New Veterans Home In Kapolei Offers Rest And Remembrance
The 120-bed home run by the Department of Veterans Affairs is named for former U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Akaka.
Press releases for dedication ceremonies and blessings for buildings land in Civil Beat inboxes daily. But the blessing of the new Daniel K. Akaka State Veterans Home in Kapolei stood out.
The regular list of dignitaries and politicians were expected to attend. But the meaning of this new facility had deep resonance. The 120-bed home run by the Department of Veterans Affairs is named for the late U.S. senator, who was elected to the House of Representatives in 1976 and became the first senator of Hawaiian ancestry in 1990.
Akaka dedicated his life to the rights and recognition of veterans and Asian Americans. Part of his legacy was shaped by ensuring the mostly Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat Team and 100th Infantry Battalion received upgraded medals and honors. Those soldiers had fought two battles: fascism abroad and racism at home, including internment in camps.
“Unfortunately, Asian Pacific Americans were not accorded full consideration for the Medal of Honor at the time of their service,” Akaka was quoted as saying of a provision he authored of the 1996 Defense Authorization Act, which mandated a review of service records of soldiers who had received the Distinguished Service Cross.
Four years and $93 million after ground was broken, the Daniel K. Akaka State Veterans Home opened its doors to honor their contributions and sacrifice. It offers support to those who risked their health and lives for our freedom and an opportunity to keep kūpuna in Hawaiʻi. The home, operated by Ohana Pacific Health, will provide everything from adult health services to skilled nursing and not just to eligible veterans, but to their spouses and Gold Star parents.
The project was a collaboration among the state Department of Defense, Department of Accounting and General Services and the Legislature; the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; the Oʻahu Regional Healthcare System and Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corp.
The Daniel K. Akaka State Veterans Home is the second such facility in Hawaiʻi, coming 18 years after the 95-bed Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home opened in Hilo in 2007. A third veterans home is planned for Maui.
