Sup Cleigh. Na dis not haole koa. Dis da one we used to tro at each uda in da wata. Buga was about round like AA battery and maybe 9 inch long. Float jus below da surface. Green, almost shape like J or fish hook. We wen tro um fa bra, you no can tro haole koa seed dat fa. I tink dey mus hav drif out of Pearl Harber like da tar. If I rememba rite I tink dey grow in dat salt wata or very close to it. Neva did see it inland. I tink it came from Chocolate beach side or West Lock. Wen we wen tro um in da wata, dey would sink and den slowly come back up an float nose down. Had so much in da water dat time. Had plenty on da beach. I no see um no moa. Neva nu wat dey were, only toy wen surfing…Brudda Paul…
Eh ya. Rememba da raft, between Albert Gandalls house and Empty Lot. Used to float up and down but neva went anywhere. I tink da sand wen bury um but somebody said dey wen tow um away later. If not mus still be unda da sand. Da sand deep enof now days. Cleigh, your wall was above our heads before, now its only bout 4 inch above da sand. Naky,s wall was easy 10 to 12 feet. You could see da rocks at da bootum under da cement. Now its about 2 feet above da sand. But wen you look at da coral by da shore break no look too much different den da old days. But high tide good swell water slill come down da beach path. Da beach path side your wall used to be at least 4 or 5 feet above da sand. Now no can even see da wall. Rememba we camp out on da corner of da wall cause next morning tide wave coming. Neva like miss da surf. Neva did miss da surf, miss lota school, but neva Ewa missed da surf.
Those seeds were from mangrove trees. Probably from Pearl Harbor. We used to have them all the way down at shark country.
Interesting that the sand is filled in down at Lots. At shark country, sandtracks and johns there’s a lot less sand. It used to fill in at sharkcountry starting about November, then go away around March. The rocky shoreline which is at least 5 feet high would be covered by the sand.
Too bad we had our little private beach at shark country. I might have spent more time down at the lots side. Sounds like you guys had quite a nice world down there. I stopped going there around 1972 or so. Very much like on our side.
Our beach houses are gone, soon to be a public park for all the people rich enough to buy one of the new homes.
Anyone know what happened to Sterling Eltagonde? We went to Kamehameha, but after that I heven’t seen him. He was a good baseball player.
Harry! Youre rite about the mangrove trees. Contact Cal concerning Sterling. They were at Kamehameha together. His Tutu kane, Uncle Joe would come and sit in front of our patio sliding door to watch the ocean and his mo’opuna almost everyday. Really nice Hawaiian man. Mai poina au i keia la, Fond memories.
Cleigh
Harry! Youre rite about the mangrove trees. Contact Cal concerning Sterling. They were at Kamehameha together. His Tutu kane, Uncle Joe would come and sit in front of our patio sliding door to watch the ocean and his mo’opuna almost everyday. Really nice Hawaiian man. Mai poina au i keia la, Fond memories.
Cleigh
Hi Cleigh,
I remember his grandparents too. We grew up playing little league baseball, then he went to Kamehameha one year ahead of me. Bruce Spencer, David Ontai and Sterling were the Ewa Beach KS '75 boys I knew. Bruce and David lived in Leeward Estates where I lived, and Sterling lived down by the Catholic Church on Ft. Weaver Rd. I think Bruce’s older sister was in Cal’s class at KS. We all played baseball from T-ball on through till we went to KS. I went to Ewa Beach Elem. from 2nd grade then to KS from 7th. We only knew the kids who went to Pohakea and Campbell through little league baseball or the beach. Wasn’t there another name for the intermediate school in the 70’s?
Bruce and David are 2 more EB boys you don’t mess with. Last time I saw Bruce, he was a guard at OCCC or Halawa, and living in Waikiki. David still lives in Leeward Estates, and his mom still lives down the street from my mom.
Funny how my dad didn’t want to have his house right on the water. My grandfather worked for the Army Corps of Engineers, and built and rebuilt most of the harbors in Hawaii. He took my dad over to Hilo in '46 ? after the tidal wave destroyed Hilo. Plus anyone living on the beach knows how hard the salt spray is on everything. When the Leeward Estates houses were built they were in the Tidal wave safe zone. I think all of the other homes are not.
Harry! I remember Ewa Beach Elementary and had Ewa School. I stressing trying to remember the middle school. Hilo, my dads family moved their as my Tuitu wahine was Kahu @ Haile Church. Dad would tell us stories of people sitting on their roofs being taken out to sea by the tidal wave. Said couldn’t do nothing but watch. Quite horrific! That is way nothing is built on Hilo front today. Everything is pushed back.
Cleigh
I was lucky to see Ewa Beach before they added the housing along Ft Weaver Rd. just before it meets with Pohakupuna, before Ewa Estates was built. I was too young when we first left for Europe in '61 to remember things, but I’m sure it was different then when we got back in '65. Dad was going out there from about 1939-40, and he said the road was very rough and slow going.
Does anyone remember the name of the community across the channel? My dad had classmates at Kapalama and at KS who were from there before the military took over and moved everyone out.
I tink Sterling wen go Fire Depatnent or Mailman Eta was Chad or Sterling. Neva see eta of dem in ova ten yeas. And yes I tink it was Mangrove seeds too. I goin look um up just to see. Sharkcountry you mus have lived nex to Rino. Rememba the wooden towers bout haf way down Hau bush road toward da O Beach fence. We used to climb um. Kenny Kohler wen bus himseif up wen one wen fall apart on him. Rem Butch and Kenny Kolher. Dey was from Ewa wit Ann Duncan and Jock Mayer dem. I tink dat was before da shopping center went up. Only had Tananka Store and Beach Corner, neva had Leeward Estates dat time. Afta you wen pas by da Golf Coarse side witch was cane dat time only had Keawe bushes. Or maybe was jus about da time dey wen open Barnys. Eh, remeba Da Surf Shack, afta Barny Silvas Grand Mother pasted away, he wen make a surfboard shop in her old house by da beach next to Silva’s Store. Barny, Louie, Lesta Boy. What about da flume behind Ewa Hospital? Swim under da rotten woods an go by da cold wata and grab da chicks. Float across Fort Weaver Road in da flume. Da cock fights in da cane feilds in Ewa? What about da tower firehouse side of North Road? Tink it was air raid or tsunami horn up der. Was mor high den da ones down Hau Bush Road. Paddling around OB fence to surf and letting the MPs fumble aroud trying to catch you? O Beach had good days wen was big. Da MPs try come out and get you, but dat was der mistake, so sometimes dey wait fo you to loose your board. Wasted der time. No leash den but could still get board before dem. Gumbies. We neva broke noting, we only wen like surf. How come you guys can come surf our beach but we no can surf yours? Not fair right? Rememba da teen club jus inside da back gate. So many times we jump da fence an go inside, den dey call MPs to get you out. We used to fight um ever time den jump back over da fence. Not fair, dey can come to our dance but we no could come to ders. Kina stupid but good adventures. Dey even had roller skate rink in der. I had a sponser and went one time. My Dad worked Fire Department in der Fed Fire Department, but still I no could go. Funny kind yea? We got aressted one time in Kapart Housing for cruising around looking for surf. I tink was me, Naky, Antony, and Philip English. Da Probost Marshall wen flip because he was on a high stand above us and Philip was just skateboarding back and forth across da room. Da guy was so pissed off but he could not relate to us. We took our boards back and went home. Nobody wen follow us. Philip English was Hanai from Franky ,Denny Louie, and Danny Maria’s family in Ewa, Naky’s cousins. Most anytime I wen go swim in da flume in Ewa. I always would see Toshi or Randy Goto. Da wata was so clean and good and cold. Jus like you wen be reborn. No moa dat now I bet. Wat I have seen cannot be duplicated but only preserved in memory. …Bradda Paul…
E Bradda Cleigh. Memba your Dad towing us just inside the outside reef. He towed us from yu guys boat on a rope to us on da surfboards. We wen skee like skeeing unless yu wen pearl dive, den it was instant bumma. We wen try to get up to da nose and hang ten. But zap,we was under wata. Oh well, try again. Your Dad spent a lot of time with us and I wish I could tell Him how much I apprciated it all. He gave us so much. Paul
Harry! That community was called Damon Tract. Later plenty of them moved to Halawa Housing. More ecomonically adjusted ones moved to windward side. I attended Kapalama ffom 54-60 and KS 60-68. I remmeber going to our aina to camp out with my family during the 50’s. We would leave like 6:00am took at least 2-3 hrs if you never stop anywhere. Use to stop at the fresh water pond in the back road by where the elementary school is now just before Pearl Ridge. Then another stop at the junction leaving Waipahu turnoff to Honouliuli and pickup watermelons from the green truck vendor who use to park there. When my dad starting building our house in 56-57 ( we had one shack to stay in like the ones at SC) he would go to Damon Tract ( they were slowly tearing it down) for lumber , window frame etc. for our new house. Was some precious times. Both Mom and Dad witnessed the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Mom lived in Puuloa during the 20’s -30’s with her great great Kupuna Kealoha. Kaahupahao is in fact our family aumakua. On my fathers side, his parents as well as his two oldest siblings were born in the Kingdom Of Hawaii. My two uncles were DOB 1892-1893. They went thru the Provisional Gov., The Republic, Th Terrtory of Hawaii, and later the State of Hawaii. Kinda awesome when you think about it yeah.Myself and Baby Boomers expereince TH and Statehood. Time for us to Ku’e and prepare for Gods Kingdom here so can experience our Nationhood again.
Cleigh
Hi Cleigh, my grandparents were also born in the Kingdom of Hawaii. Grandpa Aina Alama was KS '09 and his older brother David was KS '06.
My dad said that area across the channel from Puuloa where Hickam is now used to be called Watertown. His classmate Ellen Miller’s family lived there until the gov’t. decided they wanted it.
My grandfather lived in military housing at Hickam in 1941. My dad (KS '41) worked at Pearl Harbor as an apprentice machinist and lived with them. They were woken up that Sunday morning by the bombing. Luckily the area where their housing was didn’t get bombed.
I think Damon Tract is closer to Keehi Lagoon. Some of my grandfather’s family worked for old man Damon, so we have a connection to that area. My Dad’s uncle and his uncle’s father were Damon’s drivers going back to the days of the horse and carriage. Mom said that when she met my father they would go see his uncle Tommy Chong at Moanalua. He lived about where the intersection of Radford Dr and Puuloa Rd are now. Back then in the mid 50’s the area was still taro ponds and wetlands and it looked like the Pagoda restaurant or Willows with the walkways and huts built over the water.
Salt lake was a big fish pond and when it rained hard the fish would be swept through a tunnel that ended up on the Moanalua side. Lots of times they would be flopping around in my dad’s uncle’s yard and people would come over and grab them. The chinese man who owned Salt Lake would get all pissed off.
Not sure how accurate the story is, but my great grandfather Gustave Cordes was supposedly in the Royal Mounted Guard. After the overthrow they disbanded the guard, and he moved to the west side settling where Nanakuli Beach park is today. He stayed out on that side, and died in the '20s. He always had horses and used them to clear the land of trees. My uncle said he was on his horse when he collapsed and later died. The Cordes family roots are Nanakuli and Lualualei, but the Hawaiian side is originally from Kauai and relatives of the Kahalewai family. The Alama family moved from Hana Maui to Oahu and settled in Kalihi, the hawaiian side is the Iokea family originally from the big island then Maui. My grand father was born in Hana.
I have a friend who lives on Makule Rd and he was living there when Pearl Harbor was bombed. He was a kid, but he’s probably in his late 70’s or older now. We worked at KHON-TV in the 70’s and 80’s. His name is Sho Yasui, and they live across from Campbell HS, just a few houses down from where the business buildings were on the end of Makule and Ft Weaver road. I remember as a kid Makule Rd was still undeveloped down on the end by Pohakupuna Rd. We always thought the old building down there was haunted. I think that was all owned by the Mitsuyasus.
Howzit Paul. Was that raft over by Jimi Ha's? I kinda remember something being out there.
When I left Hawaii and lived in Florida, I saw the mangrove seeds floating in the water and it blew my mind! I didn't know that those things were anywhere but Hawaii. It didn't take long to realize there were thousands of acres on mangroves in the area of Florida we lived in, and now huge areas in Indonesia too. Guess those seeds travel currents all over the world. But every time I see them I think of Ewa Beach, throwing them at friends in-between sets. Ha!
Hey guys I remember my dad’s freind Moses Kaliikane live in Damon Track. We used to go there weekly and visit. The old road maybe gone now but it was the bent road going into the back gate of Hickum, or maybe one Ewa side of that. Weird that his name has stuck in my mind sence I was a baby. I still remember stitting on his portch. Going towards the airport, at the fire station was CHA 3 and NHA 3 and the Damon track. After that was the old airport. Rememba you go down lagoon drive and you go in the ocean side of what looked like a barn. Out the other side of the barn was the plane. No jets dat time. Only propellers. My Dad took da family to visit mainland relatives once. We left to California on da Learline. Went on train to Michigan. Went in car to Florida and then to California in da car. Then we came back to Hawaii on da plane. He said we wen use boat, train, car and plane. Sterling dem live almost behind me. Fort Weaver Road side behind Norman Nauka. Norman lived one house toward the park across from Cleigh. I still live two houses past Normans. Had one empty lot between Norman and me. But Fort Weaver Road side between us was Peewe and Polo.Nowdays the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center is is across the street for Sterlings house mountain side of Fort Weaver Road. Rememba had one otta wooden tower across da streel from Gilly Silva’s house. Rememba the Learline used to dock by Aloha Tower. Guys used to dive for money there cause people would throw cions in da wata. I wen dive for da money one time but neva get nothing. Da water der no dat deep but too much guys and too little money. And den I rememba sitting on da wall in front Jimmy Ha’s Store talking to him about da war. He describe to me how the Japanese planes came down Ewa Beach Road tree to high lining up with Pearl Harbor. He said he sat on his wall and watched them as they lined up coming down the road. Warren Kono’s house in Honouliuli still get bullet holes from the sentery posted above his house by the corner wen da sentery got nervous night time. Anyway going hele on. May be back maybe not. Latas braddas. …Paul…
Howzit Mike. Da raft was right next to empty lot, one house toward the park. Was about 20 ft by 8 ft. Bout three foot tall. Had tires on da sides. Wen float high tide and settle low tide. But neva wen go anywhere. Later da sand wen bury um more and more. Das why I wonder if stay unda da sand or if da bugga gone. Da house there was abandoned but the next house toward the park was Albert Gandall later to become the AhSings. West side of Empty Lot was Mike Shambrella and road side was Linda DeCosta. Acroos Ewa Beach Road from them was an empty lot with Ralph Moniz"s family on da Fort Weaver Road side. One house toward the park side had the old tree. We used to call it hangmans tree. Ledgend had it someone was hung from the tree. But you could see over Empty Lot from it. We used to climb it daytime and night time to see if it was for real. Neva saw noting, but who knows? I live about 14 houses afta Franky Shambrella’s and one day Naky said I no could hit his car which was parked on da road with a marble from my sling shot. Stupid but I wen chance um. Sugi rubba keawe handle homade I wen pull way back shoot high in da air and bust his rear window first crack. Nothing personal. Just a chalendge. Naky wen sqeal on me and I wen pat 250 dollars to fix da window. Dats OK I was wrong, Franky was and still is my freind. Was just one chalendge. I neva really tink I could hit um. We used to shoot cracka balls at da cars going down Ewa Beach Road if you never knew da guys. One night I wen shoot da Police car and he wen slow down but neva see me. So i went down da pathway to Fort Weaver road side and shot him agian. Neva could catch me on da road. One time I was at Herb’s house. Had my Yamaha 175. Had carberator problems so wen test ride up and down EBR. Going toward Silva’s Store da cop came up da road. I wen u turn and run. I went one telephone lenght and stall. He wen come up on my rear fender.Then my carb wen fill up again an I wen pull ahead. He wen chase but again my carb ran out of gas so he wen come up on me again. So I wen go down the pathway to fort weaver side and go park da bike at Anthony Garcias’ house. den go out to da road and hitch a ride back to Herb’s house. Da cop went aroud and aroud da block looking at me standing in Herb"s front yard but neva see da bike. He neva bodda , jus wen go bach where he came from. Oh well, sometimes you win. …Paul…
E Paul wea dat crazy guy naky stay? I think small kid time til maybe 6-7 grade I must of pound him countless times. Finally stoped in middle school cause I figured he was one spoiled kid and jus got tired of his actions and knew he wasn’t going do anything. Funny how he used to threatened me all the time.But we was kids so I forgave him. Remember his madas hula studio? Nuts, he would drive his father crazy , who was really one nice man.
Laydas Cleigh
E Paul wea dat crazy guy naky stay? I think small kid time til maybe 6-7 grade I must of pound him countless times. Finally stoped in middle school cause I figured he was one spoiled kid and jus got tired of his actions and knew he wasn’t going do anything. Funny how he used to threatened me all the time.But we was kids so I forgave him. Remember his madas hula studio? Nuts, he would drive his father crazy , who was really one nice man.
Laydas Cleigh
Harry! Your Grandparents would have been at KS with my uncles. My grandparents never attended KS, but most of their keiki did. There was no KS when they were in school. my 1st cousins graduated 44,46, 47,48,49,51,53, then myself in 68, Cal in 73, my son in 98, Cals daughter in 99, my yougest daughter in 2004. I remember my dad used to show the bombing of Pearl Harbor outside using a sheet and 16mm reel to reel. He would invite all the neighbors and do it out side in our garage. Remember going to Ewa on Friday nights to watch free samuari movies. Blankets, PJ, mosquito punk reverse the car drop the tail gate and watch movies with english sub-titles.
Cleigh
Eh Cleigh, rememba dis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83Y2hv-3UCM&feature=relatedm
Take the clothes off the clothe line. Canefires burning. The heat from the fires coming down Fort Weaver Road. Turning on the headlights to see the way. The orange skies at night, the darkness in the middle of the day. The sweet smell in the air. The swirling twisted burnt leaves falling from the sky. A bummer then but oh how I would like to see them again. Cane spyders, did’nt like them, glad not to put up with them anymore, but miss them. Mongoose, neva bodda nothing, but rare to see anymore.