The thieves who broke into Marine 1st Lt. Eric Enzinger's rental car in Waikiki on Veterans Day weekend stole more than his laptop computer.

The San Diego-based CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter pilot had e-mail and photos on the laptop of his deceased fiancee, Leeann West. He is hoping — although he knows it's a longshot — that he somehow might still get them back.

West had been driving cross country to San Diego with Enzinger's mom, Linda, when West died suddenly in a motel in Alabama on Oct. 13, according to the Enzinger family. West had taken a sleeping pill and choked to death, Linda Enzinger said.

"I don't think we'll ever really know for sure what caused that," the Marine's mother said.

At the funeral, the Marine pilot received notice that the Southern California wildfires were threatening his rented home.

As Lt. Enzinger's ship, the USS Tarawa, left for a six-month deployment on Nov. 5, he was allowed to spend some time in Hawai'i before the amphibious assault ship and its strike group passed near the Islands, picking up the destroyer Hopper and cruiser Port Royal.

"He got back to California and delayed his deployment for a week so that he would have just a little bit of time to try to get his head together, and the military was wonderful, offering to fly him to Hawai'i," said Linda Enzinger, who lives in Michigan.

A helicopter from the Tarawa picked him up here and took him back to the ship.

Eric Enzinger, 30, said by e-mail that on the night of Nov. 10, or morning of Nov. 11, the back window was broken out of his rented blue Pontiac after he had parked near the Honolulu Zoo.

His Dell Inspiron 1150 laptop and external hard drives that were in a duffel were stolen. Gone were the photos of his fiancee.

"The pictures meant the world to me as they were the only pictures I had of her," Eric Enzinger said. "And now I have to go on my deployment without them for the next six months. I was sick to my stomach to lose them. I miss her deeply."

The Enzingers are hoping the thief will have a heart, and will return the photos and e-mail on the hard drives.

"Not the computer — his computer was old and he could have cared less about that," Linda Enzinger said.

The family is asking for the return of the data, no questions asked, and is willing to provide a reward. Linda Enzinger's cell phone number is (269) 599-5656. Her e-mail is LSunny2day@aol.com.

IN BRIEF

JAPANESE SHIP TRACKS TARGET MISSILE

U.S. and Japanese counterparts said a Japanese destroyer last week successfully tracked a target missile launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands on Kaua'i.

The exercise was training for the JS Kongo, which is scheduled to conduct an actual flight test intercept in mid December. It will be the first flight test intercept of a ballistic missile target by an allied Navy.

Two weeks ago, the Pearl Harbor-based cruiser USS Lake Erie successfully intercepted two ballistic missile targets, marking the 10th and 11th intercepts out of 13 attempts. JS Kongo also participated, tracking the targets and conducting a simulated intercept.

The target missiles fell into the Pacific Ocean.

It was the first time the U.S. shot down two simulated ballistic missile targets at once. The targets were non-separating, meaning the simulated warheads did not separate from booster rockets.

At the end of 2009 the Missile Defense Agency plans to have 18 U.S. ships operationally capable of shooting down short- to medium-range ballistic missiles. Japan is similarly equipping four destroyers.

SOUTH KOREA SPREE COSTS SAILOR $10K

Stars and Stripes reported that a sailor onboard the Pearl Harbor-based submarine USS Chicago avoided criminal charges in South Korea by agreeing to pay restitution after police said he drunkenly crashed a stolen vehicle last week.

Lt. Cmdr. Greg Kuntz, a 7th Submarine Group spokesman, said the sailor agreed to pay more than $10,000 restitution before the Chicago left Chinhae Naval Base.

Kuntz declined to name the sailor, saying only that he is a 26-year-old petty officer first class, Stars and Stripes said.

Police said the sailor stole a van and crashed it into a parked station wagon, the newspaper reported.

Kuntz said the sailor would be held accountable for his actions on Chicago's five-day visit to South Korea.

KEMP TAKES COMMAND OF 657TH RSG

Col. Christopher Kemp on Oct. 21 assumed command of the 657th Regional Support Group at the Kalani U.S. Army Reserve Center at Fort Shafter Flats.

Kemp succeeds Col. Stephen Nakano, who commanded the 657th RSG since December of 2003, including its recent deployment to Iraq.

A separate ceremony was held to award Nakano a Meritorious Service Medal for his leadership. Nakano's 89-year-old father-in-law, Shizuya Hayashi, a 100th Infantry Battalion veteran and recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions in World War II, attended both ceremonies.

ARMY OFFERING BONUSES UP TO $60K

The Army continues to offer big bonuses to recruit and keep soldiers in both active duty and reserve ranks at a time of frequent combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Active First," which started Oct. 1, promises up to $60,000 for recruits who opt for 48 months of active duty and then transfer to the National Guard.

A payment of $40,000 comes with signing up for 48 months of active duty. Another $20,000 will be paid to serve out remaining obligations in the National Guard, according to the Army.

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com.