Director's Message December 6, 2024

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike carried out by the Japanese Imperial Navy Air Service against the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor just before 8 a.m. on Sunday, December 7, 1941. Of the eight Navy battleships present, all were damaged, with four sunk. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and a minelayer. More than 180 aircraft were destroyed. A total of 2,403 Americans were killed, and 1,178 others were wounded, making it the deadliest event ever recorded in Hawaii.

President Franklin Roosevelt called the unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbor a “date which will live in infamy.” The attack led the U.S. to join the second world war; a massive global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945 and involved more than 100 million people from 30 countries. The territory of Guam suffered attack and occupation during the war. However, Guam was liberated by U.S. troops during the Battle of Guam on July 21, 1944. To this day, the Chamorro people celebrate Liberation Day on the 21st of July each year. The Pacific Ocean and all her islands are strewn with the remnants of the war, and with monuments to those who were lost.

This year, let us take time to think about those who came before us, and those who are serving and protecting our country now. Let us look with gratitude and respect at the many brave service members who have stood watch, and who are standing watch now, protecting all that we hold dear. 

God bless the United States of America.

Upcoming Events

The VAPIHCS Community Living Center (CLC) will hold their 3rd annual Holiday Parade from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on December 12, 2024, at the Center for Aging (building 110) at 459 Patterson Road in Honolulu. Staff, Veterans, and family are welcome to decorate their cars and form a parade in the CLC parking lot for our inpatient Veterans to enjoy. If you would like to participate, contact Registered Nurse Theresa Ruggerio at Theresa.ruggerio@va.gov or Social Worker Maria Clariza at Maria.clariza@va.gov.

There will be a Chaplains and Tea event from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Monday, December 12, 2024, at the Spark Matsunaga Ambulatory Care Center at 459 Patterson Road in Honolulu. VAPIHCS Chaplains welcome Veterans and staff with light refreshments and spiritual care materials. For details, you may call Chaplain Services at 808-433-0270.

Whole Health: Managing Stress

At VA Pacific Islands Health Care System (VAPIHCS), we follow the Whole Health model, which tells us that stress is harmful to a person’s mental and physical health. If you’re having difficulty coping with life’s demands, you’re experiencing stress. While some challenges in life are healthy, too many can create problems. Learn how to identify the signs of stress and manage it with VA's help here: https://www.prevention.va.gov/Healthy_Living/Manage_Stress.asp

Thoughts from Chaplain Richie Charles

Eagles exist at the top of their food chain for a reason. As the king and queens of the skies, eagles are equipped with special capabilities that enable them to dominate in the animal kingdom. One of these is their binocular vision. An eagle’s vision is recorded as being four to five times greater than that of a human being. With such eyesight, it’s said to be able to spot a rabbit from three miles away. Unlike other birds that scavenge on what’s immediately in front of them, an eagle’s viewpoint is entirely different. Eagles survey the landscape while soaring to altitudes of 10,000 feet in the air!
The eagle reminds us of the importance of maintaining the right perspective. Decisions can only be as good as our vantage point. Having a good vantage point allows us to make the best decisions for the long-term benefit, even if it may be challenging in the short term.

This reminds me of the story of the famous singer Ray Charles. Ray Charles would have admitted that his mother took a rather unconventional, yet wise approach to raising him. In spite of the fact that Ray Charles was blind, she would still have him work on lumber, wash clothes, and do active chores. His mother was criticized by onlookers when Ray Charles was younger, but she did what she knew to prepare him for the realities of living in this world as independent as possible. Even though I would imagine that every fiber in her being wanted to shield her son from every difficulty, she also understood that the only chance that he would have at independence would be to allow Ray the opportunity to creatively meet his challenges on his own, while under her watchful gaze. Ray Charles’ mother had to make difficult decisions in the present, to ensure long-term success for her son in the future.

What are some difficult choices you must make today, to ensure long-term success in the long run?

One Team, One Ohana!
Adam M. Robinson, Jr., MD, MBA, CPE 
Director, VA Pacific Islands Health Care System
VADM, MC, USN, (RET)
36th Surgeon General, USN

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