10/13 Pago Pago, American Samoa(5)

>> My name is Edmund Hollister. My dad, Edwin Robert Hollister. He was born here in American Samoa, and his birthday is September 18th, 1925. He passed away December 8th, 1976. He was a sergeant. He was in Korea at that time. That’s where [INAUDIBLE].

>> Some might say your father is a hero.

>> I guess.

>> Do you know if he fought combat?

>> He was a medic.

>> A medic?

>> Yes. He always go with people when they go to field, whatever time, they said to go please with those people in infantry.

>> Oh, he was a medic?

>> He was a medic, yes.

>> Wow.

>> That was his job.

>> When did he join the Army?

>> I don’t know, but if you … So my dad received the money from the VA. He was in the military. He went a long time ago back in American Samoa. The VA, the local VA, he [INAUDIBLE] guy. He was doing everything. That’s where he got the money from them. I didn’t know what time. Somewhere around 1954, ’53 … somewhere around ’52 or ’53, somewhere around that time. But he was born in 1925, yes.

>> 1925? So he was a medic during the war. What did he do when he came back?

>> He came back … he was in charge of … He was a teacher in American Samoa. In those days that’s … When he finished teacher, he would be in charge of the women working in the back camp, the Kennedy Company back in those days.

>> What do you … Did he ever mention anything about the war?

>> He didn’t say anything about those things.

>> Why?

>> I don’t know. We were really young at that time. We were really young.

>> What does it mean for you to have a father who was a Korean War veteran? You’re a veteran.

>> You see, I didn’t … In those days, we were young. We didn’t ask those kind of questions. We didn’t even think about joining the military. And finally, when I … I have a bachelor’s. I graduated in 1967, and then I have bought a store. That’s what I had. My dad provided all that stuff, and I take care of those stuff.

>> You came here today to honor him.

>> Yes because I heard on the news yesterday from from Madeon. When I heard that, I thought, “Oh, let me go talk to this lady up there and explain that my dad was in the war at that time.”

>> So it means you’re proud of his service.

>> Oh, yes. When I think about my dad was in it … I’m going to be in the military too. He didn’t retire, but he got out, and finally, when I retired … My daughter, she’s in the Marines right now.

>> Wow, three generations!

>> Yes. My brother, too, had three kids go in the military too. One passed away at war.

>> Why?

>> He passed away when he was in Thailand. That’s where he passed away there. They bring the Hawaiians when Hawaii did the … With his funeral, they sent him to American Samoa. They buried him next to my dad. They have his name up there, Korea, and my brother’s son.

>> Wow. Can you spell your father’s name again?

>> Edwin Robert Hollister.

>> With double L or one L?

>> Two L, yes.

>> Okay. We honor him, okay? Thank you so much. Thank you.

>> But you know, when you get out on commission, then you’re blessed, definitely blessed [INAUDIBLE] DD214, from his paper …