Joe Hale - Hydrangea Waving

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Copyright 2012 by Joe Hale

ISBN 978-0-7414-7085-0 Paperback
ISBN 978-0-7414-7086-7 eBook

Printed in the United States of America

Published February 2012

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Dedication

This is a new experience for me. Each one of us has a story worthy of print, so to say that mine is unique is a bit of a stretch and it has been somewhat of a struggle to construct. However, many family members, and of course friends, have urged me to jot down a few words and over time one begins to believe their well intended and kind flattery. So, jot down I have.

This book, and book sounds pompous, is the story of my life to a recent point in time but does not pretend to be overly comprehensive. For instance, I have not addressed the sad events surrounding first the sale of Pan Ams Pacific Division to United Airlines and later the unbelievable demise of Pan Am in 1991. I have also omitted mention of my assignments with Delta Air Lines as company representative in Japan or with Aloha Airlines as its senior vice president of sales in Honolulu. Perhaps at another time.

In writing this, what is often casually heard in conversations about ancestry becomes evident that it is not something to be spoken about casually after all. I owe a lot to those in my chain of ancestors. And another fact which becomes transparent is that in the context of time, one realizes how a lifetime is really only a blink.

For that blink though there are people to whom I owe a deep debt of gratitude and love.

Clearly my mother and her discipline and principles about life had a tremendous influence on me and whose singular dedication to all her children nurtured us and hopefully serve us today as a set of principles for the better. I loved her and miss her now.

Marge, my wife of 54 years, has been the strength of my life in good times and bad times. Her love, consistency and a work ethic honed in mid America guides our family even now. Marge and I are fortunate to have children who are doing well with a spirit of independence but with a strong love of family.

Marijo, our daughter has three wonderful children and our grand-daughter Rachelle now has three children, Hailey Morgan, Anthony Joseph and Mason Douglasour three great grand-childrenwow! Her husband, Jeff, is with the Army Reserves. Jeff has a son, Jonathan, from an earlier relationship. Edward, our son, teaches social studies in a middle school in Virginia and is enthusiastic and well liked by his students. He is an ardent fan of the Redskins and the Nationals.

Grandson Ryan is a law officer and grandson Shaun is in food merchandizing. There is Marijos husband Shawn whose children Matt, Stacey, Megan and Ryan are very much part of the family.

Very important are my sister Kannika and my brother Ratha who cared for our mother as they live in Japan. They obtained Thai citizenship from their father but as they are now Japanese citizens my sister is known as Yuriko Kume and my brother is Koji Ebihara. He and his wife Tomoe have four sons, Ryuji, Eiji, Shinji and Seiji who are wonderful nephews.

These are the people for whom I have tried to write this book and have dedicated it to them.

There are many others along my lifes journey who helped me immensely. The Akina family in Hawaii, the Hart family in Ohio, Dr. James Cox originally of Georgetown University Hospital in DC, now at

MD Anderson Cancer Center and his wife Dr. Ritsuko Komaki. Both are exceptional radiation oncologists. Marge and I cherish our thirty-nine years of friendship with them. I still go to Houston annually to be seen by Dr. Cox. He and Dr. Komaki are passionate about their serious calling and the world is made better because of them.

I am grateful to many doctors including Drs. Dang, Itagaki, Chun, Sameshima, Izumi, Cupo, Okazaki, Hayashi, Huang, Chinn, Ping, Gerber, Ono, Kim, PA Tanaka, Chekuri and Akina in Hawaii and to Gagnon and nurse Anita at Georgetown and the many other nurses and medical staff who have and are taking care of me.

I was also fortunate and thankful to know many men and women of Pan Am, Delta, Aloha Airlines and to the many who assisted and helped me to look good, especially my Pan Am colleagues in Washington DC, Cincinnati, Honolulu and in Japan and Asia. I am appreciative for the support of Brad Smith at Kahala Capital Advisors.

A special mention about two close St. Josephs school-mates. My regards to Phil Gsell, a veteran in the travel industry in Japan who is boldly facing medical challenges with the support of his wife, Yoshiko-san.

Albert Yamada, my dear friend of more than sixty years who passed away in August of 2010. He is very much missed.

I am grateful to Jerry Whaley of Pearl City who did a remarkable job with the myriad of photos in the Gallery section and with the book cover.

To the many unnamed and unidentified friends and acts of kindness I also thank them.

Mahalo.
Aiea, Hawaii
JH

Northwest flight 009 from Honolulu landed on time at Tokyos Narita Airport. We had traveled this route numerous times and we knew the hectic arrival activities which faced us. We walked briskly towing our roll-on bags and headed through the long automated walkways of the terminal. There were stretches where one just walked.

We finally arrived at the quarantine area and quickly passed it and went into the passport control inspection section of the Immigration Bureau. There, the passengers from all arriving flights lined up. There is a section for Japanese nationals and another for foreign passport holders. That day the serpentine line was long and we shuffled along the never ending queue. After receiving the okay to stay up to ninety days in Japan, we hurried down the escalator to the baggage claim area. We waited until our two checked bags showed up on the baggage carousel. With passports in hand we went through the customs line. When asked, I informed the young officer that we were here to visit my mother who was hospitalized. We were waved on without any delay and went into the terminal building.

We headed for the nearest public phone and I called my sister at work to let her know of our arrival. The lady who answered said she was off today. My heart pounded as this was not a good sign. I called my sister at our mothers home with whom she lived. She answered and said our mother had passed away this morning!

January 14, 2005 at the age of 89, our mother had passed away. I was deeply saddened and felt a sense of guilt for having arrived too late, although we had called her from Hawaii to tell her we were on our way.