Aloha 24th Infantry Division monument
Army veterans honored in Hawaii
by JESSICA L. FINCH Amherst Associate Editor

The culmination of a multiyear effort will take place today with the unveiling of the 24th Infantry Division memorial at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii.

Commonly known as the Punchbowl, the site is now home to a 1,700-pound granite memorial honoring the Army division that had troops who fought in World War II, the Korean War and the Gulf War.

Amherst resident Salvatore Schillaci and Getzville resident Kenneth Fentner, Korean War veterans, both served on the committee that made the July 25 dedication possible.

"The journey has been long and arduous but if not the war, then at least the warriors will at last be remembered," Schillaci said.

A member of a reconnaissance outfit, Schillaci said his responsibility was to be the eyes of the troop. He would feel out the enemy, learning its strengths and weaknesses.

He speaks highly of the men he served with, wearing a charm around his neck given to him by a comrade shortly before the individual died in the war.

"These were the people who you had to trust, depend on more than anyone else," he said. "And they had to feel the same about you, to protect each other," he said.

Those feelings run deep, and strong bonds are formed, he said. That is the basis for the committee's push to see the memorial become a reality.

Finding companies willing to donate materials and time was not always easy. But for those who did, the members are very grateful, Schillaci said.

Rock of Ages Quarry in Vermont agreed to assist with the monument, and the plaque was added by Art Stone Memorial Co. Inc. in Lackawanna.

DHL Global shipping company donated space in a truck that went from Buffalo to California where the large monument was placed on a ship to Hawaii.

The memorial was unveiled on Jan. 24 at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens before it was shipped.

The permanent placement of the "Victory Divisions's" monument in Hawaii will be another form of victory for the committee.

The Punchbowl marks the final resting place for 44,000 soldiers killed in World War II and the Korea and Vietnam conflicts.

While other monuments have been named for units that make up the 24th Infantry Division, this is the first recognizing the "big father division," Schillaci explained.

The dedication was expected to be attended by members around the country who were part of the 24th Infantry Division.

It was a process that took three years, and prior to his departure for Hawaii last week, Schillaci said it was rewarding to know it has finally come to a conclusion.