The students, faculty and staff at HTIC decorated a holiday banner for the soldiers of the U.S. Naval forces VP 47-CM02 (Kaneohe Marine Corps Base), who are spending this season apart from their family and friends in Hawaii. The 325 soldiers of VP 47-CM02, who are known as the “Golden Swordsmen,” are commanded by CDR Steve Deal. The banner (shown above left), decorated with Japanese, Hawaiian, Korean, Samoan, and English messages, was sent in mid-December to the soldiers' site of deployment at Tallil Air Base in Iraq, which is located 310 kilometers southeast of Baghdad.

The idea for a holiday banner was proposed by HTIC Learning Center Head Librarian, Loraine Oribio, who saw its creation as the perfect opportunity for students to become more politically-aware and geographically-informed global citizens. Ms. Oribio reserved space in the learning center for the banner so students, faculty and staff could write messages of good wishes and encouragement to these soldiers, all separated from family and friends in and around Honolulu, Hawaii during the December-January holiday season.