Hawaii

Hope this finds you and your families well and planning for our reunion. The following is a list of events that will be taking place in Hawaii tailored to our association. I will list the dates of events and a description of each so you will have a good idea of what will be happening.

Please send All money and tour registration to Ralph Storti by May 1, 2008 (Make checks payable to MCB 53 Alumni Association.) Address: Ralph Storti, 800 Bartram Rd., Willow Grove Pa. 19090

Submarine ride on the Atlantis Sub located at the pier between the Hale Koa Hotel and Hilton Hawaiian Village. You will descend to depth below 100 ft and see all kinds of marine life from the humuhumnukukuaupuaa (Hawaiian Trigger fish), sea turtles, Manta Rays, sunken ships, planes and coral reefs. (1 hour and 45 minutes)

Majestic Grand Circle Island Tour. 120 miles around the Island. The tour includes the slopes of Diamond Head, Kahala (the Beverly Hills of Hawaii), Hanauma Bay, Byodo-in Temple (featured in the TV show LOST), North Shore Beaches (surfing capital of the world), Dole Pineapple Plantation and much more.

Home of the Brave Tour. A must for all visitors. It is early because the first stop on the tour is Pearl Harbor and Arizona Memorial. It gets really busy as the day goes on, (a snack bar is available there). From there we go to Wheeler Army Airfield where "Tora Tora Tora" and Disney's "Pearl Harbor" were filmed, then on to Schofield Army Barracks. Part of the film "From Here to Eternity" was filmed here and it is the largest Army base outside the continental US. From there we go to Fort Shafter, the oldest base on the island. Lunch will be provided there. From there we go to the Punchbowl National Memorial (It is the cemetery where more than 30,000 American Service people are buried), really a fantastic memorial with mosaics depicting WW II and Korea. We round up the day in downtown Honolulu where you will pass by such places as the Iolani Palace (the only palace in our country).

Hale Koa Luau. You will be greeted with a lei as you enter the Luau Gardens. During the cocktail hour there will be music and lei making demonstrations. Experience an authentic Imu (Hawaiian underground oven) ceremony. At twilight there is a Luau Show, with Glenn Medeiros as the MC (he had a hit in 1987 called "Nothing is Gonna change my Love for You”), that will take you through the islands of Polynesia. The feast includes lomi lomi salmon, kalua pig, beef teriyaki, shoyu chicken, mahimahi, pineapple, poi, haupia (coconut pudding) and coconut cake.

Polynesian Cultural Center. Also called PCC. A must see for anyone visiting Hawaii. This is the number 1 paid attraction in all of Hawaii. This isn't your traditional cultural center. 75% of the people who perform here are students from the Brigham Young University next to the center. They are from all the different islands of Polynesia such as Samoa, New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti and others. During the day they perform the traditions of their islands. There is a Canoe parade at 2 PM that is fantastic. The dinner is from 5 to 7 PM. The evening show is by far the most spectacular show in the whole island. There an Imax theater if you need to relax for awhile. There will also be plenty of time after dinner and before the show to roam through the numerous gift shops

The 1st will be the Ambassador Package. It is a bit pricey but well worth it. It includes admission to the 7 villages with a tour guide in a small group, Canoe rides, Lei greeting, Prime Rib, Crab legs, shrimp and scallop stir-fry buffet. Premium seating at the night show, sherbet desert during the night show and a souvenir DVD and program are included.

The 2nd package is called the Admission /show Package. It is less expensive. It allows you admission to all villages on a self guided tour, reserved seating at the night show, canoe rides. There is a buffet restaurant and a snack bar which you can purchase food until 7 PM

While the members are having their business meeting the wives and significant others will be welcome to join Chyrl to go to the Aloha stadium for the swap meet (a flea market). It is located 360 degrees around the stadium, 3 sometimes 4 rows deep. You can find any kind of souvenir imaginable, macadamia nuts, clothing, etc. Over 1500 vendors. Transportation will be provided for a nominal fee.

Alumni Banquet to be held at the Hale Koa. There will be individual pictures taken by a Life Touch photographer and you will also be able to order Reunion booklets to remind you of your stay in Paradise so wear your casual clothes or Aloha Wear.

In order to make the Hawaii reunion as memorable (and inexpensive) as possible, whenever I receive new information that I feel will help, I will pass it along. With that said, here it is. For those who aren't eligible to stay at the Hale Koa or who are eligible and would prefer not to stay at the Hale Koa, I offer this information. The Aqua Palms, Ilikai Marina and the Doubletree Alana hotels are on Ala Moana Blvd. and are all in close proximity to the Hale Koa. It has come to my attention (thanks to Paul Wertz) that we may be able to get a better rate at the Aqua Palms through their own web site then if we were to make the reservations through the Hale Koa.

I have spoken with the reservations manager at the Hale Koa and she said that if we can find better rates than she can offer us at the other hotels, then go ahead and make them on your own. My suggestion is that before you commit to any other hotel than the Hale Koa you check the individual hotel first. Their web sites are www.aquaresorts.com www.ilikaihotel.com and www.doubletree.com .

For those who aren't eligible to stay at the Hale Koa the reservations department has agreed to give everyone in our group a card which will entitle them to eat and drink at the Hale Koa. The food is very good at the Hale Koa and much cheaper then the other hotels and restaurants (the drinks are much cheaper too!!!!!).

If you make your reservations on your own I will need to know where you are staying, when you arrive and when you are checking out so I can ensure that you receive your card to use the Hale Koa facilities.

It is with extreme pleasure that we would like to announce the site of the 2008 Reunion. It will be held at the Hale Koa Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is a military hotel in the center of Waikiki. The dates are from the 22nd to the 26th of October 2008. For those interested in arriving sooner and staying longer the hotel has set aside a block of rooms from the 20th to the 27th of October. Anyone wishing in arriving sooner or staying later then these dates the rooms will be subject to the availability of the hotel. The hotel is for Qualified people and their Family members only. Any question as to whether you qualify, either click here on the Hale Koa Hotel Web Site, or call them directly. The number is 1-800-367-6027 (this is also the number to call for reservations). Their office hours are from 8 AM to 4 PM Hawaiian standard time.

Please remember, when you are making your reservations that you mention that you are from MCB 53 Alumni Association. That way they will be able to keep track of our allotted rooms. There will also be forms provided that if you wish to you can either mail them or fax them to the hotel. My feeling is that it is better to call them directly. That way there won't be any confusion. Please don't make any reservation on the Hale Koa Website because there isn't any way to put on there that you are from MCB 53. If anyone wants a brochure of the Hale Koa please email me at Donald E. Butler, and I would be happy to send you a copy.

For those who don't qualify for the Hale Koa there will be 3 other hotels available. These are The Ilikai Marina Hotel , The Aqua Palms, and the Double Tree Hotel. They are all on Ala Moana Blvd. They are all within easy walking distance to the Hale Koa. Chyrl and I just spent a week each at the Ilikai and the Aqua Palms and the are both very good. I think the Ilikai is a little bit better of a hotel than the Palms but the Palms offers a free continental breakfast from 7:30 - 9:30 AM. Again for these hotels please make all reservations by calling the Hale Koa Hotel directly (1-800-367-6027) and be sure to mention that you are from the MCB 53 Alumni Association. That way they will be able to give us military rates and keep track of the members that are attending the reunion. Again, please don't make your reservations on the Hale Koa Website because there isn't any way to put that you are from MCB 53. Because Hawaii is such a popular year round destination, I urge you to make your reservations early. Also Time Share exchanges are sometimes extremely difficult to get in Hawaii.

If anyone is interested we will be having a small submarine ride available on the Atlantis (the sub is the one that the National Geographic Society uses) on the afternoon of the 21st. The boat that takes you to the sub is at the pier next to the Hale Koa so it isn't too far to walk from the hotels. We will be providing more info about tours and events that will be going on during the reunion after the first of the year.

As far as airfare to and from Honolulu, one of our members, Bob Graziano, has a cousin who owns a travel agency in New York. She is willing to help us try to get group rates for the people who will be flying out of New York. She is also willing to help us with bookings from anywhere else in the country. Please give her the opportunity to see what she can do for us. Her name is Becky and her company is called "ALL ABOARD TRAVEL and her number is 1-800-531-4488. As in the hotels, please when you are talking to Becky, let her know that you are from the MCB 53 Alumni Association.

There are several modes of transportation to and from the airport in Honolulu if you choose not to rent a car. There is the taxi which will run you $ 25-30. There are also Tahiti Trans @ 808-455-7300, Hawaii Super Transit @ 808-841-2928, and Roberts Hawaii @ 808-539-9400. While on Oahu you really don't need a car because the tours we will be providing will be taking us all around the island and the busses run all the time and only cost $2.00 to go around the island. There are also free shuttles going to Hilo Hattie's clothing and gift store.

Because of the distance and popularity of the reunion site we will need numbers earlier than usual for the tours once the information is on the web site. Please keep this in mind.

You will notice on the request form from the Hale Koa that the request due date is August 20, 2008. However, I feel that you need to do the requests as soon as possible because the rooms may go quickly for all the hotels and there may not be enough availability at the military rates for everyone attending the reunion.

A Resort for the military, the Hale Koa is in Waikiki. If you don't stay at the Hale Koa it should be walking distance from the hotel.

Polynesian Cultural Center Official Site The most visited paid attraction in Hawaii. Villages of all the Polynesian Island students from each Island give a show of where they come from. The students are from Brigham Young University next to the center (That is how they pay for their tuition). There is a dinner which is very good and there is a show in the evening which I believe is the best show in Oahu.

Home of the Brave - WWII Military Base Tour, Honolulu, Hawaii

Bus tour, visits Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial, Wheeler and Schofield Army Base, Fort Shafter, Punchbowl (The cemetery of the Pacific) and downtown Honolulu.

The 2008 Hawaii Reunion