Page 24 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • October 10, 2012 panels on modern buildings and on utility poles, but this is about the worst place for a solar field that I can imagine. The Navy should give this Ford Island Field project the axe and move the solar panel field to someplace where the panels will not impact on the 200,000 people who visit the Pacific Aviation Museum every year. The men who flew those airplanes really were heroes. One thinks of Lieutenant Commander John Waldron, “the old Sioux.” He was half Lakota and was raised primarily by his mother’s Lakota relatives. Waldron, an Annapolis graduate and experienced aviator, led his squadron, Torpedo 8, from the U.S.S. Hornet and found the Japanese fleet approaching Midway in June 1942. Waldron led his squadron in for the first attack. Every outmoded Douglas Devastator torpedo plane in Torpedo 8 was shot down. Waldron and all his men but one, Ensign George Gay, were killed. Torpedo 6, the next squadron in, was also virtually destroyed. Ensign Gay hid under a life raft in the middle of the Japanese fleet and watched as the American bombers, drawn by Waldron’s radio message, swooped down and destroyed all four Japanese aircraft carriers and saved Hawaii from invasion. Gay never became a fan of Japan, but he venerated Waldron and lauded his dead buddies as heroes betrayed. When Gay heard that Franklin Delano Roosevelt had died, he burst out laughing with joy. A lot of people who served agreed with him. Turning Ford Island Field into Lego-Land with parts made in China would not have appealed to the Americans who felt betrayed by the Pearl Harbor attack. Pearl Harbor is not the only historic site at risk. The new federal budget calls for a reduction of 8.3 percent - $183 million -- to be taken out of the operation of the National Parks. This is perhaps as dumb as it gets. Not only do the National Parks encourage Americans to love and appreciate America, but they also encourage foreign tourists to come here and spend their money here. As the country’s manufacturing base dwindles, we are going to need those tourist dollars. Here is a suggestion: Everybody who has any spare money should join at least one historic preservation group to the extent of wielding the pen over the checkbook while waving the flag. Civil War battlefields are very much at risk. The National Parks system was founded in the aftermath of concern for the proper burial of the soldiers who died in the Civil War. Most soldiers before then had been buried where they fell. Officers were sometimes sent to West Point or the family cemetery. But the casualties of 1861-65 were so enormous that a national effort was needed to give those who could be found a proper burial. The work goes on today as the places where they fought and died are protected by the Civil War Trust, which purchases section of battlefields that might otherwise be developed and which sometimes contain unmarked graves. The Civil War Trust also publishes “Hallowed Ground,” which keeps members up to date on what the successes and the needs of the group are. The Custer Battlefield Historical & Museum Association also promotes and protects that most famous of American battlefields, the Little Bighorn. Not at all hostile to Indians -- the Indians sometimes come out for get-togethers and reenacted battles -- the group includes a number of serious scholars and keeps members abreast of anything related to Custer. This battlefield also needs protection. The Pacific Aviation Museum, now engaged in preventing Ford Island Field from turning into a giant solar panel, is another worthwhile group and maintains an impressive collection of World War II aircraft and memorabilia. We need to preserve the sites, including Antietam and Gettysburg, so new generations are inspired to try to find out what really happened and not buy into misleading hack newspaper stories and political sound bites. Every American should work to save at least one park. Perhaps together we can save America. Remember Pear Harbor? Cherish that memory. The U.S. Navy is considering a proposal to turn Ford Island Field into a 4,000-foot field of 60,000 solar panels so the Navy can provide 50 percent of its own electricity by 2020. I will never forget my first interview with Pearl Harbor veterans. I was one of the few young reporters who was a U.S. veteran. I tucked my Japanese wife’s photograph deep into my pocket and parked my Toyota three blocks away behind a thick hedge as I approached the Pearl Harbor Reunion picnic in Mahwah. I expected to hear the worst, but what I heard was literally life-changing. The men at the picnic, who were in their late fifties or early sixties, were mostly survivors of the same U.S. Army anti-aircraft battery based in Hawaii. Most of them had been drafted from the five boroughs of New York and had moved to Bergen County after the war. They were largely second-generation Americans -- mostly Irish or German, with a couple of Italians and a Greek. They loved America and thought America was the greatest country on Earth. They also told me that Pearl Harbor was a setup and that they and their buddies who died were victims of an American plot. Remember: These were flag-waving U.S. combat veterans, not pacifists or political extremists. “Everybody knew there was gonna be a war,” one guy told me. “What else were we there for -- the climate?” “They wanted it to happen,” another man said. “In out battery, they had the ammunition boxes locked. When the (Japanese) started to fly over, one of the officers had to run to his quarters for his .45 and shot the lock off the ammo box so we could load the guns.” “They set us up,” the leader said. He did not refer to the Japanese. A few days later, I read an article in a different paper, and all the same guys could talk about was how surprised they were. I was surprised this morning when I read that the Navy has decided to turn Ford Island Field into a giant solar energy system. On the heartening side, those who remember the veterans refused to roll over and play dead. “We totally agree with being green, but we don’t think they should do it where Americans spilled their red blood,” said Ken DeHoff, director of the Pacific Aviation Museum, which is located near the same field. “There’s plenty of room for them to create their project off to the west, which is just scrub oak and abandoned land.” Another spokesperson compared the predictable appearance of Ford Island Field, abandoned by the Navy in 1999, to an enormous bunch of Legos. Nobody in the preservationist community thought this was a good idea, and some of them -- all of them patriotic, many of them long-term veterans of whom we can be proud -- found it infuriating and disrespectful. But the solar panels for the project, estimated at $50 million, are made in an Asian country that is definitely not Japan or South Korea, and considering the leanings of the U.S. State Department, the chances of deflecting this insult to Americans is going to take some major opposition. If I were any greener, I would be mistaken for a large counterfeit $100 bill. Hold me up to a strong light and see Abraham Lincoln close to my heart. I strongly support solar Saving America one park at a time Our hats off to: Midland Park Girl Scout Troop 433 for the food and personal care items they donated as they work toward their Junior Bronze Award. This sixth grade troop consisted of Allison, Angela, Claire, Courtney, Helena, Olivia M., Olivia P., Noelle, Sabrina, and Sarah. We also thank Mathew, age 11, of Midland Park, who earned credit for his Boy Scout badge when he camped outside the supermarket and collected donations for the northern regional food pantry. We thank the anonymous donor who gave us tickets to Six Flags. One of our Bergen County families will be going. Thank you, Abundant Life Church, for the groceries. We are currently looking for volunteer drivers to deliver groceries to families in Bergen and Essex counties. Volunteers must have a valid driver’s license, undergo a background check, and complete an orientation at the regional center. Some of our families could use prepaid phone cards for Cricket Mobile and gift cards for TJ Maxx, Marshalls, IKEA, and gas stations. Our families need new sheets for twin and queen size beds and Good Night Pampers -- Stage 4. They also need new pillows, dish towels, bath towels, and an air purifier. It’s not too early to think about Thanksgiving! Please call us to see how you can help. We need turkeys and “Thanksgiving in a Bag” to go out with our deliveries. Meet Evan: Evan is a very active and delightful fouryear-old who was diagnosed with clear cell sarcoma of the kidney, a rare form of cancer, just before his third birthday. His first chemotherapy treatment was on his third birthday, but Evan was not upset that he was in the hospital with cancer. Instead, he was very excited since he was able to celebrate his birthday at the hospital with cake and presents and his family. He has three older sisters who range in age from five to 14. The girls adore him and are very supportive of him and all the time their parents have had to give to Evan during his chemotherapy. Evan is now on a maintenance protocol, and has started attending Head Start preschool. He is enjoying the relatively normal life of an active four-year-old. His mother had taken a leave of absence from her job when Evan was diagnosed, and his father was laid off at about the same time. Even though things have been difficult financially, this family is very grateful that Evan seems to be doing well at this time. Their children are Mom and Dad’s primary focus, and they have expressed their gratitude for their family and the support they have received from ECF. Evan’s mother, realizing that her son recently had a growth spurt and started to gain some much-needed weight, needs long pants and shirts for the winter in a size 5T. She could also use gas cards to help with the trips they make to the hospital for his checkups and maintenance treatment. They are hopeful that Evan will remain in remission. You can help in a variety of ways. ECF uses monetary contributions to cover the costs associated with providing free services to any New Jersey child who has cancer. Approximately 70 cents from every dollar goes toward direct care for our families. If your company has a charitable giving program, please let us know. Each month, we distribute about 140 bags of food to our families. You can help us fill our pantry. When you go grocery shopping and something non-perishable is on sale, please grab some extra items and drop them off at our outreach center. Staples such as sugar, flour, salt, cooking oil, detergent, pancake mix/syrup, and rice are always needed. Consider turning your next event into a fundraiser for ECF, and ask guests to bring checks or gift cards to be used by our families. Your efforts help us to help our families in many ways, including sending a case worker to visit the families at home or in the hospital. Kids can help, too. Many have held sales or other events and contributed the proceeds to ECF. If your Boy Scout or Girl Scout Troop needs to earn badges, visit us in Midland Park. Scouts can get creative and have fun helping our families as they learn about philanthropy. ECF representatives are available to discuss our programs at your next fundraiser or event. Give us a call for more information. If you have a few hours a week to spare, consider becoming a volunteer, or just stop by and meet with us, take a look at our pantry, and see what ECF is all about. This September, we will need a volunteer on Fridays from 1 to 4 p.m. Call (201) 612-8118 before you stop by. Please do not leave items at the center without checking with us first. Our storage space is limited. The Northern Regional Center is located at 174 Paterson Avenue, Midland Park, NJ 07432. Visit us at www. emmanuelcancer.org. As always, thank you for helping the children and their families!