Nainoa Hoe Scholarship of Honor

Kalihi student receives first-ever Nainoa Hoe scholarship

Photo by Malcolm Onuma

(Left to Right)Justin Sambueno, Ohelo Kaopio, and Allen Hoe flank a portrait of 1st LT Nainoa Hoe at the Army's Battle Command Training Center which is named in honor of him

August 7th, 2007

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Story submitted by Randy Obata

The Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation has selected 2007 Damien High School graduate Justin Sambueno of Kalihi as the first recipient of a $1,000 college scholarship that is being awarded in the name of Army 1st Lieutenant Nainoa Hoe of Kailua who died January 22, 2005 while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Hoe’s father, Allen Hoe, and Army COL Matthew Margotta, Garrison Commander of Schofield Barracks, presented the scholarship today to Sambueno during a ceremony at the 1st Lieutenant Nainoa Hoe Battle Command Training Center at Schofield.

Hoe, 27, was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division based at Fort Lewis, Washington. He commanded a platoon while serving in Iraq—a command that fulfilled a life-long dream. He was with the platoon as it was patrolling Mosul on January 22, 2005, urging Iraqi citizens to vote in upcoming elections and searching for insurgents, when he was attacked by enemy forces using small-arms fire.

“Community service is just as important as education because it encourages people to help their community which can create better environments for people to learn and then they may branch out and help other communities until it becomes contagious, in a healthy way,” says Sambueno. “In the future, I hope to help people live better lives and create healthier communities by any way possible such as creating charities, donating to charities, or producing something of great help to society.”

The $1,000 scholarship, endowed by Waimanalo businessman Ohelo Kaopio, is being awarded to Sambueno through the Wisconsin-based Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation which has awarded hundreds of scholarships, in honor of fallen war heroes, since 1992 to students across the United States and around the world who are interested in pursuing military and public service. Kaopio last year also endowed a LaViolette scholarship in honor of the 27 Kaneohe Marines who died in a helicopter crash in Iraq the week after Hoe was killed.

Medal of Honor Convention was a success...thank you!!

Thank you to everyone that helped make the 2007 Medal of Honor Convention a success. 62 of the 109 living Medal of Honor Recipients were our guests in Green Bay from September 3-10th. They all arrived and departed safely and we had wonderful feedback from all the Recipients, their families, and other guests who were able to be a part of our community for a short time. They could not say enough about the hospitality of Green Bay...thanks to hundreds of volunteers and donors, they will have great memories of our city. The Recipients are not the only ones that have great memories-our local students and others in the community were able to share in the week.

Newspaper accounts of convention activities are available here.

South African Scholarship of Honor Presented

Our first International Scholarship of Honor in South Africa was presented on July 20th at the LEAP Science and Maths School! Principal, Tuksie Nkwinti (right) presented this honor to Thandisile Mfengu (middle) and we were told the students applauded with so much pride. John Gilmour (left) is the director of LEAP. To learn more about LEAP Science and Maths School, please visit: http://www.leapschool.org.za/about.q

This scholarship is sponsored by one of Kim's elementary teachers, Paul and Gloria Zimmerman.

First $10,000 Brian LaViolette Scholarship Awarded

On May 31st we presented our first $10,000 Brian LaViolette Scholarship through Partners in Education at the Youth Celebration. Brittany Van Remortal from Bayport High School received the award. It was a hard choice, but we know we made a great one. Brittany will be attending Wheaton College to major in German and Biology with a concentration in cellular research. Her goals for her career are to become a scientist and perform cellular and molecular research to find cures for prominent illnesses.

Medal of Honor Convention Dates Announced

The 2007 Medal of Honor Convention, which is spreadheaded by the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation, will be held September 3rd-10th. All living Medal of Honor recipients will gather in Green Bay for the 2007 Congressional Medal of Honor Society Convention. The recipients’ annual gathering takes them to a different city each year. Phoenix in 2006,.last year—Boston. Next year—Denver. This year—Green Bay!

The Medal of Honor is the highest award for Valor in action against an enemy force that can be bestowed upon an individual in the United States Armed Services. With the financial support of businesses and individuals from across Wisconsin and the Nation along with hundreds of volunteers, The Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation is leading this weeklong convention and will be inviting the Medal of Honor recipients during their visit to take part in public activities throughout the community from school appearances to a Green Bay Packers Game. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society Convention is an opportunity for the public to learn more about our war heroes' incredible stories and come together in a community-wide effort to honor them. To learn more about the Convention, please see the link on our website: http://www.medalofhonorwi07.com/