Pete

                  Pete
His given name was Sidney, but we all knew him as Pete. He would sometimes answer his phone with "Seal World Headquarters."
Pete, like countless other American men, enlisted in the Army, soon after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. I believe that he was under-age too. After Basic Training he was sent to Guadalcanal.

Guadalcanal is an island in the Solomon Islands. The Japanese were building an air strip. The battle for control of the island took place between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943. Marines supported by the Army captured the island. This was the start of the Allied offensive in the Pacific.Pete once spoke of seeing trenches full of dead Japanese. His job was to communicate with aircraft. He never said anything more about Guadalcanal. Where he went next, I have no idea.

I do know that he was in Tokyo when the war ended. He was passing a building when he saw the blade of an aircraft propeller on display. There was some writing on it, and Pete assumed it had something to do with aircraft production. He took a fancy to it, and had it shipped home as a war trophy. Many G.I.'s did that in both theaters of the war.

Now I want you to fast forward to just a few years ago, when the new Aviation Museum of the Pacific opened on Ford Island. Pete donated his Japanese propeller blade. He visited the museum only to discover that it was not on display, but was in some guy's office. Pete was very angry, and demanded its return. I saw it in his apartment.

When the war ended Pete remained in what became a separate service,the U.S. Air Force. Pete continued serving during Korea, and Vietnam. What he did I have no clue. He retired as a Chief Master Sergeant.

During his retirement he became fast friends and buddies with retired  Lt.Col. Paul Schmitz. They lived together in the Waipuna condo for some twelve years. When Paul married his second wife Donna, the two continued to be best buddies. The three of them went to Europe, with Pete acting as their driver. Pete said that  one time he  took a wrong turn and they spent fifteen minutes in Switzerland.

 Sometime earlier Pete had purchased a four-seat airplane. He always said it was the worst mistake he had ever made. This was because he either loaned his plane or rented it, and the plane was crashed. Pete was forced to move out of the Waipuna.  He later moved into the Villa on Eaton Square.

Pete and Paul were members of our group  called the "Tribe." Members of our tribe make trips to and from the airport in support of each other. Birthdays and holidays are all celebrated together. Both Pete and Paul were generous, always bringing bottles of champagne. Paul would loan his car, and Pete would often pick up the check when at the Smoke House, the local bar. When Pete broke his ankle for the second time, and was reduced to using a walker, he would insist on throwing it up the steep steps and pull himself up to it. We were always ready to catch him.

His best friend, Paul, came to realize that his health was failing and decided to move in with Helen, his friend from long ago in California.  When Paul moved to California,Pete lost his best buddy. He began hanging out at the Hickham golf course, often three days a week. He was looked after by Bobbie, who worked at the bar.  He felt at home there. He told me that he planned to move to housing at Hickham. And he did just that, and then regretted his move. He said "It was too large to care for." He was making plans to return to the Villa.

Teena and I had Pete over for dinner many times, with Paul for a long time, and also Pat, another friend who lived in Discovery Bay until she moved to Arizona, and then after Paul moved, Pete came by himself.  The two of them could really tell the stories and were very full of fun. Teena and I were in Arizona  and did not learn of his death until our return. We informed members of the "Tribe," and the people at the Smoke House bar.

All of us who knew Pete wish that if golf is played in Heaven, that he will at last make a hole-in-one. Aloha Pete