Punahou School recently welcomed sailors from the USS Chung-Hoon, who visited to pay tribute to the ship’s namesake, Rear Adm. Gordon Pai’ea Chung-Hoon (1929). The guided-missile destroyer, homeported in San Diego, was commissioned in 2004 in honor of Chung-Hoon, a trailblazing figure in U.S. Navy history. While the USS Chung-Hoon is currently undergoing upgrades to boost its combat readiness, sailors visited the School and met with students interested in military careers.
A Hawai‘i native and 1929 Punahou alumnus, Chung-Hoon (1910 – 1979) became the first Asian American flag officer in the U.S. Navy and the first Asian American graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He served aboard the USS Arizona during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, and later earned the Navy Cross and Silver Star for his heroic leadership during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II. His legacy of bravery and tactical skill, especially under fire while commanding the damaged USS Sigsbee, lives on in the destroyer that bears his name.
The sailors’ visit included a ceremony at the School’s flagpole, where JROTC cadets raised the colors as the Navy Brass Quintet played the national anthem. Lei were placed on a portrait of Chung-Hoon by his niece, Michelle Punana Chung-Hoon; Ensign Tennille Hart from the USS Chung-Hoon; and Punahou President Mike Latham ’86. Retired Rear Adm. Alma Lau ’77 Grocki, the first female from Hawai‘i to enter the U.S. Naval Academy, was also in attendance. The ceremony included remarks honoring Chung-Hoon’s legacy, followed by a musical tribute from the Brass Quintet and a gift exchange between the sailors and the School.
After the ceremony, the sailors met with JROTC students to share insights about life in the Navy. It was a memorable visit, with the Navy honoring a distinguished alumnus while inspiring current students to follow in his footsteps.