The Veterans of World War I: Richard Belmont Catton

The Waikiki War Memorial was built to honor the men and women to served during "The Great War."  Richard Belmont Catton is one of those honored here.

Richard Belmont Catton was born in Honolulu on July 12, 1890.  He attended Oahu College, now known as Punahou School, and graduated from MIT's Electrical Engineering program in 1915.

At MIT he was a member of the swim team and Phi Beta Epsilon fraternity.

According to "Technology's War Record," the 1920 publication of the Alumni Association of MIT:

"Upon graduation from the Institute he offered his services to the Royal Engineers, but they were not accepted.  He attended the Plattsburg officers' training camp in 1917, and in November was commissioned second lieutenant in the Aviation Section of the United States Signal Corps.  In June, 1918, he sailed for France, to be employed in the construction of airdromes.  In October he had a severe attack of influenza, recovered sufficiently to leave the hospital, but suffered a relapse.  An operation for mastoiditis was necessary, and shortly afterward another from which he died at Savenay, France, on April 14, 1919."


Background:
The Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium was dedicated to the men and women who served during "the Great War." The 1921 Territorial Legislature passed Act 15, which commissioned the memorial. It specified the memorial's location and that it "shall include a swimming course of at least 100 meters." All other design specifications were left to a design committee.

In December 2009, the City and County of Honolulu announced its plans to demolish the memorial and construct a new beach in its place. The City administration proposes a re-creation of the memorial's doorway be constructed elsewhere to honor the thousands of Hawaii's men and women who served in "The Great War."
More about the Waikiki War Memorial's future.

Now Six Natatorium Task Force Members Recommend Restoration

Three more of the Mayor's Task Force Members, Hannie H. Anderson, Art A. Caleda and Brian L. Keaulana recommended restoration of the Natatorium in the dissenting opinion submitted to the Mayor today.  They join Fred W. Ballard, Oahu Veterans Council Executive Director; Donna L. Ching, Friends of the Natatorium Vice President and Kiersten Faulkner, Historic Hawai‘i Foundation Executive Director in recommending the restoration of the memorial.  The seventeen member task force appointed by the Mayor voted 9-3 in favor of demolition at its September 25th meeting.  Anderson, Caleda and Keaulana were not present for that vote.

The text of the dissenting opinion follows.

Mayor’s Natatorium Task Force
Dissenting Opinion

Stabilizing the pool is the most fiscally, environmentally and morally sensible course of action.

COST: Stabilizing is cheaper than demolishing
The City estimates it will cost $14 million to stabilize the Natatorium and preserve long-term options. Furthermore, stabilization would retain the use of essential restrooms and parking and add access to the now-closed bleachers where people could sit and enjoy a panoramic view of Mamala Bay and Waikīkī.

Demolition of the entire structure, including loss of the restrooms, bleachers, parking and volleyball courts, is conservatively estimated at more than $15 million. Repairing damage to the reef, replacing the demolished restrooms and showers would add another $2 million to that for a total of over $17 million. The loss of parking would most likely be unrecoverable.


REGULATORY AND LEGAL CHALLENGES: Stabilizing would have the most expedited permitting process. Demolition could face a protracted legal battle.

Proposals to demolish the historic structure will face regulatory, permitting and legal challenges that will be unpredictable, time-consuming, and expensive and cause additional delays.

In August, legal counsel from the National Trust for Historic Preservation issued a letter summarizing a lengthy list of state and federal laws and regulations that would have to be observed and approvals that would need to be obtained before demolition could begin. Among the applicable measures are the federal Rivers and Harbors Act, Clean Water Act, National Historic Preservation Act, National Environmental Policy Act, EPA regulations, and the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Additional discretionary permits include State Historic Preservation review, Coastal Zone Management, Environmental Impact Statement, Special Management Area Use Permit, Shoreline Setback Variance, and Special District Permit. Preservation advocates and veterans groups have pledged to steadfastly resist any attempts to demolish the war monument. Legal battles could add years to any demolition process and, in fact, might never result in final approval.


ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS: Stabilizing is safer than demolishing

Demolition of the Natatorium and creation of an artificial new beach risks destabilizing the existing Sans Souci beach; altering the sedimentation patterns on near-shore reefs, harming marine life and surf breaks; and causing beach erosion.

The debris from the demolition would take space in a landfill, and such demolition would cause the loss of embedded energy inherent in existing structures, as well as the expenditure of new energy for the conveyance of materials.

REDUCES LIABILITY: Stabilizing the Natatorium reduces the City’s liability from the deteriorating structure.

Because it can be done quickly and without a protracted legal battle, stabilization would be the most efficient way to mitigate the city’s exposure to liability created by the deteriorating pool.

MORAL CHOICES: Demolition destroys a war memorial on the State and National Historic Registers.

Act 15 specifically states the “living” War Memorial is intended as a swimming pool. Demolishing the pool is demolishing the memorial itself. Reconstructing the arched façade elsewhere does nothing to preserve a memorial dedicated to the sacrifices of Hawai’i’s citizens who gave all in service to their communities, nation, and world.

Stabilizing preserves the option to restore the living war memorial to use, thereby properly honoring 102 servicemen from Hawai’i killed in World War I. It also preserves a piece of the history, architecture and culture of Hawai‘i and the nation.

Stewardship of the historic, cultural and natural resources of Hawai‘i is the ethical and moral obligation of the people of Hawai‘i.


TOURISM IMPACTS: The Natatorium could be a major tourism asset.

A preserved and eventually restored Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium would be a vital part of Waikīkī’s “sense of place.” It is in the best interest of Hawai‘i to preserve its uniqueness and identity for the benefit of all its residents as well as its visitors.


RECOMMENDATION:

We, the undersigned members of the Mayor’s Task Force, support the immediate stabilization of the Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium.

We recommend immediate completion of the abandoned 2005 plan to strengthen, repair and stabilize the structure’s frame (the sea walls and pool deck) and reopening of the bleacher area in order that residents and visitors have access to the War Memorial and spectacular makai vista.

We further recommend that the city engage in dialogue with state and federal agencies, non-profit organizations, business organizations and other stakeholders to craft a public-private partnership for the long-term rehabilitation, maintenance and operation of the facility.


Respectfully,



Hannie H. Anderson, Na Wahine O Ke Kai Co-Founder and Race Director
Fred W. Ballard, Oahu Veterans Council Executive Director
Art A. Caleda, WWII Filipino-American Veterans of Hawai‘i President
Donna L. Ching, Friends of the Natatorium Vice President
Kiersten Faulkner, Historic Hawai‘i Foundation Executive Director
Brian L. Keaulana, Ocean Safety Expert

Mayor's Task Force Votes 9-3 to Demolish the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium

At its final meeting today, September 24, 2009, Mayor Hannemann's Natatorium Task Force voted 9-3 in favor of demolishing the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium. The representatives from Oahu Veterans Council, Friends of the Natatorium and Historic Hawaii Foundation voted to complete the restoration of the historic landmark.


• See HHF's presentation to the Task Force

• See the cost comparisons compiled throughout the Task Force's meetings

Historic Hawaii Foundation Announces its Preferred Alternative for the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium

SUMMARY:

• The Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium was built in 1927 to be a “living memorial” to honor the men and women who served during the Great War (World War I).

• The 1921 legislation creating the memorial specifically states that it, "...shall include a swimming course at least 100 meters in length."

• Designed by architect Louis P. Hobart, the Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium is listed on the National and Hawai‘i Registers of Historic Places and is significant for its contributions to the history, architecture and culture of Hawai‘i and America; embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type; possesses high artistic value; and provides social, cultural, educational and recreational values which contribute significantly to the history and culture of Hawai‘i and the nation.

• Although the Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium has deteriorated since its initial construction in 1927, in 2001, over four million dollars of repairs were completed on the site including a façade restoration and the rehabilitation of the bleachers and public restrooms.

• The estimated financial costs for stabilization and preservation in place of the Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium are less than or comparable to estimated financial costs for the demolition of the structure, and examples from other restored salt water pools demonstrate that the pool could be re-engineered to meet current standards at less cost than demolition.

• Adverse environmental impacts that would occur from the demolition of the Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium would have a negative effect on the reef and marine life, and the debris from the demolition would take space in a landfill, and such demolition would cause the loss of embedded energy inherent in existing structures, as well as the expenditure of new energy for the conveyance of materials.

• Proposals to demolish the historic structure will face regulatory, permitting and legal challenges that will be unpredictable, time-consuming, expensive and cause additional delays.

• It is in the best interest of Hawai‘i to preserve its uniqueness and identity for the benefit of all its residents as well as its visitors.

• It would be unconscionable to destroy a Memorial that commemorates the sacrifices of Hawaii’s citizens who gave all in service to their communities, nation, and world; and

• Stewardship of the historic, cultural and natural resources of Hawai‘i is the ethical and moral obligation of the people of Hawai‘i.

________________________________________

RECOMMENDATION: Historic Hawai‘i Foundation SUPPORTS the stabilization, preservation and rehabilitation of the Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium.

• HHF recommends that the immediate strengthening, repair and stabilization of the structure’s frame be completed per the plans that were halted in 2005, including the sea walls and deck.

• HHF recommends that simultaneously with resuming the work to stabilize the structure, that engineering, planning and permitting be undertaken for the re-design of the pool.

• HHF recommends that the City engage in dialogue with state and federal agencies, non-profit organizations, business organizations and other stakeholders to craft a public-private partnership for the long-term rehabilitation, maintenance and operation of the facility.

DEMO or SAVE THE WAR MEMORIAL?

DEMO or SAVE THE WAR MEMORIAL?

The most recent and comprehensive side-by-side cost comparisons of demolishing or saving the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium by Historic Hawaii Foundation.
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Honolulu Magazine's Editor's Page

Keepsakes
Some buildings become heirlooms, best handed down.
by A. Kam Napier

Read the article..

Mayor Hannemann Announces Natatorium Task Force

On May 27, Mayor Hannemann's office announced the formation of the Natatorium Task Force. The first meeting of the group will take place tomorrow afternoon (May 28) from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. in the Mayor's Conference Room, on the 3rd floor of Honolulu Hale.

Kiersten Faulkner, Executive Director of Historic Hawaii Foundation was selected by the Mayor's office to be on the 17-person task force.

The meeting is open to the public.

Read the City's press release here: Mayor Hannemann Announces Natatorium Task Force

21ST ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE AT THE WAIKIKI WAR MEMORIAL NATATORIUM

Sunday, May 24, 10 a.m.
“Kupa’a i ke kuleana, Ka ‘ihi, Ka mahalo, a me ke kupili”
Committed to Responsibility, Respect, Reverence and Reason

Since 1989, the Friends of the Natatorium have sponsored this annual Memorial Day Weekend ceremony in memory of Hawaii’s beloved lost from all American wars and in honor of the state’s military veterans. This highly visual ceremony at the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium annually attracts hundreds to the state’s official memorial to the 101 from Hawaii who died in World War I. The ceremony is open to all and covered seating will be available.

The ceremony includes both somber and joyful moments, celebrating the sacrifice of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guards and the triumph of the freedom and democratic values they fought to defend. This year’s event will include a keynote speech by Brig. Gen. Gary Hara (chief of staff of the Hawaii Army National Guard) and remarks by former congressman and current congressional candidate Ed Case and former councilman and current congressional candidate John Henry Felix.

Also featured will be the traditional bugle call “Taps” and a 21-gun salute. Performances include patriotic music from the Royal Hawaiian Band and Hawaiian songs and hula from Hula Halau Olana, The Prince Kuhio Civic Club Chorale and soloist, Nalani Olds.


The Friends of the Natatorium is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium, the state’s official memorial to those from Hawaii who died in the cause of freedom in World War I.

Honolulu posts ideas to replace natatorium

City weighs options to replace unsafe pool closed 30 years ago

By mary vorsino
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer


May 17, 2009

A sandy beach could be created at the site of the crumbling Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium for as little as $1.7 million — not counting the cost of demolishing the monument — and with little to no effect on the surrounding shoreline, says a new city-commissioned report that weighs proposals for doing away with the landmark.

Some of the options, the report notes, could also cause "significant erosion" at adjacent Kaimana Beach.

The study, which presents seven options for creating a sandy beach at the site, comes as the city weighs what to do with the legendary saltwater pool. Conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, it will be used to help make a decision. A separate study is being conducted to estimate the costs of refurbishing the natatorium, whose fate has been in limbo since it was closed for safety reasons in 1979.

The Army Corps study, which cost $300,000, lays out how the creation of a sandy beach at the site is possible using a variety of rocky structures, including T-head groins, straight groins and breakwaters.

Three of the options could result in erosion of Kaimana Beach, which the study indicates could be significant; three of the options would have no impact on Kaimana; and one of the options would not impact Kaimana but would create a sandy beach in front of the natatorium described as "unstable."


More..

Restore the natatorium in Waikiki

Peter Apo for the Honolulu Advertiser


The Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium is back on the front page. The mayor says he will form a stakeholder group to make recommendations on the fate of the memorial. But the mayor said he would consider demolition during his first campaign, in his first speech as mayor, and reconfirmed that position in this year's State of the City address. Can we expect a stakeholder process he convenes will disagree? The answer is no.

Photo by Jon Radke

The stakeholder consultation is smoke and mirrors; alternatives to restoration were thoroughly studied and rejected years ago. Exhaustive engineering studies in the late 1980s clearly outlined the fiscal and environmental implications of each alternative. Restoration emerged, on all counts, as the preferred course. A comprehensive EIS on full restoration was conducted and more than 15 different permits were secured.


The claim that you can demolish the pool and expand the beach is wrong. Archival photos show that Sans Souci was a rocky shoreline until 1927 when the natatorium was built and began retaining sand. Lose the pool; lose Kaimana Beach.


The claim that you can demolish the pool and retain the restored facade as a shrunken-down memorial is also wrong. The pool deck is vital to the structural integrity of the overall structure. Lose the deck; lose the $4 million facade, bathrooms, and bleachers.


Concerns about water quality are a red herring. The ocean engineering team that designed the highly successful Ko Olina lagoons designed a restored natatorium to allow as many as 10 complete exchanges of water a day, making it as safe as the water on the adjoining beaches.
There is a silty sludge at the bottom of the pool. The restoration plan would encapsulate it. Demolition, far from a cheap alternative to restoration, would require costly abatement lest the muck damage the surrounding reef and compromise the water quality.


There are legal issues. The Waikiki Memorial Natatorium was conceived by the Territorial Legislature in 1921 when it passed Act 15 to honor servicemen from Hawai'i killed in World War I. The state owns the land; the city is authorized to specifically manage the shoreline use as a public memorial and pool. The city does not have the authority to change the use of the shoreline under Act 15 from memorial to beach without a change in state law and a rigorous, expensive shoreline management permitting process.


A 1973 demolition attempt was defeated in a state Supreme Court decision imposing a permanent injunction against demolishing the natatorium (specifically meaning the pool). There's every reason to believe that a new legal challenge would succeed on legal precedent.
And how about the moral, historical, cultural and economic development arguments?


Named to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of 11 Most Endangered historic sites, the natatorium also represents Hawai'i's solemn commitment to honor its soldiers in perpetuity. What does it say about public policy makers who would dishonor that commitment?
Over the past 10 years, more than $3 billion has been invested in revitalizing Waikiki, much of it to restore a sense of place and reconnect Waikiki to the dignity of its past. The crown jewel of what little is left of historic Waikiki is the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium.


The natatorium has been neglected for more than 25 years, but even in its crumbling state it stands with dignity, filled with memories of the Duke, Johnny Weissmuller, Buster Crabbe, Ford Konno, Dick Cleveland, Bill Woolsey and other greats. Thousands of kama'aina families grew up in its waters. It's tragic that today's children are deprived of such a treasured experience.

Let us do the right thing and stand by our commitment to our war dead with the same full measure they gave to us. Restore the natatorium. Preserve our honor. And preserve Kaimana Beach in the process.


Peter Apo, a former state legislator, Native Hawaiian cultural consultant and past president of Historic Hawai'i, is a board member of the Friends of the Natatorium. He wrote this commentary for The Honolulu Advertiser.

Mayor Hanneman "Seriously considering demolition" of World War I Memorial

Thursday, February 19, 2009

This morning at Mission Memorial Auditorium, Mayor Hannemann said in his State of the City address:

"The fate of the Waikiki Natatorium has dogged the City for decades. The back-and-forth by advocates of its preservation and proponents of expanded beach space has led to a standoff on the deteriorating monument. We are reviewing a draft of an exhaustive engineering study on the Natatorium. One of the recommendations we're seriously considering is the demolition of the pool to open up more beach space and the reconstruction of the facade further inland or at another appropriate location, like the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center. I'll be convening a working group consisting of community representatives and stakeholders to help us reach a decision that's in the best interests of all the people."



The Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium was a salt-water pool which opened in 1927 as a living memorial to those who served and died in World War I. More history..


Read the full text of Mayor Mufi Hannemann's State of the City address..