Unveiling Ceremony
Taitusi Sokiveta , Phoenix, Arizona USA.
The article by Nemani Delaibatiki on the Royal New Zealand Air Force base, Laucala Bay, for Sunderland was great and brought back memories of my childhood at Nasova Police residential homes.
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For Policemen with families I remember at around 9pm, we would hear this loud noise like a bulldozer ploughing a side of a hill before we saw the plane.
The noise alone was so loud and the Sunderland planes moved so slow that you could count the portholes on the plane.
As it flew over Nasova-Nasese one question used to bother my mind was how come Japanese Zeros did not shoot down these slow moving planes because they look like easy targets during World War 2?
How they survive during the War just blows my mind.
My late sister, while attending St Josephs Secondary School, at the time fell in love with one of the Sunderland’s aviator who later became my late brother-in-law, Michael Marriott of Christchurch, New Zealand.
They moved to Whenuapai and is survived by my two nephews, Michael and Keith Marriott, who now own and run the family coffee, bakery shop in Auckland, New Zealand.
They got married. My sister and Royal New Zealand Air Force Officer Michael Marriott inside a white chapel on the Royal New Zealand Air Force Base, Laucala Bay.
I was six-years-old when I attended the wedding.
I have pictures of the Royal New Zealand Air Force officers and my late cousin Robert Wendt used to be proof reader for the Fiji Times.
I will put all the pictures on Facebook, so all of Fiji can see what inside the base used to look like before it became University of the South Pacific.
My late uncle Moses Evans and late aunty Mrs Caroline Evans originally of Lomaloma, Vanuabalavu, were also at the wedding.
Moses Evans and Holgar Johansen were the first two Fijians to win medals for Fiji in the 1962 British Empire Games in Perth, Australia in boxing, both bronze.
The game is now called Commonwealth Games.
They were the first two Fijians to win medal in any games before anybody else in Fiji won medals later in other games. This is a great honour.
To put a memorial statue on behalf of the Royal New Zealand Air Force base and for their great service not only in peace time but the Sunderland service in World War 2.
Both in the Pacific and Europe. Also there were two divisions of American soldiers protecting Fiji during World War 2. We should thank them too for their service for us.
Many Fijians, who worked for the Royal New Zealand Air Force base, also formed a rugby team called the Flying Cats.
Ilaitia Uqe of Cautata Village was the team’s halfback. There’s a picture of him and the whole team in his house in Nabua, Suva.
When the base ended, most of the Fijians went to work for the Fire Department, one next to the old Regal Theatre now McDonald’s and one next to the PWD canteen Walu Bay, Suva. Bob Wendt worked at the Fire Department in Walu Bay. He is the father of Robert Wendt.
Royal New Zealand Air Force definitely deserves a memorial for all they did for Fiji and dedicating Laucala on their behalf.
It’s such a great thing to do for them.
No Excuse
Wise Muavono, Lautoka
Have you noticed that once someone makes the move to indiscriminately dump rubbish where it's not allowed, others follow suit ?
That is what I call "lazy following the lazy." These lazy people should be made to understand that their illegally dumped trash is making it's way to the sea and harms and kills marine life.
Our fish habitats are already under significant challenge, and actions such as these only serve to exacerbate the issues currently being faced. There is no excuse for this sort of behaviour, it is just mindless and extremely short sighted.
Words I would like to use to refer to this type of behaviour is unprintable.
Boxing Fuss
Dharmendra Kumar, Suva
Controversies in boxing promotions is a norm in Fiji and the BCF must take full responsibility for what transpired in the Majestic Boxing Promotions event.
One thing I have learned is never to buy boxing tickets in advance.
Naitasiri Rugby
Tukai Lagonilakeba, Nadi
Asaeli Radrodro is the new chairman and is unwavering in his bid to take Naitasiri Rugby to the top once again.
With his no-nonsense approach, resignations from experienced 15s coach Koli Sewabu and team manager Nimilote Naisorotabua do not augur well in his quest to maintain a compliant, professional outfit.
Radrodro’s outburst in the Fiji Sun on Sunday, March 18, is very discriminatory to say the least because he announced he would specifically concentrate on developing the skills of only the youth who belong to the province, but no other youth and men who have made Naitasiri their home.
His call is counterproductive to the development of our youth in any sport. Other rugby unions such as Nadroga, Nadi, Lautoka, Bua, Macuata, Ba, Tavua, Kadavu and Yasawa all have men from Naitasiri plying their trade with them and they all live and make their living in those provinces, but are never discriminated against.
The SODELPA Opposition MP has taken his political party’s discriminative and divisive policies to rugby in his province and I would like to call upon the Minister for Youths and Sports and the CEO at FRU House to please investigate and withdraw FRU funding to the Naitasiri Rugby Union if he is going to take that stand.
The question I ask is what happens to all the youth of other provinces who play the game in Naitasiri? It is totally against the spirit of our 2013 Constitution as our Fijian sons and daughters all learn, develop and rub off each other as they play the sport of their dreams.
Feedback: jyotip@fijisun.com.fj
