Contributing editor Stephen Lum provided this article and the photographs for this Retiree News post.
Former Big Island armory was named after former 299th Infantry commander
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The Hawai‘i Army National Guard’s Honoka‘a Armory, constructed May 1965, was named the Lester W. Bryan Armory, after the former 299th Regiment Combat Team commander, Colonel Lester (Leicester Winthrop) “Bill” Bryan. The armory-gymnasium, built on the campus of Honoka‘a High and Intermediate Schools cost less than $300k. The gym was used by the Guard’s Company C, 2nd Battalion, 299th Infantry unit and the Honoka‘a schools. As part of the Base Realignment and Closure process by the U.S. federal government, the armory was officially turned over the Honoka‘a Schools October 13, 2006.
The Boston-born Bryan, who studied forestry at the Massachusetts College of Agriculture, came to Hawai‘i in 1921. The forester was soon assigned to Hawai‘i, where here stay until his retirement in 1961 and even continued as a consultant after he retired. Over the years he directed the planting of more than 10 million trees, established six nurseries and 22 arboreta, introduced many different species of plants, and helped launch the vanda orchid industry. He helped preserve many endangered plant species and planted many species of native trees at Manuka State Park, Ka‘ū. He also directed development of other state parks on the Big Island.
He began his military service in 1918, enlisting as an Army private and served in World War I. In 1933, he joined the Hawai‘i Army Guard as a second lieutenant. Bryan was a captain and commanded a rifle company when Hawai‘i Guard was activated October 15, 1940 for World War II. He rose to lieutenant colonel by deactivation of the Hawai‘i Guard.
He credited with the post-World War II reorganization of the 299th Infantry Regimental Combat Team on Hawai‘i, Maui and Moloka‘i. He retired from the Guard in 1955.
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