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Home My WebLink AboutDRAFT MINUTES of 2026-09-10 VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE Thursday, September 10, 2026, 10:00 a.m. Zoom Video Conferencing and Kona Department of Parks and Recreation Office Members in attendance (via zoom) Michael Doolittle, Chair Marcia Brinkley, Vice-Chair Birk Billingsley, Member Isaac Nahakuelua, Member Wayne Nishijima, Member Reginald Alexander, Member Members in attendance at Department of Parks and Recreation Kona office (Via zoom) Antonio Gaspar, Member Minoru Hanato, Member Tom Wojszynski, Member (joined 10:05 a.m.) Melissa Samura, Department of Parks and Recreation Deputy Director (Ex-Officio) Jaye Dempsey, Department of Parks and Recreation Guests Kelcie Figueira, OVS (joined 10:15 a.m.) Also in attendance (via zoom) Amy Bautista, Veterans Advisory Committee Secretary J Yoshimoto, Department of Parks and Recreation Corporation Counsel Absent Edwin Guzman, Member Doreen Raymond, Member Chair M Doolittle: Confirmed have quorum. Call to Order Chair M Doolittle: Called meeting to order at 10:01 a.m. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC none ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES Chair M Doolittle: Introduced May 27, 2026 minutes. M Hanato moved to accept minutes. A Gaspar seconded the motion. All stated aye. Veterans Advisory Committee September 10, 2026 Page 2 OLD BUSINESS none NEW BUSINESS a. Report by Larry Nahelea on what American Legion Post No. 3 post is doing to raise awareness of veteran’s suicide. No report. Not present. b. Presentation by Marcia Brinkley on Camp V. M Brinkley: project in Tyler, Texas called CampV – Community Assisting Military Personnel and Veterans. Twenty acre, multi-building campus. Has VA benefit counselors, mental health counselling, direct financial assistance for veterans in crisis, employment and education support, housing and home health assistance, transportation help, recreation and peer support programs, woman center programs, caregiver support, self-defense classes, fitness center and equine therapy. They get money from the state and private donations. M Doolittle: looked like comprehensive one stop shop for anything a veteran needs. c. Proposal from Marcia Brinkley to send a letter to the Mayor requesting his support in recognizing veterans by placing signs, that recognize veterans and their service, in their honor along State and County highways on Hawaiʻi Island. M Brinkley: came up at American Legion Post 4 meeting. On a cross-country trip on the mainland, saw signs that mentioned veterans or thanked veterans for their service. Suggestion to look into supporting idea or putting together a group to make it happen. Soms signs on Maui and Oahu. Presented ideas for signage: Yano Memorial Drive, Okutsu Veterans Way, Camp Tarawa Memorial Highway, explanation on Daniel K Inouye Highway and Gilbert Kahele Recreational Area, WWII Armory, Honoka‘a Veterans Memorial, Waimea Airfield, Kona Civil Defense Area. Not something this committee could make happen unless form a committee to look into it further. Could maybe write letter to recommend to Mayor to support that effort. J Yoshimoto: could do either approach depending on what the committee wants to present to the Mayor: letter offering general ideas or ad hoc committee to work out details in specifics. For efficiency sake, letter to Mayor to present the idea and if there’s positive feedback, committee could look into more specifics. Veterans Advisory Committee September 10, 2026 Page 3 M Doolittle: where are we at on the Camp Tarawa exhibit at the Kona airport? M Brinkley: sticking point was getting the Mayor’s carpenter to make the display cabinet. West Hawai‘i Veterans Cemetery Expansion Committee had to give money back that was allocated for that from a council member because it was not expended in time. It is stalled. Are suggestion to add that in the letter to the Mayor? M Doolittle: seems like that would be appropriate if we want to complete that. T Wojszynski: sent you draft letter to send to the Mayor earlier this year. M Doolittle: did we send that to the Mayor? T Wojszynski: don’t know. Turned it over to you after sign and asked you to send to the Mayor. M Doolittle: I believe it did get sent. Haven’t seen any response from it. T Wojszynski: Marcy correct, lost funding. Agreed to send a letter to Mayor requesting the Mayor fund it and make that happen. If you could just follow up and see if he received it. M Doolittle: still a worthy thing to do. T Wojszynski: would love to join committee \[regarding signage\] if you want to chair that. M Brinkley: happy to do that. Motion to form an ad hoc committee to research possible sites for veterans signage along various highways and at memorial sites on Hawai‘i Island by M Brinkley. Seconded by T Wojszynski. M Doolittle: any other volunteers to join committee? M Brinkley: Dorreen would do it. Would have to ask her. No discussion. Collective ayes. REPORT ON CEMETERIES – STATE VETERANS ADVISORY BOARD a. Report from Department of Defense, Office of Veterans Services K Figueira: don’t have official update at this time. Director has been activated with the National Guard, been out of the office. If get update will forward to Amy and she can forward to you folks. Veterans Advisory Committee September 10, 2026 Page 4 b. Cemetery Audit Update – Parks & Recreation Director, Deputy Director or authorized designee. J Dempsey: large scale construction project out to bid to realign East Hawai‘i Veterans Cemetery II. Fund made available when Deputy Director of Veterans Affairs visited. Looking at updating rules on veterans cemeteries. M Doolittle: question on realignment, is that just the markers on the top or the graves themselves? J Dempsey: just the markers. Aligning in sections. Other part of project, contract will GPS and provide layout plan. Will end up with grave site layout plan. This project \[East Hawai‘i Veterans Cemetery II\] was on the book for a long time. T Wojszynski: there was discussion earlier this year about West Hawai‘i Veterans Cemetery running out of space for casketed burials. Have an updated audit of number of available casketed plots. Have sufficient in ground casketed burial plots for the future. Talked to State staff about requirements and desires, put requests in writing. Discussion on eastside committee like the West Hawai‘i Veterans Cemetery Expansion Committee. ANNOUNCEMENTS T Wojszynski: seeking fund for medal of honor memorial. Plan to break ground for that later this year. Memorial will have SFC Rodney Yano on it and room for others. On Memorial and Veterans days we place flags in the columbarium flower vases but those flags get blowen away in the wind. Have sourced a small flag holder that we will attach to the columbarium. Private donor will fund. th M Brinkley: since tomorrow is the 25 anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, there will be a ceremony at Pohakuloa Training Area at 9:00 a.m. not open to the public but anyone from veterans group welcomed. A Gaspar: this coming Saturday (9/12), American Legion Post 20 will have Adopt a Highway event. M Samura: wanted to thank Veterans Advisory Committee for all for the ceremonies you do. Have an updated application for facilities use. Need to be looped in early on additions to cemeteries, anything above ground to make sure proper approvals received. Veterans Advisory Committee September 10, 2026 Page 5 Discussion on liability insurance for community Veterans events. T Wojszynski: is this something we could take through County Council. What’s the likelihood of the County self-insuring those ceremonies that have been happening for the last decades? J Yoshimoto: as this is a concern, the committee is authorized to bring it to the attention of the Mayor. Wondering how other Veterans organizations handle insurance requirements? M Brinkley: no government agency will support with any kind of event insurance. The events that the cover on west Hawai‘i side are public events, versus meetings and that kind of thing, and blanket certificate of insurance covers for events as long as the host organization is part of association. th T Wojszynski: Waimea Fall Festival coming on Saturday, October 10. Coordinating two major static displays for that: MV 22 Osprey from the Marines and a UH-60 Black Hawk from Army National Guard. T Wojszynski: Government has approved psilocybin as the first psychedelic to be tested at certain VA centers around the country. If appropriate maybe we could advocate for that test to be extended to Hawai‘i. NEXT MEETING – November 18, 2026 ADJOURNMENT Motion to adjourn by M Brinkley. Seconded by T Wojszynski. No discussion. Collective ayes. Meeting adjourned 10:55 a.m. Summary of Veterans Advisory Committee meeting prepared by: Amy Bautista Veterans Advisory Committee, Secretary