100TH INfANTRY BATTALION VETERANS CLUB,. MONTHLY NEWS E * * * * FROM THE EDITORS' PUKA: By Ray and Aki Nosaka With just one month left before our big 55 th celebration, we would like to review, as a reminder, all of the events scheduled for this occasion. Also, we would like to print the names of all of the out-of-state guests who are registered as there have been many inquiries as to who is coming. This list may not be complete as some of the people have yet to register. June 18, 19 and 20 (Wednesday, Thursday & Friday) - Pick up packets & tickets at the clubhouse Hours between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday until 7 p.m. June 20 (Friday) - Golf Touf11ament begins at Kapolei Golf Course -7:00a.m. "Back to the Future Tour" Watch for details in the next issue.. "3 Mil Tour -'.. regarding time and meeting place. Open House at clubhouse for all registered participants - 9a.m to 5 p.m. Clubhouse Bash - 6:00 p.m.. June 21 (Saturday) Anniversary luncheon - starts at 10:00 a.m. - Pacific Beach Hotel Chapter Night- For t~e and place, contact your chapter president June 22 (Sunday) Memorial Service and Breakfast - 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Pacific Beach Hotel. * ADDITIONAL TOUR: Because the "Back to the Future" tour is sold out, the'tour Committee has come up with an additional tour called "3 M's - a Monument, a Museum, and Memories" which will start at the site of the Brothers in Valor Monument at Fort DeRussy. Even if it is not complete~ by June, the contractor will allow our group to go behind the barricade for a preview. Then the tour will go to the Hawaii Army Museum nearby to see the exhibits and especially the Gallery of Heroes where several of our 100th boys ",re memotialized. Lunch will be at the Oubhouse where the Open House will be on-going and then the group will get back on the bus and head for the Japanese Cultural Center's Historical Gallery. On the way back, we'll drive through Punchbowl Cemetery. Sakae and Bette Takahashi have graciously consented to be the Host and Hostess for this tour. Sakae has been personally involved 'with the monument, the museum and with JCCH, so he is the perfect host for this t9ur. The $10 fee includes admission, transportation and lunch. Seating is limited to 50 and reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Please call Drusilla at the clubhouse to make a reservation if you have already sent in your registration form, and want to add on this tour. If you haven't registered for the reunion yet, please do so right away. CANCELLATIONS: The last day to cancel reservations for the 55th and receive a full re1und is May 20, 1997. After this date, emergen,cy cancellations will be handled on an individual basis. The following list is of members only coming from the Mainland - most of their spouses will be accompanying them: Steve'Brinza, Ben Doi, Ben Tagami, Frank Wada, George Kurisu, Thomas Kaihara, Harold C. Dode, Mas Ishida, Warren E Fencl, Hideo D. Yoshimura, Irving Akahoshi, William S. Pye, Seiko Arakaki, Richard T. Omori, Frank K. Nishimura, Henry M. Hayashi, Hank Yoshitake, Tosh Hamataka, Kow Ito, William Sato, Noboru Kagawa, Sam Fujikawa, Eric Y. Abe, George H. Kinoshita, Ben Matsui, Mark Nakazawa, Oswald Kawahara, Richard Hamasaki, Douglas Tanaka, Ken Miya, Lloyd Toda, and Ted Ohira. Also Cynthia G. Fujikawa, Rick Geary and Paul Y Yasaki.
Mahalo to the following 33 volunteers who came out on March 27th to collate the April issue: Bernard Akamine, Otomatsu Aoki, Alfred Arakaki, Kunio Fujimoto, Tom Fujise, Ralph Fukunaga, Mitsuru Furumoto, Chester Hada, Mary Hamasaki, Saburo Hasegawa, Tokuichi Hayashi, Ed Ikurna, Isamu Inouye, Shigeru Inouye, Masaru Kadomoto, Etsuo Katano, Gladys Kawakami, Arthur Komiyama, Y. Mugitani, Joe Muramatsu, Bessie Nakasone, Tom Nishioka, Saburo Nishirne, Aki Nosaka, Ray Nosaka, Susumu Ohta, Ken Otagaki, Leo Sato, Stanley Tanaka, Masa Torna, Ukichi Wozumi, Marie Yoneshige, and Kaoru Yonezawa. In all of the excitement in getting ready for the 55 th celebration, let us not forget this one day out of the year for the ANNUAL CLEAN-UP DAY - Saturday, May 24 from 8 o'clock a.m. Susumu Ota is in charge. ANNOUNCEMENT: Until further notice, the club office will be closed for business between the hours of 3:00 to 5:00 p.rn.. If you must call, leave your name and phone number, and Drusilla will get back to you as soon as possible. APRIL BOARD HILITES by President Joe Muramatsu The Board meeting convened on time on April 11, 1997. First on the agenda was the introduction of Dr. Sarah Miyahira from the Veterans Administration. She gave an informative talk on PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). If there is someone you know who suffers from this disorder, ask your Chapter president for a pamphlet explaining what it is and what can be done. Warren Iwai, Chairman of our Long Range Planning Committee, gave us some insight on our changing over to a civic organization. The Board gave him the leeway to look into its implications. The Board feels it is better to go the civic club path as it is better and easier to will the club to our sons and daughters. The repairs to the spalling on the apartment is almost complete. We are now awaiting the painting to be done by our sons. The" roof outside the office leaks and that has to be repaired. Our clean up of the Clubhouse will occur on May 24, 1997. Sus Ota, who was appointed temporary Apartment and House Committees Chairman will be coordinating the clean up day with each chapter. The 55th Anniversary Reunion Celebration Committee has everything under control. The VIP list was submitted and approved with revisions. A request from the 442nd RCT Foundation to hold a silent auction was disapproved because the committee felt there would not be enough spa.ce to display the artwork. Second Vice President Ed Ikuma was not able to report on the Memorial Service plans, but he assured me that everything is under control there. By unanimous vote, it was decided that the $56 capital fund payment requirement for membership be deleted. None of" the Board members could attend the Candlelight Memorial Service at Punchbowl sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans. If any of you would like to attend, please call Drusilla at the Clubhouse. The Board decided to reprint 2,500 copies of "Remembrances" in time for our 55th Anniversary in June. A request from the Federal Firefighters Association to place an ad in their program was turned down. 2
Club 100 will send four members to the MIS general meeting on May 4, 1997, at the JCCH. The program will honor recipients of medals for heroic or meritorious deeds they performed during their days in the MIS. Original100th members who went to MIS and who are receiving medals are Tom Tsubota, Ben Yamamoto, and Kazuo Yamane. The Board decided to donate $100 to the American Red Cross and $100 to the American Cancer Society in memory of Lyn Crost Stern, as her family suggested. We tried to send the family a bouquet of flowers, but they told us that she requested no flowers be sent. Her husband, Dr. Thomas Stern, told us that she requested that she be buried with her dog tags. Guess her experiences during World War II really meant a lot to her, too. A request from the Kapaa High School Junior ROTC program for a plaque or certificate was not acted upon because the Kauai Chapter of Club 100 will be taking care of it. There is a proposal by the OahuAJA Veterans Council to hold a joint banquet and memorial service in 1998, to be held on a neutral date, not to coincide with any of the nisei veterans clubs' anniversary dates. There is also talk about a huge convention, inviting the 34th Division and the 36th Division. However, Club 100 will still have our annual memorial service in September. Please kokua: The parking space on the grass next to the flag pole is reserved for the President at all times. So, if you park there.... Other News: On March 31, Stanley Akita, Tokuji Ono and President Joe Muramatsu went to the Pearl Harbor Rotary meeting. Along with members of the 442nd RCT Veterans Club, we received a beautiful plaque from the Corning Rotary Club in Iowa, the heart of the 34th Division. It's on display through the window in the office. Dr. Harold Muschamp, who served with the 34th in Italy and who is a member of the Corning Rotary Club, had it made and contacted the Pearl Harbor Rotary to have a public presentation. They enjoyed a good meal at the Honolulu International Country Club and had a chance to explain to the "youngsters" in the Rotary Club about the 100th, and received a standing ovation. On April 15, Martin Tohara, Sakae Takahashi and Kengo Otag,*i and Joe Muramatsu went to the State Senate Chambers to receive a certificate from the Senate for the 55th Anniversary. The text is printed elsewhere in the PPP. Thank you, Senator Matt Matsunaga, for taking care of us. Club 100 Member Benefit: The Club 100 Member decal is reserved for members only. It helps members identify each other on the road, especially if there is car trouble or if other kind of help is needed.. The PukaPuka Parade is the monthly newsletter of Club 100, the looth Infantry Battalion Veterans. Published at 520 Kamoku Street, Honolulu, Hawaii USA 96826. EXECUTIVE SECRETARY'S REPORT by Drusilla Tanaka Mahalo to the following donors for their thoughtful and generous gifts to Club 100: $300 from Mildred Kuioka in memory of her husband, Jack Kuioka (B) Poker table and folding chairs from Mr. and Mrs. William Hiraoka (friends of Fred Kanemura) Welcome to new Life Members: George H. Kinoshita (A-Mainland). Frank F. Wada(B-Mainland) The PukaPuka Parade received donations from: o Hideo Nakamine \member of 442nd Veterans Club) 1 3
Thank you very much to the following volunteers around the Clubhouse: Masasuke Toma (B) for removing the termite eaten sliding doors and woodwork and replacing them with new woodwork Isamu Inouye (A) for repairing the plaster on the ceiling and walls near the Board Room Martin Tohara (D) for helping to transport the poker table donated by the Hiraoka's Martin Tohara (D) and Susumu Ota (D and Rural) for serving as judges for the' Hawaii History Day 197 competition.at the University of Hawaii. Otanjyoobi omedetoo gozaimasu to the following who will join the Octogenarian Club in May: Tetsuo Takeoka (FIB), Denis Teraoka (D), Edward Harada (D), Seitoku Kaneshiro (Hq), Seie Oshiro (A). HELP! HELPI HELPI Veterans and their wives are being sought by teacher Glenn D. Fernandez, Technology Facilitator at Noelani Elementary School. If you are willing to be a living resource for the students, please contact Mr. Fernandez at 988-2374. Ken Suehiro's favorite nephew's wife, Edna Kano~ serves on their school committee. ANOTHER REQUEST: Jim Turner, Project Coordinator, wants to contact anyone who remembers going to events or activities at Maluhia Hall at Fort DeRussy during World War II. Civilians or armed forces personnel are being sought. Contact him at 597-1182 or at 734-4071. AND ANOTHER REQUEST: Mr. Peter J. K. Hendrikx of The Netherlands wrote to the Club asking how he can get in touch with Mr. Masaru Suehiro who served in the looth Battalion with the 34th Division. According to our records, he served with Company A, but there is no record of him joining the club. Can anyone help Mr. Hendrikx? Call the Clubhouse office if you have any information. The letter we received from the Etsuo Nakaya' family was inadvertently omitted in the last issue. A bit of background: Earlier this year the Clubhouse received a call from Mr. Nakaya's daughter, asking if the club members visit veterans who are sick or housebound. She said her father served with B Company during the War, but he did not join Club 100, in fact, he rarely talked to his children about his experiences during the War. But, now that he was dying, all he talked about was his experiences in combat. Several members went to visit him, much to his pleasure and the family's gratitude. "Members of Club 100, Our sincerest thank you for coming to visit our dad and reminiscing with him during his recent illness. Toward the end of his life, he seemed to be consumed with thoughts about the war and the importance of serving his country. Somehow, your sharing with him that he was indeed a vital part of the 100th's battles helped bring peace of mind to him. It also helped us (his children) understand our dad's thoughts and behavior and gave us a deeper appreciation for the 100th Infantry Battalion... Dad passed away February 18, 1997. Mahalo and aloha, Sincerely, Esther Nakaya Yonamura, Edward, Evelyn, and Earl Nakaya" Club 100 received a donation of $100 from the Etsuo Nakaya family. CROSSINGS'97 EXHIBIT: Alfred and Paulette Arakaki need your help in obtaining pictures, letters, memorabilia, souvenirs, etc. of the time spent in France--Marseilles, Bruyeres, Biffontaine, Menton. So far we found some French currency and a few pictures. More is needed. AU will be well cared for and returned after the exhibit. Please kokua. Merci! GREEN THUMB MEETING: The next meeting will be a class in ti-leaf lei making. Bring tileaf and any kind of flowers with sterns. Any questions, call the Clubhouse at 946-0272. The meeting is on Monday, May 5, beginning at 10 a.m. and is open to all who are interested. 55TH ANNIVERSARY MERCHANDISE: The deadline to order the special shirts, caps, and bags is May 15. The Committee will order only enough items to fill the orders that are receive.d, so send your order in right away to avoid disappointment. If you would like to have us mail 4
the items to you, please add $5 for every 4 items. (For example, if you order six items, include $10 for shipping and handling.) Souvenir photographs of members (and families if desired) for the memory booklet will be taken before the luncheon banquet on Saturday, June 21 st, The veterans are requested to bring an old war-time photo with you so that it can be reprinted and placed along side of your current picture. The cost of the booklet and any additional pictures will be announced later. PLEASE KOKUA: Suzan Kaninau has win be decorating the stage for the 55 th Anniversary Banquet. She needs donations of the following: Ti-Leaves, Lauae Fern, Anthuriums, Ginger, and Small Heliconia. these foliages are needed by Thursday, June 19 th If you have any of these items, please drop them off at the Clubhouse. If you have any questions,' please call Ann Kabasawa at 734-0841. The certificate received from Senator Matt Matsunaga reads: HONORING THE VETERANS OF THE 100TH INFANTRY BATTALION UPON THEIR 55th ANNIVERSARY OF DISTINGUISHED SERVICE In 1942, shortly after the United States entered into World War II, thousands of young Japanese- American men already enlisted in the Army were determined to demonstrate their loyalty to America and were willing to prove themselves in battle. The 100th Battalion is the first all-nisei fighting unit from Hawaii. They are now a part of Hawaii's history, the nation's history and the world's history. In Europe, the 1,300 troops of the 100th Battalion suffered more than 900 casualties by June 1944. The valor they exhibited in battle along with the losses they sustained had by that time earned them the nickname, the "Purple Heart Battalion." The IOOth Battalion is one of the most highly decorated military units in the history of our nation. This most distinguished unit in the European Theater displayed uncommon leadership and gallantry during World War II. They and other AJA soldiers of the United States Anny are famous for the rescue of the Texas "Lost Battalion" (141st Infantry of the 36th Division) in France. The battalion has continued its exemplary record of service by lending leadership ability and business. skills to the State of Hawaii and elsewhere throughout the world. They are now the sage members of our community that younger people look up to. The Senate of the Nineteenth Legislature commends and congratulates the members of the 100th Infantry Battalion upon the occasion of their 55th anniversary of distinguished service and wishes them many future accomplishments. The Senate also commends the Sons and Daughters of the 1 DOth Infantry Battalion for continuing the proud legacy of their fathers through community involvement and education. JAPAN '97 TOUR UPDATE By Stanley Akita First things first - Mark your calendar - May 3 (Saturday) informational meeting at the 'clubhouse at 10 o'clock a.m.. A JTB representative will be present to answer any questions you have. As of this date, Course A (to Fukuoka) is filled with 44 people. Course B has increased to 23 people. However, we can still accommodate more people on Course B. Be sure to have your questions ready for the meeting. Those outside of Oahu will be informed of what transpired at the meeting by mail. 5
DOG CHAPTER NEWS By Helen Nikaido Congratulations to Kenneth and Florence Mitsunaga as they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary recently. Also belated congratulations to Bob and Sue Kondo who celebrated their 50th last year. How wonderful to be able to share and celebrate this very special day with each other. Take care of each other and keep healthy! I talked to Gloria Tamashiro the other day and asked her if they were doing any new commercials (Harry and Myra). She said they are now busy making personal appearances. They also have seven grandchildren who keep them busy. I checked with Robert Yoshioka about the June 21st Chapter night. He said that Dog chapter wili'have their chapter night at the Pagoda. He has made arrangements to have a room reserved there and will have light pupus served. For further information, please contact Robert. Congratulations to Wally Chinen who got his driver's license, again. He had to take the written and the road test, but he passed--pretty good for an 82 year old! We've lost another Dog Chapter member--richard Tsutsui passed away very suddenly. Our deepest sympathy to Ruth, daughters Pat and Janice and grandsons Owen and Dean. Biffa Moriguchi's Hokkaidotour group will meet on June 4th, 7:30 p.m. (Wednesday) at the clubhouse. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER By June Kurisu The loath annual Valentine's dinner on February 15 at the Pacific Seafood Restaurant in Alhambra was a "to be remembered" affair because of the delicious food selected by our director of Haute cuisine, Allen Dong, and all of the goodies that those of us in attendance received; For the" benefit of those who are confined or too far away to attend, I'm gonna' attempt to list the names of those who were there. If I forgot any folks, you can whack me with a wet saimin noodle the next time you see me. Here goes: Allen Dong, Beverly & Carlos Picazo, Toe Yoshino and his sister Fumi Uchida, Chisato & Kei Yamaguchi, Jean & Ben Tagami, Fumi & Hank Sakato, Sumi & Don Seki, the Association president Kiyo Yamate and his lovely wife, Nora Kim, Amy and Ed Nakazawa, Harumi & Harry Sasaki, Hisako & Ken Miya, Irene & Dr. Bill Sato, Elsie & Henry Hayashi, Al Takahashi, Elma & Mas Takahashi, Irene & Eric Abe, their son Craig, Michi & Lloyd Toda, Yeiki Matsui, Sue Hashimoto, Betty & Kow Ito, Janet & Rick Geary, and George & June Kurisu. I truly hope that I didn't miss anyone, but once seated, I physically couldn't move (I'm all better now, thanks for your get web wishes). Allen Dong and his daughter Beverly Picazo supplied the giant cashews tha~ we all enjoyed while waiting for our first course to be served. The red boxes of See's candy were from the Club. Chisato Yamaguchi gave each of us a jar of her delicious kinkan marmalade. May Fujita gave all the women red pot scrubbers that she crocheted. They are very handy. We sang Happy Birthday to our octogenarian, Henry Hayashi. He slmplied the. beautiful~y decorated cake honoring the sweethearts. Henry and Elsie also gave us women giant camellias in a large assortment of colors. We look forward to them each year, and if Henry forgot to bring them, he would have to be sent home for them. At the March 15th meeting, it was announced that we will have a family dinner on April 19 at 4 p.m.. The menu according to Allen Dong, is going to be of Irish and Italian descent--comed beef and cabbage and spaghetti. Lillian Takiguchi of Kauai gave us beautiful and colorful silk scarfs. Thank you very much, Lillian. You'll probably see them worn at the 55th anniversary. Club 100 Calendar: May 10 - Reverse Raffle May 17 - Armed Forces Parade beginning at Crenshaw Boulevard in Torrance at 2 p.m. are needed to participate by riding in the army truck in the parade. May 26 - Memorial service at Evergreen Cemetery beginning at 10 a.m. June 20-22 - IOOth Battalion's 55th anniversary in Honolulu More veterans 6,
Trip coordinator, Ben Tagami, has been working with Ann Kabasawa in Honolulu on a post anniversary outer island tour for two days each on Maui, Hawaii and KauaL So far those who have signed up are Yeiki Matsui, Ben & Elaine Matsui, Bill & Peggy Pye, Henry & Fuji Sakato, Ben & Jean Tagaim, Ted & Chiz Ohira, Kow & Betty Ito, Rich & Janet Geary, Ken & Hisako Miya and George & June Kurisu.. ()ctober 5-9 - Mini Reunion at Las Vegas Club. Banquet will be on the 8 th. "Jaunts with James and June" will be planning a full schedule of bus ttips again during the Mini-reunion. I'll be coordinating with Aki & Ray Nosaka. Let them or me have your comments, please. Allen says that Beverly will assist us this year. Douglas Tanaka has had angioplasty and is recovering at his son's home. Get well soon, Doug. Bill Miyagi, B Company, 4th Platoon, died of a heart attack. Our sincerest condolences to his wife Asako and his family. Our best wishes continue to go to Buddy Marniya. BAKER CHAPTER NEWS by Bernard Akamine Looks like I cannot write about China's bread pudding in this issue because the April Baker Chapter meeting is after the deadline. We had a terrific Family Night on Sunday, April 13. Back when the idea to have a Family Night in the spring time came up, the reason was to have more opportunities to see each other on "happy" occasions, instead of funerals. One touching moment was when Ted Hirayama and Robert Aoki saw each other for the first time in years, they just hugged each other. Robert created a fabulous meal of chicken stew, beef curry, baked salmon, steamed fresh broccoli and asparagus, tossed salad and fruit cocktail. The meal was so ono, I know many went for seconds and thirds because,my grand-daughter who is a very selective eater, went for seconds. The rice was all gone, too. There were so many desserts and pupus. One of the hits was the nacho dip and chips. The other terrific event was the oral history drama performed by Lynette Chun and Akiko Masuda which was based on actual oral histories collected from the late Mrs. Tsuru Yamauchi and the late Mrs. Mae (Morita) Itamura. After the performance, Professor Joyce Chinen held a discussion period. Constance Yamamoto said she remember::; Mrs. Itamura because Constance grew up in the same area of MauL She remembered that Mrs. Itamura was the first female AJA golfer and she was very stylish, wearing silk stockings and high-heeled shoes. Also there were about 10 real live relatives of Mrs. Yamauchi who ran the Aala Tofu company. The Sons and Daughters Oral History team members who were there appreciated seeing the performance. Evelyn Tsuda has helped the project a lot by transcribing the tapes, so that now someone can read the information instead of watching the video or listening to the cassette. Sounds like a lot of work. Janet Aoki and Namie Takaki made corsages and gave them away to tj::le three oral history performers and also to Bessie Ichimura and Kay Tanigawa for having the most grandchildren - eight each and to Karen Iha Yoza for being the youngest grandmother--under 60 she said, but she doesn't look older than 50 to me.. The following are donations made by members and friends for the Family Night: Tokuji Ono ($10 and arare), Evelyn Tsuda (dessert), Sakae Tanigawa (rice utensil holder, puakenikeni lei for guests and tsukemono), Roy Nakayama (giant squash), Nancy Arakaki (dessert), "Lefty" Tanigawa (Pringles), Ken Muroshige (7 packages cookies), Sonsei Nakamura (1 case soda), Ben Yamamoto ($20, dessert, and ono sanbai zuke), Aki Nosaka (brownies), Janet Aoki (orchid/bozu corsages), Denis and Karen Tanigawa (children's prizes, bingo prizes), Stan and Drusilla Tanaka (bingo prizes, takuan), Ken Iha (Chivas Regat Rainbow JelIo, Whi.e, Pupu), Candace Sakuda (zenzai, pumpkin mochi and coconut mochi, t-shirts, bag), Joe Muramatsu (rice and dessert), Hajime Kodama ($20), Bessie Ichimura (nacho dip and chips), Bernard 7
Akamine (hair care products), Vivian Nakamura (rice), Tom Tsubota (rice), 'William Yamauchi ($25), Mr. and Mrs. Carl Tonaki ($20), Sophie Hatakenaka (dessert), Steve Takushi ($10), Kuni Fujimoto ($10), Mrs. Jane Tonaki ($20), Ken Kaneko (beer). Denis and Karen Tanigawa did an outstanding job with the children's and adult games and prizes! The "Learning To Speak Chinese" was a lot of fun, but he left out how to tell the difference between a male and female - wun hung 10. Thank you to all who helped set up and clean up. Heard there was a good crew in the morning who did all the work putting up the tables and chairs and cleaning and cutting the vegetables so that by the time I showed up, everything was pau. Won't mention the names because they said if their wives knew that they did that kind of work, they wouldn't be able to ' take it easy at home! A request was made for the recipes of some of the desserts served at the family night. For those who made the following desserts, please kokua by turning the recipes in to the editor: Pumpkin Mochi, Glazed Graham Crakers and White Mochi with nuts. Ben Yamamoto, Tom Tsubota and Kazuo Yamane, original B Company boys, who served with the Military Intelligence Service, will be honored on May 4, 1997, at the MIS Veterans Club meeting. The luncheon meeting which will be at the JCCH Heritage Room is open to all who would like to attend and is $25 per person. Call Drusilla at 946-0272 if you want to make a reservation. Two 'of our B Company boys went down to the State Senate to receive a resolution from Senator Matt Matsunaga honoring the 100th for the 55th Anniversary. Joe Muramatsu went because he is Club President. Joe asked Martin Tohara (D) since he was with Sparky and Kengo Otagaki (Hq) since he was one of the litter bearers when Sparky was wounded. Joe asked Sakae Takahashi, too, since he was an officer, and also because he served in the State Senate for '20 years. It was the first time Sakae was on the Senate Floor since 1974. I heard a lot of people recognized him, shook hands, even a very young administrative assistant who remembered Sakae from atalk he gave to a class at the UH. Heard that Riki and Evelyn Tsuda had a great trip to Greece and Egypt. How about writing something for the PPP, Evelyn, so all of us can hear about it. CONGRATULATIONS to Steve Nakayama, grandson of Roy Nakayama, who was named a Dean-Scholar at Bradley University based on his ACT and SAT scored in High school and class rank and grade point average. This puts Steve in the top 5 percentile of all college bound students in the nation! / KAVAI CHAPTER NEWS By Tsugi Takemoto Even when we hold a meeting, as we did on March 23, there is much time for socialization and as time goes on, that is one way we can keep in touch. Many thanks to Takeshi Teshima who sent videos of the 100 th Infantry to the Honolulu Chapter who distributed them to all the chapters. The vets who didn't understand Japanese and those without VCRs were many, but this statement is made for those who didn't come to the meeting. Since Mako is in charge, they can call if they would like to see the video. The Mothers/Fathers Day luncheon is scheduled for May 4 at Conrad's Restaurant in Hanapepe. Cost is $15 per person with tax and tip included. Assisting Jane Sugawara with the arrangements are: Hisae Kagawa, Natsue Morikawa, Tomoe Shimatsu, and Anne Yotsuda. Keeping involved in community work, the Kauai 100 th will present a $50 US Savings Certificate to the JROTC at Kapaa High School and Waimea High School. They are each holding ari awards assembly and asking,participation from the various veterans organizations. 8
RURAL CHAPTER CHATTER By Ted M. Hamasu Rural Chapter held its meeting at Zippy's of Wahiawa on March 21 from 11 a.m. with 14 members and wives present. Lunch was served before the meeting and after enjoying it for about an hour, Prexy Hamasu rapped the table with a spoon and called the meeting to order. After the preliminaries was over, a policy discussion was brought up about our involvement in a case 6f private funeral services. It was stated that at our previous discussions, it was decided to keep hands off if it was a private service.. After a lengthy discussion, the policy was clarified to read that the Rural Chapter will assist the bereaved family of a member, whenever a request of assistance is received. We have received some video tapes about the 100/442 involvement in WWII from Takeshi Teshima (B) of Japan. It is titled in Japanese and has some subtitles. These tapes can be loaned tomembers who wish to view it by calling Walter Iwasa at 621-8870 or Ted Hamasu at 455-3341. " Ai-suss", I got a call the other day that some of our members are not aware of the $50.00 membership plan which was implemented in 1994. You may pay $50 and forget about your chapter dues or remain in the original plan paying $6.00/year. The Mother Chapter has a plan for Lifers too. You pay $50.00 for a lifetime membership. The capital fund payment which was instituted at the beginning of our club was amended at a recent Board meeting, to read "The requirement that every regular member shall pay into a capital fund in repealed." Our next me~ting will be held on May 16th at Jerry Yamaki's office from li:oo a.m.. We will have a guest speaker and she will elaborate on the subject "PTSD" It's called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Before time, we used to call it "Shell Shock." Anyway, come on down and listen to find out what it is. You may benefit from it. Bento for the meeting will be furnished by ~~~~~~~! \ I tried to get in touch with Kashimoto but no response. One day a bird told me that Alma and Sat6shiKashimoto went to Seattle, Wa. to celebrate their 50 th wedding anniversary with their children and to enjoy their second honeymoon. Congratulations to Alma and Satoshi on this auspicious occasion. May you both enjoy many more happy wedding anniversaries. Last week, Michino and Walter Iwasa flew into the land of the the fabulous riches to spend and luxuriate in a life of leisure. I asked him if he brought back a bag full of the green stuff. He shook his head sideways and said, "No mo luck, but we really enjoyed the sights." Next time, yeh, Walter. HEADQUARTERS NEWS By Ken Suehiro 1997 appears to be a bad year for us. First of all, our prexy Toshio Yoneyama got himself a dose of virus in his stomach and ended up in Kuakini Hospital. It appears that the salmon got the best of him. Ed Ikuma's wife, Hazel, suffered a mild stroke which placed her in Kuakini Hospital also. Dorothy Tamashiro, my reporter, sez she is doing okay, but we both agree that we should all exercise care, especially this year, and in our old age. Mike Takahashi is still taking it easy from his illness. Take care, Mike. Frances Okazaki is still staying in Pearl City at the home of her brother. Archie Kamisato is still confined at Kuakini Hospital but condition is improving. Marshall Higa suffered pneumonia for 3 weeks, but is feeling better now since he started to play golf. 9
CHARLIE CHAPTER NEWS By Warren Iwai 55 TH Anniversary Reunion: There are 109 members and family members of Co "C" registered for this celebration. I'm sure we are going to have a grand tinle. My regret is that we have 15 life members living in Honolulu who have not yet signed up. The time is now-meet your buddies. Shake their hands and renew the friendship - now is the time. Reunion Golf: Four Co "c" golfers from neighbor islands have signed up to play at Kapolei. They are Willie Goo and Johnny Miyagawa from Maui; Kazuma Hisanaga from Hilo, and Seichi Hoashi from Kau~i. I'm happy to see Kazuma's name listed-this may be his first showing. Willie and Johnny were here on the 50 th, but we are missing Jack G. I hope others like Butch Arizumi, Charlie Mizoguchi, and Topsy will Omura show up before the curtain falls. It'll be good to see Seichi back again. He is our lone golfer from Kauai. Cherry Blossom Time: Toshimi & Lillian Sodetani are off to the land of the cherry blossoms. Toshimi says that Lillian had the yearning to see the sakura in bloom, so they are going. But I warned him to go easy on the sake while sitting under the tree and basking in the beauty of the sa~u~a. Have fun and savor all the pleasures of life. Annual Clean Up: Clubhouse clean up is Saturday, May 24 at 8:00 a.m. Chick Miyashiro is in charge again and he asks that all members show up for this annual cleanup. Next Chapter Meeting: Monday, May 19. Ladies Corner: The ladies will be meeting at a luncheon on Friday, May 2 nd at 11:00 a.m. at the Kapiolani Community College Ohelo Dining Room. Call Lillian Sodetani 734-4288 or Yuki Akita 734-8901 if you are interested. Final count has to be called in on Apri128 th 'FOX CHAPTER NEWS By Hakaru Taoka Kenneth If Mike" Higa is busy taking care of his personal matters so I'm substituting for him as scribe for this month. Bundles of Joy: Congratulations are in order for Sakae and Bette Takahashi. They are elated grandparents for they have been blessed with twin grandsons, Nicholas and Christian, born on March 25,1997. The twins are sons of Mr and Mrs Mark Takahashi of Hong Kong. Believe itor not. Mark just so happens to be one of the Takahashi twins. Well, Sakae and Bette will be leaving for Hong Kong on May 1 st and will be there for about two and a half weeks, just long enough to give the twins some TLC. Have fun! Good things appear to be happening to the Takahashis. Their oldest granddaughter, Erin, daughter of Mr & Mrs. Kenneth Teruya, will be graduating from the University of Oregon with a major in journalism. Again, congratulations! 50 th Wedding Anniversary Celebration: Congratulations to Satoshi and Alma Kashimoto on their golden wedding anniversary. Their celebration began on March 14 when they took a trip to the mainland for a joyous reunion with their family members. The long trip from Washington State to California and then to Las Vegas was very tiring, but they were blessed with good weather throughout the trip which made it very enjoyable. They returned on March 30 th. The first stop they made was a visit with their daughter and son-in-law for a few days at Bellingham, Washington. The Kashimotos say that it was cold, cold cold in Bellingham with the yard and surrounding mountains covered with snow. It was so beautiful and tempting that they couldn't resist but to go out and play in the cold snow. From Bellingham, the Phondsons (daughter and son-in-law) drove the Kashimotos to Auburn Adventist Academy located about 50 miles outside of Seattle where the grandson, Brandon is enrolled. They billeted at the Academy for the night. The next day, Brandon joined them and they headed for L.A to pick up their granddaughter at Las Sierra College and then continued on
Redmond where they had a very short visit with their niece. They stayed at Redmond for a couple of days, leisurely browsi'ng around again and getting rady for the next stop - Las Vegas. Like the good old Islanders, they just couldn't seem to resist the glamour of Las Vegas, so they headed that way, but enroute made a fast detour to Disneyland and Universal Studios. The Kashimotos,said they enjoyed the side trips immensely, but got tired. The pains of being tired just vanisheci when' they reached Las Vegas. They stayed here for four days playing the machines hoping to hit it big, but this never happened. The only thing the Kashimotos brought back with them was a "bad cold" and lots of pleasant memories. REMINDER; The Company F Reunion Banquet will be held on Saturday night, June 21 st at the Pagoda Banquet Room. To those of you who plan to come but have not made any commitment yet, please do so pronto. Send in your $20 to Hakaru Taoka, 1337-C Loko Dr. Wahiawa, Hi 95786. Also, please enclose a brief note to indicate whether you plan to attend the Sunday Luncheon. It's free, but we need to know how many bentos to order. For Hawaii members -- Only Yoshiyuki Sumida has responded so far. HAW AIl CHAPTER NEWS By James Maeda Jane H. Sakamoto, 81 years old, wife of Paul Sakamoto (Hdqrs) died on March 30 due to illness. She was a retired seamstress and tailor for Liberty House at Ala Moana Shopping Center. in Honolulu. Funeral services were held at Dodo Mortuary Chapel on Saturday, April 5. Our prayers of sympathy to husband Paul, her siblings, and other relatives. Katsumi (Tug) Yamamoto, 77 years old former member of Co. 0, died on April 3 due to illness in Hilo. The deceased was born in Hawi Kohala and attended schools there. He was inducted into the U.S. Army in 1941 from Kohala. He was a member of the 100 th baseball team in Wisconsin. After his discharge from the army he worked as a supervisor of purchasing for Hawaii Electric Company on the island of Hawaii until his retirement. Funeral services. were held at the Church of the Holy Cross in Hilo. Relatives from Hilo, Kohala, Honolulu, Kauai and the Mainland were in attendance. Also, members of the kumiai, former employees of HELCO, friends and veterans of the 100 th Infantry Bn attended. Our prayers of condolence to companion Dolly Sato of Denver, son Terrence Yamamoto of Honolulu, daughter Debrah Talbot of San Diego, Michi and Yasu Enomoto and other relatives. To Warren Iwai, correspondent for Charlie Chapter: I would like to make one correction on your article commending Kaoru Yonezawa. Kaoru received his Korosha Award (meritorious) from Governor Hosokawa of Kumamoto Prefecture and not Fukuoka Ken. Kaoru is a past president of the Honolulu Kumamoto Ken Jin-kai. He is a dedicated and outstanding member of the organization. This writer is also a member of Kumamoto But-tein and past president of Hawaii Shima Kumamoto Doshi-kai in Hilo. We would like to extend our congratulations to Kaoru on being the recipient of this award and we wish continued good health and happiness to Kaoru and Mrs. Yonezawa. Kaoru was also a member of Co. E until the crossing of the Volturno River in Italy. This question is always asked "what prefecture of Japan has the most people in Hawaii" The answer is as follows: (1) Hiroshima Ken (2) Yamaguchi Ken (3) Kumamoto Ken (4) Fukuoka Ken (5) Okinawa Ken. Hawaii Chapter will hold its annual ladies luncheon on Thursday, April 24, at the AJA Veterans Memorial Hall from 11:30 a.m.. Please extend your invitation to your wives and girl friends. MAUl CHAPTER NEWS By Tom Nagata Maui Chapter's first big social event of the year will be the Mothers Day Dinner party. The 6 p.m. dinner at the Maui Beach Hotel poolside restaurant on Monday, May 12 will be chaired by Ben Takayesu. You will be contacted by your group leader for a headcount. A stand-up 11
meeting of chapter officers may be held by Chapter president Stanley Izumigawa at that time to decide on the assessment of future events, especially the chicken hekka dinners and chapter meetings. Our regular meeting place~ the Sizzlers restaurant in Kahului was closed recently due to business difficulties. The usual assessment fees for the Mothers Day dinner will still be in effect. On March 20 I checked on the growth of Maui Chapter's gold tree that was planted in the lao VaHey Kepaniwai Park at the time we dedicated our bronze plaque some years ago. I am happy to report that the tree is now over 20 feet in height. In the nearby Japanese Heritage gar.den, the lone cherry tree growing in the back of the teahouse had a dozen flowers blooming. About a week later, our TV stations were showing beautiful cherry blossoms in Tokyo's Ueno Park and' Washington D.C. tidal basin. For those fortunate members who are going on a trip to Japan this fall, the yen is now 127 to a dollar. Last year about this time the yen was 105. With our members reaching 80 years of age as mentioned in the last issue of the Parade, I am happy for all of us. In the book Ambassadors In Arms by Thomas D. Murphy, University of Hawaii Professor, the average age of the men in the battalion on June 5, 1942 was 24 years of age. Most of the officers were 35 to 38 years of age, with Col Farrant L. Turner age 47.. MEMORIES; A SALUTE TO CHAPLAIN ISRAEL YOST I first met Chaplain Israel Yost when I went on "burial detail" after the battle of Hill 600 above Pozzilli in mid-november, 1943. He had joined the Battalion in Benevento in early October. I was impressed by his boundless energy in speech and everything that he did. We had gathered behind Pozzilli shortly after sunrise with our stretchers, and were ready to hike up the dirt road. A group of Italian farmers had gathered nearby to watch us and we noticed that two of them had pale faces compared to the suntanned faces of the rest and suspected that they were German soldiers in farmers clothes. A farmer stepped forward and in English explained that the two were deserters from the German army and wanted to surrender. After a short delay while the prisoners were escorted back under armed guards, we started to hike up the road. About half way up'we came across a dead farmer who had tripped on a "s bouncing baby mirle" in the darkness. Further up the road, we came across a dead red fox which had also tripped on a mine. Under the direction of Chaplain Yost, we gathered the bodies of the KIA from the surrounding areas of Hill 600 and brought them down to Pozzilli. A Memorial Service led by Chaplain Yost was held later by the Battalion. In mid-january of the following year near Cassirio, ChaplainYost conducted a Sunday morning service in a large warehouse. He gave to each worshiper a small pocket-sized Bible to keep. One of the Bibles saved a man's life later in combat when an exploding shell fragment was stopped by the Bible in his shirt pocket. Chaplain Israel Yost was later awarded the Legion of Merit Medal for his outstanding service. SONS AND DAUGHTERS MAHALO for your generous donations: $2,000 from 442 nd RCT Foundation for Bishop Ara's Book $1,000 from MIS Veterans Club for Bishop Ara's Book $500 from Keehi Memorial Association (DA V) Color Television set from Bernard Akamine Dot Matrix printer from Stanley Tanaka Eisenhower Jacket with all the "trimmings" in beautiful Condition from Richard "China" Yamashina Newspaper articles and other memorabilia from Alfred Arakaki Lots of "good kine" stuff for the files and archives from Martin Tohara Propaganda leaflets from Bernard Akamine, 12.
IN MEMORIAM William H. "Bill" Miyagi (B-Southem California) March 3, 1997 Katsumi "Tug" Yamamoto (D-Hawaii) April 3, 1997 Lyn Crost Stern (Honorary Member) April 7, 1997. Richard Tsutsui (D) April 17, 1997 Larry Mizuno (A) April 15, 1997 The Club 100 Ohana extends deepest sympathies to their families. SONS and Daughters Cont'd ANNUAL CLUBHOUSE CLEAN-UP DAY - SATURDAY, MAY 24, 1997 It's time again for the Annual Clubhouse Clean-Up. It begins at 8:00am on Saturday, May 24th., Bring rags, glove, etc. Sons and Daughters are especially needed to clean the fans, the high windows and many other jobs. We'd like to assign certain tasks so if you could please kokua and call Amy Muroshige at 536-4177 to let her know if you can make it. Lunch will be provided. This is also a time when we get to work side by side with veterans, their wives, widows and other sons and daughters. We hope to see many of you there!! ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL - JUNE 1, 1997 June 1 st begins a new year for the Sons and Daughters. You will be getting a newsletter/ membership renewal and notice of the annual dinner meeting in the mail. Please take the time out to renew your membership and set aside some time for activities this year. 13
CLUB '100 MAY CALENDAR OF EVENTS ABLE...;... Saturday, May 31... 8 a.m...;... Lounge ~ BAKER... ~,.. Saturday, May 17... 1 p.m... Lounge ~ CHARLIE... ;. Monday, May 19... 10 a.m... ~oard Room DOG... ~... :~ Saturday, May 17... 8 a.m...:... Lounge HQ... 9:30 a.m... Lounge HAWAII... Thursday, May 22... AJA Veterans Memorial Hall KAUAI MAUI.... Monday, May 12 (Mother's Day Dinner)... 6 p.m... Malli Beach Pool side RURAL Friday, May 16 11:00 a.m. Jerry Yamaki's Office BOARD OF DIRECTORS.. Friday, May 9... 10 a.m... Board Room S&D BOARD... Friday, May 16... 7 p.m... Board Room GREEN THUMB... lvfonday, May 5... 10 a.m... Lounge KARAOKE FUN NITE... Friday, May '9... 6 p.m... Turner Hall MEMORIAL SERVICE COMMITTEE MEETING... Friday, May 2... 10 a.m... Board Room ANNUAL CLUBHOUSE CLEAN UP DAY.... Saturday, May 24... 8 a.m., Collating for the May Issue will be on Thursday, May 29, 1997, at 8:30 a.m. '---v { Baker and Rural Chapters will be responsible for manpower and refreshments. I' DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING NEWS WILL BE ON TUESDAY, MAY 20.', Club 100 520 Kamoku Street Honolulu HI 96826-5199 Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Honolulu HI Permit No. 158 MA Y 1997 ISSUE 14