Kuulei John Kaea was born on April 17, 1892, in Honolulu to George Kaea and Agnes Mahiole. A son of Hawai‘i, he came of age during a time of rapid change in the islands and in the world beyond.
Before his military service, Kuulei worked for the U.S. Army at Diamond Head, a site of strategic defense and military readiness. At the time of his draft registration in June 1918, he lived at 1454 Dement Street in Honolulu.
He became a private in Company A of the First Hawaiian Infantry. Though the war was nearing its end when he enlisted, the dangers of military life persisted. On March 16, 1919, Kuulei John Kaea died of pneumonia at the hospital at Fort Shafter. Like so many who served during the global influenza pandemic, his life was cut short not by combat, but by illness that swept through military camps and hospitals worldwide.
He was buried in the Catholic Cemetery, mourned by his father, George Kaea, and remembered by a grieving community.
Today, his name is inscribed on the bronze plaque outside the War Memorial Natatorium in Waikiki, honoring the men and women from Hawai‘i who gave their lives in service during the Great War. Though his time in uniform was brief, Kuulei John Kaea’s commitment to duty and his ultimate sacrifice are part of Hawai‘i’s proud legacy of service and remembrance.
Sources
- Hawaii Census, 1900-10
- Hawaii, U.S., Death Certificates and Indexes, 1841-1942
- U.S., Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940
- U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
