100 1 " INfANTRY DATTiLIU" VETERANS CLUB

Transcription

1 100 1 " INfANTRY DATTiLIU" VETERANS CLUB MONTHLY NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2002 FROM THE EDITORS' PUKA By Ray and AId Nosaka The 60tb has come and gone! It was truly a wonderful and memorable time spent renewing old acquaintances. and meeting new friends. The informal time spent at the clubhouse just chatting and eating, the banquet luncheon at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, the Pearl Harbor tour and the impressive Memorial Service held on the grounds of Fort DeRussey, were all contributory to making this the high light of the last sixty years. I personally felt very honored and respected when at the luncheon banquet the veterans were indivi.dually introduced and escorted to their seats by the sons & daughters and grandchildren of the veterans We can only hope that all ofus will be here to celebrate the 65tb anniversary! In one of last week's newspapers there was a "Letter to the Editors" from a person who thought entert~ Don Ho should be honored by having a Hi-way!l3lDed after him. I have nothing against that. but~ I believe it would be most appropriate if there should be a "Hiway 100 InfBn" or "Hiway Inf Reg." This would be a constant reminder of the men who died in battle never to return to enjoy the beauty of our Hawaii Nei. -"" Our Gratitude by Michael Harada and Joyce Doi Now that it's over, the dust has started to settle, and paperwork is nearly completed, we'd like to take a few moments to recognize the hardworking members of the 60tb Anniversary Celebration committee. Wrthout these people, the celebration would never have happened. It is through their willingness, not only to attend the numerous meetings, but also their dedication to see the job through to its end. It seemed at times, that there were so many details that needed to be attended to, so many people to talk to, so many deadlines to meet, we would never meet the deadline. But we made itt So my fellow SAC members, I hope the memories of all the hard work, headaches, and sleepless nights will fade away and you will just remember the smiling faces and the laughter. It is because of you that all of this was possible. And so, having said all of that, we'd like to name the committee chairpersons and ask that you join us in thanking them for sticking with us to ensure that we all had a wonderful 60tb Anniversary Celebration. Robert Arakaki, Gary Doi, Kunio Fujimoto, Ted Hamasu, Russell I~ Bob Jones, Ann Kabasawa, Clayton Kamiya, SU7JUl Kaninau, Joe Muramatsu, Amy Muroshige, Arthur Nakayama, Avin Oshiro, Shelley Santo, Hiromi Suehiro, Clyde Sugimoto, Goro Sumida, Jill Tha1maDD, Evelyn Tsuda, Bert Turner and Jill Yamashiro. Our deepest appreciation goes out to all the Sons and Daughters and Grandchildren who were escorts and to the Board of Directors of the 100 tb Infantry Battalion for their wonderful support. A special thanks to co-chairman Kenneth Otagaki for his unflagging enthusiasm in helping us obtain the numerous donations, and more importantly, his belief in our abilities to rise to the enormity of the task. Saburo Nishim.e, our other co-chairman, who provided us with a quiet but constant support, without which, we would have surely floundered and lost our way. And last, but certainly not least, Amanda Steveiis, being the front office person, faced the line offire for the many, many questions that came pouring in. She managed to handle the overwhelming avalanche of questions in a calm and cool manner, for which we are most grateful.. THANK YOU ONE AND ALL!n

2 PRESIDENT'S REPORT by STANLEY AKITA July, The July Board meeting opened with a moment of silence in memory of our deceased buddies. The usual meeting minutes, Secretary's report and the Sec. ITreas. report was accepted as circulated. Mike Harada, the 60 th Anniversary Financial Chair reported that the 60 th was a huge success. A total of $74,000 was collected and the total expenditures were almost $64,000. Gary Doi reported on the upcoming picnic. Mimi Nakano suggested that we create a l00th Infantry Battalion Foundation. This ad-hoc committee of four Sons and Daughters and four l00th members will look into forming the foundation. Apartment: * Dr. Denis Teraoka reported that one family was asked to move out due to excessive noise. House * Dr. Teraoka also reported on the new sign outside. The Board also approved to install a new plastic drape at a cost of $800. Alfred Arakaki will report on the upcoming Memorial Service in September at our next months meeting. Our CPA, Allen Arakaki will attend our August meeting to answer any accounting questions. With the Board's approval. a reception will be held at our clubhouse sometime in late August for all of the people (70plus>-who wrote thank YOIl notes to "the boys-of tile 1O~." {See-the-tutiele listectbelow.]. Hereafter, a deposit of $1 00 is required for anyone using Turner Hall. An additional deposit of $200 is required for the use of the P. A system. The House of Representatives of the State of Hawaii, sponsored by Darrlyn Bunda, sent each Board member a certificate, thanking the l00th Infantry Battalion for what they did. A ballet dance group called Covenant Dance Theatre will be in Hawaii to perform in the islands. The ballet group will tell the story of the 100th/442nd. The group wants our support to encourage members and friends to attend the performance. A few letters of appreciation were read to the board. The meeting adjourned at noon. OVERWHELMING RESPONSE OF THANK YOU LETTERS!!.. FROM THE READERS OF THE BOB JONES MIDWEEK ARTICLE The article appeared in the June 26 edition of the Midweek publication. Jones wrote about the heroic battles and tremendous sacrifices endured by the l00th Infantry Battalion in Italy on June 26, At the end of his article, Jones encouraged the public to address a note of thanks to "the boys" of the IOQth and mail it to the Kamoku street clubhouse. The response has been heartwarming and beyond expectations. It was suggested at the July Board meeting that we host a simple reception for the 75 people who wrote to us. Every chapter agreed to donate $25 towards the reception and any additional cost will be covered by the mother club. Invitations will be sent to all the writers with an RSVP to determine how many can come. It is suggested that at least ten members attend to thank them. I am sure that they would love to talk to the boys. Target date for the reception will tentatively be on August 24th (Saturday.) Please come to the clubhouse to read these amazing letters of thanks. -?--

3 EXPRESSIONS OF THANKS FOR 60m ANNIVERSARY THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO JOYCE DOl AND MIKE HARADA FOR BEING THE ORGANIZERS OF THIS SUCCESSFUL AND MEMORABLE CELEBRATION!!!! The following articles are expressions of thanks or comments on the 60th Anniversary. Some reports have been edited in order not to reiterate the same comments others have made. From President Stanley Akita We would like to take our hats off to Dr. Kengo Otagaki for his excellent choice of committee members for our 60th Anniversary weekend. The following three members did an outstanding job: (1) Goro Sumida, in charge of Thursday's "Hospitality Room"; (2) Robert Arakaki, in charge of Friday's "Hospitality Room"; (3) Hiromi Suehiro, in charge of Saturday's "BashIMonte Cassino." Everything went off like clock work and I received comments saying that the choice of food was excellent Tons of accolades to our Sons and Daughters led by Joyce Doi and Mike Harada for a job well done throughout the four days of celebration. So. to all the sons and daughters who were helping Joyce Doi on the various committees, we, the members thank you from the bottom of our old hearts. Without your help, the 60th Anniversary celebration would not have been as successful as it was. Again, thank you very much. From Dr. Kengo Otagaki Dr. Kengo Otagaki, Chairman of the 60th Anniversary, wishes to thank all those who generously donated products and services to our four-day event: Akira Otani of Ahi Fishing Company and Bert at Horimoto Fish Market for the delicious sasbimi; Harold Fukunaga of Fukunaga Produce and his employees, Neal and Carol for cases of various fruit; Roy Asato of Wisteria Restaurant for ono ''broke-da-mout" stew and rice; HPC Food Ltd., Honolulu Poi. for the poi, lomi salmon, poi haupia and mochi, pickled ogo and vegetables; and to the So. California lootbl442nd Chapter for the many crates of beautiful ftuit--white peaches, plums. apples, oranges and cherries. To those who helped Gom Sumida, Robert Arakaki and Hiromi Suehiro with the hospitality buffets, recognition and thanks go to the many who volunteered If there is a name inadvertently missed, please know that your help was greatly appreciated, nonetheless: Arlene Sato Niimi, Jessie Nakayama, Neal Nakayama, Nancy Arakaki, Jeanette Akamine, Joy Teraoka, Denis Teraoka, Kitty Hamasu, Ted Hamasu, Marie Yoneshige, MIM Tom Tsubota, Elaine Nakamura, Barbara Nishioka, Kimi Matsuda, Don Matsuda, Sharon Tanaka, Sheila Wakai, Yoshie Tanabe, James Tanabe, Joann lng, Sam Fujikawa, Aki Nosaka, Yoneko Shimizu, Cynthia Anzai Fukuda, Gaye Doi Ige, Vicki Sakoda, Skip Tomiyama Reception: Tom Nishioka. Susumu Kunishige, Gordon Tanaka, Shelley Santo, Ford Matsunaga, Pauline Sato. Bar: Kikuji Tojio, Akira Akimoto. Banners: the Reverend Harry Suga Other volunteers: Hennan Aki, Gary Doi, Erika Doi, Kunio Fujimoto, Aaron Harada, Sophie Hatakenaka, Evelyn Honda, Calvert Hung, Norine Hung, Lynn Ikehara, Jason Ikehara, Jodi Ikehara, Mel Inouye, Warren Iwai, Russell lwasa, Bob Jones, Ann Kabasawa, Hiro Kakuharl, Clayton Kamiya, Suzan Kaninau, Darrell Kaninau, Shirley Kawashima, Kimi Matsuda, Wes Mukawa, Amy Muroshige, Jane Nadamoto, Sandy Nakamura, Elaine Nakamura, Neal Nakayama, Arthur Nakayama, Saburo Nishime, Ray Nosaka and his gang, James Odo, Pamela Oishi, May Ooka, Avin Oshiro, Masabaru Saito, Arleen Sato, Shari Shiramizu, Aileen Shiro, Clyde Sugimoto, Steve Takushi, Jill Thalmann, Carl Tonaki and family, Evelyn Tsuda, Bert Turner, Vonnie Turner, Norman Uyeda, Ivee Yamada, Jill Yamashiro, Harlan Yuhara, Ford Yuhara, Yoshikiyo Mugitani, Cecily Tanaka. Again, if any name was missed or misspelled, our apologies, but know that your hard work was greatly appreciated -3-

4 ", LT. GEN. E.P. SMITH, 60TH ANNIVERSARY MEMORIAL SERVICE SPEAKER by Joy Teraoka On June 29, 2002, at the Fort DeRussy site of the beautiful Brothers in-valor Monument dedicated to the World War IT soldiers of Japanese-American ancestry -the l00th/442nd, MIS, 1399 Engineers and the 522nd-Lt Gen. E.P. Smith, Commander of the US Army Pacific, delivered the 60th Anniversary Memorial Service speech. Oen. Smith spoke of his long admiration for the looth Infantry Battalion-an admiration which developed while he served in Northern Italy several years ago. As Commander of the Southern European Task Force he participated in many World War IT commemorations in places where the looth fought 60 years ago. He was impressed by the fact that many Italians, especially those old enough to remember the war, still recalled the Japanese-American units which distinguished themselves au along the boot of Italy--unarguably among the toughest battlefields in Europe. The Italians remember with respect the superior example set by the Japanese-American soldiers. But to Oen. Smith, more important is that more Americans, not just some of the Europeans, should remember and understand what the tooth really accomplished in Italy and France long ago. As Americans we have become used to "fast living and information overload" in our daily lives, but we need reminders of how some of our predecessors helped shape the prosperity and the freedoms we enjoy today. Although the many new monuments commemorated to the Japanese American World War IT veterans are reminders of their legacy, he stated that is not enough. More important is the need to establish active dialogue within families and various groups in our Nation to learn about "real people like you" --the veterans- who through their deeds and accomplis~ents, inspired others. They were decent, honorable, fun-loving soldiers-dependable. disciplined and quick to sacrifice for others. They were loyal to outfit and to country, setting the right example. It was their deeds. not just words. Gen. Smith emphasized that the commemoration was really about inspirational people. It was of soldiers setting examples that "stuck with those of us who knew about them." He said the soldiers of the 1 00th were ordinary people who, when called upon, did extraordinary things that inspired others- the camaraderie, the commitment and the sacrifices for others and for our Nation. The genenrdectared that the -veterans probidlywouid be pleased to mow td.ere are stili so1diers very much as they were, who today live by example to validate the values and principles of the 10Oth. This legacy lives on in them. They are the Army's real credentials and finest representatives. He then named and recognized four of these outstanding soldiers who were present at the ceremony: Staff Sargent Carlos de Jesus, Staff Sargent Antonio Adams, 1st Lt Luke Van Anthler (sp.?), and Lt. Col. Zenith Hayashi. Lt Oen. Smith then closed with a statement that included, "One team, one army, one Nation where diversity remains our primary strength.;' EMlKO SUZUKI, MEMORIAL SERVICE SOLOIST To those who were at the 60th Anniversary Memorial SelVice at Fort DeRussy, many may wonder who Ms. Emiko Suzuki was. She was the soloist who sang the national and state anthems at the beginning of the service. Emiko's cousin was Hoichi Kubo, originally from MaW, but as a teenager he came to Honolulu for his education. His father believed the Honolulu schools offered a better education than his son could receive in Maui. Hoichi also attended Japanese language school. Hoichi lived with Emiko's family. and she came to regard him as an older brother. When World War n erupted, Hoichi was with the Hawaii Provisional Battalion as a member of Company B. but because of his knowledge of Japanese he was transferred. from the l00th Infantry to the MIS where he served with distinction, earning the Distinguished Service Cross. His story is in Japanese Eyes-American Heart. ~ went. to the mainland where she. received voice training. She endured the racial prejudice of the nudwest. bemg turned down for operatic roles time and again. She eventually found employment with the synagogues and became principal chantress in the Chicago area. Currently. Suzuki is a horticulture student at the University of Hawaii with an interest in orchid breeding. She is related to the well-known voice teacher Hany Umta When Emiko read the article in MId-Week about Dr. Kenneth Otagald, she called him to offer her services to sing for the Memorial Service.

5 The Brave Boys of the 100th Battalion 60th Anniversary Reunion Banquet June 30, 2002 Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel Keynote Address by Denby Fawcett Friends~ Families, Members of the 100th Battalion. Sixty years have passed since you went off to war, yet when you gather on the golf course or "talk story" over beer, you still call each other the boys. "Boys" because participants in a war tend to bond together like brothers. "Boysff a nice word, a way of softening some of the horror you saw when you fought together in Europe. You probably consider me the least likely person to speak to you today. We come from different generations, many years apart. And I am a wonn. One of the girls. Yet, in many ways we are linked together. Like you, I grew up in Hawaii. I have been to war. I also am connected to you through my husband, Bob Jones's long association with the 100th Battalion. And even when I had not met you personally, I always knew about you because of my younger brother Gerry Fawcett's admiration for the 100th Battalion. Some of your.critics say you get too much credit. That you aren't the only ones who fought World War II. But the truth is you went through some of the worst fighting of the war. When I told my brother, Gerry, I would be speaking to you today. He shook his head and said, "They were dead men, or at least they should have been dead men after what they went through. P Gerry and I grew up on Kahala Beach in the 1950's when it was a modest neighborhood. Gerry loved history. He used to take the bus up to the Kaimuki Library where he borrowed war books including volumes about the 100th Battalion. He rattled off the names of your most terrible battles... the Voltumo river crossings, Cassino, Anzio... your mission to save "The Lost Battalion lt in France. You knew from the beginning, you might be dead men. On the eve of the launch of your Italy campaign, 34th Division commander Major General Charles Ryder laid it out: "You'll see your buddies hurt and killed, and maybe you will get it next, but you'll keep on fighting. No matter what happens-your battalion may be blasted to company size, and your company to a platoon. You'll fill the place of the man thafs hit, and you'll keep on fighting." After hearing General Ryder's warning, you went forward to do what had to be done, and by your extraordinary determination to never give up, you faced down the Germans and at the same time, challenged racial discrimination. You changed the history of the war... and you changed all of us. I was asked here to speak today because I have been in a war myself. I covered the Vietnam War as correspondent for the Honolulu Advertiser. Now more than 30 years later, my friends and I have written a book about our experiences in Vietnam as women reporters in combat. I know some of what you know... the special exhilaration of having been in a war and survived... what Civil War veteran Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., described as the "incommunicable experience of war" said Holmes, "We have felt and we still feel the passion of life to its top... ln our youths, our hearts were touched by fire," I also know about what North Vietnamese soldier, Bao Nihn, called survivors' guilt...the guilt over living a long life when others were denied the same opportunity. Many of 100th Battalion members, now in your mid-80's feel sad when you think of soldiers such as Jack Johnson, Joe Takata and other friends killed in combat, never to grow old. Today, as we gather to celebrate your long and remarkable lives, it is fitting to talk about the unfinished business of the 100th Battalion. The great task ahead now to insure your legacy survives. So much of the recounting of World War II history these days is compressed into Pearl Harbor and D-Day. There is a danger the meaning of what you did could be lost or at best relegated to a footnote in larger accounts of the war.. To keep your story alive, the Sons and Daughters ofthe 100th Battalion have set a goal to record a personal history of every surviving member of the 10Oth. They have completed 55 histories so far. Your Sons and Daughters would like to have the stories of the 100th Battalion and the 442nd available to scholars and incorporated into the Hawaii public school curriculum. The California State Legislature at the urging of 100th Battalion member, Col.Young Oak t(jm, -5-

6 and others already has appropriated money to get the stories of the AJA soldiers into California schools. By your nature, you veterans do not like to boast or brag. But you can't change your special significance in history. Please try to be less humble and if you haven't done so yet, tell your children and grandchildren your war stories. I want to talk now about why your personal memories are so important to all of us. The meaning of your stories, what they can teach us. Stories of your actions inspire us to be better people, to abhor discrimination, and to face down our own self doubts just as you did 60 years ago. Discrimination rained on you then. Even after the war, When 442nd soldier, Dan Inouye, was coming home, he stopped in a barber shop in Oakland, California. to as he says "get an gussied up for Mama and Papa." The barber refused him saying, "We don't cut Jap hair." Inouye who had risked his life for his country and later became a U.S. Senator, went home without a haircut. Your victories in World War n speak to all of us who have struggled to be treated equally. Myself included. When I first tried to cover combat for the Honolulu Advertiser in Vietnam in 1966, a unit commander told me I could not go with his troops because I reminded him of his daughter. That commander never would have said to a male reporter, you remind me of my son. Another Army officer told me I could not go on a combat assault on his helicopter because there was too much weight. I weighed 110 pounds. It took me months before I finally received permission from the U.S. Marines to cover combat with them; Marines, a group I had mistakenly stereotyped as sexist. Your persistence gives all of us hope.. the courage to outlast and outperform our own detractors. I believe as does Ben Tamashiro of D-Company... the best way to make the story of the 1 Oath battalion compelling to future generations is from the small details of what happened to you during and after the war, dwelling on the preciousness of your lives... through stories of the things you loved and cared about... not just the historical reports of death and battlefield victories. Stories bind us together as humans. They reach out to generations as yet unborn. My fri~nd._ta~ Barti~, say~~~ stori~ chans!~!he ~y_vle think. You may not think your own personal stories are important to this effort. But they are. 442nd veteran Frank Furukawa of Gardena. California, says "Everyone has a story. While mine is not earth shattering, it is still my story." We are so comfortable now, we need your stories to remind us of what it was like in Hawaii in the 1920's and 30's.. the poverty in which many of you were raised... the life on rural sugar plantations.. before there were Costcos, Kmarts and Safeways. Hila veteran, the late Hisao "Harry" Miyamoto remembered being so poor, he and his brother had to split an egg for breakfast. Shigeru Goto who joined you in Italy later with the 442nd.. rernembers his family used old newspapers and magazine pages they got from the barber shop for toilet paper. and when his family WAS ABLE to obtain the tissue papers that wrapped oranges and apples in crates they saved them for use during illness. Nobody has better described the hierarchy of the plantation life from which many of you came than the novelist Milton Murayarna. He talks abot,d: the placement of outhouses on a fictitious Big Island plantation.. Says Murayama: "Shit. too. was organized according to the plantation pyramid. It rained so continually. a damp smell of the outhouse hung over Pig Pen Avenue. The camp, I realized then, was planned... around its sewage system... the concrete ditches that ran from the higher slope of the camp into the irrigation ditch below. Mr. Nelson was top shit on the highest slope, then there were the Portuguese, Spanish and nisei lunas with their indoor toilets which flushed into the same ditches, the Japanese Camp, and Filipino camp... sooner or later... shit, newspapers and all ended up in the furrows of the fields below." It is strange, but details of what kind of toilet paper we used and where we went to the bathroom are the things that can stick in the mind, and capture the imagination of Mure generations. In Vietnam, one night' tried to urinate discreetly, out of sight of the Marines I was covering on a combat operation. They were sleeping on the ground in the jungle in the heart of enemy territory. As I walked quietly to the edge of the encampment, seeking privacy, I accidentally set off the trip wire to a flare. illuminating myself like Mick Jagger in concert, waking up all the -6-

7 Marines. They feared the bright flare light was a warning of an enemy attack. Not a.wahine trying to find a private place to go to the bathroom. Details of lives, even small lives like my own, can reach out over time to bind us to future generations. Maybe one day, my own war stories about Vietnam will give hope to a young girl who dreams of facing her own challenge. YOUR personal histories have already touched my generation, giving us confidence, telling us when a group puts its mind to changing the status quo, it win happen. Medal of Honor recipient Shizuya Hayashi, here today at the reunion, says: "I think we did a good thing for Asian Americans. We've made it easier for them to live here." Your war stories and Interviews bring to life why you stepped forward when you could have found excuses not to, why you enlisted rather than resisted, because as 1 Ooth Battalion member Kinichi Ishikawa, now a taro farmer in Hanalei, told me, "It was the patriotic thing to do." Your valuable oral histories detail how your war experience was different from that of other soldiers. Such as the time during training, twenty-four of you were sent on a special mission to Cat Island off the Mississippi coast. Military officials wrongly thought you AJA's had the same body smells as your ancestors in Japan. That as one Army officer put it, "animals could be trained to detect Jap blood." The Arrny's humiliating plan was to use you Japanese Americans as human guinea pigs to train attack dogs to sniff out the Japanese enemy, and to get the dogs to bite Japanese only by having you beat the innocent animals into a frenzy. Veteran Ray Nosaka, here with us today, was part of that misguided experiment. In his war story, he said, the most difficult time was when he and the other Japanese Americans were ordered to hit the dogs with sticks. Ray had loved dogs since he was a little boy. He said, "This seemed so cruel and was very difficult for me to do." Many months later in Italy, Ray was shot in the thigh and crawled into a cave for cover. When night fell, a stray dog came into the cave. Ray gave some of his C-ration dinner to the dog, who lay down beside him. He said they kept each other warm that night. Ray said he felt better befriending the stray dog, in a way, to make up for the dogs he was forced to hit while in training. Your oral histories give us a real feeling for the horror of the combat you experienced day after day in Italy and France. Yet as 100th Veteran Kinichi Ishikawa, told me, combat could be fun. Such as the time German bullets whizzed past him, missing him, making him feel Invulnerable. Or the eerie beauty of war, one of Ben Tamashiro's most cherished memories was the gorgeous sight of Naples Bay during the nightly bombings by German planes. Ben says he marveled from his hospital bed on the hill above bay at the surreal sight of smoke bomb clouds streaked with the red of anti-aircraft fire The histories also bring out the stark, fear anybody whose been in combat knows. Kinichi Ishikawa remembered being so scared during a German shelling, he forgot he had a shovel on his back and instead tried to dig a hole for cover for himself with his fingernails. The late Sakae Takahashi's oral history brings reality to the battles of Cassino and Belvedere. Especially the doomed, initial push for Cassino. Takahashi, then an Army captain, watching helplessly as two of his University of Hawaii classmates were shot down by German machine gun fire, and 35 enlisted men in his company killed or wounded. Takahashi said later, "Some of the officers were stupid. We did not have the manpower or the resources to pull off an attack like this. ". But in Takahashi's recorded memoirs.. are also rare and touching details about what made World War II different. The special truces you veterans had with the Germans... truces unimaginable today in our current war against AI Qaida terrorists. Takahashi said when his B Company moved close to Cassino, each night, they could hear the Germans on the other side of town, settling down to eat dinner. Takahashi said "We would not shoot at the Germans when they were eating. We never bothered them. We let them have their meal. And the Germans never shot at we Americans when we were having our meal." Sakae says once they came across some German soldiers by the Arno River in an orchard of trees that were full of ripe peaches. The Germans didn't hear Takahashi's company approaoh. The Germans were trying to remain hidden to ambush the Americans, yet at the same time they were struggling with long sticks to try to shake down the peaches from the trees. Finding that impossible, the Germans crawled out where they were fully exposed on the riverbank to quickly grab some peaches. Sakae says, "We let them get their peaches. We never bothered them." -7-

8 Your war stories have also brought out wonderful details about how shocked the Germans were when they saw you With your Japanese faces.. shooting at them. The Japanese supposedly. their allies. A few of. you enjoyed taunting the German prisoners telling them Japan like Italy had betrayed Germany... come over to the Allied side. You said often it was easier to convince them of that than the truth that you soldiers with Japanese faces were American citizens. You proved you were American citizens at Cassino, AnZio, by your incredible victory at Belvedere, for which you won a presidential unit citation, then the great battle in the Vosges Mountains of France near Biffontaine. Your rescue of the -Lost BatteUon," of the 36th Division, 275 soldiers from Texas,about to be annihilated. cut off from their regiment and surrounded by German sol(,tiers. More than 800 of you from the 100th and the 442nd were killed or wounded as you pushed to save the doomed Texas soldiers. During that dreadful time, some of you were startled to see butterflies. John Tsukano of D Company spoke of the butterflies SWOOping down through the for~t during the shooting. He said sometimes in combat, the light steamed through the forest, lending the place an eerie glow. 'You could see the butterflies, II he said. "Sometimes you coujd hear the birds. II I once saw butterflies myself during a Viet Cong ambu$h when I went with soldiers from Hawaii's 25th Division. I was flat on the ground.. ducking for cover when t looked out of the side of my helmet. Two yellow buttetflies fluttered past my eyes and then darted off through the grass, the sun shining on their wings. It was $0 incongruous, the brief beauty of the moment while the Americans and the Viet Cong were trying to shoot each other to the death. Members of the 100th Battation... your generosity in telling us your war stories helps humanize what you experienced. YOt,lr children's efforts to record your stol'ies is a gift to all of us. Only by humanizing war can we know its true horr-or. its complexitv.. You lost friends you expected to know forever, You fought discrimination but prejudice was still there when you returned home. Through it alt, you retained your optimism and hope for a better future. In the blood and trauma of Bruyeres, you saw butterflies. While you were getting shelled on an Italian mountain, one of you comforted a lonely and frightened dog. By the Arno River, you allowed enemy German soldiers to eat ripe peaches. When death surrounded you, you reached out to life.. By remaining human in face of in'hu-ma-n--"ityc-,-'-y-o-u'-h-av--e-e-'i-eva~ted iis ad. Thank you. Thank God for you. And God bless our country, The United States of America. CLOSING REMARKS (FINAL) By Mike Harada 1. It is an honor and privilege that I have been asked to provide the closing remarks for this banquet, the final event for your 60 th Anniversary Celebration. 2. First it is the 60 th Anniversary Celebration committees' hope that you have enjoyed this week's events and had an opportunity to reunite with your comrades, families and friends. 3. I'd like to thank President Stan Akita, Board Members and Chapter Presidents. In addition to veterans recognized earlier (GoroSumida, Bob Arakaki and Hiromi Suehiro), I'd also like recognize the Sons and Daughter and others who helped make this week possible: Golf tournament - Art Nakayama & Clayton Kamiya Tour of USS Missouri I Arizona Memorial- Evelyn Tsuda Memorial Service - Bert Turner Bash - Avin Oshiro Publications/Souvenirs - Jill Thalmann Secretary (keeping us straight) - Shelley Santo Decorations - Suzan Kaninau Registration - Jill Yamashiro & Amanda Stevens Transportation - Russell lwasa Manpower - Ann Kabasawa Photography - Clyde Sugimoto & Kunio Fujimoto Publicity - Gary Doi Processional - Amy Muroshige The ushers and usherettes and many others too numerous to mention -8-.

9 Special Thanks to James Lovell for the clocks. Matt Matsunaga, Mrs. Matsunaga and the Matsunaga Foundation for their efforts in ensuring the veterans received a copy of Sparky's biography. The 25 th Infantry Division Band for their musical talents and support The 100th BN 442 Infantry of the 9 th RSC for their tremendous continued Sl,lpport with color guards, manpower and logistics throughout all the week's events. Last but not least the Co-chairs Kenneth Otagaki, Saburo Nishime and the lady behind the scenes who tireless efforts are truly noted Joyce Doi 4. It goes without saying that this weeks' events could not have been accomplished with any hodgepodge last minute planning but is the result of months of thought, hours of hard work, many, many s and phone calls, some worrisome sleepless nights and what we all know as stress. However, I think I speak for all the committee members that this was truly a labor of love and appreciation for what you the veterans have provided to us today. FollOwing the attack of Pearl Harbor you held fast to your beliefs of duty, honor and country. With unquestionable loyalty and personal courage, you loaded onto the S.S. Maui for a destination unknown to you. You left home with the understanding, trust and love your Issei parent had for the United States. And what were your words of encouragement? 000 your duty. America is your country. Go and do your best. live if you can, die if you must but fight always for honor and never ever bring shame on your family or your country." From the start of this long joumey and because of the sacrifices you made, your efforts were rewarded by a nation showing you the acknowledgement and respect you had eamed on the battlefield. But you were not done yet. You had come home and saw the need still to provide self-less service to your families and communities. You sought to improve this great state and the fragile economy it is based. Hence your motto "For Continuing Service". You worked hard to accomplish much and with the endearing qualities of humility and integrity, you never made a big deal about what you had done, knowing you were doing the right thing. You had accomplished much with those true values of Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Self-less Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage. To me and many others, that spells LDRSHIP You accomplished much and have left a legacy by which we your descendants are privileged to enjoy. So, it is now up to your children. We the Sanseis must never forget the price you and our grandparents paid for the freedoms we enjoy today. It is our duty to ensure that our children, the Yonsel and their children and their children know and understand that freedom is not free and a price was paid. And for some of your comrades, they paid the ultimate price, they sacrificed their lives. It is up to us your descendants to provide a never ending Vigilance which is necessary to safeguard these cherished freedoms. So it is with this that I conclude your 60 th Anniversary Celebration, with a heart filled with gratitude for what you veterans have done and a hope that we the next generations can continue your legacy with honor and never ever bring shame on our family nor our country." Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your kind attention and today's attendance We will now have our closing ceremony with the retirement of the colors and then Ray Nosaka will lead us in the 100th INF BN marching song, Hawaii Aloha and Aloha Oe. THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO JOYCE DOl AND MIKE HARADA FOR BEING THE ORGANIZERS OF THIS SUCCESSFUL AND MEMORABLE CELEBRATION!!!! -9-

10 LOOKING BACK by Joy Teraoka, Co-editor On May my husband Denis, our daughter Denise and I joined Bishop Ryokan Ara's lootbl442nd European Battle Sites Pilgrimage Tour led by tour guide Fred Ida, 'who is also a 442nd veteran It was a toll! beyond all expectations. We bad a wonderful time with a most congenial group of fellow travelers. In subsequent issues of the PPP I will be printing some of our impressions of this memorable trip. On May 27 we returned to Hawaii exhausted. but nonetheless thankful we had the opportunity to be a part of this great experience. Even though he greets one and all with his usual smile, our editorial partner, Ray Nosaka, bas not been feeling up to par lately. We hope and pray Ray will soon be up and about joking, singing, dancing, and playing his beloved guitar with his usual effervescent zeal. Our condolences to Aki Nosaka who recently lost her brother-in-law not too long after her own mother passed away. She had to fly back to California again, but returned in time to help print the PPP. Thafs truly being conscientious and committed. Bless you, Aki. On a happier note, Bill Takayesu recently received a photo taken of him by the Signal Corp during his combat days in Bruyeres. It showed him hanging up his laundry on a makeshift line. This picture was sent to him by Senator Daniel Inouye who said it was also on display at the Smithsonian's exhibit on Japanese-Americans during World War II. PPP Volunteers: Thank you very much for coming out on May 30 th to collate and mail out the June. issue: Bernard Akamine, Akira Akimoto,Ottomatsu Aoki, Alfred Arakaki, Robert Arakaki, Kunio Fujimoto, Tom Fujise, Saburo Hasegawa, Tokuicbi Hayashi, Ed Ikuma, Isamu Inouye, Shigeru Inouye, Arthur Komiyama, Don & Kimi Matsuda, Y. Mugitani, Joichi Muramatsu, Fred & Nora Morihara, Roy Nakayama, Tom Nishioka, Ray & Aki Nosaka, Saburo Nishime,Takeicbi Onishi, Susumu Ota, Ken Otagaki, Robert Sato, Leo Sato, Hiromi Suehiro, Denis & Joy Teraoka, Masa Toma, Rikio & Evelyn Tsuda, Ukichi Wozumi, James Tanabe. and Marie Y oneshige. The Editors would like to apologize to Ben Tamashirofor omittj!'lkl!-.s:~i'!!t!~e i1'j thli_lhird 10 the last paragraph in his story "Stones" printed in the June Pp,P. We reprint that paragraph and the last paragraph here: "And we worked our way up the hill to the top where the battalion was deployed andfiring at the enemy as he fired back at us from across the narrow ravine. As we lay on our bellies observing the fightingj suddenly, I felt a premonition. "Duck" I yelled out to MasaoJ as I ducked my head, too, behind a rock. In that split-second instant, a bullet slammed smack into the rock be/ore my head, ricocheted straight up into the air with a loud "Z--z-z-z.. ing" then plopped right down next to the rock! I gingerly reached out for the spent bullet and stuck it in my pocket; one smashed.30 caliber shell among the zillions of spent bullets strewn on battlefields allover the world I managed to hang on to it throughout the rest of the war but lost it in the post war period. In short, this brief composition has favored me with a moment in which to set down my thoughts on a subject I have never written about ~fore. For instance, I can't imagine how lifo would have changedfor me if that rock hadn '/ been there in 1944 on that mountaintop in Italy to deflect that enemy bullet". (/'hank you, Ben/or your story) DIS N DAT By Ray Nosaka Community Service: On June 5 th, our Hui Aikane musical group entertained at the Hawaii Kai Retirement Community Center. Those who participated were: Evelyn Tsuda, Marie Yoneshige, Ted Hamasu, Kimi Matsuda, Tom Tsubota, Stella Tanigawa, Myrtle Nakasato, Yorl Inouye, Ellen Kunihiro J Alice Chun, AId and Ray Nosaka. We enjoyed a complimentary luncheon as ~ell as a tour of the grounds. A reminder to all who are going to the Mini-reunion. Upon arrival at the California Hotel on Sunday, October 20th, pick up your room key at the registration desk. Then look for the hospitality room (there will be signs posted near the elevators) where you will be issued your name tag after paying for the banquet. The banquet will be held on Tuesday, October 22nd. Towards the middle of August, you will be receiving a statement showing the balance due..;10- ;

11 NATIONAL JAPANESE AMERICAN MEMORIAL FOUNDATION June 14,2002 Editors Puka Puka Parade 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans 520 Kamoku Street Honolulu, Hawaii Dear Madam and Sir: On behalf of the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation. I would like to send warmest congratulations on your 60 th Anniversary. There are few veterans organization which publish a regular newsletter which describes so well what is going on with the membership. When I read your publication, I feel I am reading about old friends. It is true I have met only a few dozen of you. But many, many more of you are familiar to me for your gifts and continuing support of the Memorial. I am very sincere when I say that if it were not for the veterans from Hawai~ we would not have met our goal. Already we have won numerous national awards for the design and construction of our Memorial. We have had unprecedented publicity on the Memorial because it tells a poignant but proud story of men and women who proved patriotism is a matter not of race but of the heart. The men from Hawaii who gave a disproportio~ share of lives and sacrifices during the Great War wrote in blood the first lines ofan impressive chapter in this nation's history which ultimately made possible the Civil Liberties Act of We hope we have etched in stone in the Nation's capital the finest congratulations to you. All Japanese Americans, and indeed all Americans, remain truly grateful to you L Street NW Suite 815, Washington DC ph: fax: qiamf@erols.com.visitusonlineat 60 th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION CLOCKS If the 60 th Anniversary Celebration Clocks that some of you may have received at the banquet is not working right, please remove the clock from the koa wood and send it to: Jim. Lovell Associates 501 Sumner St., #402 Honolulu, HI He will then send you a replacement. Please include a return address!' The PukaPuka Parade is the monthly newsletter of the World War n looth Infantry Battalion Veterans association (aka Qub 100). Published at 520 Kamoku Street, Honolulu t m

12 ABLE CHAPTER NEWS by Tom Nishioka A few months ago, I wrote in the PPP that Able Chapter was losing our membership very rapidly, thus our monthly meeting attendees were down to a minjmum. However, just recently. we were augmented with four new members from our sons and daughters-namely. A vin Oshiro, Louise Morikawa, Sharon Tanaka and Sheila Wakai. We sincerely welcome them to our chapter as they are very talented members. But recently, on May 24, disaster struck our club. If you remember the article that I wrote stating ''THE ESSENCE OF LOUISE," she was every bit what I mentioned. Unfortunately, Louise passed away and we are at a loss. She co-chaired and chaired our annual Christmas parties for many years and did an outstanding job. We, the old ones, really appreciated her enthusiasm in doing a job well so that we could just relax and enjoy ourselves. We will sincerely miss Louise and hope she has gone on to a better world than this. Able Chapter wishes to convey our sincere sympathy and condolence to Mrs. Morikawa and to the rest of the family for their great loss. BAKER CHAPTER NEWS by Joe Muramatsu I am BA-ACK! Because our able reporter, Bernard Akamine, threw in the towel, I was asked by Evelyn Tsuda to report for Baker Chapter again. Because of her chann and persuasiveness, here goes nothing! My fervent request is for Baker Chapter members to feed me any news regarding members. If you have some juicy stories to relate to your friends, let me know. Now that all the hoopla and hullabaloo about our 60th is past, we must get down to business again. The 60th was a great success, run by Dr. Kenneth Otagaki and Mrs. Joyce Doi. As I've repeatedly told Dr. Otagaki, Mrs. Doi did a bang up job because she has "good genes": the Muramatsu genes! Our sons and daughters, and the wives of our members also did yeomen work in helping during the hospitality time and the bash. Goro Sumida, Robert Arakalci and Hiromi--Suehiro-didcrban-gupjob- _. setting up the food for the event. A million thanks to our California contingent for all the fruits they brought. I don't know who brought the pineapples, but they were out of this world Sweet, juicy and delicious. No gossip in this column, but I'd like to relate something that I did not do. In late March, I went to Minneapolis to visit my granddaughter. I wanted to go to La Crosse, Wisconsin to see if I could find any hapa-haole men or women who looked like someone from the tooth, but unfortunately I did not get to go there. The Mall of America is huge, but like all shopping malls, the prices are not that cheap-tourist trap-like. A place called Hibachi San purporting to sell "Japanese cuisine" is operated by some Chinese, and the food is nothing like our Japanese food. Minneapolis Airport is huge, but Chicago's O'Hare is mammoth. In Chicago I thought I'd get a little knowledge so I visited the Museum of Science and Industry. The head is too hard for anything to sink in. DOG CHAPTER NEWS by Helen Nikaido/Joy Teraoka Dog Chapter has lost another member. Brig. Oen. Francis Takemoto passed away on May 26 at age 89. We will always remember Francis as a friendly, smiling and caring person. We extend our deepest sympathy to his son Harvey, daughter Carol Dee, sisters and grandchildren. At the impressive Punchbowl burial for our beloved Oen. Francis Takemoto, a special cadre conducted the unfolding and refolding of the flag which was presented to Harvey by Maj. Oen. James Campbell. Campbell's presence in itself showed the great respect with which Oen. Takemoto was regarded by his army peers. (Upon the pending retirement oflt. Gen. B.P. Smith, present commander of the US Army Pacific, Maj. Gen. Campbell will become a three-star lieutenant general, and will succeed in taking over the command of the Pacific forces.) -12-

13 Dog Chapter's buffet luncheon at the Pagoda will be held on August 30, Friday, at 11:00 a.m. For reservations, call Kay Harada at , Mildred Yoshida at , or Helen Nikaido at Please cau be August 23, Friday. The anniversary banquet on June 30 was enjoyed by all-good food, good program, and good fellowship. However, we wish there had been a posted list of all outer island and mainland members who registered for the clubhouse events, as it was difficult to know just who came from each chapter. Some of those visiting Doggies were: from Hawaii, the Motoyoshi Tanakas, the Larry Kodamas, Hiroo Furuya and Mrs. Tanimoto; from Maw, the Eddie Nishiharas; and from Kauai, the Yotsudas, Jack Hada, Larry Sakoda and Mako Takiguchi. It was great seeing them again. We're happy '"Kodak" has recovered so well from his recent surgery. Do take care. Please forgive ifwe failed to mention other outer island or mainland Doggies who were present. It was also good to see Helene Matsunaga and son Matt at the banquet. Our condolences to Mary Hamasaki in the loss of her only sister Hisako K. Kudo, who lived in Southern California. In June 2002, a private service was held at Punchbowl National Cemetery. As trustee for the estates of Francis M (her brother-in-law) and Hisako M. Kudo, Mary had to return to California after the 60th Anniversary to take care of these matters. Unfortunately, until Mary returns to Hawaii, Dog Chapter has lost their very efficient secretary. MAUICBAPTERNEWS by Tom Nagata On Friday, June 28, I went to the Kahului Airport to board my plane with my wife Fumiko, son Leonard and his family to attent the 100th Bn. 60th Anniversary reunion in Honolulu. The buzzer rang as I stepped through the security entrance. I had to take off my shoes, unbuckle my belt and my canyon bag. was searched. We arrived at the Honolulu l00th Inf. Bn. Veterans' clubhouse around 10:30 a.m. to collect our ID tags. The souvenir bag contained a booklet filled with pictures of all the various chapter members' group pictures taken early this year. Also, well written articles by Bob Jones and Ben Tamashiro. In my bag I found a paperback first edition book on the life of the late Senator Sparky Matsunaga. Richard Halloran, the book's author was sitting nearby with Sparky's son, Matt, so I had them both autograph the book. Back at the Pagoda Hotel we were able to get adjoining rooms. I took a nap after lunch but the rest of my family boarded the chartered bus for the Pearl Harbor tour. Next morning, Saturday, was sunny and warm during the Memorial Service held at the Brothers in Valor Monument, Fort DeRussy. Waikiki. We sat under a large tent as Col. (Retired) Bert Turner MC'd the 9 am. service. President Stanley Akita gave the welcome address and the guest speaker was LTG E.P. Smith, Commander, US Anny Pacific. After the service, Congressional Medal of Honor winner, Shizuya Hayashi, kindly posed for pictw'es with our grandson James and granddaughter Maryssa. I went to the clubhouse on the chartered bus to spend the day talking story, listening to fine karaoke singing and eating all the delicious food from the buffet table. Met Warren Tamura of Idaho whom I had first become acquainted during our 55th Reunion back in Also met Robert Sato, Ray Nosaka, Warren lwai. Naoto Matsuura, Yoshio Anzai, Kazuto Shimizue and Shigeru Inouye. On Sunday, June 30, the banquet luncheon was held at the Coral Ballroom, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Walliki. Maui Chapter members attending the luncheon were as follows: Chapter president Stanley Izumigawa and daughter, seated at the VIP tables; also, the Willie 0008, Akita Ishikawa, the Wataru Kaneshinas and nine family members; the Tom Nagatas and four family members, the Edwin Nakashimas, Edward Nishiharas and one member; and Masao Sato. We were au seated next to each other around tables seating ten. Bob Jones was the MC and gave the welcome address. There were more than 150 veterans to be seated and the first in line was Medal of Honor veteran Shizuya Hayashi. He was escorted to his table by a volunteer from the sons and daughters and grandchildren pool. After that Bob Jones called out each veteran's name in alphabetical order. My ten-year old granddaughter Maryssa was my escort, and her twelve-year old brother James, and their mother Merlyn, escorted three veterans each because of a shortage of volunteers. Following the speeches, hmch, recognition of directors, officers and the cake cutting ceremony we heard a nice speech :from keynote speaker Denby Fawcette. The program ended with the veterans singing the '"Battalion Marching Song", led by Ray Nosaka and the l00th Infantry Battalion Veterans' Hui Ai Kane, and with everybody and singing "Hawaii Aloha." At each table were nicely wrapped 7-inch plates with the inscription "60th Anniversary Celebration," with the battalion flag in the center (one for each adult diner) and a special -13-

14 5-inch high wooden clock inscribed with "60th Anniversary of the 100th Infantry Battalion" for each veteran or widow in attendance. Maui Chapter members and their families had a most enjoyable time at the anniversary celebration. We extend our sincere thanks to President Stanley Akita, Co-chairpersons Dr. Kenneth Otagaki and Joyce Doi, and to all their committee members, "Mahalo." We met Warren Iwai, Takeichi Miyashiro and Warren Tamura at the luncheon. There will be a luncheon meeting of Maui Chapter at the Asian Cuisine & Sports Bar restaurant on Tuesday~ August 6~ at 11 a.m. Assessment is $3.00. Our special thanks go to Mrs. Irene Nakagawa aii.d Tom Yamada for their generous donations to Maui Chapter in memory of their late spouses. CHARLIE CHAPTER NEWS by Warren Iwai Eleven guys showed up for the July 15 meeting. Hiromi Suehiro, secretary, was late so the vicepresident, Toshimi Sodetani, was acting secretary. Chick Miyashiro, hancho for the clubhouse cleanup on June 15, reported that only 5 members showed up for C Chapter. They were Kazuto Shimzu, Hiromi Suehiro, Toshimi Sodetani, Manabu Hongo and Kikuto "Cracker" Higuchi. It shows that the old-timers have gotten older and are no longer fit for field duty--"limited service only." The boys of Co. C wish to thank Ichiko Hisanag~ Hilo, Hawaii, for her kind words and good wishes and also the generous $200 contnbution to their "bento fund" Those who knew Kazuma Hisanaga or ''Risa'' as we used to call him, will always remember him On July 2nd an inurnment service was held at the National Cemetery at Punchbowl for Francis and Hisako Kudo. Francis Kudo was platoon sergeant and later a field commissioned officer of our weapons platoon. Francis died on May 17, 2001, and Hisako died on May 19, 2002, in Torrance, California. C Chapter assisted and about 20 members attended the service. Mary Hamasaki, sister-inlaw to Francis, donated $100 to C Chapter in memory of Francis Kudo. Charlie Chapter annual "Fun Nite" will be held again in September. A flyer will be sent out soon with all the particulars. We missed Hideshi Niimi at our meetings these past few months. The reason was Hideshi had surgery for colon cancer. He lost several inches of his colon but the surgery was successful and he is okay. Another member having health problems is Seiju Ifuku. He says he is ailing all over, and right now his kidney is giving him trouble. Take it easy, Seiju; we understand how you feel. Our 60th Anniversary Celebration was a success-that is the unanimous opinion of all the people I talked to. This was made possible by the countless hours of planning and hard work by our sons and daughters. We wish to thank them from the bottom of our hearts for making it a memorable occasion for us. C Chapter on our July 15 meeting voted to donate $200 to the Sons and Daughters of the tooth Infantry Battalion club for making this possible. The SAC started on July 27, with the golf tournament at the Honolulu Country Club. Thirty-two golfers and duffers turned out for this event. Nineteen were veterans of the 10Oth. Co. C had 4 participants--willie Goo (Maui), Warren Tamura (Idaho), Kazuto Shimizu and Warren lwai. The winner of the tournament was Grant Hayashi, son of Shizuya Hayashi (MOR) with a net 68. In second place was Sonsei Nakamura (B) with a net 72. It was a fun tournament with the camera men following us allover the course. There were many prizes and everybody won at least a bag of rice. The door prize was a 20" TV set and the lucky man was Mark Tiwanak. All this was made possible by the hard work of the chairm~ Art Nakayama and his helpers, Clayton Kamiy~ Evelyn Honda and A vin Oshiro. Thank you all for making this possible. The 29th of June started with the memorial service at Fort DeRussy. It was a solemn, sober occasion recalling events which are etched in our hearts anq minds forever. The service was called to order by Col. (Ret) Bert Turner. It was like hearing the "Old Man" again. I could hear him in Camp McCoy saying, "You can't drink Wisconsin dry!" This was a time of remembering old friends 'and comrades you'll never see again. This was the crux of the reunion. The memorial service was followed by the Bash and Monte Cassino at the clubhouse. The following is -14-

15 a report from chairman, Hiromi Suehiro: Everyone who came to the bash bad a great time. The attendance was great, the food was great, and our mahalo to our mainland friends for adding color to the event by their mere presence. The dealers, the croupier and the person running the roulette table were having more fun than the players at the Monte Cassino. Evelyn Honda handled the stick at the crap table like a pro. Our kudos to Avin Oshiro for coming up with the idea of the Monte Cassino and for arranging the use of the gaming equipment. F or all those who participated in the karaoke singing, we appreciated your talent and for being a good sport. And a special thanks to friend Toe Yoshino for doing a masterful job of MCing the event. For some of us, seeing Mitsuru and Matsuko Doi and their family, made this bash even more meaningful. The dedication, commitment, leadership, planning, organization and hard work by everyone who served on the various committees, the inspiration provided by the Sons & Daughters and the volunteers made the 60th Anniversary celebration the best ever. The final event, climaxing the celebration, was the banquet at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Coral Ballroom on June 30, Here is the report by our president, Kazuto Shimizu:' You were all there, you saw it, and you felt it. To make things brief, I'll simply ask you, "Wasn't it great?!" Many congratulations and thanks are due to the many who made this successful event possible--i'llieave this task to each of you to show your appreciation in your own and timely way. For C Chapter I have a few statistics: (1) I counted about 13 tables; (2) I counted about 36 Co. C veterans; (3) I noted 32 Co. C vets in our anniversary souvenir photo These numbers must mean something, considering the turnout for this reunion was very good, and yet we see our ranks ~ng. We must savor each day that our good Lord brings us--tomorrow, another tomorrow. next reunion, maybe-- Marion Yamamoto, Kiyoshi Uyeno, you tried your best to be with us. Take care of yourselves. Mark your calender--18 AUGUST, CLUB PICNIC at DAV, Keehi Lagoon. Bring your family for a day of fun and games with all your friends. NEXT MEETING OF CHARLIE CHAPTER is August 19, at the clubhouse. Lunch will be served. F COMPANY NEWS by Kenneth M. Higa Kudos to the 60th Anniversary Celebration committee members. Led by Chairman Dr. Kenneth Otagaki, they did a terrific job. The celebration was a tremendous success. F Company members who attended the celebration were: FLORIDA-M/M Oswald. Kawahara; HAWAH--MIM Seitoku Akamine, Mrs. Misao Enomoto and Yoshiyuki Sumida.; MAUI-Akira "Jockey" Ishikawa and MIM Wataru Kaneshina; OAHU-.. M/M Ted Hamasu, Kenneth Higa, MIM Seiso Kamishita, MIM Hideshi Niimi, MIM Charles Nishimura, Tadao Seo, Mrs. Bette Takahashi, and M/M Ben Yamada. The Fox Company members join me in thanking the 60th Anniversary committee members for a memorable 4-day celebration. ON THE MEND: What a coincidence! In ~ our two members from Paloto, Hideshi Niimi and Robert Kapuniai underwent surgery for the same problem--colon cancer. They are progressing nicely. And since.mu.. Yasuto Furusho has been suffering from rashes practically allover his body and one leg. The doctors don't know what is the cause, so he is taking all kinds of tests, including a bone scan. One of the drugs, which was prescribed by the second doctor, is giving him some relief, but not enough to be able to attend the 60th Anniversary Celebration. In past years. the Furushos hardly ever missed attending the 100th In : Bn. anniversary banquets. He's got the "itch" but not the "seven-year" kind. It's from the rashes. Itchy, itchy, itchyl -15-

16 OBITUARY: Hisa.e "Hisa" Shimatsu of Kekaha, Kauai, who was in ill health for several years passed away on May 5, He was a retired harvesting supervisor from Kekaha Sugar Company. Hisa, a prisoner-of-war during WWII, was inducted into the army in the first draft. He was our weapons platoon sergeant. When F Company was inactivated, Hisa was transferred to C Company. Shortly thereafter, he received a field commission as a 2nd lieutenant. We extend deepest condolences to his family and four brothers for the loss of one so dear to them. Graveside service was held at the Kauai Veterans Cemetery in Hanapepe. May he rest in peace. By the way, one of the surviving brothers, Fumiyuki, also served in F Company. WISE WORDS FROM WITTY WOMEN: I'm not offended by dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb. I also know that I'm not blonde. (Dolly Parton) I'm a marvelous housekeeper. Evety time I leave a man, I keep his house. (Zsa Zsa Gabor) Mainland Chapter Sam Fujikawa The Annual Armed Forces Day Parade held in Torrance on Saturday, May 18th. drew a crowd of enthusiastic onlookers who cheered the parading members from alt the service branch, special guests and ~ccompanying bands. Many High School bands, banner groups and cheerleaders livened up the colorful parade. Veterans from the 10Othl442nd rode on the 6x6 Arrrri truck loaned by Dr. George Mizushima, who collects original WWII Army vehicles. Proud participants were Sob Ichikawa, Frank Seto, Dave Kawagoe,. Mas Takahashi. Ben Tagami and grandson, Sam Fujikawa. Mike Takamine. Wayne FUjita, Steve Tagami. They were ted by Captain Russell Nakaishi, CMDR, Sgt. Norm Kee, NCOIC and his CA State Military Reserve, 40th IO(M) Support Brigade, who carried the 100th1442nd Unit colors with all the appropriate citation banners. Also joining the parade were, Dr. George Mizushima, his son, Alan, and May Fujita. They followed right behind Assemblyman George Nakano and his wife, Helen, who rode in a chauffeured red convertible. -.' '..,_. Memorial Day Services were held this year on May 27th at Evergreen Cemetery. The Sadao Munemori Post 321, American Legion, was i charge with Commander Kei Ishigami as Master of Ceremonies. Many representatives of Veterans groups, Church and Community Federations participated in the floral tribute portion of the program. The 10Othl442nd Association was represented by Vice President Frank Seto (Anti-tank), the keynote speaker was California Assemblyman George Nakano, who spoke on the need to continue to honor the many sacrifices made by the Nisei in the Armed Forces dduriing WWII Spotted among the large gathering attending the impressive services were many members of the 100th - Mas and Elma Takahashi, Kaz Yoshitake, Fumi Sakato~ Chuckie Seki, Ben and Jean Tagami, Duke and Dorothy Ogawa, Harumi Sasaki and her dughter, Hank and Elsie Hayashi, Toke Yoshihashi, George and June Kurisu, Leland Kurisu, Douglas Tanaka, Harry Fukasawa. Kei and Chisato Yamagushi and Granddaughter, Steve Tagami, Yeiki Matsui, May Fujita, Wayne FUjita. Sam and Ten Fujikawa. On June 4th, another active member of our 100th club, PaulYasaki (A), passed away. It is with sadness that we report this news especially because Paul was scheduled to travel with us to Honolulu for the 60th Anniversary Celebration. We will certainly miss him. His Wife. Betsy, predeceased him some years ago. We send his family and sister our sincere condolences. The 3rd Anniversary Celebration of the Go For Broke Monument was held June 16th at the monument site downtown. The bverflowing cro~ of veterans and their famili~, U.S. Army Chief of Staff, General Eric Shinseki, State Assemblyman George Nakano, many other special dignitaries, and friends enjoyed a full day filled with a wonderful program planned by the Executive Director Christine ~ Yamalaki and het staff and volunteers of the Go for Broke Educational Foundation, the 40th Military Police Company, and th$ Mt. WifsonNista Girl Soot Troop 279. A lunch reception and the showing of the new documentary "Tradition of Honor" followed. Toke Yoshihashi and his daughter. Doreen Han. represented the 100th during the fioreti tribut8$ and Col. Young O. Kim gave the Closing Remarks. Other 100th members in the audience were Reiko Yoshihashi, Kaz Yoshitake and her family, Chuckie -16-

17 Seki, Fumi Sakato, George, June,. and Leland Kurisu, Nob and Shizue Kagawa, Ted and Chizu Ohira, Duke and Dorothy Ogawa, Harry Fukasawa, Noby Okamoto, Steve T~gami, Toe Yoshino, AI and Connie Takahashi, Bin and Irene Sato, Mas and Elma Takahashi, Ben and Jean Tagarni., Ted and Gladys Toguchi, Sam and Ten Fujikawa, Chip Mamiya and Terry Mamiya. (Chip is the late Buddy and Uly Mamiya's son (D) and was the genial moderator for the Panel and Discussion held after the showing of the documentary "Tradition of Honort'). Although many of the 100th members were getting ready to leave for the trip to Honolulu to attend the 60th Anniversary Celebration, some 01 us made a quicktrlp to Sacramento on June 23rd and 24th to attend the recognition of the Japanese American WWII veterans for their war efforts by the Califomia Assembly at the State Capitol. It was the res~1t of a measure introduced by Assemblyman George Nakano and passed by the State legislature. Each veteran attending received an engraved Certificate of Recognition from the State Assembly. Among the hundreds taking the walking tour of the State Capitol and observing the ceremony honoring the Nisei Veterans by the State Assembly were Ben and Jean Tagami, Mas and Elma Takahashi, AI Takahashi, Col. Young O. Kim, Steve Tagami, Ken and Hisa Miya, Sam and Tert Fujikawa. Many thanks to the 100thl442ndIM1S Monument Group who arranged and helped with the logistics of our trip to and from Sacramento. On June 26th, our hardy bunch of 30 travelers left for Honolulu. Although our flight got cancelled when we arrived at the airport, we somehow survived and was able to thoroughly enjoy the next four days of the wonderful 60th Anniversary Celebration, seeing and visiting with all our friends and relatives. The unbeatable Hawaiian hospitality throughout our stay - at the Clubhouse Bash, Tour of the Missouri, the huge Hilton Waikiki Banquet for over 860 people were without a doubt - just wonderfulifortunate mainlanders who attended were Ben and Jean Tagami, Henry and Elsie Hayashi, Ken and Hiss Miya, Dr. William and Irene Sato, Toke and Reiko Yoshihashi, Mas and Elma Takahashi, AI Takahashi, Ted and Chiz Ohira, Duke Ogawa, Uoyd Toda, Toe Yoshino, Wayne fujita, Ed and ArTrJ Nakazawa, Yeiki Matsui, George June and Leland Kurisu, Steve Tagami, Jadel Hirata, Mitsi Fuchigarni, Sam and Teri Fujikawa. Also joining us from Fresno, were Mary Catherine Doi, son, Daryl, friend, Midori Tani, Frank and Haru Nishimura from Seattle, Warren Tamura from Idaho and Col. Young O. Kim from Las Vegas. Heartfelt thanks from all of us to all of you in Hawalil ~ ""." James Yutaka KtYiyam~ HQChapter Passed away March 31, 2002 Hisae "Hi sa" Shimatsu F/CCbapter Passed away May 5, 2002 RobertIkei Rural Chapter Passed away May 21, 2002 lsamu Tsuji FChapter Passed away May 22, 2002 Edward Sadao Saito RuralIHQ Chapter Passed away May 25, 2002 Yosbiicbi Ono BChapter Passed away June I, 2002 Seiki "Timo" Arakaki DChapter Passed away June 3, 2002 Wilfred Fujisbige HQChapter Passed away July 10,2002 Ernest "Candy" Tanaka BChapter Passed away July 15, 2002 Masanobu "Maxie" Mukai KauaiID Chapter Passed away July 15, 2002 Our deepest sympathy to their family members -17-