The Sinking of the ‘Ehime Maru’

“Disneyland on a Submarine”


Sightings from The Catbird Seat

~ o ~

ON FEBRUARY 9, 2001, THE ‘USS GREENEVILLE’ NUCLEAR ATTACK SUBMARINE COLLIDED WITH THE JAPANESE TRAINING SHIP ‘EHIME MARU’ OFF THE HAWAIIAN ISLAND OF OAHU.

NINE PERSONS ABOARD THE ‘EHIME MARU’ ARE MISSING AND PRESUMED DEAD.

SIXTEEN CIVILIANS WERE ON BOARD THE GREENEVILLE, WITH TWO OF THEM AT CRUCIAL CONTROLS.

THE NAVY INITIALLY CLAIMED THAT THE PRESENCE OF CIVILIANS DID NOT INTERFERE WITH OPERATIONS OF THE SHIP AND DID NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THE ACCIDENT.

THEY LIED!

~ ~ ~

February 15, 2001

Civilian Manned Controls on Ascending Sub

Honolulu Star-Bulletin (AP)

A civilian who was on the Navy submarine that struck a Japanese fishing vessel said today that he pulled levers for the ascent drill but had a crew member right beside him. He also described how the ship “shuddered” at the impact. . . .

As the submarine surged upward, Hall said, “there was a very loud noise, and the entire submarine shuddered.”

According to him, Cmdr. Scott Waddle said, “Jesus, what the hell was that?”….

* * *

February 16, 2001

Bush May Stop VIP Cruises

The Honolulu Advertiser

The search for survivors and the quest for answers continued yesterday from Oahu to the Pentagon.

It prompted President Bush to suggest that the military review its practice of allowing civilians to ride aboard sophisticated warships like the submarine that sank a Japanese fishing vessel seven days ago. . . .

At the Pentagon, Pietropaoli confirmed earlier reports that retired Adm. Richard Macke of Honolulu had helped arrange for “individuals for the USS Missouri Battleship Memorial Association” to tour the sub while on its training maneuvers. He said 14 of the 16 guests were involved with the Missouri association.

Yesterday, retired Adm. Robert Kihune, vice chairman and president of the USS Missouri Memorial Association, said he had not seen the guest list and therefore did not know whether any of the association’s more than 3,000 members were involved. . . .

* * *

February 16, 2001

Japan Defense Chief: ‘It is outrageous’.

He says the U.S. Navy ‘is slack’ to let civilians sit at sub controls

Honolulu Star-Bulletin

Amid rising anger and distrust, Japan’s defense minister today called it “outrageous” that civilians were at the controls of a U.S. Navy submarine when it smashed into a Japanese fishing vessel off Hawaii. . . .

The Japanese public shared his anger. . . . Ietaka Horita, principal of the high school that owned the boat, said he was “enraged” to hear that civilians were at the sub’s controls and that he found out about it from media reports, not government investigators. . . .

* * *

February 16, 2001

Hawaii Couple Won’t Talk Until Probes Over

Honolulu Star-Bulletin

Susan and Mickey Nolan were on the USS GreenevilleSusan Nolan, a citizen aboard … said she and her husband, Mickey, will comment publicly about the voyage after the Navy and a federal team have completed their investigations. . . .

Two of the 16 civilians on board the Greeneville spoke out for the first time yesterday on NBC’s Today Show and in an interview with the Houston Chronicle.

John Hall, 52, a polo pony rancher and independent energy contractor, told the Houston Chronicle the crew of the USS Greeneville closely monitored Japanese citizens as they waited for help in lifeboats.

But choppy waters up to 8 feet kept the crew from opening the hatch and providing assistance, said Hall. “The families in Japan believe that not a lot was being done for these victims in the lifeboats and for the victims who were lost,” Hall said. . . .

Hall and his wife, Leigh Ann Hall, were among the civilians who were aboard the Greeneville last Friday. Hall had been trying since last March to get a ride on the Greeneville. The Vietnam War veteran said he was ecstatic when he learned in October that his request had been accepted.

But the “opportunity of a lifetime” turned into an international incident. . . .

Because of the lack of public information, Hall and a business associate, Todd Thoman of Houston, who also was on the sub, granted NBC’s Today show an interview yesterday to explain their view of the accident. Thoman’s wife, Dianda, was also aboard the Greeneville. . . .

Hall said one misconception about him and the others is that the trip may have been a reward for supporting former Texas Gov. George W. Bush in his successful presidential campaign.

Campaign records indicate that neither Hall nor Thoman have contributed to Bush, former President Clinton or any politicians in Texas. Houston politicos say Hall and Thoman are not on the political radar screen.

“I don’t do politics,” Hall said.

Meanwhile in Hawaii, the USS Missouri Association said Hall and Thoman were with Fossil Bay Resources Ltd., an oil and gas company in Texas which was the title sponsor for a golf tournament to benefit the battleship’s restoration and educational programs.

“Fossil Bay Resources paid a fee of $7,500 to the association as part of its sponsorship, the full amount of which was reimbursed to the company on Dec. 21, 2000, once the tournament was postponed. Hall and Thoman are not members of, or donors to, the association,” the association said. . . .

The association said it was unaware of the names of any other civilians who were aboard the USS Greeneville.

“In addition, the association has had no involvement in requesting or making arrangements for any civilians to have access to the USS Greeneville.” . . .

* * *

February 17, 2001

A REPORT SAYS THE SURFACING MANEUVER WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DONE HAD NO CIVILIANS BEEN ON THE SUB

Honolulu Star-Bulletin

A preliminary Navy report says the submarine USS Greeneville performed the surfacing maneuver that sank the Ehime Maru only because civilians were on board. . . .

Cmdr. Scott Waddle, the captain of the 360-foot submarine, was performing the maneuver for 16 civilian guests when the Greenville collided with the Japanese vessel a week ago. . . .

Navy critics, including many Japanese leaders and citizens, say the drill amounted to a joy ride for 16 VIPs and resulted in the deaths of nine fishermen.

* * *

February 19, 2001

BIG OIL AT THE CONTROLS

Subs Aren’t the Only Things Dubya’s Donors and Oil Buddies Are Mishandling

by Tamara Baker

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA (APJP) — Well, it sure took ’em long enough.

The Navy reports that after a “lengthy non-public investigation” the names of the 16 civilian VIPs aboard the USS Greeneville when it destroyed the Ehime Maru are finally being released.

Thanks to the work of several amateur Net sleuths, including the worthy “Delta Dart” of Salon’s Table Talk message boards, a picture is beginning to emerge of these 16 VIPs.

Here’s their names and their known political and financial affiliations:

#1: JAY BREHMER, OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS

#2:
CAROL BREHMER, OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS

The Brehmers may not seem at first to have any oil, Texas or GOP connections — but interestingly, we find that a Public Records: Yahoo People Search yields the following information:

Jay and Carol Brehmer…Spring, TX

Spring, Texas is a wealthy northern suburb of Houston, not far from the very tony suburb of The Woodlands (more on that later).

Also, Jay Brehmer is a Company Director of Aquila Energy as of October 2000.

Remember how Usurper Boy is a big “energy deregulation” fan? Remember the fact that Enron, the nation’s biggest unregulated-energy player (and one of the entities raking in the biggest profits from the deregulation shell-game scam in California) is also George W. Bush’s biggest lifetime political campaign contributor?

#3: JACK CLARY, STOW, MA

#4: PAT CLARY, STOW, MA

A ‘Jack Clary’ makes his living as a relatively famous sports journalist. He has written books on baseball and football, and in 1997 wrote Navy Football Gridiron Legends & Fighting Heroes, which was published by the Naval Institute Press. My guess is that this is the same fella.

Now, Bush owned the Texas Rangers as part of a scheme put together by his old buddy Richard Rainwater, part of which involved abusing the eminent-domain laws to force dozens of Arlington-area residents to sell their land and homes to Rainwater’s outfit for the creation of The Ballpark at Arlington. Since a good portion of this properly never wound up as part of The Ballpark, Rainwater made a tidy sum selling the excess land for a good deal than he paid for it. But Clary and his wife Pat, so far as I can see, are among the few civilians on the USS Greeneville who weren’t Texans, oil/energy people and/or a donors to George W. Bush and/or the Republican Party.

#5: HELEN CULLEN, HOUSTON, TEXAS

The Cullen Family owns Quintana Petroleum, Houston, TX. According to http://www.opensecrets.org, they are big backers of both GW Bush and the GOP .

#6: JOHN M. HALL, SEALY, TEXAS

#7:
LEIGH ANNE SCHNELL HALL, SEALY, TEXAS
Note also that, as I mentioned in my last APJ piece,
Todd Thoman and John Hall (who was the guy at the buoyancy levers when the sub did its disastrous emergency surface drill) are both employed by Fossil Bay, an oil company based in Dallas, Texas. They were on the sub because of the contributions they made to the USS Missouri restoration foundation … whose ‘honorary chair’ just happens to be George Herbert Walker Bush.

#8: MIKE MITCHELL, IRVING, TEXAS

For the 1999 annual meeting of the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA), one of the speakers listed for a talk called (ironically enough) “Show Me the Money!” is Mike Mitchell, Managing Director of EnCap Energy Advisors, Dallas.

#9: MICKEY NOLAN, HONOLULU, HI

#10:
SUSAN NOLAN, HONOLULU, HI

Mickey Nolan is a local Honolulu golf tournament promoter. He probably put together a golfing event for these GOP money people.

#11: ANTHONY SCHNUR, THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS

#12:
SUSAN SCHNUR, THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS

Schnur has an email address at utilicorp.com — and Aquila Energy is a UtiliCorp United company, as noted earlier. Aquila is one of the biggest wholesalers of energy in the US, and stands to make Enron-sized profits should the GOP’s deregulation scam overcome the California catastrophe.

#13: TODD THOMAN, HOUSTON, TEXAS

#14:
DEANDRA THOMAN, HOUSTON, TEXAS

Todd Thoman was Vice President of Corporate Communications, Fossil Bay Resources Ltd., working out of their Houston office until a couple weeks ago, according to a receptionist reached by one of APJ’s New York staffers.

#15:
KEN WYATT, GOLDEN, COLORADO

#16:
CATHERINE GRAHAM WYATT, GOLDEN, COLORADO

Golden is where Adolph Coors has set up shop. As befits its major employer, it’s a very rich, very conservative Denver suburb.

Ken Wyatt works for Utilicorp. Oil and Gas Investor.com lists numbers in both Denver and Houston for Wyatt, along with an email address at Utilicorp.

There you have it: the 16 civilian VIPs that rode — and in some cases drove — the USS Greeneville on its date with destiny. Many of these same VIPs are driving the US’ energy policy, and stand to profit greatly on blackouts and misery just as Enron is profiting in the deregged parts of California.

One wonders if these VIPs, America’s secret leaders, will show more discretion and care and skill at driving the US’ ship of state than they did at the helms of the USS Greeneville.

Judging from their rapaciousness, it would seem that the answer is ‘no’.

* * *

February 21, 2001

CREWMAN: CIVILIANS WERE INTERFERENCE.

Honolulu Star-Bulletin

A technician who plots sonar signals manually says that at one point he had to interrupt his duties.

A crew member of the nuclear attack submarine USS Greeneville, who was supposed to track surface ships before the collision with the Ehime Maru occurred, said civilians aboard may have distracted him.

John Hammerschmidt, lead investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, said last night that a fire control technician who plots sonar signals manually was not able to perform his duties at one point because civilians aboard the ship were in his way.

“He was not able to continue the plotting,” Hammerschmidt said. . . .

About one hour before the collision, Greeneville made contact through sonar with the Ehime Maru fishing vessel.

At 12:32 p.m. the nuclear submarine made passive contact with the fishing vessel, Hammerschmidt said. What happened between then and the time of the accident at 1:43 p.m. is not known, he said . . .

Hammerschmidt made several other disclosures during the briefing.

He noted that the sonar system was not staffed by two qualified sonar operators as required. “One was a trainee,” he said. . . .

He also pointed out that two pieces of equipment were not operating on the day of the accident: a towed array sonar system … and sonar repeaters, which allow the officer of the deck in the control room to see what is on the sonar screen. . . .

Twenty-six men survived the impact, nine are presumed dead. . . .

* * *

February 21, 2001

OIL TYCOONS ON THE SUBMARINE

The list of civilians aboard the USS Greeneville doesn’t reveal a fundraising scandal, but it does underscore the link between money and access to power.

By Daryl Lindsey, Salon Magazine

WASHINGTON — Texas oil money will buy you access to more than just Washington environmental policy. Apparently, it will also get you a seat on the USS Greeneville. If you’re lucky, the sub’s captain might even let you have a go at the controls.

Following its initial investigation of the sinking of Japanese fishing vessel Ehime Maru, the Navy finally released Saturday a list of civilians who were aboard the USS Greeneville the day it rammed into the Ehime Maru, killing nine passengers, including four Japanese students. As we get further away from the accident, it’s becoming obvious that the press (including Salon) may have overblown the role in the incident of contributors to a nonprofit organization seeking to preserve the USS Missouri as a Pearl Harbor memorial: Only four of the submarine’s civilian guests have been shown to have direct links with that organization. Still, the list does reveal much about the connections among money, politics and power.

The main criticism lodged against the Navy so far has been that it allowed civilians at the controls of a nuclear submarine — a powerful and lethal weapon with great capacity for accidents or destruction. The purported scandal within the scandal is the presence of contributors to the USS Missouri Memorial Association, of which former President George Bush is honorary chairman. And two civilian passengers who were aboard the Greeneville seem to tie the threads together.

These two passengers, John Hall and Todd Thoman, told NBC’s “Today” last week that they were allowed to participate in the emergency surfacing procedure that resulted in the accident. The New York Daily News reported Friday that Hall is a Texas oilman who has been “a player in several multimillion-dollar gas and pipeline deals.”

In addition to their oil ties and their turns at the wheel, Hall and Thoman have another tie that goes to the heart of the Greeneville controversy. The Honolulu Advertiser reports that the company they run, Fossil Bay Resources, donated $7,500 to the Missouri Memorial Association, although the check was returned after the delay of a planned fundraiser.

Not coincidentally, the trip aboard the Greenville was organized by former Adm. Richard Macke, a volunteer for the Missouri Memorial Association and former commander of the Pacific region. Macke was ousted from the Navy for making an untoward remark about the rape of a 12-year-old girl in Okinawa, Japan, in 1995 by U.S. troops stationed there.

The only civilians onboard the submarine known to have contributed directly to the Missouri Memorial Association were Mickey and Susan Nolan of Honolulu. According to the Honolulu Advertiser, the Nolans were working with Thoman and Hall to organize a celebrity charity golf tournament to benefit the association.

In a statement released Sunday, Missouri Memorial Fund executive director Don Hess stated that the organization had searched the list supplied by the Navy against its records of contributors, and only the Nolans were on both lists.

Even if the links between the fund and the passenger list don’t reach the level of a national scandal, there are other curious connections between the Greeneville’s civilian passengers and recent scandals, corporate politics and the political money machine in general.

Passenger HELLEN CULLEN comes from a family that has business links with pardoned felon MARC RICH.

Cullen’s father-in-law, Roy Cullen, is the owner of Quintana Petroleum of Houston, which, the New York Daily News reports, created a business partnership in Argentina with Rich’s Suedelektra Holdings during the 1980s.

One unidentified White House source told the Daily News that there was a “tremendous amount of nervousness at the White House about who these guys are.” The Cullen family has donated tens of thousands of dollars in soft money to the Republican Party.

And Roy Cullen donated $1,000 to George W. Bush’s presidential campaign.

There weren’t any blue-collar workers or civil servants among the civilian passengers on the USS Greeneville. Most, if not all, had political or military connections. And therein lies the rub, for it makes the Navy appear to be guilty of the same kind of influence peddling that has virtually gridlocked legislation in Washington.

“Contributing to elected officials is somewhat different, but there are some analogies you can draw,” says Larry Noble, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics in Washington, which studies the connection between financial contributions and political access. “Obviously, the analogy is that you’re buying something for your contribution. With an elected official, you’re buying access to the official. Here, you’re allegedly buying access to a submarine.

“But there’s a difference,” Noble says. “I’m more concerned about buying access to an elected official than being given a ride on a submarine — obviously putting aside the tragedy that came from it, which isn’t related to the contribution.”

The bigger problem, Noble argues, is the degree to which money buys access in American culture. “We live in a society where those with more money get access to more things. They get access to elected officials — and if that’s what they were using for deciding who gets rides on submarines, then you have a problem of perception that will blow up.”

Whether or not the Navy’s policy directly leads to accidents or other negative consequences, it has struck a nerve with many Americans. “You have a situation where people with money get access to things that are otherwise public assets,” Noble says.

* * *

March 4, 2001

SUB TRIP MADE SOLELY FOR CIVILIANS

The New York Times

Just days before the Feb 9 accident that caused the sinking of a Japanese trawler off Pearl Harbor, the captain of the U.S. Navy submarine Greeneville reportedly canceled a longer training exercise scheduled for that day as unnecessary, but still took his submarine out for the ill-fated day trip to accommodate the Navy’s efforts to promote itself.

Cmdr. Scott D. Waddle used his discretion as the Greeneville’s captain to cancel the long-scheduled exercise, but his superiors in the Navy’s Pacific Fleet had seen it as a chance to give a disparate group of 16 civilians a once-in-a-lifetime ride aboard a nuclear-powered submarine and were loath to let them down….

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board and a preliminary inquiry by a Navy commander have found that the presence of the civilians on the Greeneville proved a distraction to its crew. Whether that contributed to the collision will be among the determinations made by a formal court of inquiry….

What is clear is that were it not for the civilians, the Greeneville would not have left its berth at the Pearl Harbor Naval Station in the first place….

It will also focus on the Navy’s extensive efforts to build public support by taking civilians, known in naval parlance as “DVs,” for distinguished visitors, aboard the world’s premier warships and showcasing the vessels.

* * *

March 4, 2001

Navy Seeks Answers in Deadly Collision

The Washington Post

Relatives of the missing have accused the Navy of stalling its investigation and refusing to answer questions.

Among the questions submitted to the Navy by the Japanese families were, “Did you let the civilians experience the emergency blow to let them enjoy the thrill of a roller-coaster ride?” and “Will you continue such a foolish leisure island tour in such areas with many yachts and boats?” . . .

* * *

March 6, 2001

Inquiry Focuses on Ehime Maru Location Data

Honolulu Star-Bulletin

Something Prevented a Sailor from Providing Key Information

The actions of Cmdr. Scott Waddle and the crew of the nuclear attack submarine USS Greeneville are becoming the focal point of a rare Navy investigative board that was asked for the first time to look into the reasons way a crewman changed crucial data involving the location of a Japanese fishing trawler.

Rear Adm. Charles Griffiths … said something prevented a Greeneville crewman from giving Waddle important data pinpointing the location of the Ehime Maru minutes before the collision occurred Feb. 9, nine miles south of Diamond Head. . . .

Yesterday, Griffiths … said the fire control technician told Navy investigators that crowded conditions caused by the presence of 16 civilians prevented him from giving Waddle and Lt. j.g. Michael Coen, who was the officer of the deck and responsible for submarine’s operations that day . . .

Griffiths also noted the same fire control technician changed the position of the Ehime Maru from 2,000 yards to 9,000 yards after the collision occurred. …

Tours Host Thousands of Civilians Yearly; Attack-sub Tours Average 13 Guests

In 1999, the average attack submarine trip had 13 guests and the average ballistic missile submarine trip had 30 guests. In 1999, the Pacific Fleet sponsored the following civilian tours:

1999 TOURS

>> Nuclear ballistic missile submarine civilian trips: 26

>> Number of civilians: 785

>> Los Angeles-class attack submarine civilian trips: 28

>> Number of civilians: 507

>> Aircraft carrier civilian trips: 108

>> Number of civilians: 2,155

>> Surface warfare civilian trips: 71

>> Number of civilians: 8,133

>> Total civilian trips: 233

>> Total civilian guests: 11,440

In 2000, the average attack submarine trip had 15 guests and the average ballistic missile submarine trip had 34 guests. In 2000, the Pacific Fleet sponsored the following civilian tours:

2000 TOURS

>> Ballistic missile submarine civilian trips: 29

>> Civilian guests: 980

>> Los Angeles-class attack sub civilian trips: 21

>> Civilian guests: 307

>> Carrier civilian trips: 74

>> Carrier civilian guests: 1,478

>> Surface warship civilian trips: 34

>> Surface ship civilian guests: 5,071

>> Total civilian trips: 158

>> Total civilian guests: 7,836

TOTAL COST TO US TAXPAYERS FOR ‘DISTINGUISHED VISITORS’ TRIPS

$ ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . 99

* * *

March 17, 2001

USS Greenville’s Sole Mission Was ‘To Entertain Civilians’

Honolulu Star-Bulletin

Two senior admirals took strong exception that the USS Greeneville’s sole mission last month was to entertain civilians on a daylong cruise – a violation of Navy regulations.

Vice Adm. John Nathman, presiding officer over a rare Navy court of inquiry, took the Pacific Forces Submarine Force to task yesterday for approving a distinguished-visitor trip, or “embark” on Feb. 9.

It was a mission to entertain 16 civilians.

Repeatedly, Nathan, a former aircraft carrier commander and current head of the Pacific Fleet’s Naval Air Forces, asked Lt Cmdr Dave Werner, Submarine Forces’ public affairs officer, if the February trip was within Navy guidelines.

That directive states that these trips must be part of a regularly scheduled operation.

Werner’s only answer was that the Greeneville’s Feb 9 trip was “within the framework of normal scheduled operations.”

Werner contends that the Greeneville was supposed to go to sea on a training trip Feb 10-11, and the civilian visit was supposed to be part of that cruise. However, after completing a successful West Coast deployment, the crew was given the weekend off, and the training was postponed to the following Monday. But the civilian part of the visit remained scheduled for Fri, Feb 9.

The bothered Nathman, who said: “In my view this doesn’t fit the criteria. It doesn’t come close.”

Nathman added: “I would never get a carrier underway to support a DV (distinguished-visitor) embark. We’re going to disagree on that.”

Rear Adm Dave Stone, another board member, also disagreed. Stone, who commands the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier battle group, said trips that only support civilians would mean another day at sea for sailors and has “quality-of-life implications.”

Stone said his other concern was that such trips did not amount to proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars or offer as much training value as a regularly scheduled mission.

During his cross-examination, Charles Gittins, Waddle’s civilian attorney, asked about e-mail in Sept sent to Werner by Capt Kevin Wensing, Pacific Fleet spokesman. Wensing said the secretary of the Navy wanted this group of civilians to be treated well. Also included in the group was NBC “Today Show” host Matt Lauer. Wensing said yesterday said the whole itinerary fell apart in November.

Other correspondence to Werner said these were going to be “10 or 12 high-rolling CEOs” finishing a golf tournament, Gittins said.

Werner said initially he was told that retired Adm. Richard Macke, former Pacific Command, was going to accompany the 16 civilians, but later Macke dropped out because of another engagement….

* * *

March 17, 2001

‘Mother, please don’t cry…’

The Honolulu Advertiser

The wife of Jun Nakata, a 33-year-old Japanese teacher who perished at sea on the Ehime Maru came forward yesterday to speak about the effect of the tragedy on her family.

After hearing Cmdr. Scott Waddle, the captain of the USS Greeneville, apologize once again for the Feb 9 accident … Naoko Nakata released a 3-page statement.

Here is what she said:

Owing to this collision, our families’ lives have changed greatly. My 5-year-old son, who used to go to kindergarten daily, has now quit and we had to move away from Uwajima because I have no relatives there . . .

Last night, my son said, “I want to go back to kindergarten, mom.” My son, who never cried, wiped away his tears with his fists. This boy is innocent. That child of mine who loved his school is no longer there among his friends. . . .

His weak mother is crying together with her little boy. He said, “Mother, please don’t cry and I won’t cry anymore.” … But I couldn’t stop crying …

My daughter was born just last May. My husband was very happy to have a little girl. He pampered and loved her so much. Every day he would take a bath with his children and sing to them. Now I hear nothing.

The little girl is learning to walk and saying “bye-bye” and “good afternoon.” … I should be happy about my daughter’s growth but instead I’m overwhelmed with an empty feeling. It’s because my husband is not here to celebrate it with me.

I watched Scott Waddle and his wife in the courtroom on television and he was laughing. Then his smile grew even bigger. Another day he made a comment saying he was proud of his sub-mates, and I was angry about that. . . .

I’d like to take my husband’s warm hands and walk with him. I’m sure he hopes to hold his children’s hands.

Dear captain, I was meant to share every sadness and suffering with my husband. Your submarine sank him. … You said you will bring your sorrows to your grave. But my husband was sent to the grave without knowing what happened to him….

Dear captain, you blame the attorney for not coming to us sooner and not apologizing, and I suppose you think of it as a collective responsibility of your submates. I do not think you alone should be held responsible for the accident, but at least you and several others should be held responsible….

They say the submarine did not have an environment where the submates could speak up to their captain. You should let the Navy know that it was not an ideal environment, and unless you’re absolutely sure, you should tell the Navy to make reforms to the “distinguished visitors” program (that allows civilians to ride on military vehicles).

You, being the highest ranking officer of the submarine which took the lives of the nine, should make these proposals. I feel strongly that you should, dear captain.

You will leave the Navy and I think someday address the public. When you do, you should speak the truth.

You should answer all the questions and give out all the facts without making any deals, and make sure there are clear changes to prevent another incident like this one.

I’d like to tell my son and daughter someday that daddy’s accident was a sad incident but that it made the Hawaiian ocean a safe place for all people around the world and for ships like the Ehime Maru to come to Hawaii. He taught us that safety and security is very important.

We’ll go to Hawaii someday, the three of us.

* * *

March 20, 2001

‘Disneyland on a Submarine’

The Honolulu Advertiser

Admirals blast ‘loose’ command

Cmdr. Scott Waddle … took the stand today and faced a barrage of criticism and blunt questions from the admirals presiding over the court.

They called Waddle’s leadership style at times “ad hoc” and “loose” and accused him of flouting Navy regulations to take civilian guests deeper and faster than Navy regulations allow.

Waddle admitted he has driven civilians beyond the 800-foot depth and 25-knot speed limits to show “our distinguished visitors what our submarines, these wonderful pieces of engineering, can do.”

On the day his submarine, the USS Greenville, sliced through the hull of the Ehime Maru fishing boat, Waddle even ordered his torpedo man to collect ocean samples and put them in commemorative bottles for the visitors. The bottles noted they had been collected at a certain depth….

The president of the court, Vice Adm. John Nathman, wasn’t satisfied with Waddle’s answers.

“You can choose that you can violate guidelines on classified material because you feel it’s important to show the DVs (distinguished visitors) … the full envelope of a U.S. submarine?” he asked sarcastically.

“Another take would be that you’re just giving them the double-E ride, the E ride, at Disneyland on a submarine.”

Nathman seemed particularly agitated that the visitors might display their Greeneville souvenirs back home, thereby disclosing classified information.

“Then when they have it on their coffee table and other friends come over from who knows where … they’ll tell people about the test depth capability of U.S. submarines,” Nathman said.

“You don’t feel you should safeguard that information, captain?” . . .

* * *

March 22, 2001

Interviews Recount Sub Crash Aftermath

The Honolulu Advertiser

The USS Greeneville had just smashed into the Ehime Maru fishing boat, sending dozens of Japanese fishermen into the water, when frantic sailors asked their civilian guests whether any of them spoke Chinese.

Moments later, they returned to where the guests were huddled in the torpedo room to ask whether any spoke Japanese.

“Apparently they had a language problem,” said Michael “Mickey” Nolan of Hawaii Kai, one of the 16 visitors who came aboard the Greeneville on Feb. 9 for a seven-hour demonstration of the prowess of fast-attack submarines. . . .

The National Transportation Safety Board interviewed the civilians in the days following the crash nine miles south of Diamond Head. The NTSB released transcripts of the interviews yesterday – the day after the Navy concluded a 12-day court of inquiry into the collision . . .

Two hours after the crash, the Greeneville’s captain came down to the ship’s mess and told the visitors the sub was going to remain at the crash site overnight to conduct search-and-rescue operations.

Some of the passengers were already getting seasick. One woman cried. Susan Nolan, Mickey Nolan’s wife, felt a sense of panic, a fear that the collision had somehow caused a leak in the submarine’s nuclear reactor. . . .

But Waddle or Capt. Robert Brandhuber, the chief of staff for the Pacific Fleet’s submarine force, assured the visitors that nothing was wrong with the Greeneville, Nolan said.

Crewmen gave up their bunks, which the visitors realized was a sacrifice. The crew showed them the movie “Erin Brockovich” and served them dinner.

Ever since the cruise began, the civilians said, Waddle and his crew had been both friendly and professional.

Sailors let some of the visitors crawl into a torpedo tube to write their names on the sides. That way, they said, their names would rub against any torpedoes fired by the Greeneville crew.

But everyone’s demeanor changed at the moment the Greeneville crashed into the Ehime Maru.

Waddle said: “What the hell was that?” and immediately had the guests excorted tp the ship’s mess and then to the torpedo room in case the mess needed to be used for first aid.

“There was just dead silence,” said Michael Mitchell of Irving, Texas, who was on board with his fiancee, Helen Cullen. “We were all in shock.” . . .

Susan Schnur took one look at Waddle and knew something was terribly wrong. . . .

“His face turned white,” said Schnur of The Woodlands, Texas.

Her husband, Tony Schnur, an investment manager who formed an oil and gas company, provided a graphic description of the sound generated when the Greeneville collided with the Ehime Maru, saying “…it was like a big, old 55-gallon drum that somebody took a ball bat to and smacked the side of.” . . .

Schnur remembers, too, the admonition Waddle gave his crew over the submarine’s PA system several hours after the collision.

“He said, ‘I don’t know what this will bring, but you are one of the finest crews I have ever worked with. You know how we operate on this ship. Our code of conduct here is safety, honesty and integrity. You know, this incident will be fully investigated. We must tell the truth.’. . .”

Schnur told the NTSB he was concerned about his own legal liability as a result of having been among the group of civilians aboard the Greeneville when the accident happened.

He said he had already consulted a lawyer to ask: “‘Could a grieving Japanese parent sue civilians?’ and the answer is, ‘Yeah, anybody can sue anybody.'”

Catherine Graham Wyatt of Golden, Colo., worried that she and the other civilians may have distracted the crew in the minutes leading up to the collision.

“Were we a distraction?” Wyatt asked the NTSB interviewer. “It’s weighing on my conscience.”

Carol Brehmer of Overland Park, Kan., recalled getting seasick not long after the submarine left Pearl Harbor. . . .

Her husband, Jay Brehmer, told investigators he did not see the Ehime Maru actually slip below the surface.

“I saw it taking on water. I watched the monitor of only maybe a minute,” Jay Brehmer said. “But within that minute … it was going down very quickly.” …

Civilians Took Liking to Waddle

They felt an instant bond with Scott Waddle.

Waddle lit up a cigar and began telling his life story on the morning of Feb 9 as he guided his 6,900-ton, fast-attack submarine past his home near Pearl Harbor. On shore, Cmdr. Waddle’s wife, Jill, waved goodbye to her husband and the 16 civilian visitors he carried that day. . . .

The National Transportation Board spoke to the civilians in the days following the crash and released transcripts of the interviews yesterday….

Susan Schnur of Texas described Waddle as “classy, classy, classy” before, during and after the collision with the Ehime Maru.

He even made good on a promise to provide the tour group with a memento of what was supposed to be only a seven-hour trip, she said.

As the morning trip turned into an overnight search-and-rescue operation, Waddle told his guests: “I know you’re going to think I’m crazy for thinking about this, but I haven’t forgotten about the things that I promised you, and that’s a part of what I do.”

The next morning, as the civilians prepared to climb aboard a ship that would take them back to Pearl Harbor, Waddle appeared with autographed pictures he had promised.

Schnur remembered Waddle apologizing “profusely” to the civilians.

“It wasn’t supposed to be that way,” Waddle told the group.

“It was supposed to be a lot of fun.”

* * *

March 24, 2001

Visitors Program Faulted by Lawyer

by Gregg Kakesako, Honolulu Star-Bulletin

“It smells rotten to me,” says Charles Gittins, the Greeneville skipper’s attorney.

The attorney for Cmdr. Scott Waddle slammed the panel of three admirals investigating the sinking of the Japanese fishing vessel Ehime Maru for not probing the “distinguished visitors” cruise that placed 16 civilians aboard the nuclear submarine USS Greeneville on Feb 9.

“It smells rotten to me, to have some retired admiral who brings in a bunch of people who don’t have anything to do with the Navy,” Charles Gittins said.

“They come from the mainland, and they have this admiral who is tapping in, and he is throwing the secretary of the Navy’s name around. That is something I would like to know more about,” Gittens told the Star-Bulletin before he left the islands . . .

Gittins, who represented Waddle befor a rare Navy court of inquiry, was referring to retired Adm. Richard Macke, former Pacific forces commander. Macke, as far back as September, contacted the Pacific Fleet seeking to give a group of civilians a ride on a nuclear submarine.

Vice Adm. John Nathman, president of the court of inquiry, told Gittins during the March 16 session that the panel would look into the distinguished-visitor program.

Through 2 � weeks of testimony before the court of inquiry, it was disclosed that the Greeneville would have never have gone out to sea Feb. 9 if it had not had to fulfill a commitment to give 16 civilians a ride.

That distinguished-visitors embarkation“DV embark” in Navy jargon – ended with the Greeneville ramming the Ehime Maru … That collision sank the Japanese vessel, taking with it nine high school students, teachers and crewmen.

Although the panel was charged by Adm. Thomas Fargo, Pacific Fleet commander, to examine the DV embark program, Gittins said the three admirals doing the investigation did not seem interested in pursuing the matter.

“I think what is going on is an admiral’s protective organization,” Gittins said.

Gittins said he had wanted to get Macke – who was forced to retire in 1995 after making insensitive remarks about the rape of a 12-year-old Okinawan girl by three Marines – to testify, but he was never called. . . .

* * *

March 27, 2001

“The Right Thing to Do”

by Terry McCarthy, Time.com

Commander Scott Waddle was in his private hell.

His submarine, the U.S.S. Greeneville, had sunk a Japanese fishing vessel off Hawaii, killing nine people. His career in the Navy was over. He was potentially facing a court-martial. His lawyer had told him to remain silent. And still Waddle decided to stand up last week and testify at the Navy’s court of inquiry into the accident.

“This court needs to hear from me. It is the right thing to do,” said Waddle.

The courtroom was stunned. It was the 12th and final day of testimony in the inquiry into why the 6,900-ton nuclear sub shot to the surface in a procedure known as a ballast blow, slicing into the hull of the 190-ft. Ehime Maru and causing it to sink within minutes.

The court, which is to decide what action, if any, is to be taken against Waddle, 41, and two other officers, had heard conflicting accounts of how well Waddle ran his ship. A petty officer in charge of analyzing sonar data had conceded he had been “a little bit” lazy in not telling Waddle that a ship appeared to be just 4,000 yds. away. Questions had been raised about the extent to which 16 civilians onboard may have interfered with safety procedures.

But now the man at the center of the tragedy was coming out to testify–even though the Navy had refused to give him immunity for his testimony against any future proceedings. While Waddle spoke, his lawyer, Charles Gittins, sat despondently with his head in his hands, pulling at his hair. Waddle was on his own, and he knew it. Conceding that “mistakes were made,” Waddle said, “as commanding officer, I am solely responsible for this truly tragic accident, and for the rest of my life I will have to live with the horrible consequences.” . . .

Lawyer Gittins later hit back at the high command with a suggestion that retired Admiral Richard Macke, who organized the civilian tour on the sub, may have had “some sort of financial relationship” with the visitors.

Waddle received the support of half a dozen sailors from the Greeneville who contradicted the senior officers, testifying that Waddle was a careful officer who always stressed safety measures during his command. “He is the kind of guy who could stand up in a crowded room and say ‘Follow me’ and they all would,” said retired Navy captain and submariner John Peters.

The person Waddle won over was Kazuo Nakata, father of one of the Japanese lost on the sunken boat. He sat each day at the inquiry filled with anger, until he met Waddle face to face and accepted his apologies. “He bowed to me, and a tear fell to the floor. In that moment we were two human beings,” said Nakata.

The Navy, which seems keen to avoid any suggestion of a cover-up, is expected to take six to eight weeks to decide on further action.

Opinion polls show the U.S. public does not think Waddle should be court-martialed, and naval history indicates a court-martial is rare for an officer involved in an accident at sea. But with feelings running high in Japan, Waddle is fearful he could be “sacrificed” to maintain good relations with the U.S.’s most important military ally in the Pacific. “He did his level best,” said Gittins. “He may have fallen short on that day, but it wasn’t criminal.”

Waddle’s private hell is still far from over.

* * *

April 26, 2001

Irony grips sub force command change

By William Cole, Honolulu Advertiser

On a day when the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s submarine force changed command and said goodbye to their beloved leader, the specter of the Greeneville tragedy just would not go away.

As popular Rear Adm. Albert Konetzni Jr. relinquished command of the sub force to Rear Adm. John Padgett III yesterday aboard the USS Honolulu, the reminders of the Feb. 9 collision at sea with the Ehime Maru fishing vessel were everywhere.

First there was the unspoken irony: The ceremony had been scheduled to be aboard the Greeneville but was switched after the accident, which claimed the lives of nine people aboard Japanese ship.

Capt. Robert Brandhuber, chief of staff of the submarine force, who served as master of ceremonies yesterday, was among those riding as a guest on the Greeneville when the accident occurred nine miles south of Diamond Head.

Retired Adm. Richard Macke, who asked that the trip be organized to accommodate civilian visitors, sat in the front row.

Key naval officers assembled yesterday with one notable exception.

Cmdr. Scott Waddle was absent. On Monday, Adm. Thomas Fargo found the Greeneville’s former skipper guilty of dereliction of duty and subjecting a vessel to a hazard.

Konetzni, a mentor of Waddle’s, has been nominated for promotion to vice admiral and assignment as chief of staff and deputy commander of the U.S. Atlantic Fleets headquartered in Norfolk, Va.

“It’s easy to watch the thousands of talking heads on various news shows and it’s easy to talk about what goes on in the arena if you’re not in it,” he told the assembled visitors. “You don’t, because you are there making history and waging a battle that puts your lives at stake, a battle to maintain global peace and stability.”

Fargo, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, made a reference to the Ehime Maru: “It’s been difficult for us, I think, because we know we are better than this. We don’t expect these kinds of mistakes to be made and we have a hard time believing they could.”

* * *

Militarism Sank the Ehime Maru

The February 2001 sinking of a Japanese fishing boat, the Ehime Maru by a US attack submarine has fueled an international controversy. This is not an isolated incident, but an outgrowth of US military dominance.

by Kyle Kajihiro

I was honored to participate in a beautiful and powerful Hawaiian ceremony at Maunalua, O`ahu on March 4 to send blessings to the nine victims of the Ehime Maru incident and to extend our aloha and friendship to their families. As I prepared to deliver a banner signed by hundreds of Hawai`i residents to the family members of the victims, I felt utterly helpless. Anything I said would seem trite next to the enormity of their pain and outrage. While our intentions were sincere, I couldn’t help but feel shame that in part, we were trying to make ourselves feel better.

Although the people of Hawai`i cannot change the events of February 9, we bear some responsibility for the consequences of militarism in our islands. And we must work for changes in US security policy to prevent these kinds of tragedies from happening in the future.

US officials have portrayed the sinking of the Ehime Maru and the loss of nine lives as an isolated accident, the tragic combination of human error and circumstance. However, far from being the exception, the sinking of the Ehime Maru is but one in a string of military tragedies that directly affected civilians.

>> On June 14, 1960, while docked at Pearl Harbor, the nuclear sub USS Sargo exploded and burned so fiercely that the ship had to be flooded to avert a nuclear catastrophe.

>> In 1981, the USS George Washington rammed and sunk the Japanese freighter Nissho Maru, killing two.

>> In 1995 three US military servicemen gang-raped a 12-year-old Okinawan girl.

>> February 3, 1998, a Marine jet severed a gondola cable in Italy, plunging 20 to their deaths.

>> April 19, 1999 a civilian worker was killed by a bombing accident on Vieques, Puerto Rico, sparking massive protests.

>> Thousands of Marshall Islanders have died or suffered from radiation sickness due to 67 nuclear tests on their islands. Greenpeace reported that in the 1980s alone, the US Navy had almost 1,600 accidents, and that as of 1996, the US had 380 nuclear weapons accidents. I shudder to think what might have happened if the USS Greeneville disaster had been a nuclear one.

The people of Hawai`i, like peoples in other militarized and colonized areas of the world, such as Okinawa, the Philippines, the Marshall Islands, and Vieques, subsidize the costs of militarism.

“The arrogance of US military power and its love affair with defense contractors put the USS Greeneville on a collision course with the Ehime Maru long before it set sail on February 9.”

The illegal US takeover of Hawai`i in 1898 was driven by military interests to control the Pacific and gain the military advantage in the Philippines. Today, as a result, 22.4% of the land on O`ahu is controlled by the military, most of it land taken from the Hawaiian Kingdom. The bombing of Kaho`olawe, Waikane, Pööhakuloa, and Määkua have destroyed areas rich in cultural and natural resources and ruined the lives of former inhabitants. Military operations have seriously contaminated numerous sites including Pearl Harbor, Lualualei, Mäkua, Nöhili, Barbers Point, Bellows, and Mililani, with lead, petroleum PCBs, organic solvents, and unexploded ordnance as a few of the leading contaminants. High cancer rates among Wai`anae residents may be linked to military contamination.

The Naval Court of Inquiry may shed light on how the submarine rammed the Ehime Maru. But ultimately, it avoids another, perhaps more important, “inquiry” — the critical analysis about the larger military-defense structure of the US that has been in place for more than a century.

Why was the Greeneville performing dangerous stunts to entertain well-connected civilians? Why is the Navy allowed to conduct these operations and training exercises in secrecy in heavily used Hawaiian waters? Why is the submarine force commander pushing to expand the sub fleet when even the Department of Defense wanted a reduction? The commander stated that subs help “sell the Navy,” but it seems that the distinguished visitor program also “sells subs.”

What is the true social cost of militarism? US national priorities are perverted. The US spends 47 cents on every dollar for military-related expenses, but only 3 cents on education. If the Navy didn’t buy 30 attack subs, Honolulu could repair half of its deteriorated schools with the $90.8 million saved. This figure represents Honolulu’s contribution to the total cost of these submarines.

The arrogance of US military power and its love affair with defense contractors put the USS Greeneville on a collision course with the Ehime Maru long before it set sail on February 9. In the long run, militarism makes the world less secure. We must redefine the concept of “security” to mean human and environmental security — meeting human and environmental needs — because one way or another, people, military as well as civilian, pay the price of militarism with our lives.

About the Author

Kyle Kajihiro is the program director of the American Friends Service Committee – Hawai`i Program, based in Honolulu. He can be reached at keboi@aol.com.

* * *

August 3, 2001

Ehime Maru salvage begins next week

By Mike Gordon, The Honolulu Advertiser

Navy officials are predicting they have an 80 percent chance of successfully moving the Ehime Maru to shallow water later this month.

Navy Capt. Bert Marsh gives a rundown on how equipment aboard the Rockwater 2 will be used to raise the Ehime Maru so it can be moved to shallower waters.

And while those are better odds than the average Navy salvage operation, which succeeds 50 to 75 percent of the time, the admiral in charge yesterday said divers will probably only locate the remains of five to seven of the nine people missing since a U.S. submarine sank the Japanese vessel in February.

The Ehime Maru lies on the ocean floor in 2,000 feet of water. The water pressure there is so great, it crushed the steel mast of the vessel as it sank.

The Navy wants to move the ship to a depth of 115 feet so divers can safely recover as many bodies as possible and return them to Japan.

Lifting the Ehime Maru from the ocean floor will be up to the crew of Rockwater 2, a red and orange civilian ship that costs about $6.6 million to use. The entire project is expected to cost $40 million and last until October.

Rockwater 2 is scheduled to leave Honolulu Harbor by Tuesday and head for a featureless patch of ocean above the Ehime Maru, nine miles south of Diamond Head.

It is there that the USS Greeneville carved a gash in the Ehime Maru while performing a surfacing drill for 16 civilian guests. Cmdr. Scott Waddle, then-skipper of the submarine, rushed his periscope inspection of the surface before putting his 6,900-ton nuclear submarine on a collision course with the Ehime Maru, a ship used to teach Japanese high school students how to fish.

Four of the missing were 17-year-old boys.

It will take about two weeks for Rockwater 2 to rig a cradle beneath the Ehime Maru, but the real challenge will come when the winches take up the slack on four lengths of 4-inch-thick cable, said Rear Adm. William R. Klemm, deputy chief of staff for maintenance of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

“I think that point is perhaps the single point where the risk is greatest,” Klemm said yesterday. “I have very high confidence that we will be able to get to the point where we can lift the ship. I think the much greater risk comes at the point where we raise the ship and have to move it.”

Owned by Halliburton Co., a Texas-based construction and engineering company, the 5,991-ton Rockwater 2 will use oil industry technology in ways never attempted before….

* * *

August 3, 2001

From Honolulu Star-Bulletin, by Gregg K. Kakesako:

Navy readies for Ehime Maru recovery

The Navy believes there is an 80 percent chance that it will be able to raise the sunken Japanese fishing training vessel Ehime Maru, but it is not confident that all of the nine victims are entombed in the vessel.

The crucial test is within the first few hours sometime in the middle of this month when heavy-duty winches on the multipurpose diving support vessel Rockwater 2 begin to lift the 750-ton Ehime Maru from a depth of 2,000 feet….

The Navy has contracted with the Rotterdam-based Smit Tak Internationale to raise the Japanese ship. Smit Internationale also is involved in the attempts to raise the Russian submarine Kursk….

“The Navy has a lot of experience in salvage operations,” Klemm said. “The Navy has raised ships from the Suez Canal after the Gulf War.”

But the Ehime Maru operation is unique because of the combination of the depth and the size of the sunken vessel.

* * *

November 25, 2001

Ehime Maru brought to final resting place

By Karen Blakeman, Honolulu Advertiser

This morning, provided the winds and fates cooperated, the Ehime Maru completed its final journey though the waters off O’ahu.

Suspended beneath a Crowley Maritime barge, the Japanese fishing vessel slowly traversed 21 nautical miles yesterday and this morning before it was to be released to what will surely be its last resting place, 12 miles off Kalaeloa Point and 1,000 fathoms below the surface.

As the Ehime Maru sank to 6,000 feet, representatives from the Japanese fishing village of its origin, Uwajima, were to pay respects from aboard the JDS Chihaya, a Japan Self-Defense Force ship that accompanied the barge.

The Ehime Maru had carried nine of Uwajima’s sons and brothers to their deaths.

Relatives of Ehime Maru crewman Hiroshi Nishida, Uwajima Fisheries High School teacher Hiroshi Makizawa and high school student Takeshi Mizuguchi arrived yesterday in Honolulu and were expected to take part in the brief ceremony above the Ehime Maru this morning, officials said.

Navy and Japanese officials shunned publicity for the final stages of a saga that began with one of the most tragic peacetime accidents in U.S. Navy history, and ended with a recovery effort that put its participants in the history books and returned the remains of eight of the nine victims to loved ones.

Coast Guard Capt. Gilbert Kanazawa, a federal coordinator for the Ehime Maru recovery project, said the project was an emotional and difficult one from the beginning.

The beginning almost defied belief, as the odds against its occurrence were so overwhelming.

On Feb. 9, the Ehime Maru was off Diamond Head, its crewmen and faculty and students of the Uwajima fisheries school putting training into practice.

Below them the captain and crew of the USS Greeneville, a Navy submarine, also practiced the skills of their trade. With a group of civilian dignitaries watching, Greeneville skipper Scott Waddle ordered the crew to conduct an emergency surfacing drill.

The Greeneville sliced into the Ehime Maru, sinking the vessel and nine members of its crew in 2,000 feet of water.

Waddle’s career was ended by his failure to detect the Ehime Maru above his boat. The Navy chain of command, up to the commander in chief, apologized profusely to Japan and to the families of the men and boys who were killed.

But the families wanted more. They wanted the bodies of the victims recovered, and the fact that the salvage of a ship from water 2,000 feet deep had never been accomplished meant little to them. In the funeral rituals practiced by the families, the body of the dead plays an important role in the belief that the soul can move on.

So the Navy agreed to the salvage and recovery operation, despite a $60 million price tag. At first, the odds against success seemed high, but Kanazawa said the Navy had the best salvage and recovery teams and contractors in the world, as well as a motivation too strong to be denied.

“Everyone in the Navy felt very badly that this had happened,” he said. “I think everyone wanted to do everything in their power to make the recovery operation a success.”

In addition to the watchful families, the eyes of the world were on the recovery team at the beginning, as the Navy’s first attempts to lift the ship in late August and early September met setbacks when parts of the lifting apparatus failed.

The team kept working, demonstrating a focus that Kanazawa attributed to the leadership of Rear Adm. William Klemm, who led the mission. Klemm’s skills became particularly apparent as his team continued to work while the rest of the country grieved over the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

“It was a tremendous challenge for Admiral Klemm to keep it all focused,” Kanazawa said. “He did an outstanding job.”

The team successfully lifted the ship in October, slowly moved it toward a shallow-water site off Ho-nolulu International Airport’s reef runway, and set the Ehime Maru down on Oct. 15.

Out of respect for the families, the Navy was careful not to seem to be celebrating its success when the fishing vessel held together throughout the operation. Instead, the divers were directed to begin their work.

Eight bodies were more than the Navy had expected to find, based on witness accounts of the position of the students, teachers and crew as the Ehime Maru went down. But Kanazawa said more than expected wasn’t enough.

Seventeen-year-old Mizuguchi was the only victim whose body was not recovered, and Kanazawa said thoughts of the boy and his family weigh heavily on the minds of those who worked hard to recover him.

Klemm, upon announcing the end of the search, said Mizuguchi’s mother told him her son had watched over the operation, and would remain in Hawaiian waters, watching out for all seamen.

Despite the sadness for Mizuguchi’s family and the intense emotions experienced by everyone connected with the mission, Kanazawa said he thought the Navy’s salvage and recovery team, and all those who assisted them, needed to take a moment to reflect on the good they had done.

The story of the Ehime Maru isn’t completely over yet: Some family members have said they are considering legal action, and the Japanese government has asked the Navy to provide it with a new training vessel.

There are plans for a new Ehime memorial, and Waddle has said he still hopes to travel to Uwajima to apologize first-hand, once the legal issues are completed.

The families must learn to live with terrible holes in their lives.

Still, at least a degree of closure is warranted, Kanazawa said.

“The Navy took on this humanitarian mission, and they have completed it safely and with due respect for the Japanese people and while preserving the environment,” he said.

“Everyone involved can be proud that they did everything within their power and authority in the best possible manner.”…

* * *

January, 2003

From The Right Thing, by Scott Waddle and Ken Abraham:

From the Inside Flap: “I’ll kill you before I allow you to take the stand to testify without immunity,” my lawyer Charlie Gittins railed. “On second thought, I won’t have to – you’d be killing yourself!”.

I smiled slightly at my defense counsel’s impassioned plea. I knew Charlie wanted to protect me, but I felt compelled to take the witness stand. I believed that the truth should be known about the sorrowful events in which I had played a part.

“I have to, Charlie, I did it. Nine people are dead because of me.”

In the span of eight minutes on February 9, 2001, Navy Commander Scott Waddle’s life was forever changed. He gave the order to perform an emergency maneuver that inadvertently caused the nine-thousand-ton nuclear attack submarine he commanded to rip up through the water and smash into the Ehime Maru, a Japanese fishing boat….

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YOU ARE WELCOME TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION GROUP ON THIS TOPIC AT:

THE CATBIRD’S FORUM

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FOR A DEEPER LOOK BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THIS TRAGEDY, JUST GO BELOW

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Dan Inouye – Senator (D) from Hawaii, called by some “Hawaii’s Political Godfather.”

From ABC News, 2/2/97, by James Walker:

The King of Pork

Dan Inouye is the second largest industry in the state of Hawaii,” says Richard Borreca of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

That’s because in just the last five years, Inouye has brought home almost half a billion in federal tax dollars. The senator has mastered the recipe for pork: one part seniority, mixed with a choice assignment on a powerful spending committee. . . .

Pork Barrels at Sea

When local historians wanted to build a replica of a Polynesian canoe, they went to Sen. Inouye and he delivered.

Two million dollars in federal funds and the Hawaii`iloa was built- all 57 feet, 17 thousand pounds of it. The goal was to show how the first Hawaiians sailed to their new home.

Donald Duckworth of Bishop Museum is an admirer of Inouye’s ways. “Certainly out here, we admire and respect Senator Inouye’s translation of our needs.”

But what some call need, others call waste.

How does a boondoggle like this get funded anyway?

Read Between the Lines

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz, says it’s because some lawmakers slip requests for special projects into huge appropriations bills that no one is likely to scrutinize.

McCain claimed he knew nothing of the Polynesian canoe. “Many times we don’t know what’s in these bills until after they’re signed into law.”

Inouye also used a 203-page military-appropriations bill to get a company a 30-year monopoly on the cruise business in Hawaii.

“You give one company a monopoly to cruise the very beautiful islands of Hawaii, the consumers are going to pay, and clearly, far in excess of what they otherwise would if there was competition,” said Sen. McCain.

Senator Inouye declined ABC News’ request for an interview.

Meanwhile, the pork projects keep flowing into Hawaii. And Senator Inouye keeps spending your money. . . .

~ ~ ~

A Catbird Note: What the preceding article doesn’t tell you: Bishop Museum was endowed by Charles Reed Bishop, the husband of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop….

And the trustees for the CHARLES REED BISHOP ESTATE are THE SAME POLITICALLY-CONNECTED TRUSTEES as for the KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS / BISHOP ESTATE !

And who was the project director for the $2 MILLION canoe? Try guessing NAINOA THOMPSON – one of the five NEW TRUSTEES (and son of retired trustee, Myron Thompson, who also happened to by one of the co-investors in the infamous McKenzie Methane deal!)

Another coincidence?

* * *

October 28, 1996

Isle Woman Part of Campaign Probe – Former resident Nora Lum figures in congressional investigation into ’92 finances.

By Ian Y. Lind, Honolulu Star-Bulletin

Congressional investigators have renewed a probe of former Hawaii resident Nora T. Lum, and a 1992 campaign project which she headed, because of their links to Democratic National Committee fund-raiser John Huang and former DNC official Melinda Yee.

David Bossie, staff investigator for Rep. Dan Burton, said last week that investigators are “extremely interested” in Lum’s association with Huang and Yee in the Asian Pacific Advisory Council (APAC-Vote), a DNC project that operated out of offices in Torrance, Calif, during the fall of 1992.

Bossie said APAC-Vote is drawing new scrutiny because its “cast of characters” included Huang, then an officer of the Indonesian-owned Lippo Bank in Los Angeles; the late Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown, then chairman of the DNC; and Melinda Yee, an assistant to Brown at the DNC and national director of Asian Pacific American affairs for the 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign.

Following the 1992 elections, Brown was appointed secretary of commerce and named Huang and Yee to key positions in the department. . . .

Huang and Yee have been ordered to testify in a lawsuit by the conservative organization, Judicial Watch, which wants to know whether Commerce Department trade missions were used to raise funds for the Democratic Party. . . .

APAC-Vote officially opened its office on Sept 9, 1992, the same day then-candidate Bill Clinton announced the formation of the Asian Pacific American Committee for Clinton-Gore, whose roster included Sen. DAN INOUYE, Sen. DAN AKAKA, Rep. PATSY MINK, and then-Gov. JOHN WAIHEE.

* * *

January, 1997

New York Mob at Mena

By Ace R. Hayes, Portland Free Press

Yet another CIA-Mafia drug connection: Richard Brenneke puts mob boss John Gotti and CIA boss Donald Gregg in the middle of contra drug operations at Mena Airport.

In Dec 1996, the Portland Free Press secured a copy of Richard Brenneke’s 21 June 1991 sworn-deposition before Congressman William Alexander, Jr, and Chad Farris, chief deputy attorney general of Arkansas. . . .

We secured former congressman William Alexander’s fax number and sent him a request for confirmation. We got more than we hope for – Jan 1997: “… the Brenneke transcript, along with other evidence of money laundering by Barry Seal at Mena, Arkansas, was delivered to Judge Walsh for action. Nothing followed. I agree that the American people deserve to know the truth about our government. Thank you for providing it. Good luck.” (signed Bill Alexander)

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The American people, since World War II, or World War I, or the Spanish American War- take your choice- have witnessed the tip of many criminal icebergs. The official investigations of the criminal icebergs almost always stopped at the waterline. The other 90 percent of the criminal icebergs were never hauled onto the beach for complete examination, prosecution and correction.

The criminal cases of 1980 to the present are in perfect harmony with this honored tradition. This is, of course, why Americans are the most profoundly ignorant people on planet earth. The illusion of knowledge is far worse than knowing you don’t know.

The Iran-Contra-cocaine criminal iceberg was subjected to a series of bogus investigations and damage control “exposes.” The Tower Commission and Select Committee of the House and Senate on Secret Military Assistance to Iran and the Nicaraguan Opposition in 1987, began the damage control operation for the Imperial state.

But the Hall of Shame did not stop with John Tower, Ed Muskie and Brent Scowcroft or Dan Inouye and Lee Hamilton. It included Senator John Kerry and his Special Counsel Jack Blum and Staff Aid Dick McCall. It reached to the Special Counsel, Judge Lawrence E. Walsh

* * *

Compiled by Associated Press from financial disclosure forms filed June 12, 1998:

1998 Financial Profile: Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, Indian Affairs Committee ranking Democrat

Earned Income: $135,340

Major Assets: Stock in CPB Inc. worth $100,001-$250,000. Over $100,000 in bank accounts. . . .

Major Sources of Unearned Income: Dividends of $5,001-$50,000 from CPB stock, and bank interest in the same range.

Inouye’s major investment is in CPB, a holding company for Central Pacific Bank, one of Hawaii’s largest commercial banks.

(Worthy of note: Central Pacific Bank was formed primarily by Japan’s scandal ridden Sumitomo Bank, that has alleged Yakuza connections, and later became a major partner, along with Hawaii’s Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate, of Goldman Sachs.)

For more, GO TO > > > Predators in Paradise


Dick Cheney – Vice President of the United States of America.

CHENEY AS VP FACES A SERIOUS CUT IN PAY

By Gary Strauss, USA TODAY

Dick and Lynne Cheney could be in for some belt-tightening.

Should Dick Cheney become vice president after the November election, he’ll earn an annual salary of $181,400, plus $10,000 for expenses. Of course, there’s free limo service, Air Force Two, a house and 24/7 security, not to mention the other perks.

Lynne Cheney’s 1999 director compensation packages

American Express/IDS Funds, $95,000

Lockheed-Martin, $120,000

Reader’s Digest, $50,000

Union Pacific Resources Group, $40,000

Dick Cheney’s 1999 director compensation packages

Procter & Gamble, $110,000

Electronic Data Systems, $112,500

Union Pacific, $60,000

But that pales compared with his $26.4 million compensation package last year as CEO of energy services giant Halliburton. That included $1.3 million in pay, $5.6 million in stock, and stock options valued at up to $18.9 million. Cheney also holds Halliburton shares worth $46 million at Tuesday’s market close.

Lynne Cheney earned more than $300,000 last year in retainers and stock compensation as a director at defense contractor Lockheed-Martin, publisher Reader’s Digest Association , energy services firm Union Pacific Resources Group and AmEx/IDS, the mutual fund arm of financial services behemoth American Express. Although federal elections and ethics office officials say there are no laws precluding Cheney from retaining her directors’ posts, she’d likely resign to avoid potential conflicts of interest, says Pat McGurn, a corporate governance expert with Institutional Shareholder Services.

There is a precedent. Hillary Clinton resigned from Arkansas-based yogurt franchiser TCBY Enterprises’ board after Bill Clinton was elected president in 1992. “There are inherent conflicts, but I can’t remember anything like this coming up with the spouse of a vice president before,” McGurn says. As vice president, Dick Cheney would be required to give up his corporate roles.

Lynne Cheney, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank, didn’t return calls. Her board seat at Union Pacific Resources Group ended this month after a merger with Anadarko Petroleum.

Combined with Dick Cheney’s directorships at consumer products giant Procter & Gamble, Union Pacific railroad and Electronic Data Systems, few power couples share as many directorships.

Washington powerbroker Vernon Jordan and his wife, Ann Dibble Jordan, held more than a dozen directorships in 1999, pulling in more than $1 million in board retainers. Former Trade representative Carla Hills and her husband, Rod Hills, a former Securities and Exchange Commission member, held seven seats.

Ex-politicians and government appointees are popular choices for corporate boards for their contacts, expertise and celebrity status. . . .


George P. Mitchell – Mitchell is a real estate developer (The Woodlands) and oil tycoon (Mitchell Energy).

From The Governor’s Gusher: The Bush Profiteers100 Donors Who Enjoy Hands-off, Handout Government.

George P. Mitchell is a developer and oil tycoon. People in Wise County say they can ignite their well water because Mitchell Energy failed to cap area gas wells. Jurors awarded them $204 million, but Texas Supreme Court justices overturned the award.

Mitchell was to settle related charges before the Texas Railroad Commission for a record $2.2 million, but commissioners cut the fine in half.

The commissioners and justices took thousands of campaign dollars from Mitchell Energy.

See also: The Woodlands


Halliburton Corporation – From The Progressive, Madison, WI., 07/26/00:

Cheney at the Helm

At Halliburton, oil and human rights did not mix.

By Wayne Madsen

Dick Cheney, George W. Bush’s running mate, is a far cry from the “aw, shucks” kind of Wyoming cowboy-politician painted by Republican strategists. When he was at the helm of the Dallas-based oil services giant Halliburton, Inc., from 1995 until his nomination, the company and its subsidiaries–Brown & Root and Dresser Industries–were deeply enmeshed in the military-intelligence complex.

After serving as Secretary of Defense in Bush the Elder’s Administration and making Kuwait safe once again for U.S. oil companies, Cheney went around the country making speeches. But when the CEO spot opened up at Halliburton, the board of directors tapped him, knowing that his connections would come in handy. They just didn’t know how handy.

For instance, after Halliburton acquired Dresser in 1998, it helped rebuild Iraq’s petroleum industry, which Cheney and the Pentagon had decimated during Desert Storm. . . .

Halliburton also has some unsavory ties in Russia. “Halliburton was a beneficiary of $292 million in loan guarantees extended earlier this year by the U.S. Export-Import Bank for a Russian company’s development of a Siberian oilfield,” The Washington Post reported.

“The deal was a major embarrassment for Halliburton because the Russian company that is Halliburton’s partner, Tyumen Oil, has been accused of committing a massive fraud to gain control of the oilfield.”

What’s more, Halliburton has been involved with so-called private military companies. Brown & Root has acted in concert with U.S. mercenary companies like AirScan and MPRI (recently acquired by L-3 Communications) from Angola to Croatia.

Halliburton’s environmental record is nothing to be proud of, either. “They’ve had a lot of problems,” says Hauter. Even the company admits that. “Regrettably, in 1998, reported environmental incidents increased,” Halliburton says on its web site….

The company’s annual financial statements say: “Our accrued liabilities for environmental matters were $30 million as of December 31, 1999.”

Cheney’s role at Halliburton and Bush’s background in the oil industry suggest that the interests of this sector will be paramount in a Bush Administration.

“With a Bush-Cheney team running the Executive Branch, Big Oil will be in the driver’s seat,” says Hauter….

Their ties to oil companies and the intelligence community should worry indigenous, environmental, and human rights activists the world over.

– Wayne Madsen is a journalist based in Washington, D.C., and a Senior Fellow of the Electronic Privacy Information Center there.

For more, GO TO > > > Nests in the Pentagon


Kukui, Inc. – A for-profit oil and gas subsidiary formed by the Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate to take over the operations of the bankrupt business venture McKenzie Methane.

From their website:

MANAGEMENT OF KUKUI OPERATING COMPANY

Dennis E. Fern – President

Mr. Fern is a graduate of Willamette University in Oregon with a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. A Certified Public Accountant, Mr. Fern worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers (formerly Coopers & Lybrand, CPAs) in their auditing division. In 1983, Mr. Fern joined Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate (KS), the largest private landowner in the state of Hawaii and an education trust, as their Internal Auditor. In 1991, in his role as Internal Auditor, he became involved in KS’ investment in coalbed methane projects in Alabama, Colorado, and New Mexico. In 1996, he took over responsibility for KUKUI, INC., a wholly owned taxable subsidiary of KS, which had been assigned KS’ interest in the coalbed methane….

Steve Sandlin – Vice President Land

Mr. Sandlin is a 1974 graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a BBA degree in Petroleum Land Management. A Certified Professional Landman, Mr. Sandlin began his professional career as a Petroleum Landman with Amoco Production Company in Houston, Texas, in their Texas Coast (east and south Texas and north Louisiana) District. In 1977 he joined American Petrofina Company of Texas. As the Assistant Land Manager, he negotiated the acquisition of exploration prospects submitted to Fina by the industry in all of the major geologic basins in the lower forty-eight states and offshore Gulf of Mexico. Mr. Sandlin was employed by Harry H. Cullen, Oil Operator, a small Houston exploration company, in 1981. He supervised all land department activities connected with exploration prospects in the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast, South Texas and Oklahoma. In 1992 he was assigned to Quintana Petroleum Services, Inc., a Cullen family owned operating company, and named the Project Land Manager over a coalbed methane project in which KUKUI, INC. owns an interest involving wells located in Alabama, Colorado and New Mexico. In 1995 Steve joined KUKUI Operating Company (KOC) and in 1998 was made Vice President-Land of KOC and Vice President of KUKUI, INC.

John W. Wessels – Vice President Operations

Mr. Wessels is a licensed professional engineer with BS and MS degrees in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Mr. Wessels has over twenty-seven years of experience in the upstream side of the oil and gas industry. His responsibilities have included various engineering and management positions with Quintana Petroleum Corporation, President of WPS, Inc., Vice President-Operations of KUKUI Operating Company and Vice President of KUKUI, INC….

Larry K. Strider – District Operations Manager

Mr. Strider is a 1981 graduate of Auburn University with a BS degree in Agricultural Engineering. He has over nineteen years of experience primarily in the Southeastern and Gulf Coast areas. Mr. Strider worked as a field engineer for Halliburton Services (U.S. Vice-Pres. Dick Cheney’s company) for six years in the Laurel, Mississippi and Mobile, Alabama districts. In 1986 he joined Graves Well Drilling Company as Operations Manager supervising drilling and workover activities in the coalbed methane industry in the Black Warrior Basin. He also worked on industrial and community water well systems and waste disposal well projects. In 1990 Larry joined AMPCO Resources and operated a sucker rod pump and supply store. He joined Quintana Petroleum in 1992 and KOC upon inception in 1995….

David A. Petty – Manager of Regulatory Affairs

Mr. Petty is a graduate of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, with a BBA in Accounting and is a CPA with the state of Texas. Mr. Petty has 20 years experience in the oil and gas industry in the areas of accounting, auditing, finance and regulatory. Mr. Petty began his career with Coastal Corporation from 1981-1987. In 1987 he began his private accounting practice with Petty & Campise. From 1988-1995 David joined Quintana Petroleum Company as an Internal Auditor, Accounting Supervisor and Assistant Treasurer. In 1995 David moved to KUKUI Operating Company as Manager of Regulatory Affairs. David has served as President of the Petroleum Accounting Society of Houston from 1993-1994, Chairman of the Coalbed Methane Association of Alabama from 1998-2000, Chairman of the COPAS Education Committee from 1990-1993 and is a current member of the Texas Society of CPA’s.

* * *

Testimonial letter to The Woodlands Resort:

“It’s taken me quite a while to calm down after our stay at The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center. I thought it best to take some time to gather my thoughts and I now feel able to put in writing my views on your staff and facility. After Liz Edwards, of our Houston office, and I toured your property and met with you and Dana Denton, I believed The Woodlands would meet our every need. I was wrong! I apologize for the use of some very strong “f” words to describe the experience of our group …… fun, fantastic, fabulous, or some “e” words … exceptional, extraordinary, excellent, or a plain old “g” word great!

The Woodlands exceeded our every expectation. Bob … Mahalo (Thank you) for making this years annual gathering (our fourth annual holiday gathering) truly a memorable one. We speak of the aloha spirit here in the islands. We found an example of it at The Woodlands.”

Dennis E Fern
President
KUKUI, INC.

* * *

Coincidently, one of the ‘Distinguished Visitors’ taking a taxpayer-funded joyride on the ‘USS Greeneville’ at the time it sank the ‘Ehime Maru’ was HELEN CULLEN, of Houston, Texas.

The Cullen Family owns QUINTANA PETROLEUM. According to http://www.opensecrets.org, they are big backers of both G.W. Bush and the GOP.

HELEN CULLEN comes from a family that has business links with Clinton-pardoned felon MARC RICH.

Cullen’s father-in-law, ROY CULLEN, is the owner of Quintana Petroleum of Houston, which, the New York Daily News reports, created a business partnership in Argentina with Rich’s Suedelektra Holdings during the 1980s.

One unidentified White House source told the New York Daily News that there was a “tremendous amount of nervousness at the White House about who these guys are.”

The Cullen family has donated tens of thousands of dollars in soft money to the Republican Party.

And Roy Cullen donated $1,000 to George W. Bush’s presidential campaign….

* * *

For more, GO TO > > > Dirty Money, Dirty Politics and Bishop Estate


Lucent Technologies – From Goldman Sachs, by Lisa Endlich: The firm’s trading businesses reemerged strongly in 1997, but it was investment banking that really shone, accounting for 40% of the firm’s revenues. In a market where the demand for IPOs was so great that the issues almost walked out the door, Goldman Sachs was king.

In 1997, Goldman Sachs brought to market such companies as AMF Corporation and Lucent Technologies (the $3 billion spin-off from AT&T, the largest IPO to date)….

* * *

February 9, 2001

LUCENT TARGETED BY SEC

Telecom equipment maker says it’s cooperating with accounting probe.

CNN.com

Lucent Technologies is cooperating with a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation of possible fraudulent accounting practices during its last fiscal year, the company said Friday.

The SEC probe is focusing on whether Lucent improperly booked $679 million in revenue during its 2000 fiscal year, the Wall Street Journal reported….

Lucent in December adjusted its revenue statement for the fiscal fourth-quarter, deducting the $679 million, after its own investigation….

Shares of Lucent, which have been on a steady downslide since last summer, were down $1.93 at $14.96 . . . Over the past year, Lucent’s shares have underperformed the S&P’s 500 index by about 70 percent….

John Hynie, an SEC spokesman, declined comment on the newspaper’s report….

PricewaterhouseCoopers,* which is the company’s auditor, also declined comment….

On top of earnings warnings, Lucent has faced job cuts, profit shortfalls and product development missteps in the past year.

* * *

Press Release, 3/12/97: LUCENT PROVIDES EQUIPMENT FOR MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS UPGRADE IN HAWAII . . . Lucent Technologies announced today it has sold $16 million in network switching equipment to Wheat International for an upgrade of military communications systems in Hawaii.

Lucent Technologies was formed as a result of AT&T’s restructuring and became a fully independent company, separate from AT&T, on Sept 10, 1996….

* * *

The Honolulu Advertiser, 2/16/01: Bush May Stop VIP Cruises – The search for survivors and the quest for answers continued yesterday from Oahu to the Pentagon.

It prompted President Bush to suggest that the military review its practice of allowing civilians to ride aboard sophisticated warships like the submarine that sank a Japanese fishing vessel seven days ago….

At the Pentagon, Pietropaoli confirmed earlier reports that retired Adm. Richard Macke of Honolulu had helped arrange for “individuals for the Missouri Battleship Memorial Association” to tour the sub while on its training maneuvers. He said 14 of the 16 guests were involved with the Missouri association.

Yesterday, retired Adm. Robert Kihune, vice chairman and president of the USS Missouri Memorial Association, said he had not seen the guest list and therefore did not know whether any of the association’s more than 3,000 members were involved….

* * *

Wheat InternationalProfiles:

Richard Macke, Senior Vice President Professional Background: Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command….

* * *Multex Market Guide, 2/9/01: LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.52 Week High: $75.38 … Recent Price: $15.36

#1 Top Institutional Holder: Barclays Global Investors International – Shares held: 96,482,718 … Position Value: $2,948,753,000

Other Top Institutional Holders: Teachers Insurance & Annuity Association; Fidelity Mgmt & Research Co; Deutsche Bank Trust; State Street Global Advisors; Smith Barney; J. P. Morgan; Vanguard Group; Morgan Stanley Dean Witter; Putnam Investment Mgmt (Marsh & McLennan); Invesco Inc; and Goldman Sachs….

Directors and Officers worthy of note:

Paul A. Allaire, a Director of Lucent since 1996. Mr. Allaire is also Chairman (since 1991) and CEO (since May 2000, and 1990-1999) of Xerox Corp.

Carla A. Hills, a Director of Lucent since 1996. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hills & Company (international consultants) since 1993. U.S. Trade Representative (1989-1993). Director of American International Group; Chevron Corp; and Time Warner Inc.

Deborah C. Hopkins, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer from April 21, 2000. Ms. Hopkins joined Lucent after serving as Sr. V.P. and CFO of the Boeing Co. since 1998. She also served as Chairman of Boeing Capital Corporation. Prior to her tenure at Boeing, she served as CFO of General Motors Europe from 1997 to 1998 and as General Auditor from 1995 to 1997. For the Fiscal Year ending 9/30/00, Ms. Hopkins received a salary of $287,083 and a Bonus of $4,650,000, plus other compensation of $228,215, for a total annual compensation of $5,165,298.

*For more on PricewaterhouseCoopers, GO TO > > > What Price Waterhouse?


Richard Macke – Retired Admiral Richard Macke was the former Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command. He is currently the Senior Vice President of Wheat International.

* * *

Lucent Technologies Press Release, 3/12/97: Lucent Technologies provides equipment for military communications upgrade in Hawaii . . . Lucent Technologies announced today it has sold $16 million in network switching equipment to Wheat International for an upgrade of military communications systems in Hawaii. . . .

Lucent Technologies was formed as a result of AT&T’s restructuring and became a fully independent company, separate from AT&T, on Sept 10, 1996. . . .

* * *

Honolulu Star Bulletin, 2/15/01: Retired Admiral Arranged Civilians’ Trip Aboard Sub The Navy said today that an initial report on the accident in which a nuclear attack submarine rammed a Japanese fishing vessel nearly a week ago could be issued as early as this weekend. . . .

At the Pentagon, Rear Adm. Steve Pietropaoli said that 14 of the 16 civilians that were aboard the USS Greeneville when it collided with the Ehime Maru Friday were supporters of the USS Missouri Association, which is restoring the World War II battleship berthed at Pearl Harbor. The other was a sportswriter and his wife. . . .

Don Hess, the Missouri’s executive officer who also is a retired Navy officer, said, “The association had no involvement in requesting or making arrangements for any civilians to have access to the Greeneville.”

He declined to release the list of his donors without receiving their permission. . . .

Pietropaoli said the purpose of the initial report is to determine what direction the Navy’s investigation will take.

He also discounted reports that the 16 civilians were large contributors to the Republican Party. “That is not the purpose of our program,” the Navy spokesman said. “No one can arrange visits to our Navy ships except our operational commanders. People refer them. We would be fools not to take those references. We don’t ask questions about political affiliation.”

The Navy also confirmed that retired Adm. Richard Macke, who was forced to resign as Pacific Forces commander in 1995 after a year on the job, was responsible for arranging the one-day orientation trip for the 16 civilians. . . .

The Navy said last night that Macke also was supposed to be on the USS Greeneville on Friday when it left Pearl Harbor at 8 a.m. for the one-day cruise.

But Jon Yoshishige, Pacific Fleet spokesman, said Macke canceled because of work commitments.” . . .

Names Still Not Released

The Navy has refused to release the names of the 16 civilians since the sinking occurred Friday afternoon, citing privacy concerns. Several news organizations … have filed Freedom of Information requests asking for the list. . . .

The New York Times reported … that Navy officials were reluctant to release information about Macke’s involvement because of fear it would worsen a sensitive situation.

Macke, 63, lost his four-star position in 1995 when he commented on the case of three American Marines who pleaded guilty to conspiring to kidnap and rape a 12-year-old Okinawan schoolgirl. Macke apologized after saying the rape could have been avoided if the servicemen had simply paid a prostitute.

Macke is the senior vice president of Wheat International Communications Corp., a Reston, Va.-based telecommunications company. His office said today that he was on vacation. He did not return calls to his home. . . .

In Hawaii, the Navy regularly takes politicians, business and community leaders, and journalists for short trips or embarkments on its submarines and other surface vessels berthed at Pearl Harbor. The Navy said the purpose of these trips is to develop an understanding of who is in the Navy and what it can do.

Yoshishige said Macke referred the group of business leaders to Rear Adm. Albert Konetzni, commander of the Pacific Submarine Forces’ public affairs office.

Cmdr. Bruce Cole, another Navy spokesman, said none of the community and business leaders was from Hawaii, nor were any of them politicians or celebrities.

However, KITV reported last night that two of the visitors were a Hawaii Kai couple, Susan and Michael Nolan. Michael Nolan helped organize a USS Missouri charity golf tournament last year. . . .

Yoshishige said the “Navy does receive referrals from a wide range or organizations and individuals. It is not uncommon to receive referrals from retired military members.

“No organization or individual arranges the embarks. Only the Navy arranges embarks on U.S. Navy ships and submarines.”

Routinely, Navy submarine commanders allow visitors to operate the control of the vessel under close supervision. . . .

Asked if civilians interfered with proper operation of the sub during the emergency servicing maneuver, John Hammerschmidt, National Transportation Safety Board spokesman, replied, “We have no indication of that.” . . .

* * *

The Honolulu Advertiser, 2/18/01: Incident May Harm Okinawa Presence Role of Ex-Admiral Angers JapaneseA thorough investigation of the USS Greenville accident and swift action would prevent long-term damage to the Navy’s credibility and U.S.-Japan relations, military experts say.

But much will depend on how well the government handles the probe of what happened Feb. 9, when the USS Greeneville slammed into a Japanese fishing vessel, the Ehime Maru, experts say. The fishing school’s training boat carried 35 people and sank almost immediately. Nine people, including four teenage students, are missing and presumed dead.

Analysts said the accident may mean continuing problems for the U.S. military on the Japanese island of Okinawa. Resentment there of the U.S. military presence- nearly 30,000 troops- lingers from the 1995 rape of a 12-year-old Okinawan girl by three U.S. servicemen.

Just two days before the submarine accident nine miles off Diamond Head, the top U.S. Marine in Japan apologized for insulting Okinawa authorities in an e-mail message. And memories of the rape were stirred Thursday when the Japanese learned that it was Retired Navy Adm. Richard Macke who arranged for most of the 16 civilians- most contributors to the USS Missouri Battleship Memorial Association- to ride aboard the Greeneville.

Macke, commander of the U.S. forces in the Pacific at the time of the rape, commented afterward that the crime could have been avoided if the servicemen had paid for a prostitute. He was immediately replaced, but that he was also a key figure in this new incident increases Japanese anger, said Washington correspondents for Japanese media. . . .

Japanese people are also growing angrier and more frustrated about civilians being at the submarine’s controls, the way information about the collision was withheld and then slowly dribbled out, and the submarine crew’s failure to help victims on the Ehime Maru . . .

Rear Adm. Stephen Pietropaoli, a Navy spokesman, defended Macke’s role at a news conference Thursday. Macke is just one of many military, political and business leaders who “bring to the attention of the Navy groups of individuals who are interested in getting out to sea,” Pietropaoli said. “We are very proud of our efforts to bring Americans out to see their Navy.”

Experts said they doubt the policy of bringing civilians on board submarines will change, though President Bush has requested a review.

The policy is part of the Navy’s campaign to bolster public support and financing, said John Isaacs, president of the Washington-based Council for a Livable World, an arms control lobbying group.

“It keeps the dollars flowing and the public adoring them,” Isaacs said. . . .


Robert Kihune – Chairman of the new Board of Trustees, Kamehameha Schools; Vice Chairman and President of the USS Missouri Memorial Association..

From The Honolulu Advertiser, 2/16/01: Bush May Stop VIP CruisesThe search for survivors and the quest for answers continued yesterday from Oahu to the Pentagon.

It prompted President Bush to suggest that the military review its practice of allowing civilians to ride aboard sophisticated warships like the submarine that sank a Japanese fishing vessel seven days ago. . . .

At the Pentagon, Pietropaoli confirmed earlier reports that retired Adm. Richard Macke of Honolulu had helped arrange for “individuals for the Missouri Battleship Memorial Association” to tour the sub while on its training maneuvers. He said 14 of the 16 guests were involved with the Missouri association.

Yesterday, retired Adm. Robert Kihune, vice chairman and president of the USS Missouri Memorial Association, said he had not seen the guest list and therefore did not know whether any of the association’s more than 3,000 members were involved. . . .

* * *

NELHA Pipeline, Jan 1996: NELHA Bids Farewell to Robert Kihune. NELHA bid a fond farewell to Robert “Bob” Kihune at the end of December. Bob served as NELHA’s Executive Director from July 1994 – Dec 1995. His leadership helped guide NELHA through one of the most challenging years in the history of the lab. Budget and staff cuts were required in order to meet the fiscal restrictions imposed by the state. . . .

Robert Kihune now serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Waimana Enterprises. “Waimana Enterprises is a Hawaiian-owned corporation with several objectives,” says Bob. “We are bidding on the contract to clean up Kohoolawe, are planning to establish telecommunications infrastructure in Hawaiian Homelands areas, and working to establish a power plant on Hawaiian Homelands at Kawaihae on the Big Island of Hawaii.” The company hopes to employ many native Hawaiian individuals through its various projects. . . .

CEROS Finds New Home at NELHA

Last year, during a visit to Kailua-Kona, Senator Daniel Inouye surprised everyone with an announcement that he intended to move the National Defense Center for Excellence in Research in Ocean Sciences (CEROS) to the Natural Energy Laboratory.

CEROS was established in March 1993 with a $5 million grant to the High Technology Development Corp (HTDC) from the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). The federal Defense Appropriation Act created and funded CEROS to support and stimulate a broad spectrum of research in the State of Hawaii, through grants to “leading edge” research projects in ocean sciences. Senator Inouye wished to move CEROS to NELHA as part of his overall mission to bring more economic development activities to the neighbor islands.

CEROS has now officially been transferred from HTDC to NELHA and William “Bill” Friedl has been named executive director. Bill replaces Jeffrey E. Haun who resigned last year. . . .

* * *

Isle News, 7/96: . . . Plans to build a new power plant to supply electricity on the Big Island may be stalled after the state last week canceled the sale of $50 million in bonds to raise funds for the private facility. Waimana Enterprises planned to sell over 55 megawatts of electricity generated by the plant to Hawaii Electric Light Co, which supplies power to over 25,000 residents on the island of Hawaii. The plant was to be built on Hawaiian Home Lands in West Hawaii, and state officials say the cancellation came after public hearings found a majority of residents against it.

Waimana officials say they haven’t given up on the project, but must now locate another funding source. . . .

* * *

From Honolulu Advertiser, 11/7/99, by Hugh Clark: Electrical Projects Stall on Big Island . . . The Big Island expects to go into 2000 as it entered the 1990s, with pressing electrical needs and lots of uncertainty over proposed projects meant to fulfill those needs.

Two of three proposed power plants remain mired in dispute.

One of the disputes involves Waimana Enterprises at Kawaihae, whose lease was canceled last week. The project, which involved a lease through the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands announced during the Waihee administration, was to have produced $1 million a year in income to homesteaders.

Some homesteaders and others in the neighborhood, however, objected to the proposed $100 million project, led by Albert Hee of Honolulu and backed by Japanese financier Mitsubishi. Hawaiian Electric Co. had not signed a power purchase agreement with Waimana, and in canceling the lease, Judge Riki May Amano ordered that a full environmental impact statement, which she said should have been done in the first place, be prepared. . . .

* * *

From Environment Hawaii, Dec 1999: Judge Voids Lease for Energy Plant Proposed on Hawaiian Home Lands . . . The efforts of Albert Hee and his company Waimana Enterprises to develop a 58megawatt co-generation plant at Kawaihae have once more come to a screeching halt.

On Oct 26, Third Circuit Judge Riki May Atnano negated the 1993 lease to Hee of 40 acres on the Big Island, finding that the Hawaiian Homes Commission had not complied with her earlier order requiring it to reconsider the adequacy of an environmental assessment that a previous commission chair, Hoaliku Drake, had accepted for the lease. . . . [Another Kamehameha Schools Connection: Hoaliku Drake is the mother of ex-trustee Henry H. Peters.]

Background. In 1993, Drake found that the proposed lease and the power plant that Hee intended to build on it would have “no significant impact” on the environment and surrounding community. Drake’s decision was challenged by three homelands beneficiaries, representing themselves pro se. One has since died. The remaining two, Jojo Tanimoto and Linda Dela Cruz, were later joined by the Mauna Kea Homeowners Association … and its president James Growney.

The beneficiaries challenged the project on two points: the environmental assessment was inadequate, they said, and also the determination that Albert Hee qualified for special consideration as a Native Hawaiian corporation (one whose principal is of at least 50% Hawaiian ancestry).

For more on Robert Kihune, GO TO > > > Vultures of the Sandwich Isles


The Woodlands George P. Mitchell, Chairman and CEO of Mitchell Energy & Development Corp, founded “The Woodlands” a 25,000-acre planned community located 25 miles north of Houston.

Opened in 1974, The Woodlands was sold in 1997 to a partnership of Richard Rainwater’s Crescent Real Estate Equities Company and Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund II.

* * *

From Conspirators Hierarchy, by Dr. John Coleman: The Committee of 300 has planted its agents in the muscle and sinew of the United States, in its government, in Congress, in advisory posts around the President, as ambassadors and as Secretaries of State.

From time to time, the Club of Rome holds gatherings and conferences which, although they appear under innocuous titles, break up into action committees, each of which is assigned a specific task and a specific target date by which time their assignments must be completed. If it does nothing else, the Committee of 300 is working to a very strict time-table.

The first Club of Rome conference in the United States was called by the Committee of 300 in 1969 under the title: “The Association of the Club of Rome.” The next meeting was held in 1970 under the title “Riverdale Center of Religious Research” and was directed by Thomas Burney.

Then followed the Woodlands Conference in Houston, Texas, starting in 1971.

Thereafter, regular conferences have been held at Woodlands every year.

(For those of you not familiar with the Committee of 300, members include Barkleys Bank, Corning, William Simon, Robert Beck, Price Waterhouse, Prudential, Xerox, and GEORGE H.W. BUSH )

* * *

See also: George P. Mitchell


William E. Simon – Financier, businessman, and Secretary of the Treasury during the Nixon and Ford administrations. He was also a member of the Committee of 300.

William Simon was a co-investor with Kamehameha Schools / Bishop Estate in several business ventures, including HonFed Savings & Loan, Sino Finance Group, Xiamen International Bank (China), SoCal Holdings, and the now-infamous McKenzie Methane deal. After going into bankruptcy, McKenzie Methane was taken over by a Kamehameha Schools’ for-profit subsidiary, Kukui, Inc., with operations handled by Kukui Operating Company (KOC), a subsidiary of the subsidiary .

William Simon died on June 3, 2000 of heart and lung ailments. He was 72.


USS Missouri Memorial Association – From The USS Missouri Memorial Association Website: . . . The USS Missouri Memorial Association, Inc. is a private Hawaii-based (501-C3) non-profit organization selected by former Secretary of the Navy, John Dalton, as the caretaker of the historic Battleship Ex-USS Missouri. The Association was formed in 1994 and includes a cross-section of leaders from Hawaii’s business, civic, political, and retired Navy and Marine Corps communities. . . .

Our Vision. The vision of the USS Memorial Association is to create a world class historic attraction within a Pearl Harbor commemorative park of international significance. The Battleship Missouri Memorial provides an opportunity for visitors to immerse themselves in military and Pacific history. The ship will come alive through state-of-the-art displays and face to face encounters with former crew members.

As they tour the ship, visitors gain a deeper insight into the people and technologies that played a role in the ship’s storied history. Local commands are encouraged to use the Missouri for unique Navy ceremonies such as reenlistments, promotions and changes of command, all of which will heighten the sense that the ship is still in active service.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Honorary Chair – President George W. Bush

Chairman – Edwin L. Carter

Vice-Chairman – Robert K.U. Kihune

President – Robert K.U. Kihune

Secretary – Robert T. Guard

Treasurer – Patrick McFadden

HONORARY MEMBERS

U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie (HI)

U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Akaka (HI)

U.S. Sen. Christopher S. Bond (MO)

Gov. Benjamin J. Cayetano (HI)

Mayor Jeremy Harris (Honolulu)

U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (HI)

U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink (HI)

U.S. Rep Ike Skelton (MO)

U.S. Sen Ted Stevens (AK)

More About Us: As a memorial in Pearl Harbor, the USS Missouri is the first sight that present and future US Navy sailors have on entering the channel returning from sea. Commanding the skyline on Ford Island, she will constantly remind the active fleet sailors of their tradition of victory, and re-instill the pride that they have in being a part of the United States Navy. . . .


November 25, 2001

Ehime Maru brought to final resting place

By Karen Blakeman, Honolulu Advertiser

This morning, provided the winds and fates cooperated, the Ehime Maru completed its final journey though the waters off O’ahu.

Suspended beneath a Crowley Maritime barge, the Japanese fishing vessel slowly traversed 21 nautical miles yesterday and this morning before it was to be released to what will surely be its last resting place, 12 miles off Kalaeloa Point and 1,000 fathoms below the surface.

As the Ehime Maru sank to 6,000 feet, representatives from the Japanese fishing village of its origin, Uwajima, were to pay respects from aboard the JDS Chihaya, a Japan Self-Defense Force ship that accompanied the barge.

The Ehime Maru had carried nine of Uwajima’s sons and brothers to their deaths. . . .

Navy and Japanese officials shunned publicity for the final stages of a saga that began with one of the most tragic peacetime accidents in U.S. Navy history, and ended with a recovery effort that put its participants in the history books and returned the remains of eight of the nine victims to loved ones. . . .

On Feb. 9, the Ehime Maru was off Diamond Head, its crewmen and faculty and students of the Uwajima fisheries school putting training into practice.

Below them the captain and crew of the USS Greeneville, a Navy submarine, also practiced the skills of their trade. With a group of civilian dignitaries watching, Greeneville skipper Scott Waddle ordered the crew to conduct an emergency surfacing drill.

The Greeneville sliced into the Ehime Maru, sinking the vessel and nine members of its crew in 2,000 feet of water.

Waddle’s career was ended by his failure to detect the Ehime Maru above his boat. The Navy chain of command, up to the commander in chief, apologized profusely to Japan and to the families of the men and boys who were killed.

But the families wanted more. They wanted the bodies of the victims recovered, and the fact that the salvage of a ship from water 2,000 feet deep had never been accomplished meant little to them. In the funeral rituals practiced by the families, the body of the dead plays an important role in the belief that the soul can move on.

So the Navy agreed to the salvage and recovery operation, despite a $60 million price tag.

At first, the odds against success seemed high, but Kanazawa said the Navy had the best salvage and recovery teams and contractors in the world, as well as a motivation too strong to be denied.

“Everyone in the Navy felt very badly that this had happened,” he said. “I think everyone wanted to do everything in their power to make the recovery operation a success.”

In addition to the watchful families, the eyes of the world were on the recovery team at the beginning, as the Navy’s first attempts to lift the ship in late August and early September met setbacks when parts of the lifting apparatus failed. . . .

The team successfully lifted the ship in October, slowly moved it toward a shallow-water site off Honolulu International Airport’s reef runway, and set the Ehime Maru down on Oct. 15. . . .

Eight bodies were more than the Navy had expected to find, based on witness accounts of the position of the students, teachers and crew as the Ehime Maru went down. . . .

Seventeen-year-old Mizuguchi was the only victim whose body was not recovered, and Kanazawa said thoughts of the boy and his family weigh heavily on the minds of those who worked hard to recover him.

Klemm, upon announcing the end of the search, said Mizuguchi’s mother told him her son had watched over the operation, and would remain in Hawaiian waters, watching out for all seamen.

Despite the sadness for Mizuguchi’s family and the intense emotions experienced by everyone connected with the mission, Kanazawa said he thought the Navy’s salvage and recovery team, and all those who assisted them, needed to take a moment to reflect on the good they had done.

The story of the Ehime Maru isn’t completely over yet: Some family members have said they are considering legal action, and the Japanese government has asked the Navy to provide it with a new training vessel.

There are plans for a new Ehime memorial, and Waddle has said he still hopes to travel to Uwajima to apologize first-hand, once the legal issues are completed.

The families must learn to live with terrible holes in their lives.

Still, at least a degree of closure is warranted, Kanazawa said.

“The Navy took on this humanitarian mission, and they have completed it safely and with due respect for the Japanese people and while preserving the environment,” he said. “Everyone involved can be proud that they did everything within their power and authority in the best possible manner.”


April 11, 2002

U.S. Navy to pay over Ehime Maru

The Asahi Shimbun, English Edition

The U.S. Navy agreed Wednesday to pay about 1.52 billion yen in compensation for the Feb. 9, 2001, sinking of the Ehime Maru in which nine Japanese lost their lives.

The high school fisheries training vessel was rammed by the submarine USS Greeneville during a rapid-surfacing exercise off Hawaii.

Ehime Prefecture’s Vice Governor Nobuyoshi Yano attended a ceremony at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo to formalize the settlement, worth $11.47 million.

It had already been signed by a U.S. Navy justice official. Yano later paid a courtesy call on U.S. Ambassador Howard Baker.

The Ehime Maru was carrying students from Ehime Prefecture’s Uwajima Fisheries High school.

Under the settlement, the U.S. Navy agreed to pay 1.17 billion yen, or $8.8 million, for the cost of the ship and 90 million yen, or $680,000, in consultation fees for post-traumatic stress disorders suffered by survivors.

Ehime prefectural authorities and the U.S. Navy began negotiations for a settlement last May and met on seven occasions.

Bereaved families and relatives of the survivors also arranged two compensation groups through lawyers, but neither have reached an agreement yet.

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Last Updated on March 22, 2003 by The Catbird
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