Reyjie Cliff Blando Madriaga, U.S. Space Force recruit, and his recruiter, U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Shiloh Pogue, Pacific Operations Recruiter, after completing the oath of enlistment at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, March 4, 2021. Madriaga, born and raised in Hawaii, is the first Hawaiian U.S. Space Force Recruit to swear into the Delayed Entry Program at Honolulu Military Entrance Processing Center. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Makensie Cooper)
Reyjie Cliff Blando Madriaga, a Hawaiian native, receives the oath of enlistment from U.S. Capt. Donald McCoullough, Honolulu Military Entrance Processing Station Officer, as the first Hawaiian Space Force recruit at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, March 4, 2021. The oath of enlistment is a promise made by members of the United States Armed Forces to support and defend the Constitution. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Makensie Cooper)
Hawaii Magazine
What they mean and what they tell us about a place s history and culture.
Jan 25, 2017
What’s in an outdoor name?
Many people know the story of how Diamond Head got its English-language name 19th-century British sailors initially mistook calcite crystals on its slopes for the precious stone. The Oahu volcanic crater’s original name, however, was Leahi, bestowed by Hawaiians who thought the crater’s shape resembled the dorsal fin of a tuna. (Diamond Head also claims the Hawaiian name Kaimanahila, or “diamond hill.”) Knowing the meaning of place names in Hawaii, where history and mythology often intertwine, adds depth and perspective to our travels here.