Survivors and Connivers on Moloka'i

By Patrick Simmons

This story concerns a young man, Doug Malone, seventeen, who quits college, leaves home, and heads to Mexico to escape an alcoholic, abusive father. After an adventurous start, his perky ’35 Plymouth perishes near the Mexican border. In addition, he finds himself out of money and decides to return to Oregon. While hitchhiking home, he survives a car accident at night in remote, snow-packed southern Oregon. There, he is kidnapped by two retroverts, but he uses his .22 pistol to escape. All this while, the 1950 Korean War intensifies.

Back home, he finds a job then enlists in the USCG when he turns eighteen. The coast guard sends Doug to electronic technician school in Groton, Connecticut. Upon graduation, he volunteers for duty in Korea, but instead, is assigned to an isolated duty loran station on NW Moloka‘i, where he finds desolation, a deadly disease, axis deer, attacking sharks, connivers, a great friend, and several unusual events.

In Kaunakakai, Moloka‘i’s only town, conniving escalates, locals become friends, Doug arranges a fishing trip, endears a lovely lady, and flies to the Kalaupapa leper colony on New Year’s Eve, 1953. There he meets the true survivors, the lepers!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: May 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662469770

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Survivors and Connivers on Moloka'i

Patrick Simmons

Copyright © 2022 Patrick Simmons

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2022

ISBN 978-1-6624-6976-3 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-6624-8350-9 (hc)

ISBN 978-1-6624-6977-0 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1

Defiant Daring Departure

Chapter 2

Cruising Clear to Carlsbad

Chapter 3

Ron's Rolling Return

Chapter 4

Perky Plymouth Perished

Chapter 5

Phinally Phoenix

Chapter 6

Leery Leg Looming

Chapter 7

Last Lonely Leg Left

Chapter 8

Boot Camp Cruel Conflict

Chapter 9

Cape Blanco and ET School

Chapter 10

‘Īlio Point, Moloka‘i, Not Korea

Chapter 11

Getting Acquainted

Chapter 12

Swimming Silently to Sharks

Chapter13

Strange Happenings in Isolation

Chapter 14

Dedicated Deer Debacle

Chapter 15

Nature Trip to Hālawa Valley

Chapter 16

A Sneaky Bar Attack

Chapter 17

Devious Deeds Detected

Chapter 18

Trip to Honolulu

Chapter 19

Unusual Behavior and Activities

Chapter 20

Deadly Disease Dirk Daftly Diagnoses

Chapter 21

A Miraculous Recovery

Chapter 22

Dr. Aberg's Visit

Chapter 23

Meeting Lovely Lilly

Chapter 24

Parley at Manu Pupule Tavern

Chapter 25

Doug Downs Dazing Deer

Chapter 26

Spearfishing with Locals

Chapter 27

Talking and Walking with Lilly

Chapter 28

Radio Repair for Fishing Fun

Chapter 29

Chemistry Churning

Chapter 30

Al Reluctantly Meets Lilly

Chapter 31

I'a Nui (Big Fish)! Ono for Al

Chapter 32

Cryptic Note Disheartens Dreary Doug

Chapter 33

CG Lighthouse Radio Repair, New Year's Eve (1953)

Chapter 34

Flying from Lonely Life on a Leper Colony and Sammy, a Survivor

Chapter 35

Passions Prevail at Phallic Park

Chapter 36

Forging the Final Report

Chapter 37

Mahalo and Aloha, Moloka‘i

Epilogue

Moloka‘i 2020 Facts

Appendix

Simple Translations

United States Coast Guard Loran Station

‘Īlio Point, Moloka‘i, Hawaii

About the Author

In memory of

Lillian

Al Hume

Doug Malone

The good people do is never cancelled by our human weakness.

—Lilly

Rest in peace

Suzanne Ellen Simmons

(1956–2018)

Preface

Implications of certain words and phrase used in this story.

Conniver. This word refers to cooperating secretly in wrongdoing. It implies planning or conspiring wrongfully.

Mutiny. This word has many synonyms, such as revolt, rebellion, uprising, insurgence, unrest, and the reporting of misdeeds of leaders to a higher authority.

These words also have emotional implications including confliction, rationalization, anxiety, and depression brought on by isolation, loneliness, rejection, and poor leadership.

Isolated Duty. This phrase is used in a military sense to describe personnel assigned to a remote location base from which members have either none or limited access to the general public. Such bases are self-contained; meaning, they generate their own power and utilities.

Many of the US Coast Guard loran A and C transmitting stations were designated isolated duty as were lightships connected to permanent anchors deployed at entrances to large rivers or in vital navigation regions.

In this story, these words and phrases are sometimes used in their most broad sense.

Introduction

The context of this book concerns the events in the life of a Korean War veteran of the United States Coast Guard between his graduation from high school in 1950 until his honorable discharge in 1954 and the men stationed at an isolated duty loran navigation station on Moloka‘i, Hawaii. This is a true story in which all the events described herein actually occurred. The names of most individuals involved have been changed, and some of the events have been dramatized for literary effect. The location where these events occurred are actual places in the United States and Hawaii, which at the time was not an American state. That happened later in August of 1959.

The Hawaii portions of this story took place on the Island of Moloka‘i, which was then an active leprosy colony known as Kalaupapa, made famous by Father Damien, a Dutch Catholic priest, who arrived in 1873. The USCG base in the story was located on the northwest tip of Moloka‘i. Parts of the story took place at the actual leprosy colony located at Kalaupapa Point—a desolate portion of land known as depositional landform at the base of 2,000-foot cliffs. The USCG had a lighthouse built in 1909 on the north tip of the point maintained by a coastguardsman and his wife, who were native Hawaiians and had lived at the lighthouse many years. Leprosy is also known as Hansen's disease.

The author researched extensive material to satisfy him that this story is, to his best knowledge, the only reported case of mutinous behavior in the history of the USCG, a time-honored organization. The USCG was formed in 1790 and is primarily responsible for maritime law enforcement, marine assistance, search and rescue, national defense, and for radio and fixed-device navigation. During the wartime, the USCG becomes part of the United States Navy.

Acknowledgments

Word transcribing and text formatting performed by Makayla Mensch, [e-mail].

Thanks to [e-mail], who provided enhancements of 1953 snapshots and an original US Coast Guard photo of loran station Moloka‘i.

Hālawa and ‘Īlio Point color photos courtesy of Steven Michelsen, [e-mail]/molokai.

Kiawe photos courtesy of Karen and Forest Starr, [e-mail].

‘Īlio Point photo courtesy of Richard A. Cooke III, Molokai Land Trust.

Thanks to my lovely wife, Ada, for supporting and tolerating me.

Doug Malone, 1950.

Chapter 1

Defiant Daring Departure

Doug Malone was home from college for the Christmas 1950 holidays, but he was not into the holiday spirit. He was depressed and quite anxious about facing his father. He had barely passed his first semester and was mortified that he had flunked Algebra. After all, he was a top student at a highly rated Portland, Oregon, high school. As it turned out, his fraternity sponsor was a senior math major who knew Doug's math professor and was able to convince him to give Doug an alternate Algebra 101 final exam. The professor said okay, but the exam was more difficult, and he would allow just thirty minutes instead of an hour to complete it. Doug finished the exam in only twenty minutes and scored 100. After arguing for an A with no success, the professor said he would give Doug a C.

Part of Doug's problem was that he was an immature seventeen-year-old altar boy living in a fraternity house with mostly ex-GI's going to college on the GI Bill. Many had served in World War II and were grown men, not boys.

Doug had also attended a boys-only parochial high school and was uncomfortable around girls and the rather open morality environment. He dreaded going back to that college and needed a new plan.

A few days after Christmas, he approached his father and explained that he was depressed, unhappy, and would prefer to attend college in Portland, where he had earned a scholarship in chemistry and would therefore become more accustomed to college.

Doug. Excuse me, could we talk about something?

Dad. About what?

Doug. Well, I am not doing well in engineering class, and my professor said that I would never be a good engineer. He was going to flunk me or give me a C, only if I changed my major. So I would like to go to college in Portland, where I can get more comfortable in school.

Dad, snapping. Absolutely not! You are going back! It is time for you to grow up!

End of case! It did not help his matter that Doug's father was an alcoholic and had told his drinking buddies that his son was going to be a metallurgical engineer and was attending engineering school at Oregon State College. His exasperated father was completely uncompromising.

It also did not help that his father was giving him little money, and Doug was drawing from his very hard-earned savings account. His father restricted him from buying an inexpensive car and enjoying much of a social life that most of the fellow students participated in. Somehow, he was determined to escape his dire predicament, even if it meant incurring the wrath of his father, whom he considered disinterested in Doug's feelings and state of happiness.

Doug went back to Oregon State and met up with his best friend, Ron Rogers, who did not have a nice holiday vacation time either. Ron wanted to go home to his parents in Carlsbad, New Mexico, and had spoken with them by telephone over the holidays. Unlike Doug's father, they understood and were amenable to helping their son find an alternative to being so far away from home in an unpleasant environment. So Doug and Ron talked it over and decided to take a walk to downtown Corvallis and mull over their options. What to do? What now? Hmm…

Should they take a bus to New Mexico? Hitchhike somewhere? Find a temporary job someplace? They were in a quandary. As they walked past an alley, a disheveled man whispered to them.

Man. Hey, boys, wanna buy a car cheap?

Ron. What kind of car?

The man, obviously an alcoholic, said,

Man. A nice 1935 Plymouth right over here. It's in good shape and has nearly new Allstate tires.

They looked at it, and it was in rather good shape. After checking the oil, which was dirty, Doug started the engine, which sounded not too bad, but it was smoking quite a bit.

Doug. How much? Are you sure it belongs to you? Do you have the title?

Man. It's $40, and I have the title right here. Look at those good Allstate safety tires.

Doug. Well, that is too much. Look at the engine smoking badly. It is burning lots of oil. We will give you $25.

Man. I got to have $30. If you give me $30, it is yours.

So they bought it and took it back to the fraternity house. They knew it had problems, but it was an escape vehicle, not a car to be cherished. They talked it over and decided to take their time and go south. They settled with the frat house, officially dropped out of college, and started their trip. It was raining as usual. Always rained.

Chapter 2

Cruising Clear to Carlsbad

The guys left in the rain, knowing it could snow at any time as they headed south. They were comforted, knowing the car had good tires. They arrived in Eugene, Oregon.

Doug. We'd better go over to Montgomery Wards, get the oil and filter changed, and buy a five-gallon can of 40W oil. We cannot afford service station oil every couple of hundred miles.

Ron. I agree with that, and what do you think about each of us buying pistols, like Ruger .22's and some ammunition? We can go hunting on the way.

Doug. That is a great idea. We will be in the wide open desert and who knows what might happen to us along the way. They would be our security blankets so to speak.

That turned out to be a good decision, and they were on their way again. They took turns driving, and when they got near Medford, Oregon, they grabbed a bite to eat and pulled into a rest stop to sleep.