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William can be found on the Social Security Death Index. His Social Security Number is 575-28-1253.
I would like to add William Kawaihalau SSN 575-28-1253 to the Remembrances page. William was a sniper and on his third tour of Vietnam in 70-71. William was a crazy guy sometimes, but the man did his job to perfection. William was a good soldier that did himself, his family, and the Army proud. William was born in Hawaii in 1930 and died in Hawaii in 1976. "Papa Leach you are not forgotten."
Thank You,
Tom Turpin
Company B, 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry
Aloha friends of William Kawaihalau. I was William's friend also. My name is David Ingham.
William and I lived at Kalapaki on Kauai and worked at Kauai Commercial Co. William was my best friend. We called him Black Willy or Wiliama.
I was with Willy when he had the stroke that took his life. After work one day, we were sitting in the lunch room at Kauai Commercial Trucking as we often did, drinking beer and talking story. William put his head down on the table as though to rest. Less than a minute passed when I noticed Willy wasn't reacting. We rushed him to the hospital in a company pick up truck , number 116. His brother Kalei and his brother's wife Lydia had just arrived as we put him in the pickup.
At the hospital, I got very upset with the doctors as I did'nt think they were reacting fast enough. Others who had joined us calmed me down. Willy died a few days later.
Willy and I used to live at the Pine Tree Inn, a shack down at the beach at the park right behind where we worked. We used to sleep on the cable spool tables and keep the place raked and clean. There was a shower and bathroom in the park close by. People used to gather there at the Pine Tree to cook and eat and drink beer and discuss the events of the day and remember old times. We used to go fishing in Kalapaki Bay often and sometimes used to go camping and fishing at Wailua or Pilaa or down Kekaha side. We used to frequent Kalena Bar or Hideaway or Tip Top in Lihue or sometimes Ocean View in Kapaa and would do our laundry at the laundry mat at the same time. This way one fella could watch the clothes while the other had a beer. We would take turns.
Willy used to drive trucks. I worked in the CFT warehouse unloading containers. Occasionally, we would go deliver rice as a team and with others when the containers of rice would come in. Willy used to hang a white towel around his neck to wipe off the sweat and usually wore rubber slippers and a tee shirt and long pants. I still have a jar of three flowers he gave me years ago.
Willy gave me the nickname that I have carried for many years "Haole Boy." Donald Christian and Philbert Nakamura were our good friends and would often go fishing with us.
Willy is buried at the veterans cemetery in Hanapepe on Kauai near Salt Pond. If you go visit be sure to take him a can of beer...Oly or Primo were what we used to drink. I take dried cuttle fish for him also.
I had a good long talk with him a year and a half ago. The first time I had returned to Kauai in 17 years after having moved to California. Willy never talked about the war or his service in Viet Nam, and I suppose that is how it should be war being the ugly thing it is. I was stationed on Midway during that war and heard more than I ever wanted to hear from people stopping over on the way stateside.
The service for Willy was held at Kauai Mortuary in Koloa, and he was laid to rest in full dress uniform.
Aloha Wiliama you are dearly missed.
"Haole Boy"...David Ingham
