Mele Kalikimaka

Back in the early part of the 20th century, my great-aunt and her family gave room and board at their house to a bright young college student from Hawai'i who was attending Cornell. He would remain their lifelong friend.

His name was Robert Alex Anderson, but to friends he was "Andy". He also made a daring escape across Europe during World War 1 (later made into the classic film "The Dawn Patrol") and became a hugely successful Hawai'i businessman.

But he was most famous for his hobby-writing songs. His best-known one celebrates Christmas in Hawai'i and is called, of course, "Mele Kalikimaka".

Click on the post title for more about Andy.