Early Life in Hawai‘i
Francisco “Frank” P. Dolin was born in Hawai’i on November 28, 1898, to Portuguese immigrant parents Joana and Filipe de Olim (Dolim), who had come to the islands in 1886. He grew up in Makawao, Maui, where the family established itself in the local community.
Ambition and Service
In 1917, Dolin left Hawai‘i for the mainland, enrolling at the Rahe Automobile School in Kansas City, Missouri, where he trained as a motor mechanic. After graduating, he enlisted in the U.S. Army aviation corps as a motor mechanic and was stationed at Jefferson Barracks, a central military installation near St. Louis.
A Life Cut Short
Tragically, Frank Dolin fell ill shortly after joining the service and died of pneumonia on January 6, 1918, at the age of 19. His only listed contact was Harold J. Rathe, a friend living at 22 Oak Street in Kansas City, indicating Dolin had few close relatives with him on the mainland.
His death was honored with a remarkable display of respect: the Rahe Automobile School closed for the afternoon, and over 1,000 students attended his funeral. The military also provided a Home Guard escort, and he was buried in Kansas City with full military honors.
Legacy
Though far from home, Frank P. Dolin’s sacrifice was deeply felt in Missouri and Hawai‘i. His name is memorialized on the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium plaque, alongside others from the Hawaiian Islands who gave their lives in the Great War.
Sources Cited
- Kansas City Journal. (1918, January 8). Hawaiian Dies in Army: Frank P. Dolin to Be Buried Here Today With Military Honors, p. 12.
- U.S. Census Bureau. (1920). Fifteenth Census of the United States. Records for Joana and Filipe de Olim (Dolim), Hawai‘i.
