Kadena honors Battle of Okinawa legacy during Memorial Day ceremony

U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. John Gallemore, 18th Wing commander, delivers remarks during the Okinawa Memorial Day ceremony at “The Cornerstone of Peace” in Peace Memorial Park, Okinawa, Japan, June 23, 2026. The annual ceremony, hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Okinawa and USO Okinawa, commemorates the end of the Battle of Okinawa and honors the memory of those who lost their lives during the conflict. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Francisco Huerta)

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Kadena honors Battle of Okinawa legacy during Memorial Day ceremony

U.S. Marines assigned to III Marine Expeditionary Force carry ceremonial wreaths while members of the presenting party walk toward “The Cornerstone of Peace” during the Okinawa Memorial Day ceremony at Peace Memorial Park, Okinawa, Japan, June 23, 2026. The ceremony, hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Okinawa and USO Okinawa, commemorates the end of the Battle of Okinawa and honors those who sacrificed their lives during the campaign. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Francisco Huerta)

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Kadena honors Battle of Okinawa legacy during Memorial Day ceremony

From left, Hawari Habrawi, American Chamber of Commerce in Okinawa vice president; Henry Hughes, USO Okinawa area director; U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. John Gallemore, 18th Wing commander; Aaron Snipe, U.S. Embassy in Japan deputy chief of mission, and Andrew Ou, U.S. consul general in Okinawa, stand during the Okinawa Memorial Day ceremony at “The Cornerstone of Peace” in Peace Memorial Park, Okinawa, Japan, June 23, 2026. The annual ceremony commemorates the end of the Battle of Okinawa and honors the lives lost during one of the pacific theater’s bloodiest battles. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Francisco Huerta)

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Kadena honors Battle of Okinawa legacy during Memorial Day ceremony

U.S. Navy Capt. Robert Peters, chaplain of III Marine Expeditionary Force, delivers an invocation during the Okinawa Memorial Day ceremony at “The Cornerstone of Peace” in Peace Memorial Park, Okinawa, Japan, June 23, 2026. The annual ceremony, hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Okinawa and USO Okinawa, commemorates the end of the Battle of Okinawa and honors those who lost their lives during the conflict. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Francisco Huerta)

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Kadena honors Battle of Okinawa legacy during Memorial Day ceremony

Henry Hughes, USO Okinawa area director, left, and U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. John Gallemore, 18th Wing commander, place a ceremonial wreath at “The Cornerstone of Peace” during the Okinawa Memorial Day ceremony in Peace Memorial Park, Okinawa, Japan, June 23, 2026. The wreath-laying honored those who lost their lives during the Battle of Okinawa and served as a symbol of remembrance and reconciliation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Francisco Huerta)

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Kadena honors Battle of Okinawa legacy during Memorial Day ceremony

A ceremonial wreath rests before the engraved names at “The Cornerstone of Peace” during an Okinawa Memorial Day ceremony in Peace Memorial Park, Okinawa, Japan, June 23, 2026. The annual ceremony, hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Okinawa and USO Okinawa, commemorates the end of the Battle of Okinawa and honors those who lost their lives during the conflict. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Francisco Huerta)

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Kadena honors Battle of Okinawa legacy during Memorial Day ceremony

U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. John Gallemore, 18th Wing commander, left, walks alongside Andrew Ou, U.S. consul general in Okinawa, following the Okinawa Memorial Day ceremony at “The Cornerstone of Peace” in Peace Memorial Park, Okinawa, Japan, June 23, 2026. The ceremony, hosted annually by the American Chamber of Commerce in Okinawa and USO Okinawa, commemorates the end of the Battle of Okinawa and honors those who lost their lives during the conflict. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Francisco Huerta)

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Kadena honors Battle of Okinawa legacy during Memorial Day ceremony

Published June 29, 2026
By Airman 1st Class Francisco Huerta
18th Wing Public Affairs

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. John Gallemore, 18th Wing commander, delivers remarks during the Okinawa Memorial Day ceremony at “The Cornerstone of Peace” in Peace Memorial Park, Okinawa, Japan, June 23, 2026. The annual ceremony, hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Okinawa and USO Okinawa, commemorates the end of the Battle of Okinawa and honors the memory of those who lost their lives during the conflict. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Francisco Huerta)