Travel Tuesday - Mauna Loa Eruption

Oops...I forgot to note the page..darn it!

Unless you've been avoiding the news (it's OK...I do it sometimes too) you've probably heard that the Mauna Loa volcano on the "Big Island" of Hawaii has been active and is slowly showing everyone in its path who wins in a fight of chicken with a lava flow (hint...the volcano wins).

So as I was preparing for my trip home to Wisconsin for the holidays I saw that I had previously printed a newspaper article relating the story of a previous eruption of Mauna Loa. This one was reported in the Fond du Lac Daily Reporter back in 1926. The story was told by a Soldier from Wisconsin that witnessed it.

Corporal Buch is not my ancestor, but I decided to share it on a Travel Tuesday because (heck) he's someone's ancestor and traveling to Hawaii is über-cool. Having been stationed in Hawaii for three years, getting married there and having my first child there makes it a place very dear to my heart. I recognized the names of the places CPL Buch mentioned in his letters. I remember the Pali. I remember how breathtaking it all is. I'd love to go back there someday.

Pele is making herself heard again in late 2014/early 2015 so I thought this was appropriate to share. The copy is not the best so there were a few words that were difficult to make out. I put what I believed was correct in parenthesis.

"Eruption of Mauna Loa, Hawaiian Volcano, Seen By Fond du Lac Youth

Corporal Paul Buch Describes Lava Flow In Letters to His Parents.

Corporal Paul A. Buch, a member of the coast artillery of the United States army, stationed at Ft. Ruger, Hawaii, in a recent letter to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. S. J. Buch, 292 Bannister street, describes the recent eruption of the volcano Mauna Loa at Hilo, an Island of the Hawaiian group.

'The veritable river of fire flowed down the mountain side, covering a huge area and destroying everything in its wake - cane fields, grazing lands, towns, hamlets and all - until the river itself was destroyed when it flowed into the sea and a huge cloud of steam arose as a last reminder of its terrible course,' wrote Corporal Buch.

'Ranches, woods and fruit fields were destroyed and the daily papers are filled with pictures which are very interesting. Sometimes I imagine old Diamond head, across from us, becoming active again, after its thousands of estimated years of inactivity; or old Punch Bowl in the heart of Honolulu erupting again.

'As we all know the Hawaiian Islands are of volcanic origin, and science claims that the very islands were thrown up from the sea bottom by huge craters at the earth's core, and all natural formations over here verify the same. It is rumored that some day the ped(??????) on which the islands are based will shatter and the Hawaiians will sink back into the sea from whence they came.'

Corporal Buch has written many other interesting letters describing the beauties of Oahu. In particular he described the famous Nuuanu Pali, on the island on which he is quartered.

'The Pali is famous on account of its being the narrow pass in the mountains where King Kamehameha, then in his prime, opposed and defeated some other huge army which had come over from some other island to subdue the king and his faithful Hawaiian soldiers,' says Corporal Buch. 'It was at this pass that the king and his handful of soldiers met and defeated the other army by rushing on them from ambush and contriving to force the entire number over the cliff which is 2,000 or 2,(5)00 feet high, thus wiping out the complete army and winning the most complete victory the world has ever known, although we never heard this in school. It's surely taught over here, and that's why there are so many places named Kamehameha over here.

'The days of the great Hawaiian kings have long passed into history but the 15,000 or 20,00 native Hawaiians left in the once independent little country held this famous king's name sacred and there are certain days of the year celebrated as holidays in his honor.

'To get to the 'Pali", we started climbing through some of the most beautiful places one could imagine. In some places, possibly for an eighth of a mile, the very road becomes a tunnel through the foliage and vine-clad verdure of huge (panyon) and palm trees which line this road for miles. After about 20 minutes of this climbing, a great roaring was heard, and we came around a short curve and stopped the car and took off our caps, for we'd reached the 'Pali' and it was surely more wonderful than we had heard. The thrilling part of it was the great wind or young tornado which comes direct from the sea and being bottled up by the two walls never lets up. One has to be very careful or it will blow the top off one's car and one can scarcely walk against it. It is so wonderful it can not justly be described.'

In another letter received by his parents this morning, Corporal Buch declares that the lava is still flowing from the crater of Mauna Loa, and that the stream is (8)00 feet wide and at a depth of 5 to 10 feet. The natives are not afraid, he asserts, but are toasting post cards at the edge of the flow and selling them to tourists as souvenirs.

Corporal Buch enlisted at Fr. Snelling, Minn. June 24, 192(5), and has been stationed at Fr. Ruger, Hawaii, since that time, during which period he has made an exceptional record, rising from a recruit to non-commissioned officer, ranking corporal, in 10 months. He has been a special duty man since last September, known as clerk of the battery. Corporal Buch plans on returning home this summer. He will (sail) Aug. 4 for Honolulu."

Remembering Pearl Harbor

The names of those who died on the USS Arizona

The Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor

I lived in Hawaii for 3 years.  I got married there (both my civil and church wedding) and I gave birth to my first son there.  I still have family living on Oahu.  I have beautiful memories of Hawaii and miss it terribly.  When we think of Hawaii we think of tranquility and beauty.  A tropical paradise.  It was 70 years ago today, at 7:55am (Hawaii time) that its tranquility was shattered in, as Franklin Delano Roosevelt put it, "A date that will live in infamy."

The Arizona Memorial

Today I remember the victims, and survivors of Pearl Harbor.  I cannot imagine what they went through.  Many of the survivors had enormous guilt.  "Why did I survive?"  Many of them would later choose to be interred in the wreckage with their buddies that died on that infamous day, December 7th, 1941.

Oil still bubbles up from the wreckage of the USS Arizona

These are some of the pictures I have of Pearl Harbor. A place where many of my fellow Soldiers chose as the site of their reenlistments.  A place of tranquility again, with a beautiful memorial in paradise to those who lost their lives.  Remember them always.

The USS Arizona.  Some parts of the ship sit just above the water.

The USS Arizona

Folding the flag during a reenlistment at the Arizona Memorial

A reenlistment of a dear friend at the Arizona Memorial

Happy Anniversary (Again)

Dana Cignarella, Rick and Cherie Cayemberg and Jeff Ryan Sr

My husband and I actually have 2 anniversaries.  We had a civil wedding first and then did the proper church wedding later (which I blogged about a few months ago).  Why the two weddings?  An interesting story...

My husband and I were both in the Army and stationed in Hawaii.  We knew that we were going to get married eventually and I was playing the good girlfriend and try not to ask every 5 minutes when it would happen.  In September 1999 my husband and I took a trip to Maui.  At his unit's last Christmas party he had won a trip for two so we decided that we'd go.  Maui was gorgeous (naturally!), but our hotel room was not.  No biggie.  As my now husband said, "We'll only be sleeping there."  So we spent the majority of our days there out and about, which is really what needed to be done anyway!

The view from the top of Haleakala

We decided to take a bike ride down the Haleakala volcano and we opted to go with a company that let you do it yourself rather than in a group.  We wanted to take our time and stop when we wanted to.  It was almost entirely downhill, so it wasn't like it was incredibly difficult.  The view from the crater of the volcano was very cool.  We were above the clouds.  What an interesting perspective.  Just like being in a plane, but it's open-air.  A bit odd to say the least.  And cold.  Cold is a word I would use too.  Not freezing cold, although that could happen too, but chilly cold.  You had to layer your clothes to do this bike ride.  At the top with a light jacket (preferably waterproof) and you could peel off layers on the way down.

We had decided that we'd stop and picnic on the way down and we did.  Rick saw a farm that over-looked the lower "saddle" portion of Maui complete with ocean on both sides of the "saddle."  We parked our bikes and climbed over the fence to the farm and sat down.  I know...we were bad, sneaking onto someone farm, but that wasn't how we saw it.  We just wanted the view.  I don't remember what we ate.  It was eclipsed by my husband taking a twist tie (like the ones on a loaf of bread) and fashioning it into an engagement ring and asking if I would marry him.

Rick sitting where he asked me to marry him

I'm sure some women would have taken a look at that and thought only of diamonds.  Not me.  I immediately said yes.  I knew this was the man I wanted to spend forever with...garbage bag tie ring or diamond.  He slipped it on my finger and gave me a kiss.  Then he took the real diamond ring out of his pocket and put that on my finger!  And he thinks he's not romantic!

I almost ruined the surprise and busted him that morning before we set off on our bike ride.  He was wondering around wearing his Umbro shorts.  The only pocket they have is one on the back.  I noticed a big lump on his butt and reached out with a "What's in your pocket?"  I really was dim.  I never thought that an engagement ring was coming that day.  He swatted my hand away and I still didn't figure it out.  I suppose he moved the ring to a pocket in the backpack we took, which was probably a good thing.  Could you imagine losing the ring on a 20 mile (ish) bike ride?

It was only a couple weeks later that we decided to get married.  We'd been living together since I moved out to Hawaii about 4 months earlier and he was getting ready to go to a 2 month long military school.  He thought it would be best to finalize the deal before he left.  Now it was a rush.  We got the marriage license and found someone to perform the ceremony.  Where did we get married?  On a beach at sunset of course!  Diamond Head Beach Park (also known as Leahi Beach Park) to be exact.  It was a small wedding, and it was the day before he was leaving for school!  We had our 2 witnesses and that was that.  My uncle Jeff was one of the two witnesses.  The other was a friend stationed out there.  I would have preferred to have had my Uncle Jeff and Aunt Cathy as witnesses, but because our wedding was so last minute, my aunt had to be back on the mainland that weekend for work.

Rick's family sometimes wondered if he was ever going to get married, so in true Rick form, he called them up the night before the wedding with a, "Hey, at whatever o'clock tomorrow (yes I don't remember the time we got married!) have a beer for me!"  The response was always, "Why?" and the answer, "Because I'll be getting married."  That's my hubby!

Me being all girlie and crying

It was beautiful (although the pictures aren't the best) and I did cry.  My uncle took us out to dinner afterward to celebrate at a wonderful restaurant called David Paul's and the food was the best I had eaten!  It was such a wonderful end to the day and I could never thank my uncle (and aunt) enough for that dinner.  We even went back there on our 1st anniversary!  The staff came out and presented us with the cork from the wine we drank and a card signed by the entire staff congratulating us on our special day.


I get asked which anniversary we celebrate.  Our civil wedding or our church wedding.  My answer?  Obviously the church wedding meant something very special to me or we wouldn't have had one, but when someone asks me how long we've been married I answer based on the civil wedding.  Wouldn't you?

Rick signing the marriage certificate

The rings

Rick putting on my ring

Putting on my husband's ring

The card and cork from David Paul's restaurant

Funeral Card Friday - Happy Birthday, Jeff

My cousin, John Jeffrey Ryan Jr was born on July 1, 1971.  My aunt Cathy and uncle Jeff had three children.  My mom and dad had three children.  We were all of comparable ages.  Their oldest, Allison, was close in age to my oldest sister so they always spent time together during visits.  I'm 3-1/2 years younger than my older sister so there wasn't much hanging out going on there when we were kids.  Too much of a gap.  So when we visited my aunt and uncle, my younger sister (18 months younger than me) and I would hang out with their two youngest, Jeff and Patrick.

Me and Jeff

I don't really know how Pat and Jeff felt about being stuck with 2 girls to play with all the time, although we were not dainty girls at all so maybe it wasn't too bad for them!  I've got nothing but wonderful memories.   I loved going to see them all.

Then life happens.  My parents began divorcing when I was in 2nd grade.  The divorce lasted for a very long time (and is a very long story), but the result was that we eventually didn't see my aunt, uncle and cousins anymore.  It didn't happen immediately.  My dad had custody of us (another long story about a very manipulative man), but my mom still wanted us to be able to go with her to see her family.  Eventually those trips stopped.  I don't remember why exactly.  It may have been us kids acting like little poop-heads and whining about it (my dad really manipulated us to make my mom feel like crap), or it may have been because with my mom having to pay child support to my perpetually unemployed father, she had no money to take us.  Either way, it happened and I went without seeing my cousins for eight years or more.

Jeff's 1st Communion

When I was a senior in high school, my cousins came to Pennsylvania for a visit.  I was living with my mom by now so I got to see them.  I was in shock at the change (and I'm sure they were too).  I still had memories of the little children I played with and they were all grown up.  What did I expect, right? My uncle is a very tall man and my cousins took after him so my sisters and I were pretty much the midgets of the party.  It was wonderful seeing them again, but because they were adults now (or almost adults) it would be another 5 years and me joining the Army before I saw them all again on a regular basis.

I was learning Russian at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California and as coincidence would have it, my uncle was stationed there at the same time.  He was a military doctor at the medical clinic.  This meant that I got to spend some wonderful weekends with them all.  My other uncle lived in the area as well so it was like a wonderful family reunion whenever I got over to their house.

Pat, Jeff and Allison

Time passed and the Army sent me elsewhere.  My uncle retired and they moved to Hawaii.  As luck would have it, that's where my husband (boyfriend at the time) transferred to and I followed.  We loved spending time on weekends with my aunt and uncle.  I cherish those memories so much!  My cousins would come out to visit a few times a year from California and my husband and I would make sure that we had time to spend with them all.

We got to see Jeff get married.  He loved his fiance/wife so much, although I can't really say that we all did.  She was in the adult entertainment business.  I don't remember the details of her nasty little life, but I believe it was still pictures and stripping that she did...not movies.  Despite what she did for a living my cousin seemed truly happy when he was with her.  You could tell he loved her.  Would do anything for her.  In fact "anything" included having a pirate wedding...at sea.

Jeff and his bride Angel

Pat and Jeff

Jeff had gone through some hard times emotionally in his life and probably spent a little too much time hanging with the party crowd, but he had made it past all that now.  He was really getting his life together and he saw all this as a new beginning.  As a tribute to his parents, his wedding was held on their anniversary.  So on December 27, 1999 we all went out to Honolulu Bay and boarded a little boat for the wedding.  The bride and bridesmaids were dressed as wenches.  The groom and best man, as pirates.  The Jolly Roger was hoisted and the wedding vows were recited.  Jeff looked so happy.

Angel and Jeff the day after the wedding

Cutting the cake the day after the wedding

He and his bride left a few weeks later.  Life went on and within a few months I heard that they were divorcing.  She had been unfaithful to him.  Needless to say I would have liked to ruin that little face of hers...no one messes with my cousin...and I knew it was breaking his heart.  Sometimes you don't have to ask.

Jeff spent Thanksgiving in Hawaii with his mom and dad.  I was very pregnant.  Jeff seemed to be doing pretty well.  He talked about scripts he was reading and famous people he'd gotten to meet in Los Angeles.  Despite the divorce (which wasn't discussed) he seemed to be at a peaceful place in his life.  I took no pictures that Thanksgiving.  It haunts me still.  I will regret it always.

My parting words to my cousin before getting into my little Saturn to drive back to my side of the island was, "the next time you see me, you'll be able to meet the newest member of the family!"  I hugged him and left.  I would never see my cousin again.

Jeff and his guitar

Jeff didn't want to spend Christmas in Hawaii in 2000.  He wanted to take a trip to Greece.  A great opportunity.  He didn't say it, but we all could guess that his marriage ending hurt him and the fact that he dedicated it to his parents and had hoped it would last just as long, hurt him.  To be back where it happened on what would have been his 1st anniversary was just too much.  I truly believe that's the reason he really went to Greece.

I received a phone call from my aunt a few days before New Years Eve.  Jeff was vacationing in Greece with two female friends and was critically injured in a car accident.  The roads were wet and a semi-truck hit the car they were driving.  They told me he was in bad condition.  That he had been intubated and was on life support.  My uncle and cousin, Patrick, were getting everything together that they needed and were flying out to Greece.  As a doctor my uncle could hardly sit by and wait for news.  He needed to make sure that Jeff was getting the care he needed to recover.

Jeff, Patrick and Allison

My uncle and Pat arrived in Greece only hours after he passed.  They hadn't made it to him in time.  My aunt, all alone at her house was actually hesitant to call me because she worried it would effect my pregnancy. I found it incredible that at such a time she was worried about my baby, but I suppose the loss of one child was enough.  We asked to come over.  She wanted to be alone.  It's such a hard position.  You sit there and wonder if you should go over anyway or give the person space.  It was a situation I was unfamiliar with.  We did not go over though until she was ready for us.

I cried harder that night than I can remember ever crying in my life.  He was one year older than me.  He was 29 years old.  He couldn't be gone.  Even knowing how critical his condition was the possibility of losing him never had crossed my mind.  He was my counterpart in my aunt and uncle's family.  I was the middle child and so was he.  I always looked at my cousins as siblings.  Siblings that I didn't see as frequently as my own, but I loved them all that way.  In my heart I lost a brother that day.  I still feel that loss today and I cannot even write this tribute to him without using so many tissues.

My uncle and Patrick made the arrangements to have his body sent back to the states.  He was cremated and his ashes were sprinkled at sea.  That's what I remember anyway.  The time was a blur and I tend to block out bad memories.  I don't know if there was an obituary notice published.  The burial happened in California and being at the end of my pregnancy, I wasn't there.

Uncle Jeff and Patrick after the LA Triathlon 2002

At the end of my time in the military I was again stationed at the Defense Language Institute.  Each year around September, Los Angeles holds a triathlon.  Jeff used to compete.  Now his family would come out each year to compete in his name.  Those that weren't competing would watch and support those taking part.  It was an event I didn't miss when I was stationed in California.

Every year, my calendar reminds me that today is Jeff's birthday.  He would have been 40.  I won't ever remove that reminder.  I will never forget him.  And while he may never have been able to hold "the newest member of the family" I have no doubt in my heart and mind that he has seen him.  Has seen both of my children.  I know he watches over us all as the years go by.  He's not missing a moment and he will always be with us.

UPDATE: I have gotten a few comments/emails from people who remember and love Jeff.  Even though he does not have a physical memorial to visit, I created a virtual one on Find A Grave so everyone that wants to can leave a message for Jeff.  I love getting all the comments/emails from friends that knew and loved him.  It is more meaningful and special than I can say. You can view the memorial by clicking here.

Uncle Jeff after the swimming portion of the triathlon

Uncle Jeff beginning the biking portion of the triathlon

Uncle Jeff heading for the finish line

Happy 11th Anniversary!

Rick and Cherie Cayemberg

On April 29th, 2000, just 11 short years ago, my husband and I were married at Nellis Chapel on Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.  We actually married 7 months earlier in a civil ceremony, but needed to make it right with the Catholic Church (and I think our families appreciated it too!).

My husband and I were both in the Army.  He was from Wisconsin and I was from Pennsylvania, so the question was, where would we have the wedding?  Going to either place seemed to slight the other family (in our opinions) so we decided to have the church ceremony on Hawaii where we were living.  After all, it was a chance for our families to come out to the islands and enjoy themselves!

It was a wonderful time having family out there, especially all at once!  My aunt and uncle, retired Army officers, actually lived on Oahu and were generous enough to have the rehearsal dinner at their beautiful home.  This was particularly challenging for my aunt who broke her feet stepping on a dog-toy as she came down a short set of stairs in her home just days before the wedding!  In fact, it was the day my mother arrived at the airport.  When we told her why her sister wasn't there to greet her she thought we were joking!  The photographer was a friend of my aunt's and she did a great job hiding her feet under the train of my gown!

The hubby and I with our parents

It was a simple wedding.  We had a mass, but no limos or anything fancy like that.  When we arrived at the church there were old fashioned WWII era military vehicles set up along "General's Row" just down from the chapel.  You could actually see many of them from the front of the church.  Most of us took a quick glance to see them before heading into the church.

During mass Father Olczyk jokingly said that if we heard the sounds of bombing during the ceremony to not be worried.  Hollywood was there and would be filming scenes for a movie that day.  Which movie was being filmed outside the chapel that we were being married in on our wedding day?...Pearl Harbor, starring Ben Affleck (although he wasn't there...just camera crews)!

I walked down the aisle to "All I Ask Of You" from Phantom of the Opera and had both my mother and father give me away.  Leis were given to the mother of the bride and groom, and instead of a veil, I had one of the wonderful ladies at the Honolulu Airport (Martha) that we had been buying all our leis from to make a head-leis for me to use instead of a traditional veil.  I loved it (and it only cost me $20.00)!

We looked around at various places to have the reception and everything was so expensive and formal.  Formal isn't exactly what Hawaii was all about either, so we opted to rent a small pavillion at Bellows AFB beach at Waimanalo.  We bought a keg and grilled...now that's the way to have a reception.  Even our priest, Fr. Olczyk showed up with some Green Bay Packer's gear on.  As it turned out he was originally from Wisconsin like my hubby and was my priest when I was stationed in San Antonio.  Such a small world!

The families of the bride and groom

During the homily in mass Fr Olczyk kept talking about having babies, so much so that after mass many of the guys from my unit asked if I was pregnant.  Ironically, I would be one month later!

Happy Anniversary to the best husband a woman can ask for...oh and good luck to William and Kate!  It's a great date for a wedding!

My matron of honor & sister, Aimee, and me

So excited to have a picture of me I didn't hate!

Some of "the guys" outside before the wedding

Finally convinced the guys to come in the church!

Our leis-lady, Martha, at the Honolulu Airport