Nat'l Commander Mike Deacon receives his official credentials just prior to the convention open from Hawaii Legion N.E.C. (and past S.A.L. Detachment Commander) Michael McCloskey.

Close-up look at Commander Deacon's personalized credentials

Sons gather for ceremony dedicating a plaque to all veterans buried in the Punchbowl National Cemetery of the Pacific

Commander Deacon and Past National Commander Kevin Winkelmann uncover S.A.L. plaque dedicated to veterans who rest forever at the Punchbowl National Cemetery of the Pacific

Close-up view of the words Sons dedicated to fallen veterans

National Adjutant Brian O'Hearn joins with Commander Deacon and Hawaii N.E.C. Bernard Lee at the dedication ceremony

Entrance to the beautiful Punchbowl National Cemetery of the Pacific, which occupies a former sacred crater on the Hawaiian island of Oahu

Adjutant O'Hearn and Commander Deacon share a light moment just before opening ceremonies for the Sons National Convention

Members of the defending National Champion Color Guard from Wichita, KS Squadron 401 post colors to begin the convention

American Legion National Adjutant Robert Spanogle brings greetings at the start of the convention

POW - MIA empty chair and table sit before the dais during opening ceremonies

Long-time S.A.L. supporter Herm Herrington is made a Distinguished Guest of the convention

Larry Besson, S.A.L. Chairman of The Legion's Internal Affairs S.A.L. Sub-Committee, is pesented with a Distinguished Guest badge

Paul Morin, Leading Candidate for National Commander of The American Legion, is escorted to the front of the convention hall

American Legion Americanism Director Mike Buss dons his own S.A.L. cap before addressing fellow Sons

Mike Buss with this year's American Legion Youth Champions: Oratorical, Boys Nation, Junior Shooting Sports, Legion Baseball

Jubilant members of National Co-Champion Color Guard from Essex, MD Squadron 148 with incoming National Commander Bill Sparwasser, a former member of that guard troop

Award-winning community service squadrons from around the country

National Update newsletter editor Mike Pipher has his picture taken with Jerrick Johnson, driver of the new American Legion NASCAR race car

Indiana N.E.C. David Siggers and wife Angie chat with former Miss American Heather French-Henry

Past National Commander John Dietz was one of many Sons who attended a Hawaiian luau while visiting paradise

Hula dancers twirl poms during one of many luaus

Indiana's S.A.L. delegation has a group picture taken in front of the Hawaii Convention Center

Indiana delegates line up for the Sunday afternoon American Legion parade through downtown Honolulu

Indiana N.E.C. David Siggers was one of two Sons to win a newsletter award this year from the National American Legion Press Association

A scene rarely viewed by the general public: the back side of Pearl Harbor's Ford Island where remnants of the U.S.S. Utah remain where the ship was sunk on December 7, 1941

The Hickham Airfield control tower still stands on Ford Island, where the United States entered into World War II

The "Mighty Mo": the U.S.S. Missouri is permanently stationed at Pearl Harbor. It was on the decks of this mighty battleship that the Japaense signed surrender documents in August of 1945

On board the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial out in Pearl Harbor

Small droplets of oil continue to bubble up from the sunken hull of the Arizona

Indiana Legionnaire Donald Beatty, a survivor of the U.S.S. Indianapolis

Sons in love: one of many Hawaiian beachside marriage ceremonies that united S.A.L. members with their sweethearts

Rugged northeast coastline of Oahu as seen from the famous Pali Lookout

Diamond Head seen from the waters off Waikiki Beach

Aloha Tower greets vititors to the Port of Honolulu

One of many U.S. Coast Guard ships based on Honolulu's Sand Island

View of Waikiki Beach and downtown Honolulu from atop Diamond Head

The view north from Diamond Head, toward rain-shrouded mountain forests and the Pali heights