KAILUA, HAWAI‘I — Members of the American Legion Family of Hawai‘i and the Pyramid Rock Young Marines proudly marched in the Kailua Chamber of Commerce’s 76th annual Kailua Independence Day Parade on Friday, July 4, 2025. The beloved local tradition brought the community together to celebrate America’s 249th Independence Day with the parade’s theme of “Waves of Aloha.”

Representing the American Legion Department of Hawai‘i were CR Drumheller (Department of Hawai’i Senior Vice Commander/NEC), Michele Hauser (Department of Hawai’i Chaplain), John DiGiovanni and Rodney Boucher (Department of Hawai’i Post 17), Gordon Lee (Department of Hawai’i District I Vice Commander), Francene Lee and Michelle Hoover (Department of Hawai’i ALA), and several members of the Pyramid Rock Young Marines and their families.

Our parade route began at 10 a.m., traveling along Kainalu Drive from Omao Street to Kailua Intermediate School. Participants and spectators arrived early, setting up chairs and tents along the route. Kainalu Drive was closed to traffic at 9:30 a.m. to accommodate the festive crowds.

This year’s parade featured an impressive lineup of floats, marching bands, community organizations, keiki groups and dignitaries. Highlights included appearances by Mayor Rick Blangiardi, Gov. Josh Green, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda and Grand Marshal Ron Sargent, owner of Baci Bistro in Kailua.
Justin Cruz of KHON2 served as the emcee from a stage near the Hope Center Ministries, where judges evaluated entries in categories like Best Overall Float, Best Marching Unit, Best Keiki-Centric Float, Best Representation of Theme and Most Patriotic.

The American Legion Family marched alongside fellow veterans organizations including Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 858, and the VFW Department of Hawai‘i and Auxiliary. Also in the parade were the Marine Corps Color Guard and Band, HPD DARE Car, the Royal Hawaiian Band and dozens of local schools, civic groups, cultural organizations and businesses - all reflecting Kailua’s strong sense of community and aloha. Kailua celebrated into the evening with the traditional fireworks display off Kailua Beach at 8 p.m. To learn about the Kailua Chamber of Commerce and its events, visit www.kailuachamber.com.

The American Legion Department of Hawaii, 612 McCully St., Honolulu HI 96826
[https://hilegion.org, (808)946-6383 main, (808)947-3957 fax