Hawaii Reservist Killed In Kuwait


MAKAHA, Oahu, 4:55 p.m. HST September 4, 2003 - A 43-year-old Army reservist from Waipahu was killed in Kuwait.




Staff Sgt. Cameron Sarno was assigned to an Army reserve unit.
A memorial is scheduled for Sarno at Honokai Hale Thursday night, where members of the Makaha kempo club will remember one of their own.

Sarno was a martial arts expert, a Waipahu High School graduate, who moved to Las Vegas five year ago. His friends were stunned to hear of his death.

"I was shocked I couldn't sleep I just couldn't get back to sleep. I just cried," Gordon Magallanes said.

Many of Sarno's marital arts buddies will pay tribute to their fallen fighter during Thursday night's kempo class. The Waipahu graduate was with the army's transportation company. Magallanes believes Sarno provided support for Special Forces hunting down Saddam Hussein.

"I just told him be careful be safe and he said, 'You know me. I'm always watching out,'" Magallanes said.

Sarno will be remembered as an avid hunter, surfer and as someone always willing to help out.

The Makaha club will present his family with a certificate that Sarno earned last year for Instructor of the Year. Sarno had opened a school in Las Vegas under the Makaha kempo banner.

Sarno was expecting to return home in just a few weeks.