Vaulter's Dad Home for Holidays

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http://www.mauinews.com/story.aspx?id=4386

Pacheco home for Christmas, but duty calls
By Rodney Yap, Sports Writer

Home for the holidays. Family time. Good food, warm hugs and that island life you’d been missing the last four months.


Dad huddled in the living room, kids draped over his huge shoulders. The wife next to him, ever so strong in her silence and loving ways. In the corner, the Christmas tree lights seem especially radiant this season, their glow filling hearts with serenity and peace.

Saturday was a day to hold, to cherish, to appreciate, and to remember.

It was especially so for Billy Pacheco.

Behind the gift-wrap and white beards lurked the ugly reality of war in Iraq.

On the Valley Isle, we feel far removed from the sight and the sounds of warplanes, tanks, machine guns, and howitzers, but Mauians have a stake in America’s freedom, too.

From the beginning, men and women from Maui – our neighbors – have been involved in the fighting either directly or via support command. In fewer than 10 days, some 80 Maui National Guardsmen, who have been training diligently on Oahu and are now in Texas in preparation for an 18-month deployment, will head to Iraq.

The Maui guardsmen were activated along with 2,000 others from the state in July and August. Their orders will take them to Louisiana’s Fort Polk on Friday for six more weeks of advanced training. Then, suicide bombers, guerillas and militants await.

Pacheco is one of the guardsmen who received word over the summer that he was being activated.

The news hit the 45-year-old Kahului resident hard. Initially, Pacheco said, you begin to feel sorry for yourself. Then comes the reality of having to lead troops and perform under pressure in war-torn areas that are incomprehensible to the average American watching at home on television.

“That’s one of the things about being in the Guard, you don’t know when Uncle Sam is going to call or when he is going to need you,’’ Pacheco said in an interview before his initial training on Oahu. “And if he needs you, you have to get yourself together and battle on. That’s the best way to do it, you can’t just sit there and feel sorry for yourself.’’



It was at St. Anthony High School, where Pacheco graduated in 1977 and served as the track and field coach the last two years, that he developed his passion for running.

A former hurdler, Pacheco’s love of track led him to enlist.

“I wanted to run track in college, but my dad worked in the plantation and they didn’t have a lot of money, plus I had a younger brother who they had to support as well,’’ Pacheco recalled. “Coach Tommy (Duarte at St. Anthony) was the one who recruited me. He was the company commander at the time and a Vietnam veteran who also won the Bronze Star.’’

At that time there were few track programs to keep Pacheco busy. Most of the competitions were on Oahu and the Mainland.

“It wasn’t feasible for me,’’ he said. “I had to do something ? I didn’t want to just hang out on the beach. That’s when Coach Duarte said I should think about joining the Army Reserve.’’

Pacheco went to Missouri for basic training with four other Maui recruits, including three friends from St. Anthony. Although distance running was not his thing, Pacheco won the 1-mile race in his squad, wearing combat boots and running on gravel. When Pacheco returned to Maui, Duarte had retired from the Reserves.

“So I joined the police force in 1981,’’ Pacheco said.

For the next eight years he was a patrolman, working watch shifts that made it impossible for him to return to track and field as a coach, which Duarte continuously tried to recruit him for during his days as the coach at St. Anthony.

In 1988, Pacheco joined the Maui County Department of Liquor Control, and he was promoted to chief enforcement officer two years ago. The new hours finally let him coach.

Under Pacheco, the Trojans’ 4x100 boys relay team won a gold medal and broke the state record two years ago. Pacheco’s youngest son, Billy Jr., is a youth sprint champion who at age 14 can pole vault 12 feet.

“He’s fully committed to the pole vault and has told me his goal is to break all of Bubba’s records,’’ Pacheco said, referring to former St. Anthony star Bubba McLean.

For now, Pacheco is spending every waking hour with Billy, his two other sons, Elijah and Nehemiah, and wife, Kristi.

“The first thing that comes to my mind all the time is my family,’’ said Pacheco when asked about what he thinks about when he’s away. “Especially my son Billy. He and I are really tight. We run several times a week together, we train together, we lift weights together, we go to movies together. He’s like one of my best friends. My wife is my best friend, but he’s also my best friend.’’

In the Army, Pacheco is the ultimate soldier, a throwback, old-school warrior with over 20 years of service. He is a master sergeant ready to lead troops.

“He was a damn good soldier as far as I can remember,’’ said retired Hawaii Army National Guard Sgt. Maj. James Yap, my father, who served in Vietnam.

He saw Pacheco at his home in Kahului on Thursday and wished him well.

Pacheco sees a connection between what he’s learned and what he teaches.

“It might not be the politically correct thing, but I tried to train (the track team) with a warrior’s mentality,’’ Pacheco said. “It doesn’t mean a warrior always has to fight, but in anything you do, you have to have a warrior’s mentality. If not you are going to quit or give up.

“I’m not trying to make them into soldiers – that’s not my job – but there are certain things you can learn from being a soldier. It’s a discipline thing ? like not quitting. If you’re a soldier and you quit, you might die. So you’re not going to quit. So what I teach my kids when it comes to track is to be leaders and lead with compassion.’’

Duarte said: “I think he’ll be a good leader, he’s always had a positive attitude and worked hard. If he gets into combat, he has confidence in himself, and people around him will see that confidence in him.’’

The teacher also offered the student some advice.

“He has to constantly be alert,’’ Duarte said. “The only people you can trust are your people. Stay alert and trust in God, too, because it’s going to test his faith.’’

“I have plenty of respect for him, he was always the kind of guy who paid attention to detail,’’ Duarte added. “When he gets back, he’ll appreciate life and be more grateful.’’



Rodney S. Yap can be reached at rodneyyap@mauinews.com