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Happy Father's Day! On behalf of the Hawai'i Republican Party, I wish all fathers and father figures a great day with their families and friends. As we celebrate, I would like to share with you a short story of my Dad.

Mahalo nui,

Lynn Finnegan
Chairwoman
Hawai'i Republican Party
My Dad

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Let me introduce you to my Dad, Douglas MacArthur Quejas Berbano. He was named after General Douglas MacArthur during WWII when the Philippines fought as an ally with the United States military. My grandmother was extremely grateful to General MacArthur, who at the time, played an instrumental role in liberating the Phillipines from Imperial Japan. My Dad was the sixth of seven children. His father, a provincial leader in the Philippine guerilla army, was captured and beheaded. After his death, my pregnant grandmother hid in the mountains with six children in tow.

Prior to WWII, my Dad was born into a working class family. My grandparents were land owners and led a simple life. My Dad does not remember this time as he was just an infant. However, when they lost everything after WWII, he remembers my grandmother emphasizing to never take anything for granted because it could all vanish at any moment. He worked hard as a child and throughout his young adult life to provide for his mother and his siblings. And to this day, his siblings regard him as the most upstanding member of the family.

My Dad found his way to the United States through the United States Navy. My Aunt Nida helped him send in an application every day for a month to join the US Navy. Three years later, he was awarded an opportunity to serve. During this time, most Filipinos in the Navy were restricted to menial jobs like cooks, stewards and personal aides to officers.

Dad served as a steward on the USS Fletcher (Destroyer class) from 1964 to 1970 during the Vietnam War. He was a favored cook to the commanders and also served as ammunition loader and trainer for both the 5 inch artillery cannon and 30mm gun. He vividly remembers supporting bombardment activities off the coast of Saigon.
While assigned to Pearl Harbor, he met my mother Francisca Ledesma. She was a single mother caring for her six children. At the end of his enlistment, he married my mother and decided to make Hawai'i his home.

After starting a family, my Dad worked in construction as a draftsman, millwork coordinator and shop manager while serving in the Air National Guard. When the construction industry was failing and the companies he worked for went out of business, Dad took on any job he could find including a security officer and janitor. He retired as a civil service building inspector.

My father exemplifies hard work, sacrifice, dedication, honesty, and honor. He worked seven days a week at multiple jobs to make ends meet just to make sure that his family had a good life.
My Mom and Dad lived in our family home in Waianae until Peter and I insisted they move in with us to make life easier for them. Since they moved in, they have always tried to make life easier for us. My Dad will be 80 years old this year. He continues to have a desire to take care of us.

Some might say that my Dadʻs life has been a struggle since the day he was born. What I see is a man who did not take things for granted. He showed me how to turn challenges into opportunities to make life and future generations better. Dad, thank you for all you are, for everything you have been to me, and everything you are to your grandchildren.

This is why we celebrate Father's Day. For men like my Dad, who continue to strive to support their families through good and bad times. Happy Father's Day!

Douglas and Frances Berbano with grandchildren
(L) Douglas Luke Paʻipaʻiku Finnegan, Vanderbilt University ℅ 2021
(R) Piʻikea McKenna Finnegan ,University of Minnesota ℅ 2017
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