Retired Sgt. Maj. Herman M. Atalig, president of the group, wrote to the Rota delegation to express their disappointment over the enactment of Senate Bill 16-52, now Public Law 16-40.
The new law took effect on May 12 and mandates the renaming of the Rota Veterans Memorial Park to “The Corporal Joe G. Charfauros Jr. Rota Veterans Memorial Park.”
Atalig said while the effort to memorialize the late soldier’s heroic deeds is honorable, other veterans deserve recognition as well.
“Please do not construe that your effort to memorialize Cpl. Joe Charfauros Jr. for his service to our country is not honorable. However, we as officers believe it is more appropriate that a wall of ‘unsung heroes’ be built adjacent to the park to honor our island’s fallen comrades killed in action,” he said.
He said their members “are deeply wounded” by the passage of the law without their input.
“You failed to conduct public hearing to solicit our views or that of our island leaders and community,” he said.
“Public Law 16-40 created dissention among veterans who have served and those who are currently serving, who one day, will return to their homeland. Our organization feels betrayed by the Rota legislative delegation and this law has created tremendous damage because it inherently negates our bylaw which is to protect the best interest of all veterans and not just a select few,” he added.
