David Mitchell
David Mitchell is the older brother of Nanea Mitchell.
Personality and Facts
David Mitchell is the oldest of the three Mitchell children and is seventeen at the start of the series. His middle name, Kekoa, means brave and strong. Tutu Kane is the one who gave David this name; he is named after Tutu Kane's own grandfather, Kekoa Pono. Tutu Kane also says David has Kekoa's eyes, nose, and mouth. David calls Nanea "Monkey" as a nickname. He works as a bellboy at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
He knows classmates who are eighteen and have already enlisted, and he can't wait until he can join them. David is a Boy Scout and knows how to play the ukulele. He always smells like Old Spice aftershave and car grease.
In the Books
At the beginning of the book, David leaves for his job as a bellboy at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. He sometimes plays the ukulele and fills in as a musician if another one at the hotel is sick.
In the days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, David is often away from the house helping where needed. On the day of the attack, he puts on his Boy Scout uniform and goes to a VFW hall where he is supposed to report in an emergency. He doesn't return for several days and when he does, Nanea observes that he smells because he hasn't showered. David explains that he's spent the last three days transporting bottles of donated blood from the Red Cross to operating rooms. He says that a lot of injured men were counting on him, and that's why he couldn't return home. He shares the names and stories of several men he met who were receiving treatment.
David no longer works as a bellboy because there aren't tourists coming to the island anymore. Instead, he has a new job for the government. One reason he likes it is that he gets extra gas rations for his car.
David has a birthday luau at his house when he turns 18. Two days later, David enlists in the army.
References