Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 7, 1 July 1988 — Names of Freedom Fighters Sought [ARTICLE]

Names of Freedom Fighters Sought

A descendant of Hawaiian freedom fighter Robert William Kalanihiapo Wilcox has enlisted the assistance of Ka Wai Ola O OHA in searching for the names of other such freedom fighters so that their heroic deeds may be properly recognized. Helena K. Wilcox Salazar, a granddaughter of Robert Wilcox, said her main objective is to find those historical soldiers through their families. If there are any descendants or families who know the name of one or more of these soldiers, you are asked to write to Wilcox Statue, P.O. Box 267, Haleiwa, Hawai'i 96712, furnishing the soldier's name, any story or account whieh ean be traced for its authenticity and documentation and name, address and relationship, if any, of the person submitting the information. Mrs. Salazar's interest in rounding up this information is to have all the names of these freedom fighters carved into the foundation of the Wilcox statue. She notes that "this was truly the last Hawaiian army of the Hawaiian Kingdom freedom fighters." Mrs. Salazar explained that in May, 1987, Honolulu Councilman Gary Gill sponsored a bill proposing that the site of land located at the corner of Fort

and King Streets be named in honor of Wilcox, whom she describes as being "Hawaiian patriot, revolutionary leader and first Delegate to Congress." Wilcox's descendants have offered their full support of this endeavor. Following in-depth research and documentation, the City Council unanimously approved the Robert William Kalanihiapo Wilcox Park, according to Mrs. Salazar. Also approved were funds for a full statue of Wilcox. "He was the well known leader and freedom fighter for 'love of fellow man, love for the motherland and love for our king.' Deep in our hearts we know that Robert Wilcox belonged to the people and they belonged to him. The love and loyalty shared formed a mutual bond, lasting even until today. We feel that the statue will symbolically reflect that bond," Mrs. Salazar declared.