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Hawaii Five No
There is a controversy surrounding the filming for the popular TV show Hawaii Five-O. Ordinarily most people in the Tea Party movement do not care about what goes on in the entertainment industry. This controversy is one that does merit our attention.
What is it?
Last week, a special group of Americans made a trip to Hawaii. This was not their first trip to Hawaii. In fact, the first time all of these men were together in Hawaii was on December 7th, 1941.
Last week, these men and some of their families were back in Hawaii again for the 70th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. Today, less than ten percent of those who served during World War II are still alive.
For the men who made this trip, there was also another tacit acknowledgement. This would be their last trip. The average age of a Pearl Harbor is in the early nineties. In fact, there are now so few Pearl Harbor survivors left that the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association is disbanding at the end of the month.
On December 9th, 24 Pacific veterans, including 23 Pearl Harbor survivors were taken to the National Cemetery of the Pacific for a memorial ceremony honoring those who fell during the attack on Pearl Harbor and those who fell during the Pacific campaign.
While the men were at the cemetery, the TV show Hawaii Five-O was filming at the cemetery. As the National Anthem was played and the ceremony went on, the CBS production crew was filming. At first they told the veterans and their families to hush, then repeatedly pushed them back and finally told them to hurry up. As the veterans were laying roses on the graves of their fallen comrades, a production employee walked through the middle of the ceremony telling them to hurry up.
Perhaps the ultimate insult came at the end, when someone with the veterans group asked if one of the cast members of Hawaii Five-O could come over and say hello to the group. The production crew refused.
These World War II vets are a tough bunch. They went through the first depression and then the Second World War. I can guarantee you they did not let this incident ruin their trip, though some of their family members might feel differently.
Unfortunately, the attitude shown by the production crew is far too common in the entertainment industry.
We all owe those men and women who served in the Second World War a debt we cannot repay.
World War II veterans are rapidly leaving us. My father served in Europe under General George Patton. He passed away in 2008. Both of my uncles served in the Navy in World War II. They are both gone as well.
CBS has issued a carefully nuanced statement claiming they would look into the incident and throwing out some boilerplate language about how they respect the veterans of World War II
Those 24 veterans will never go back to the place that changed their lives and changed history again. By the time December 7, 2012 comes around, age will have claimed even more of them. If CBS were really sorry, it would be nice of them to do something other than issue a meaningless statement.
If CBS is really sorry, perhaps they can come up with something more appropriate to show respect for some men who helped save this country. If CBS is going to do something, do it quickly, while these men are still here to appreciate it.
See the Story from Hawaii News Now, here.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Debrajoe Smith-Beatty on -
Thanks for this story.
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Permalink Reply by Volunteer Patriot on
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The veterans job during WWII was to defeat their foes and protect their country from enemies both foreign and domestic. The more things change, the more they stay the same!
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Permalink Reply by Laila Poole on -
This is disgusting, although not surprising! Hollywood is so self-centered and self-serving that it would not even occur to them who they had in their midst. My grandfather was a Pearl Harbor survivor. He's been gone for 10 years now. These veterans deserved much more respect than they got. However, this was CBS, so we shouldn't be too surprised.
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Permalink Reply by Vern Shotwell on -
By the title, I thought perhaps Hawaii Five O was looking for a Birth Certificate or something!
But No, just the liberal Left, doing what the the liberal left does.....It's CBS, after all.
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Permalink Reply by Thomas Angle on
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This is no surprise, this attitude was allowed to go on for sometime now. Maybe if the protesters in the 60's and 70's that burned ROTC buildings, cities and threw dog crap at returning soldiers where treated as the traitors they where. Things like this may not be happening now. Maybe it is time to start smashing some heads when things like this happen.
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Permalink Reply by Heartland Conservative on
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As a Viet Vet I remember coming home also, I was spit on, yelled at etc, at LAX, and ORD. I also remember the students who were shot at Bowling Green when they went out of control again. It seems, if memory serves, that there were no more burnings or demonstrations out of control after those students were shot? Am I correct in my memory? I certainly am not supporting the shooting of demonstators, but sometimes a good slap in the face brings reality back to some people.
Semper Fi
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Permalink Reply by Thomas Angle on
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It was Kent State and I do believe the demonstrations calmed down dramatically.
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Permalink Reply by VernonC on -
Heartland conservative, why didn't you retaliate if you were actually spit on or yelled at by ragged long-haired punks and their flower child quiffs? I'm a Korean era veteran, I can't imagine any of my era's military returnees sitting still for insults of that nature. You were young and strong and back from a war, I'm guessing you are well past middle age and wouldn't take that now, why then? Go to the VFW or the Legion and listen to the tales, every man a fighter ready for fisticuffs over the smallest slight and ask them if they were pacifists at airport stops on their return. Jeez, most are ready to fight among themselves after a few drinks and traded insults.
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Permalink Reply by Theodore R. Pfrimmer on
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I agree with you. There are a lot of heads in Hollwood that could use a good bashing. It might put some sense in a few heads. This could also apply to most of the media. By the way I am a veteran of WWII. Served 37 1/2 months in Army Air Forces. Never got out of the USA, due to having only one eye.
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Permalink Reply by VernonC on
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Thomas, did you ever consider the terrible irony of those 60s 70s protesters claiming to protest against the war and then disrespecting the returning soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. The media, of course, never mentioned that aspect. Another terrible irony is the number of today's politicians and social leaders that rose from that squalid bunch, Hillary Clinton and others, even John Kerry who was a Vietnam veteran, the stink of corruption still exists. Bill Clinton, a draft dodger that loathed the military, is another example, and he is beloved by liberals and the media. William Ayers, a proud terrorist, is an honored academic and is given much credit for the rise of the usurper Barack Obama. The rise of these terrible opportunists came from their actions against the people and culture of America almost 50 years ago----and they are not done yet as they believe their idea of a socialist society will succeed although it has failed miserably wherever it has come into being.
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Permalink Reply by Steve Wagner on -
Sometimes, that's the only way some will learn about respect....
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Permalink Reply by james stamulis on -
world war two vets are ny far the greatest generation in my opinion. god bless them all.
© 2012 Created by Judson Phillips.
