Parade. Puka-Puka. 73rd Anniversary Banquet

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1 1 0 0 T H I N F A N T R Y B A T T A L I O N V E T E R A N S C L U B Puka-Puka Parade A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R N O. 0 4 / rd Anniversary Banquet by Bev Shiroma (Editor s Note: Bev serves as 1 st Vice President on the Executive Board and this is her 2 nd year of successfully chairing the 100th s Anniversary Banquet.) Thank you to everyone who attended and supported our 73 rd Anniversary Banquet on June 14, 2015 at the Dole Pomaikai Ballroom. It was great to see everyone and reconnect with veterans, families and friends! Thank you also to our VIP guests who attended and have supported us throughout the years. A very warm mahalo to our keynote speakers, 100 th Battalion descendants Governor David Ige and First Lady Dawn Amano-Ige for taking the time to attend our banquet and share their thoughts and experiences of their veteran fathers, Tokio Bobby Ige, Company A, and Sakuji Amano, Company C. Another highlight was the presence of Admiral Harry Harris, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command, who took the time out of his busy schedule to attend and posthumously present replicas of the Congressional Gold Medal to Governor David Ige and his brother, Richard Ige, and to Mrs. Mitsue Amano, widow of Sakuji Amano and the First Lady. It was a heartfelt moment and a reminder that although our veterans have passed on, they will never be forgotten. Of course, what would a banquet be without the traditional entertainment by Skip Tomiyama s group in the lounge area to greet everyone! Lunch music was provided by the Ebbtides (courtesy of the Teraokas) and included the wonderful vocals of Joy Teraoka, wife of veteran Denis Teraoka. Chinagu Eisa Hawaii s taiko team got our hearts pumping and we were all in awe with the singing of the National Anthem, Hawaii Ponoi, and Aloha Oe by SSG John Quinn Taitin, SGT Fealofani Maugalei, SPC Toso Foifua, and SPC Anesi-Glenn Foifua. A big salute to our co-masters of Ceremonies, reservists SSG Chris Arakawa and SSG Chris-Ryan Makinano, who at the last minute, stepped in and did a great job of hosting our event. The 100 th Battalion, 442d Infantry Regiment, U.S. Army Reserve soldiers provided the Presentation of the Colors and invaluable assistance with our veterans and families. It is wonderful to see this new generation carry on and truly become a part of our legacy. They are always there when we need their support and have never let us down. We are truly grateful! Congratulations to Sharyse Nadamoto, Kylie Nishino and Erik Yamada, recipients of the 100 th Memorial Scholarship awards. Last but not least, this banquet couldn t have been a success without the wonderful team that we have. Although a long-standing event, this is only the 2 nd year that I have been involved in the planning. My sincerest appreciation goes to our Banquet Committee - Jayne Hirata, Ann Kabasawa Shelley Santo, Janice Trubitt, Evelyn Tsuda, Stacey Hayashi and Bert Hamakado as well as the invaluable guidance and assistance from President Lloyd Kitaoka. Volunteers also included our Reception table helpers, Kay and Trisha Okimoto and Diane and Jodi Saito, as well as others who helped with table décor, parking to make sure everyone got to the event safely and the band of photographers who we can always depend on to capture the moment. Puka-Puka Parade, Monthly News

2 In Memoriam KAORU K MATSUMURA (C) (95 yrs) Passed away on April 25, 2015 HIROSHI JOE STONE MATSUNAMI (A) (91 yrs) Passed away on May 20, 2015 FRED TOSHIMORI TAKAHASHI (HQ) (97 yrs) Passed away on May 31, 2015 RAYMOND KUNIO IWAMOTO (F/C) (98 yrs) Passed away on June 8, 2015 HIDEO UENO (HQ) (97 yrs) Passed away on June 15, 2015 MARTIN J. TOHARA (D) (98 yrs) Passed away on June 27, 2015 Our deepest sympathies to their families. Grave Decorating Volunteers Needed for September Annually in September, the 100 th Infantry Battalion Veterans organization decorates the graves of our fallen soldiers and veterans to honor and remember their sacrifices and valor in WWII. Volunteers are needed on the following days: -- Friday, September 25, 3:00-5:00 p.m: Help is needed at the clubhouse to unwrap 1,200 anthurium bouquets. -- Saturday, September 26, 2015: 7:00a.m. Two trucks are needed to transport the flowers from the clubhouse to Punchbowl. 8:00a.m. Help is needed at Punchbowl Cemetery to decorate the 1,000 graves. Bring a hat, sunscreen, walking shoes, a container to carry water to fill the vases, and a weeder to dig up vases that may be stuck in the ground. Volunteers are also needed to decorate smaller cemeteries at Kane`ohe, Diamond Head, Mililani, and Nu`uanu. Call Arlene at to volunteer or for more information. A very big mahalo to the generous anonymous donor who is taking care of the cost of the 1,200 anthurium bouquets which will be flown in from Hilo! Joint Memorial Service, September 27, 2015 The 10 th Annual Joint Memorial Service will be held this year on Sunday, September 27, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl). The service is held to honor fallen World War II members of the 100 th Infantry Battalion, 442 nd Regimental Combat Team, Military Intelligence Service and the 1399 Engineer Construction Battalion. It will be sponsored again this year by the Nisei Veterans Legacy Center. If you are interested in supporting the ceremony by volunteering to help with the planning or on the day of the event, please contact Byrnes Yamashita at Food donations are being solicited. Please contact Ann Kabasawa at diverseinnov@gmail.com if you can make a contribution. We hope many families and friends will attend this service in remembrance of our WWII service men. Mahalo. Mini-Reunion in Las Vegas 2015 LAST CALL!!! by Ann Kabasawa There are still some seats remaining at the special group rate for the Mini-Reunion in Las Vegas on October 18 October 23, 2015 at the California Hotel. The registration forms are at the clubhouse or you can call Ann Kabasawa at or at diverseinnov@gmail.com to get the form. As usual everyone has lots of fun, food and camaraderie. We ll have slot tournaments too!!! If you need to go shopping (Trader Joe s is still the most popular shopping site) please let us know. You ll get to talk story with 100 th, 442 nd and MIS veterans and their families and make new friends!!! For those who have registered for the Mini-Reunion, we will have a luncheon meeting at the 100 th clubhouse on Sunday, August 9 th from 11:00am. That is when final payment and banquet/registration and hospitality fees will be collected and we will have more details too. Hope to see all of you there!!! Keep the Spirit of 45 Alive! What: WREATH-LAYING CEREMONY Where: Nat l Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific Date: SUNDAY, August 16 th, p.m. 6 p.m. All are welcome to join in honoring the Greatest Generation as all 50 States celebrate the 70 th anniversary of the end of World War II. For more info, visit: 2 Puka-Puka Parade, Monthly News

3 Anniversary Banquet Photos Photos courtesy of the 100th volunteer photographers - mahalo! Harry Nakayama (l), Lloyd Kitaoka (ctr), with Erik Yamada, Kylie Nishino and Sharyse Nadamoto Mrs. Mitsue Amano, First Lady Dawn Amano-Ige, Governor David Ige and Richard Ige Gov and Mrs. Ige with 100th Vets and 100th BN, 442 Reservists Vet wives (l-r) Barbara Nishioka, Nancy Arakaki, Evelyn Tsuda, Aki Nosaka, and Takako Umamoto Chinagu Eisa Hawaii Veteran Masaharu Saito and Family Cake Cutting Ceremony - Lloyd Kitaoka with veterans Puka-Puka Parade, Monthly News 3

4 Chapter News Able Chapter News by Stacey Hayashi Congrats to Able Chapter President Bev Shiroma on moving on up to 1st VP of Club 100! Also thanks to Bev for chairing another wonderful anniversary luncheon, which featured 100 th descendants, Governor David Ige (A Co.) and First Lady Dawn Ige (C Co.) as our guest speakers. SSGT Chris Arakawa and SSGT Chris Makinano did a great job as co-emcees as well! The Travel Channel show, Booze Traveler, was in town and since they are a show that talks about culture and booze, they featured our wonderful vets. Able vet Don Matsuda and his wife Kimi, as well as Baker Chapter vet Jack Nakamura were two of host Jack Maxwell's guests on the shoot at Alan Wong's. We were also joined by MIS vets Herb Yanamura and Ted Tsukiyama. Thanks so much to Don's and Jack's families for bringing them to the shoot! We're excited to see the episode! Dog Chapter News by Joy Teraoka It is with sadness that I report another Doggie member has passed away. Our deepest sympathy to the family of Edna Kuwazaki, wife of deceased member Ed Yoshiharu Kuwazaki. Son, Greg informed me of her recent passing. We will certainly miss Edna s presence with her family at our Christmas parties. She was such a lovely, friendly person. May the wonderful memories and love they shared with their Mother sustain the Kuwazaki family members in this time of sorrow. On a lighter note, congratulations and mahalo nui to Bev Shiroma and her Banquet Committee for organizing an enjoyable 100 th s 73 rd Anniversary Banquet. The Ebbtides were delighted to entertain during the lunch hour. Especially in honor of the AJA vets of the 100 th /442 nd /MIS to whom we are eternally indebted for all they did for us, to them I dedicated my song You Are The Wind Beneath Our Wings. Chattanooga Choo Choo was sung especially for Tennessee s Admiral Harry Harris. Governor and Mrs. Ige s talks on their respective fathers service as members of the 100 th /442 nd RCT were also touching and interesting. As a finale, the Okinawan dance/drummers brought the house down with their lively numbers. We look forward to the 74 th and 75 th Anniversary Banquets. Will we still be here to attend them? Headquarters Chapter News by Janice Sakoda Our condolences to Headquarters President, Dot Tamashiro and her family on the passing of her sister-inlaw. Since the funeral was in Los Angeles and Dot was going to be away July 9-11, we decided to cancel our HQ meeting. Hope you will join us on August 8 for our next Headquarters meeting. The Anniversary Banquet was a great time to reconnect with those we don t normally see. It was wonderful seeing Ed Ikuma and his family. Son, Gary, flew in for the banquet and daughter, Joan and her family joined him. Ed and I attended the banquet with Ukichi Wozumi (B Chapter). In looking through Mr. Wozumi s album, there was a photo of Tokio Ige. When Governor Ige visited with the veterans, we showed the photo to the Governor. Sure enough, Tokio Ige was the Governor s dad. Governor Ige said that they only have one other Army photo of his dad so, of course, we made a copy of the photo for him. Can you imagine how you would have felt to unexpectedly see a picture of your dad in someone else s album? I mention this for two reasons. One is that photos are priceless. Thanks to Mr. Wozumi s writing names and places (as much as he can remember), photos become even more special. The second reason is to encourage you to look for photos of your dad. The Education Center is looking for photos of veterans (ideally, but not necessarily, from the war years) to be included on the 100thbattalion.org website. If you have not yet done so, check out the site. Do a search for your dad. You might be surprised to see his photo, compliments of one of his 100 th buddies! Maui Chapter News by David Fukuda The Maui Chapter held its annual Mother's Day/Father's Day luncheon at the Ocean Center s Seascape Restaurant at Maalea Harbor on May 30th. Organizing the gathering of 20 attendees was Francine Lee, daughter of Ed Nishihara of C Company. Other veterans in attendance were Willie Goo, Tom Yamada and Hiroshi Arisumi. 4 Puka-Puka Parade, Monthly News

5 Eleven widows and spouses along with five sons and daughters were also present. The Hawaii Herald featured a story about Willy Goo during the battle of Monte Cassino in its June issue. In addition, the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center is presenting an exhibit on the Legion on Honor recipients that includes 100th veterans Stanley Izumigawa, Arthur Kurahara, Ed Nishihara and Fred Yamashige. It will run through August 15th so if you are on Maui, please visit the center. Rural Chapter News by Tsurumi Hamasu Masaharu Saito and Ted Hamasu represented the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442 RCT veterans at Haleiwa Beach Park on May 24, They presented a wreath at the annual Veterans Memorial Service held by the Waialua Lions Club to honor fallen soldiers of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The names of 46 men who came from the North Shore and made the ultimate sacrifice are inscribed on the memorial tower overlooking the ocean. Parents, next of kin and friends presented leis as the names were read. Many of the 46 are not represented by friends and family. We include the entire list here: World War II (100th Battalion): Teruo Fujioka, Stanley K. Funai, Joseph Gonsalves, William Irwin, Jr., Koosaku Isobe, Fred Y. Kameda, Sadayoshi Kuraoka, Samuel A. Lua, Shigenori Nakama, Albert Y. Nozaki, Todashi Nozaki, Takeo Shintani, Hiroshi Suzuki, Joseph S. Takata, Shiro Togo, Bertram Tsunematsu, Hiroshi Watanabe. Korean War: Louis Ah Let, Antonio Calaustro, Junichi Fujimoto, Rosalio Galius, Gonsalo Sator, Edward K. Hirakawa, Jiro Hirokane, Benjamin A. Ponciano, Richard Kim, Moses E. Kuni, Edward Ladao, Elvin M. Lee, Ralph S. Masatsugu, Grigorio Matutino, Shigeo Miyazaki, Manuel Pacheco Vietnam War: Fuifuitau Amisone, David L. Bell, Stephen Carlos, Melvin Kalili II, Joel Kamalolo, John Keao III, Albert Kuewa, Gary Miyake, Ronald K. Miyazaki, Robert E. Ocampo, Alfredo Pacolba, Pasig Paialii, Roland R. Ramos. 100th Infantry Battalion T s and Polo Shirts Available The Descendants Chapter has t-shirts silk-screened with the 100 th insignia, in sizes in S, M, L, XL and 2X, with or without pocket. T-shirts are $15, and those with pockets are $1 more. Collared polo shirts for both men and women are embroidered with the insignia and come in white and blue. The cost for these polo shirts are $26 (without pocket) and $27 (with pocket). Cash or checks are accepted and can be made out to the Descendants Chapter, 100th Infantry Battalion. (There is an extra charge for those who wish to have the shirt mailed.) Sales from these t- shirts will go towards supporting membership events at the Clubhouse and other community service activities. Mahalo for your support! Shown: women s polo without pocket, in white 100th Infantry Battalion Re-Usable Eco-Bags The Clubhouse is now offering two sizes of eco-bags with the 100 th logo on it. These are compact, re-usable bags made of machine washable, durable polyester material that are handy to keep in your car or purse whenever you go shopping! They come in two sizes, Original and Vita, which can hold up to 25 lbs. and 40 lbs. respectively. Cost is $7 for the smaller bag, $9 for the larger. Come down to the clubhouse and get a couple for your shopping needs and help malama our precious environment at the same time! Proceeds from these bag sales will go towards the Education Center programs. Questions? Call the Clubhouse at Mahalo! Puka-Puka Parade, Monthly News 5

6 6 P U K A - P U K A P A R A D E N O. 0 4 / In Appreciation Mahalo nui loa for the generous and thoughtful donations that were received from May 16, 2015 through July 15, General Account $500 Mrs. Fumie Okamura, in memory of Satoru Okamura $500 Mrs. Dorothy Tsuda, in memory of Isami Tsuda $500 Willie (100 th veteran, Co. C) & Janet Goo (Maui) $300 Mrs. Margaret O. Nosse, in memory of Thomas T. Nosse $200 Dr. Takashi Manago, D.D.S. (100 th veteran, Co. A), in memory of Tony Kinoshita $100 Dr. Takashi Manago, D.D.S. (100 th veteran, Co. A) $150 General (ret) David A. & Nora Bramlett, in honor of past Club 100 presidents $100 Kay Takaezu $100 Jean & Noriyoshi Kanaizumi, in memory of Masato Koga $50 Velma Nakahara, in memory of Toshikatsu Joe Nakahara Puka Puka Parade $300 Steve & Shelley Hawkins, in memory of Hideo Ueno $300 Takashi & Eleanor Masuda (Maui), in memory of Susumu Fukuyoshi, Hideyuki Hayashida and Shiro Yamato $200 Dr. Takashi Manago, D.D.S. (100 th veteran, Co. A) $200 Tetsuo Tateishi (100 th veteran, Co. A), in memory of Capt. Mitsuyoshi Fukuda, Lt. Ken Harada, Sunao Kadooka, and Jiro Matsui $100 Velma Nakahara, in memory of Toshikatsu Joe Nakahara Education Center $1,000 Western Pacific Fisheries, Inc., in memory of Wayne Iha $1,000 Military Intelligence Service Veterans Club $1,000 Mrs. Edith Inouye, in memory of Co. A veterans Isamu Inouye, Eugene Kawakami, Noboru Mezurashi, Kenneth Yoshiura, Tokuichi Hayashi, Robert Arakaki; Co. C veterans Seishiro Rusty Nakagawa, Dr. Harry Hirasuna; Stanley Imamura (Co. B); and Dr. Katsumi Kometani (Medics) $1,000 Thomas K. Tsubota (100 th veteran, Co. B), in memory of veterans Robert Takashige, Kenneth Muroshige, Bernard Akamine, Isao Nadamoto, Roy Nakatani, Raymond Nosaka, Stanley Akita, Joichi Muramatsu, Harry Katahara, Richard Ishimoto, Everett Odo $600 Kenzo Kanemoto (MIS veteran), in memory of Robert Takashige $500 The late Hideo Ueno (100 th veteran, HQ, passed on 6/15/2015) $500 Mrs. Fumie Okamura, in memory of Satoru Okamura $500 Mrs. Dorothy Tsuda, in memory of Isami Tsuda $500 The Family of Thomas Taro Higa, in memory of Thomas Taro Higa $500 Edwin S. Sugawara, in memory of Yoshito Duke Sugawara $300 Mrs. Mieko Muroshige, in memory of Keichi Tanaka, Kiyoshi Shiromizu, Fred Kanemura, Kenneth Muroshige, and Robert Takashige $200 Mrs. Michiko Takashige, in memory of Robert Takashige and Takeshi Teshima $200 Mrs. Gertrude K. Uyeno $200 Lawrence & Yuriko Enomoto, in memory of Pvt. Edward Y. Enomoto (MIS) $150 Allison & Dakota Hayashi, in memory of Kenneth Higa, Robert Arakaki and Goro Sumida $100 Baker Chapter, in honor of Hiroshi Hershey Miyamura (Medal of Honor recipient) $100 Neil & Clarice Kamikawa, in memory of Harry H. Kamikawa $100 Amy Muroshige, in memory of Kenneth Muroshige and Teikichi Higa $100 Mrs. Florence Sukita $100 Alan S. Hayashi & Karen M. St. John $100 Bob & Kay Ogata $100 Naomi & Arnold Kanehiro $100 James T. McIlwain $100 Moriso Teraoka (100 th veteran, Co. D) $100 Christine Iwasa,, in memory of Walter M. Iwasa $100 David Fukuda (Maui) $100 Dennis & Mary Yoshino $60 Sandra S. Takishita $60 Neal Nakayama, in memory of Roy Nakayama, Tony Oshita, Hideshi Niimi $50 Jane Kamikawa, in memory of Harry H. Kamikawa $25 Jan Yuasa, in memory of Harry H. Kamikawa $25 Irene Kamikawa, in memory of Harry H. Kamikawa $25 Shirley Higa, in memory of Masaichi Miyashiro Scholarship $100 Velma Nakahara, in memory of Toshikatsu Joe Nakahara $50 Mrs. Mildred B. Fencl, in memory of Warren Fencl Other Donations Memoirs of a Certain Nisei by Thomas Taro Higa book donated by the Family of Thomas Taro Higa Our sincere apologies if any donations were inadvertently omitted; kindly inform the HIBV office at Mahalo! Puka-Puka Parade, Monthly News

7 President s Appreciation Message by Lloyd Kitaoka A big thank you to those of you who responded to our request for donations to our Education Center, as well as for the other areas of support! We were quite pleased with the response. We will keep the donation form in the PPP for those of you who wish to donate who haven't done so. As I mentioned in the original request, we have not asked for donations in the recent past but are doing it now as a means to keep our Education Center funded. Our goal is to reach as many people we can to tell the story of our vets through our presentations and website. To those who have given, thank you so much. To those who haven't, please consider it. Aloha, Lloyd PPP Collating by Arlene Sato A big mahalo to the following that volunteered on Saturday, May 30: Naomi & Atanacio Agustin, Laverne and Steven Choy, Matsue Furushima, Bert Hamakado, Gary Hayakawa, Jean Imada, Lorraine Miyashiro, Velma Nakahara, Elsie Oshita, Nancy Sakaki, Arlene Sato, Ralph & Yasuko Steensen, Michiko Takashige, Dot Tamashiro, and Evelyn & Riki Tsuda. The next collating will be on Saturday, October 3, 9:00 a.m. 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans - Monetary Donation Form (Please use this form for all monetary donations) I would like my donation to go towards: General Fund Education Center PPP Newsletter Scholarship In Memory of In Honor of In Appreciation of Donor s Name(s): Address: City/State/Zip: Phone: ( ) TOTAL ENCLOSED $ MAHALO! Please send your check payable to: 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans 520 Kamoku Street Honolulu, Hawaii (When making a donation, please complete and cut off this donation form, then mail to the above address.) Puka-Puka Parade, Monthly News 7

8 P U K A - P U K A P A R A D E N O. 0 6 / th Infantry Battalion Veterans 520 Kamoku Street Honolulu, HI RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage P A I D Permit No. 158 Honolulu, HI AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 Calendar of Events GRAVE DECORATING Saturday, SEPT 26, 8:00 a.m., Punchbowl JOINT MEMORIAL SERVICE Sunday, SEPT 27, 10:00 a.m., Punchbowl EBOD Meeting Saturday, AUG 15, SEPT 19, 8:30a BOARD Meeting Saturday, AUG 15, SEPT 19, 9:30a ABLE Chapter Sunday, AUG 30, 8:00a BAKER Chapter Saturday, AUG 1, SEPT 5, 1:00p CHARLIE Chapter Saturday AUG 29, 10:00a DOG Chapter Saturday, AUG 1, SEPT 5, 9:30a HQ/MEDICS Chapter Saturday, AUG 8, SEPT 12, 1000a LONG RANGE PLANNING Saturday, AUG 15, SEPT 19, 11:30a GREEN THUMB Next meeting - Saturday, OCT 3, 11:00a LINE DANCING Wednesdays, 9:00 a.m. PUKA PUKA PARADE Collating on Saturday, October 3, 9:00a Dates and times subject to change. Please contact your Chapter President, Committee Chair, or the Office for more information. Puka-Puka Parade The Puka Puka Parade is the official newsletter of the 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans organization and beginning 2015, it will be published bi-monthly, six times a year. The opinions expressed in the Puka Puka Parade are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans. Please send your articles, comments or questions about the Parade via to pukaparade@gmail.com If you do not have access to , please contact the office to discuss how best to submit content for the newsletter. The deadline to submit articles for the OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015 issue is MONDAY, AUGUST 31, th Infantry Battalion Veterans 520 Kamoku Street Honolulu, HI (808) club100vets@gmail.com P U K A - P U K A P A R A D E N O. 0 4 /