The decision to invite Stryker vehicles to a Hilo Veterans Day parade is stirring up a military-grade headache. The third annual parade begins at 10 a.m. today and runs through downtown Hilo, featuring seven bands, veterans of all wars from World War II to the present, and a flyover by a Black Hawk helicopter.
The featured veterans this year served in the military intelligence service of the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment during World War II. Hawaii's most recent veterans, comprising the 299th Cavalry Army National Guard, which recently returned from Iraq, will also be honored.
It's one of the bigger parades of the year, with some 50 units proceeding at a stately pace through Hilo's usual parade route. Estimates for participation range between 800 and 1,000 people.
But all of that is being overshadowed by a controversy over Stryker combat vehicles that have been invited.
Organizers hoped to keep word of the vehicles a secret from peace activists like Jim Albertini of the Malu Aina Center for Non-Violent Education and Action, in an attempt to ward off conflict.
Albertini found out anyway, and on Sunday wrote an open letter to Lt. Col. Warline Richardson of Pohakuloa Training Area, asking that the vehicles be kept out of the parade.
Albertini says he's concerned that the presence of the vehicles "glorifies war" under the guise of honoring veterans. He's also raised concerns that the Strykers, which are involved in training exercises at Pohakuloa, could be contaminated with depleted uranium and may pose a health risk to citizens. FULL STORY
