Area Welders Apply Their Skills To Protect Marines
By MidWeek Staff
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Naval shipyard welders are at a Marine base in Georgia to
reinforce vehicles like these for battle in Iraq. Among them
are Pearl Harbor’s Michael Pascual and Gary Kalilikane
(second and third from left) and Peter Hauanio (in white).
Maj. Gen. Willie Williams, commanding general, stands at
center in fatigues. Photo from U.S. Marine Corps.
Three Pearl Harbor welders from Central Oahu volunteered for a rush job in Georgia last August, and they are still there - helping to prepare U.S. Marine vehicles for safer combat duty in Iraq.
Civilians Mike Pascual of Whitmore Village, Peter Hauanio of Mililani and Samuel Ikeda of Wahiawa are at the Marine Maintenance Center Albany modifying light armored vehicles (LAVs) and Humvees for protective armor. They and Kaimuki welder Gary Kalilikane are Hawaii’s contingent on a 10-man team that has been working nonstop since Aug. 21. (The job was extended to Dec. 22, and Ikeda has replaced Kalilikane.)
“We were challenged to quickly find a group of qualified welders,” explained a grateful Maj. Gen. Willie Williams. They alerted all four naval shipyards, he said, and 10 workers responded. “These skilled artisans immediately passed the weeklong certification requirements and went to work,” he said as he praised their attitude and professionalism.
“It’s a lot of hard work, long hours and repetitious,” said Pascual of the 12-hour, six-days-a-week shift.“Sometimes it takes three or four tries to fit everything right. It’s inside and outside the vehicle.
“It’s not just the money,” he added about the temporary assignment. “It’s to help the guys out. I’m a Vietnam veteran. I know how they feel.”
Hauanio agreed that they all “feel good” about their goal. He saw one of the LAVs before the upgrading:“It was all shot up. The armor stops a lot of bullets. You have to think about the guys in there ... At least they will survive.”
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