The wait is over for a Waialua family who lost an island son in the Vietnam War. After 46 years, Airman Albert Kalahana Kuewa will receive the recognition he earned thanks to a friend who was there when he died. Benjamin Ishida fought in two wars in his lifetime. The first was in 1964 in Vietnam. The second lasted much longer: 46 years.
"I’d go down there to Punchbowl and tell my friend I say, eh you know before I die, I going figure this thing out," said Ishida.
For nearly five decades Ishida has fought for his shipmate and friend Airman Albert Kuewa who was killed on September 18, 1964 on the U.S.S. Ranger. Kuewa was a large man who stood above everyone at Waialua High School. By the time he went to war he was 6-5 and 270 pounds. Ishida grew up with the giant Hawaiian and served with him on the USS Ranger. Ishida was on the crash crew, Kuewa on the flight deck the day he died.
"When I looked on the ground I mean, eh you don’t believe what you saw," recalls Ishida.
Ishida brought his friend home. But several years later learned the Department of Defense did not recognize Kuewa as a casualty of war.
"If I knew when I brought his body home, if I knew they didn’t consider a Vietnam casualty when they sent me back to the carrier, I could have got it straighten out but I didn’t know," said Ishida.
Instead, the carrier’s log stated he died after walking into a plane’s propeller while the carrier was idle.
"All is calm nothing is going on and I go - what a lie," said Ishida of the log’s entry. Turns out there were two logs and their mission was classified. "My other friend said eh get two log books get the real log book and the one that they want people to know. Nobody knew what we were doing."
Ishida insisted his friend was struck by a moving plane while in support of combat missions in North Vietnam. The U.S. Navy said otherwise.
"They said ah, you couldn’t be attacking them, couldn’t be striking," said Ishida. "I said no we were loading on bombs and we were dropping them. We were striking from 12 noon to 12 midnight, every night, everyday."
Ishida would deliver on his promise but not before years of research and letters to the Department of the Navy, the Department of Defense and Sen. Daniel Akaka.
"This is the one we got and it said we were on DeSoto patrol," he said. It was part of the proof he needed that showed Airman Kuewa was killed in a combat zone.
"I guess the right word for him is relentless he kept going," said Grace Kuewa, the sister of Albert Kuewa. "He did it and we’re grateful to him."
The U.S. Navy recommended Kuewa’s name be added to the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. and on September 21, 2011 the DOD approved, 46 years and 3 days after his death. Kuewa’s name will be inscribed in time for Memorial Day 2012.
"Long time," said Ishida. "I so happy that they thing happen while I’m still living."
A bronze flower vase now sits at Kuewa’s gravesite with a heartfelt message from his brother in war.
"46 years, too long," said Ishida.
"Finally now we can rest in peace," said Grace Kuewa.
Billie Gabriel, the sister of another Vietnam War who was killed in combat, continues to search for 180 more photos of our island sons and heroes that were killed in action in the Vietnam War. According to Gabriel 312 Hawaii products were killed in the Vietnam conflict. If you have any questions or photos you’d like to share, contact Gabriel at 497-7264
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
