MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, Hawaii, --
Despite the dreary darkness of the sky outside, and the solemn memory of one of America’s most disastrous days in history, a 5 foot 5 beacon of lighthearted laughter and smiles lifted audience spirits at the 28th annual Kaneohe Klipper Memorial Ceremony.
Rising to his feet slowly but surely before the Marines, sailors and civilians of Marine Corps Base Hawaii was the ceremony’s guest of honor, retired Navy Lt. John Finn. The World War II Medal of Honor recipient returned to visit the base he once called home.
He looked at the crowd and shared his thoughts at the Base Theater, where this year’s ceremony was held due to rain.
“I am happy to be back here once more at Kaneohe Bay,” Finn said softly with a smile. “I never dreamed I’d get back here.”
Finn, who was stationed aboard then Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay during the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Oahu, shot at enemy planes with a .50-caliber machine gun despite multiple wounds.
“They always say ‘you can’t go back,’ and that’s not completely true,” Finn said. “While I didn’t suffer much, [the attacks] certainly affected my life.”
Col. Robert Rice, commander, MCB Hawaii presented Finn with a base coin. Finn also accepted the appreciation and gratitude from a new generation of service members.
“I just hope and pray that these sailors here definitely realize that courage and commitment that you show, and it is an inspiration to them as they carry out their duties on a daily basis,” said Navy Capt. Rodney M. Urbano, commodore, Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 2 to Finn about his service.
As in previous years, a wreath from the Kaneohe Klippers Association was presented, and the names of the service members and civilians killed during the attacks were read. The U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific Band performed taps. Rice then introduced another honorable guest — Carol Shimada.
Shimada, a civilian payroll supervisor, was honored for being the Marine Corps’s longest serving civilian employee. Adorned with lei, Shimada received seven letters of congratulations from officials including Hawaii’s governor and senators, as well as the commandant and sergeant major of the Marine Corps. She was given three coins from Rice and the commandant and sergeant major of the Marine Corps.
“You can say today that you’re in the presence of people dedicated to this nation and to the values this nation stands for,” said guest speaker U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie of the First District of Hawaii. “People like Lt. John Finn, people like Carol Shimada, they set the standard for us, and this ceremony, this ritual today gives us the opportunity not just to honor them but to renew our pledge to each other of service, dedication and perseverance not just in the cause of freedom but in the understanding of what true humanity and community is all about.”
At the close of the ceremony, audience members waited in line for a chance to meet Finn.
“It’s definitely an honor to meet Mr. Finn,” said Seaman Nicholas Bouley, aviation maintenance administrationman, Patrol Squadron 4. “[Shimada’s] story pretty much inspired me to go above and beyond.”
On the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked NAS Kaneohe Bay before heading for Pearl Harbor Naval Station, killing 18 Marines and sailors and two civilian workers.
Through the efforts of the Kaneohe Klippers Association, the monument, engraved with the names of the deceased was made a permanent fixture on the lawn near the base flagpole on Dec. 2, 1981. The Kaneohe Klipper Association sends a wreath for the monument on the anniversary of the attacks.