HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0379.012 2024-2026P / counct I
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From: Jim Albertini
Sent: Monday, August 4, 2025 8:34 PM
To: Council Testimony o r,
Subject: Testimony in support of Resolution 235-25 Draft 2 on Hiroshima/NagasAr CD,
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August 4, 2025
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Aloha Hawaii County Council members,
Our organization says Mahalo, and stands in strong support of Resolution 235-25 Draft 2
acknowledging the 80th anniversaries of the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki and reaffirming a commitment to Peace. Aug. 6 and Aug 9,1945, mark tragic
days in history where more than 200,000 people were killed, and many more injured by
US atomic bombs. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki should never have
taken place and must never be repeated anywhere.
Here is an important historical point for the record. Seven of the United States' five-star
officers who received their final star in World War II or just after — Generals MacArthur,
Eisenhower, and Arnold, and Admirals Leahy, King, Nimitz, and Halsey— in 1945
rejected the idea that the atomic bombs were needed to end the war. The Chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral William D. Leahy said angrily in 1949 that Truman had
assured him only military targets would be nuked, not civilians. "The use of this
barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war
against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender," Leahy said.
https://worLdbeyondwar.org/no-nuking-cities-did-not-save-Lives/
I am grateful for the County's Resolution's resolves to "championing peace, nuclear
disarmament, non-proliferation, and the resolution of conflict through diplomacy and
mutual respect; to continue to support public education, cultural exchange, and community
remembrance events in peacebuilding initiatives; and urges citizens and institutions to reflect on the
Lessons of 1945, recommit to tolerance, justice, and reconciliation, and reject the use and proliferation
of nuclear weapons."
All of the resolution resolves are important points. I would just like to add a few points
for all of us to consider as we move forward in our commitment to peace and live aloha.
Let us remember that Hawaii is the most militarized state in the
US and one of the most militarized places in the world. How does
this square with the Spirit of Aloha and a "Commitment to
Peace?" According to the State of Hawaii Data Book 2023, the
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current number of military installations in Hawaii is 129.
http://dbedt.hawaii.gov/ I should also add that there are more
than 300 Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) scattered across
the Hawaiian Islands, many with Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) and
military toxins in need of clean
up. https://www.civiLbeat.org!2025/06/hawaii-needs-new-tech-
to-clean-up-old-bombs/
The largest military installation in Hawaii is what's called the
"Premier Training Area of the Pacific" and its located right here on
Hawaii Island. Any "Commitment to Peace" in Hawaii County
should include a call to shut down the military 133,000-acre
Pohakuloa Training Area for War (including Nuclear war) in,the
center of our island home. Please, let us make that part of our
commitment to Peace as we go forward. And please make sure
we require the military to clean up its UXO and toxic mess (at a
cost of tens (perhaps hundreds) of $BILLIONs) before they return
the stolen land to the Hawaiian people.
Mahalo.
Jim Albertini
President of Malu'Aina
Jim Albertini Malu 'Aina Center For Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box 489 Ola'a
(Kurtistown) Hawai'i 96760
Phone 808-966-7622 Email la@malu-aina.orq Visit us on the web at www.malu-aina.orq
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