.”
When the evening ended, veterans from every war since WWII, including the Global War on Terror, shook hands and congratulated Garrett and Larson on the success of the documentary.
“I think it was fantastic,” said John S. Carroll, a retired soldier. “I love it that they got service members from today. I’m proud to see folks who will volunteer for service. I’m just so glad somebody’s doing something for the veterans.”