BECAUSE OF YOU I AM . . . Volume 22 Issue 3 October 2015
President Emeritus Hiroshi Arisumi An American Hero in War and Peace By S. Sanae Tokumura, ACFRE, APR
H
iroshi Arisumi, 95, was recently accorded lifetime president emeritus status by the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center (NVMC) after 25 years of board leadership. He was president for 23 of those years. When asked how the result of his leadership reflects the values he embodies as a Nisei veteran, his simple and typical response was, “Hmm, I never thought of it that way.” Indeed, when Arisumi appeared for an early morning interview, the value “kansha”— “gratitude”—was emblazoned across his bright lime-green T-shirt. . . free advertising for Kansha Preschool, located at NVMC. Care for both Kansha preschoolers and Maui Adult Day Care Center seniors has been supported by NVMC since the facility was opened in April 2013. Arisumi, his board and a supportive community have since witnessed the living memorial to lost Nisei vets reflect their mission to “nourish lives that are just unfolding, nurture lives well-lived, and through educational
Not only a leader of Kansha, Arisumi is also a benefactor to the organization’s capital efforts and operations. outreaches and resources teach youth throughout the country about the valor and sacrifice of the Nisei soldiers who rose above prejudice and distrust to serve their country with unsurpassed honor and bravery.” Their ultimate intention? NVMC “envisions
that Nisei values, which are believed to have resulted in heroic concern and sacrifice for community and nation, loyalty to family, friends and country, and patriotic valor in World War II, will be embraced by all generations and demonstrated in civil society at all levels.” Not only a leader of Kansha, Arisumi is also a benefactor to the organization’s capital efforts and operations. The preschool building has been permanently named the “Hiroshi and Edna Arisumi Preschool Building” in honor of Arisumi and his late wife, while the archival studio or workroom in the new Education Center bears the name of the Arisumi Brothers Inc. construction company, the general contractor business that Arisumi and his brother, Mitsuo, founded in June 1952. Whether or not he ever thinks about the values he lives by, Arisumi is a grateful man: He is grateful for the American life and attendant privileges into which he was born. He is grateful for his original family of 10 siblings and issei (first-generation parents)—mother Masu Murata Arisumi and father Aikichi. He is grateful for his three children, Lloyd, June and Adele; grandchildren Sandford, Nicole, Ross, Please turn to page 3
INSIDE: 9 Award-winning students: recipients of the Nisei Veterans Scholarships. 12 The Italian villagers of Campo remember. . . 14 NVMC makes land transfer to HILT.
a message from the president of our board | Brian T. Moto
Okage Sama de ... The Okage Sama de… newsletter is a free publication issued by the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center. Articles, questions and comments may be sent to Nisei Veterans Memorial Center, P.O. Box 216, Kahului, HI 96733-6716. We encourage family and friends to submit information and photos to our Lest We Forget column.
The NVMC Vision:
Nisei values that resulted in heroic concern and sacrifice for community and nation, loyalty to family, friends and country, and patriotic valor in World War II will be embraced by all generations and demonstrated in civil society at all levels.
The NVMC Mission:
The Nisei Veterans Memorial Center is a living memorial guided by the valor and values of the Nisei Veterans of World War II and is committed to perpetuating their legacy through education and continuing service to all generations. Board of Directors Brian T. Moto, President Roy Katsuda, Vice President Beryl Bal, Secretary Paul Mizoguchi, Treasurer Directors Davd Fukuda Glenn Goya Hideo Kawahara Mark Mizuno Dwight Muraoka Nelson Okumura Saedene Ota Scott Sakakihara Yuki Lei Sugimura Hiroshi Arisumi, President Emeritus Leonard Oka, Director Emeritus Melanie Agrabante, Office Manager Kyle Watanabe, Historical Preservation & Education Program Coordinator Nisei Veterans Memorial Center Address: 1 Go For Broke Place, Wailuku Hours: Noon to 4 p.m. weekdays Phone: (808) 244-NVMC (6862) Website: www.nvmc.org
Inspired by our history, we plan for the future “Remembrance. . . Honor. . . Inspiration:” These are the words displayed on the Wall of Honor mural that greets visitors and staff in the Maui Adult Day Care Ocean View facility in the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center. These words also help guide NVMC in its programs, plans and activities. NVMC strives to live up to its ideals. We remember the heroism and service of our Nisei soldiers through exhibits such as “Courage + Honor,” which paid tribute to 18 Maui World War II veterans who earned the French Legion of Honor award (see “Legion of Honor Exhibit” on page 10). We also remember and honor them by serving as a venue throughout the year for gatherings of veterans and their family members, and by supporting an intergenerational approach to community service. We will remember and honor Nisei veterans by hosting another exhibit this fall entitled, “Unlikely Liberators,” about the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion and the liberation of the Dachau
concentration camps. NVMC’s annual fundraiser dinner in November will again serve to remember and honor our heroes. Please join us at these special events. NVMC takes inspiration from these occasions and the many stories preserved in our archives. Inspiration fuels our commitment to adapt to our changing social environment and ensure the resiliency of our organization. To that end, NVMC’s Board of Directors will be engaged in a long-term strategic planning effort throughout the fall, involving input from stakeholders, staff and volunteers. We will assess our organization, identify our priorities, and consider how best we may remember, honor and inspire in future.
NVMC Welcomes New Board Members The Nisei Veterans Memorial Center is pleased to welcome two new members to its board of directors. With the addition of Saedene Yee-Ota and Scott Sakakihara, there are now 13 members on the NVMC board. Born and raised in Hawai‘i, Yee-Ota worked in Northern California and Chicago, Illinois, before pursing her lifelong dream 2 – October 2015
of establishing a graphic design firm back home in the islands. She is the owner and creative director of Sae Design, a sixemployee graphics firm focusing on branding, packaging, web design and strategic marketing. Yee-Ota’s firm has garnered a bevy of creative awards in the last 10 years, including two Hawai‘i Advertising, Federation Pele “Best
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President Emeritus Hiroshi Arisumi Continued from Page 1
Jaclyn, Andrew, Rick and Randy; and great grandchildren Kamea, Takuma and Alima. He is grateful for his country. But Arisumi does not recollect ever actively being taught kansha or any of the other values that many may have presumed molded him into the man he is today.
Values imbued with cultural traditions
Nevertheless, along with cultural contributions such as food, dress and seasonal celebrations, the issei from the Land of the Rising Sun also brought with them the deeply wired ancient code of conduct called bushido, or the way of the warrior. Its principles include gi, or right action and duty; yuuki, or courageous energy; jin, the benevolence that unites each human being to the other; rei, politeness or respect shown in social behavior; makoto, truth in word and action; meiyo, good reputation, honor; and chuugi, faithfulness and loyalty. These values underlaid all behavior in Arisumi’s family and many other families in JapaneseAmerican communities throughout Hawai‘i. They were demonstrated daily by action and service and blended with the 1920s American culture of patriotism at a time when individualism was mostly downplayed. In fact, Arisumi’s testimonies of his experience as one of the famous 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team of World War II, which are accessible in local, national and international media archives, never detailed his personal actions. But videos of Arisumi on YouTube consistently record his unflagging devotion to the “boys who couldn’t come home with us.” He has been recorded as saying that when the U.S. finally began allowing the enlistment of Americans
Arisumi Family: (back) Masato, Mits, Butch, Hiroshi, John (front) Aikichi, Joe, Tady, Masu with Mazie, Tokie and Helen
of Japanese ancestry in 1943, 1,500 recruits were expected. He proudly and invariably reminds all researchers that approximately 10,000 young men responded—mostly from Hawai‘i— including him.
Military honors
The unflinching 100th Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT) soldiers’ “Go For Broke!” battle attitude led them to a place forever acclaimed in American social and military history as one of the most decorated in U.S. military history. In less than two years of combat, the 100th Battalion/442nd RCT earned more than 18,000 awards, including 9,486 Purple Hearts, 4,000 Bronze Stars and 21 Medals of Honor. Arisumi’s decorations and citations include the Distinguished Unit Badge, American Campaign Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, EAME Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Service Medal and Congressional Gold Medal. This year, reporters announced that France bestowed the Chevalier 3 – October 2015
de la Legion d’Honneur (Knight of the French Legion of Honor) medal to 18 Maui Nisei veterans, including Arisumi. According to Consul General Pauline Carmona, who presented France’s highest honorific medal to the heroes, the people of France will never forget their heroism and sacrifice.
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Hiroshi Arisumi, 1945
snow made the work even more difficult, as gravel and paving stones were hauled from the surrounding countryside. The company also removed hundreds of enemy mines and blockades. Although 57 engineers died or were wounded, the unit captured 27 German soldiers and killed many more. Because of this bloody road, later called a “magnificent feat of engineering,” the division operation succeeded, outflanking enemy forces in the Laveline-Corcieux Valley and pursuing them to the banks of the Meurthe River. For this feat, Arisumi and his unit were also awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. Arisumi focused somewhere deep inside himself as he once again recalled how the engineers announced their precise location to the enemy with the ripping screech of chainsaws on trees and blockades. “Here we are—you can shoot us now,” he uncharacteristically quipped in the quiet peace of his Kula living room. He continued, reminded about the French battles. “In the hills above Bruyeres that October, I saw a jeep trailer loaded with dead soldiers—all 442. These were all our Hawai‘i boys who died rescuing the Lost Battalion. I’ve never seen anything that can equal the terrible things I’ve seen in war.
Hiroshi Arisumi in Menton, France Continued from page 3
Rescue of the “Lost Battalion”
Well-documented battles resulted in the liberation of the small towns of Bruyeres and Biffontaine, near the German border, that were held for four years by the Nazis. Half of the men in the regiment were either killed or wounded in that effort. Exhausted, the heroes were nevertheless called to battle just days later. The objective: to carry out what is now familiarly called “Rescue of the Lost Battalion.” Texans of the1st Battalion, 141st Regiment, 36th Division were surrounded by Germans in the dense forests of the Vosges Mountains. Efforts by other units failed., but the 100th/442nd succeeded, rescuing 211 soldiers.
The “magnificent feat of engineering” built under enemy fire
Arisumi has explained more than once how his experience in carpentry provided a platform for his eventual placement with the 232nd Engineer Combat Company of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Between Oct. 23 and Nov. 11, 1944, as part of the 111th Engineer
Combat Battalion with 232nd Engineer Combat Company, he was charged with engineering a transport surface through the deeply wooded and mountainous frozen terrain. While working unceasingly to build and maintain the road over which supplies, weapons, tanks and reinforcements could be transported to the battlefronts, Arisumi and his team were under constant siege by enemy fire and snipers. Felling the large trees, creating a road surface over many days and sleepless nights and then watching Please turn to the next page as the tanks tore the surface apart in their passage, caused strong men to weep out of frustration and exhaustion. Nevertheless, while returning sniper fire, building and rebuilding, work continued relentlessly for 19 straight days and nights to support a constant flow of supplies to the nine infantry battalions engaged in battle—and uninterrupted evacuation of the dead and The Arisumi family lived in this home, which was wounded. owned by Worth Aiken, for whom Hiroshi’s father, Continuous rain and Aikichi, worked. 4 – October 2015
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A young man’s decision
“You know, I didn’t like the idea that our government was putting Japanese-Americans in concentration camps while this was going on,” Arisumi said. “But at least we didn’t have too much of that here in Hawai‘i. Some of the kotonks [ JapaneseAmericans from the Hiroshi as young child U.S. Mainland] couldn’t bring themselves to enlist because of the great financial studying advanced carpentry. By the losses and suffering their families were time he enlisted six years later, he going through on the mainland. Still, was already an experienced, advanced some did, and you gotta give them carpenter. credit.” “I sent all the money I earned He recalled his own decision—the back to the family during my service,” day he decided to enlist in the 442nd Arisumi said. “ I accepted inside myself RCT. that I wasn’t going to be coming home, There was little choice for a young and because my brother, Butch, used man faced with this threat to country to work part-time, I knew he would and to his family—a young man with be there to help my father. You know, the honor code of a warrior and the we were ready to die for our country patriotism of a red-blooded American, other than to fling himself upon the U.S. to prove we were loyal Americans, but when we were there, we sure wanted to sacrificial altar of World War II.
“ You know, we were ready to die for our country to prove we were loyal Americans. . .” —Hiroshi Arisumi “When you gotta fight something, you fight,” he said. “Volunteering for the 442 was the most important decision I ever made. When we signed up in the beginning, no one did so lightly. We seemed to ‘jump’ at the opportunity, but each person accepted for himself that it was a one-way ticket. It was a very big decision.” “Also, I did have to think about who would be taking care of the family,” said Arisumi, who began work after eighth grade at age 12 so that his seven brothers and three sisters could go to school. He had a knack for carpentry and excelled. At age 15, he started
come home. Anyway, we did what we had to do. We fought with everything we had—everyone did—even though we wanted to come home. Even the ones who didn’t make it—they wanted to come home, too. That’s the hard part—to watch your buddies die when they really wanted to come home.
After the war, a bold step forward
Because Arisumi continued to remember the supreme sacrifice of the boys who could not return home, the memory of his return to a peaceful Hawai‘i in 1946 was bittersweet. He was keenly aware 5 – October 2015
Hiroshi’s surfing gang with 14-foot boards
that the rebuilding of the territory’s society and the establishment of successful enterprises, including his own construction company Arisumi Brothers Inc., sprouted from the ashes of his brothers-in-arms. “There was always the thought— ‘hmm, what if I don’t make it? Why should I give up this good job I have to go off on my own?’ But honestly, after looking for holes to jump in, escaping artillery fire and working in the freezing rain and snow for weeks, when we didn’t know what was going to happen and burying my buddies in some cemetery someplace I didn’t even know—I pretty much wasn’t afraid of anything after that. You need to realize you can’t control everything and you just gotta hope.” The company started out small with Arisumi and kid brother, Mitsuo, as partners. Eventually, the corporation was the largest homebuilder on Maui, with over 200 employees. Proudly, Arisumi’s niece, Wendy Higa, administrative assistant/human resources for the company, painted a picture of the company’s unique, onestop approach in those days. “We had in-house cabinetry, plumbing, electrical, painting and cesspool departments,” said Higa. “We did it all.” Please turn to the next page
single-family inventory for that time. “Then about 20 years ago,” Fukuda continuted, “they moved away from housing toward commercial construction—they just completed the Kahului Bank of Hawai‘i branch.” “But we still receive calls every single week asking us to build a home,” chirped Higa.
Dedicated to helping others
Hiroshi and Edna Arisumi in Florence, Italy Continued from page 5
Arisumi Brothers and construction leadership
Arisumi’s sister, Helen Aiko Yamashige, 85, has been with the company for 35 years. Arisumi gratefully credits her with having “kept us in line” with her bookkeeping and accounting skills. She was, essentially, the corporate controller, with the title secretarytreasurer. Arisumi Brothers was one of the first companies to be unionized. When asked why a business owner should invite union organization, Yamashige simply responded, “That’s just Hiroshi. He has always looked after everyone’s welfare. The corporation always contributed to many community concerns and continues to support charitable groups.” “Arisumi Brothers was the dominant home building construction company on Maui during the ’60s and into the ’80s,” recalled David Fukuda, Maui Homebuilders Association past president. “No one could put a house together more efficiently than they did. Hiroshi estimated that they had constructed around 2,000 homes during those years, which would have been equal to almost 10 percent of Maui’s
Retired Maui contractor Edmond J. Tavares recalled looking up to Arisumi when starting DNL Construction Inc. nearly 40 years ago. Arisumi mentored young Tavares. “’Til today, I have the deepest aloha, appreciation and respect for Hiroshi,” said Tavares. “I will never forget how he was there for us. We were young, inexperienced—for somebody like Hiroshi Arisumi to offer his advice and spend time with us—that’s amazing. He explained his operations, cost controls, the computer system... He allowed us to tour his facility and offices. He is such a gracious man. No one else would have done that.” Tavares’ keen admiration of Arisumi overflowed as he described working with him on a project just a few years ago at the NVMC Education Center. “We were measuring things and putting things together over there and he’d measure something and then calculate everything in his head! He was at least 92!” marveled Tavares. “He cared about everything,” said Fukuda, who worked as a roofing, ceramic tile and flooring subcontractor for Arisumi Brothers in the ’70s. “I remember Hiroshi going around the building site picking up pieces of usable, discarded, armored 220 electrical cable to save homeowners money.” Yamashige noted that Arisumi “was a self-educated engineer.” Arisumi would go to the Army 6 – October 2015
Reserve library to research technical manuals in order to bid on government jobs. Arisumi Brothers won bids against other contractors whose estimators were professional engineers. “Yes, they made some money, but you know... Hiroshi never spent on cars, nice clothes or trips,” said Yamashige. “He was not a wasteful man. He was never the type to go to bars. He never spent money on himself. He’s not flashy. He’s so humble. He’d rather help others.” “We lost our youngest sister in 1986 when she was 41,” said Yamashige. “And do you know, even to this day, Hiroshi will bring me flowers each week to place on her grave on weekends. Every single week since 1986. My brother. He’s so good to me. I hate to brag, but he was good to everybody. He’s an amazing fellow.” Arisumi decided to go for a walk and rose from furniture he made himself over 50 years ago. Beside the sofa were his chairs, a table, a bookshelf. Plain. Solid. He shook his head as he walked through the shade of his dense grove of 100 kaki (persimmon) trees. The healthy trees were over 100 years old.
“ I hate to brag, but he was good to everybody. He’s an amazing fellow.” —Helen Aiko Yamashige Fifty cherimoya and dozens of Kula peach trees also added to the canopy. In the past, the farm produced 10 tons of kaki alone each year. “Imagine all of this,” Arisumi gestured expansively, “just full... orange with kaki!” But for the past five years, the twoacre farm hardly produces any kaki. Arisumi explained that the flowers come, the fruit starts, and then all fall off before growing much larger than a bambucha marble. He attributed the phenomenon to the much warmer
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climate in Kula. After over 100 years of bearing tons of fruit, things have changed. “All these changes—Maui is changing,” said Arisumi. GIRI “The whole state; our sense of duty country.” His advice? “Some things you cannot change, so no sense fight... CHUGI I’m going to grow avocados loyalty now,” said Arisumi happily, demonstrating how a proper SEKININ graft should be made. responsibility But the thing that Arisumi believes is still worth fighting for is the next GISEI generation of patriots. He sacrifice said he admires individuals who demonstrate sound, wise and courageous GANBARI leadership, as well as those persistence, who achieve higher learning. quiet endurance “Those are the individuals who can make the biggest difference in our world,” he MEIYO said. honor From the age of 12, Arisumi went to work to help support his entire family. He offered his life to his country, representing his family’s honor. Fearing nothing evermore, he built a major construction enterprise that eventually supported his extended family network, hundreds of individuals and other companies—while using furniture at home that he built himself. Though he has done much to support the fabric of American society in both war and peace, one of the most important things he believes he has done is to have given a student he has never even met the opportunity to go to college—all while never having attended high school himself. And as long as he’s around, Arisumi will never let anyone forget the actions and motivations of the Nisei veterans of WWII, and has led the 442nd Veterans Club and the NVMC through many years to prove it. Though he does not consciously think of the Nisei veteran values he lives by, Hiroshi Arisumi wears them emblazoned across the tapestry of his life. And it is not with words, but through action and service that he shares them with the world.
KANSHA gratitude
Farewell Letter from Hiroshi
T
he last edition of Okage Sama De noted that the presidency of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center has been passed to Brian Moto. But I cannot leave the presidency without acknowledging my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to our supporters over the HIROSHI ARISUMI years—the many, many President Emeritus donors, public officials and the entire Maui community who believed in and supported an idea and dream born years ago. Special thanks go to Barbara Watanabe, NVMC’s first executive director, who was instrumental in launching the project off the ground; her successors, Bobby Hill and Gail Raikes; and our present staff, Kyle Watanabe and Melanie Agrabante, who have helped keep the NVMC going with fresh ideas and quality. My gratitude also goes to the current and past members of the Board of Directors, who have kept the organization thriving with their dedication and strength; the Maui Sons and Daughters of Nisei Veterans led by Leonard Oka, which has always been there for NVMC to assist with projects and events, and close gaps where manpower and support are required. I apologize if I missed anyone, but I hope you understand, as there are truly countless people and organizations that assisted and continue to support NVMC. Lastly but most importantly, I thank all of the members of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 100th Battalion, whose sacrifices 70-plus years ago we honor with NVMC. Thanks again to all of our supporters. Because of all of you, I relinquished my position with the NVMC with peace of mind and renewed confidence in its continued success.
S. Sanae Tokumura is a consultant to nonprofit organizations and assisted the NVMC in the completion of the final segment of its campus. She remains a close friend of the NVMC and supporter of its mission. 7 – October 2015
Hiroshi Arisumi President Emeritus
12th Annual Nisei Veterans Memorial Center’s Fundraiser Scheduled for Nov. 7 The 12th Annual Nisei Veterans Memorial Center’s major fundraiser will be held on Nov. 7, 2015, at the Maui Beach Hotel’s Elleair Ballroom. The keynote speaker is Eric Saul, who served as the curator of the Presidio Army Museum in San Francisco from 1973 to 1986. Saul will open the “Unlikely Liberators” exhibit at the NVMC Education Center a week after the fundraiser. The exhibit, first displayed in 1987, chronicles the history of the Japanese-American soldiers of the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion and their rendezvous with history when they came upon Jewish prisoners in Nazi concentration camps at Dachau, Germany. Other members of the unit were among those who saved victims from the infamous Dachau Death March.
Photographs and text depicting these encounters are featured in the exhibit, which will be on display at the NVMC Education Center from November 9, 2015, to January 29, 2016. The fundraiser will open at 5 p.m.; the buffet dinner and program begin at 6 p.m. Corporate tables for the fundraiser are available for $1,500, individual tickets are $100 each for adults and $15 for children 6 to 11 years of age. Special sponsored prices at $25 per person are available for our NVMC veterans, wives and widows. To donate silent auction items or purchase tickets to the fundraiser, contact Annual Fundraiser Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura at YukiLei.Sugimura@gmail.com or 870-8047.
New Board Members Continued from page 2
of Show” recognitions and “Advertising Women of the Year” and numerous Pele Awards. Sae Design also received national recognition for hospitality and food industry projects. In 2005, she was honored with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s “Small Business Advocate of the Year” award. Yee-Ota is also the owner of Maui Thing, a lifestyle apparel retail shop located in Wailuku. Custom designs focus on personal development, local themes and messages and concepts that are “good” for the environment. In addition to supervising overall operations of the company, she is in charge of brand development. Yee-Ota’s community activities include board involvement with the the University of Hawai‘i system’s Board of Regents, Chamber of Commerce
Hawai‘i, Maui Economic Development Board, American Institute of Graphic Arts, Hawai‘i State Art Museum, Maui Young Business Round Table, Maui Memorial Medical Center Foundation and A Keiki’s Dream. Her commitment to Maui is also expressed through nonprofit work and pro bono design services for organizations such as the state Department of Education, Hale Makua Health Services, the Kidney Foundation Hawai‘i Chapter, Lanakila - Meals on Wheels, Maui Youth & Family Services, Maui Chamber of Commerce, Maui Coastal Land Trust, the University of Hawai‘i Maui College, Maui County Farm Bureau, Maui Equal Opportunity, Maui Farm and the Wailuku Community Association. Yee-Ota studied graphic design and packaging at
the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, California State Northridge and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. She resides in Wailuku with her husband, Ken, who is the owner of Pacific Pipe Company, and her two children, Zack and Xia. Sakakihara’s uncle, Katsuyoshi Hamamoto, a medic with the 442nd RCT, was killed in action on Oct. 28, 1944, during the rescue of the “Lost Battalion” in France. His sacrifice and those of his fellow soldiers have always left an impression on Sakakihara. “My generation has benefited from those sacrifices,” explained Sakakihara regarding his decision to join the NVMC board. Sakakihara is a lifelong Maui resident and Baldwin High School graduate. He earned his bachelor of
8 – October 2015
business administration degree in finance at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He worked for Bank of Hawai‘i from 1984 to 2002, advancing from a credit analyst in Honolulu to assistant vice president and district business banking manager on Maui. In 2002, Sakakihara moved to Central Pacific Bank, where he currently serves as vice president and senior business banking manager for the Neighbor Islands. Sakakihara is married to Linda (Monden). Their daughter, Sarah, is a student at ‘Īao Intermediate School in Wailuku. Sakakihara serves on the board of the Wailuku Junior Tennis Club and was also active with the Maui Economic Opportunity Inc., serving as it treasurer, vice-president and board chairman.
2015 Maui AJA Veterans/Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans Scholarship Awardees Historically, 10 scholarships per year have been awarded; this year, 11 were awarded. Eleven recent Maui high school graduates will further their education with help from the Maui AJA (Americans of Japanese Ancestry) Veterans Inc. and Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans. Each awardee received a $1,000 scholarship at a luncheon held on June 27, 2015, at the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center in Wailuku. The students’ scholarship criteria included academic achievement, activities, service, financial need, a personal statement about their plans for contributing to the betterment of our island community and their comments on the Nisei veterans’ contributions to our community. Historically, 10 scholarships per year have been awarded; this year, 11 were awarded. Maui AJA Veterans was formed in 1947 by Japanese-American veterans of World War II. The veterans continue their camaraderie, serve their community, honor fallen comrades and promote opportunities for youth by providing scholarships, which come from donations, investments and fundraising. Formed in 1982, Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans is a nonprofit organization that perpetuates the memory and accomplishments of Japanese-American soldiers of World War II. The group raises scholarship funds through its annual Chrysanthemum Festival, which also supports historical-preservation and other programs. The scholarships are awarded
The Maui AJA Veterans Inc. and Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans scholarship awards ceremony included (left to right, back row): recipient Christopher Kim, Tom Hiranaga, Hiroshi Arisumi, George Sano, recient Chase Nakagawa, (front row) Erin Murashige, Gina Marzo, Teeshawna Amor-Mashino, Chantelle Baclay and Jaclyn Quedding. Photo: Melanie Agrabante
without regard to race, color, religion or ethnicity. The recipients, their high schools, the schools they plan to attend and their parents are as follows: • Teeshawna Amor-Mashino, King Kekaulike High School, University of Portland, daughter of Aisley Mashino of Makawao and Murphy Amor of Kahului. •C hantelle Baclay, Lahainaluna High School, Pacific University, daughter of Ryan and Jacqueline Baclay of Lahaina. •P rincess Bonilla, Baldwin High School, Chaminade University, daughter of Elepisio and Marylou Bonilla of Wailuku. •C hristopher Kim, Maui High School, Yale University, son of Sung Yun and Kyung Sook Kim of Kahului. •G ina Marzo, Maui Preparatory Academy, Whitman College, daughter of Eugene and Jill Marzo of Lahaina. 9 – October 2015
• Erin Murashige, 2013 Chrysanthemum Festival queen, Baldwin High School, UCLA, daughter of Joyce and the late Clyde Murashige of Kula. • Chase Nakagawa, Kamehameha Schools Maui, University of Portland, son of Eric and Karene Nakagawa of Kīhei. • Jaclyn Quedding, Maui High, University of Hawai‘i Maui College, daughter of Marlon and Marites Quedding of Kahului. • Liana Tanaka, Maui High, Pacific University, daughter of Jennifer Phillips of Kahului. • Kaylee Thompson, Kamehameha Schools Maui, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, daughter of Rebecca Gomes of Ha‘ikū. • Cuong Tran, Lahainaluna, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, son of Tom Tran and Tuyen Nguyen of Lahaina.
French Legion of Honor Recipients, Jan. 22, 2015: (left to right, seated) Jotoku Asato, Takeo “Ike” Ikeda, Shigeo Iwamasa, Arthur S. Kurahara, Edward Nishihara, Masanobu Sakuma, Shigeo Wakayama Kaoru Muraoka. (back row) Robert Miyashiro, Corazon Matsumoto (widow of Clarence Matsumoto), Kunio Kikuta, Jill Izumigawa Ross (Stan Izumigawa’s daughter), Hideo “Pakala” Takahashi, Shigeru “Kelly” Nakamura, Francis M. Ohta, Keith Sakamoto (Walter Sakamoto’s son), Pauline Carmona, French Consul General San Francisco; Fred Yamashige; Hiroshi Arisumi. Photo: Melanie Agrabante
The Legion of Honor Exhibit
Shigeo Iwamasa reading his exhibit panel. Photo: Melanie Agrabante
T
he exhibit featuring 18 recent recipients of France’s Legion of Honor medal was on display from May 11 through Aug. 28, 2015, at the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center. The recipients were honored with the medal in January for their contributions toward liberating France from German occupation during World War II. The exhibit, co-sponsored by Maui’s Sons and Daughters of Nisei Veterans and the NVMC, featured biographies and photographs of the honorees. There were also descriptions of the battles in which the men participated in as they fought to liberate France, including the famous Rescue of the Lost Battalion in the Vosges Mountains, for which the 100th Infantry Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team was awarded three Presidential Unit Citations. Another battle featured at the exhibit space is Operation Dragoon, the airborne invasion in southern France of August 1944. The 442nd 10 – October 2015
Antitank Company took to the air in C-41 gliders to support the mission. On display were models of the gliders as well a piece of canvas from a glider skin. The canvas came from the glider that carried Edwin Kokubun, a soldier from Maui, who donated the souvenir to the NVMC archives. Masanobu Sakuma, Maui’s last survivor of this glider operation, passed away earlier this year. He was among the Legion of Honor recipients as well. “After reading veterans’ biographies and war articles, I have a greater understanding of what they went through in France,” said exhibit cochair Howard Ikeda, son of Takeo “Ike” Ikeda, one of the Legion of Honor awardees. “They sacrificed their lives and fought with courage in many battles to bring freedom to the people of France. This exhibit has given me the opportunity to share the veterans’ stories and experiences on the war in France.” Ikeda contacted all of the honored veterans and their families in an Please turn to the next page
Continued from page 10
effort to gather photographs and other memorabilia for the exhibit. “The families were very supportive and cooperative by providing information needed for the exhibit,” Ikeda said. “It has been a rewarding experience getting to know each family.” “It was a great honor for me to work with each one of these veterans,” said exhibit co-chair David Fukuda. “Their stories are individually and collectively remarkable lessons in courage, patriotism, humility and compassion.” Kyle Watanabe, NVMC historical preservation and education coordinator, also assisted with the exhibit. The exhibit panels were designed by Debra Lumpkins, who has been responsible for most of the NVMC poster designs since the Education Center opened two years ago. The exhibit was the fourth that the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center has featured over the last two years. The exhibit supported NVMC’s mission to perpetuate the legacy of the Nisei soldiers of World War II and their service to the community.
Ed Nishihara, Legion of Honor medal recipient, and his wife, Marie. Photo: Melanie Agrabante
David Fukuda showing Francis Ohta his exhibit folder.
Photo: Melanie Agrabante
SAVEdate THE
October 10
November 7
December 5
442nd Veterans Club Quarterly Social. For club members, spouses and widows, and invited guests, including veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion and Military Intelligence Service.
12th Annual Nisei Veterans Memorial Centers Fundraising Dinner Elleair Ballroom, Maui Beach Hotel, Kahului. See “12th Annual Nisei Veterans Memorial Center’s Fundraiser Scheduled for Nov. 7” on page 8 for details.
63rd Chrysanthemum Festival Velma McWayne Santos Community Center in Wailuku; doors open at 4:30 p.m. Sponsored by Maui’s Sons and Daughters of Nisei Veterans. Proceeds fund historical preservation activities and scholarships for high school seniors who want to go to college. For more information, call Leonard Oka at 385-7670.
11 – October 2015
Alfio Falaschi and JoAnn Sinton
Carlo Laj’s home, which was taken over by the Germans and used as headquarters during their occupation of Campo.
Campo Remembers Nisei soldiers played a pivotal role in the lives of the residents of a small Italian town during WWII.
The Arno River at Campo, Italy.
By JoAnn Sinton
Geophysicist Carlo Laj led a team of researchers from the Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de L’Environment in Gif sur Yvette, France, about 15 years ago to study the magnetic properties of volcanic rocks in the Wai‘anae Range of O‘ahu. While visiting our house, he picked up a copy of “Go For Broke” and remarked, “These guys were in the village where I am from. It is the village of Campo near Pisa, Italy. You must come visit and I’ll show you where they crossed the Arno River.” It took us 15 years to take him up on his offer, but in August 2014, we finally made it. The village of Campo lies on the northern banks of the Arno River about four miles east of Pisa, Italy. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team separated into two groups in Tuscany, one of which crossed the Arno right in Campo. According to Carlo, in the summer, when the river level is very low, you can still see part of the “gabbions” the engineers set up for making a bridge.
Carlo was only 5 years old when he and his younger relatives were taken to the surrounding mountains to hide out when the Germans occupied Campo, setting up headquarters in Carlo’s family home. When the American forces rousted the Germans from Campo, they bombed the region, but Carlo’s home was spared, possibly because it was hidden by large trees, Campo was liberated by JapaneseAmerican soldiers, many of whom were hosted in the house of Alfio Falaschi, a surviving resident of Campo. Alfio has a vivid memory of them sharing their frittella (pancakes) with his family. Everyone was starving at that time in Campo, and it was a most pleasurable experience for Alfio; he says he still has the flavor in his mouth. When we met with him at the ARCI (the community center where residents gather for morning cappuccino), Carlo suggested we bring along a bag of macadamia nuts to show Alfio that people from Hawai‘i are still willing to share food with our friends in Italy. 12 – October 2015
Not all the food memories are remembered as fondly. Alfio’s friend, Paolo Zaccagnini, described with some disdain how the British soldiers staying with his family put sugar on their spaghetti! During our visit, Campo was holding its annual Sagra degli Schiaffoni, a community feast and summer celebration. We were treated like guests of honor when we arrived, and were ushered to the front of long lines to our reserved table. ARCI Secretary Alessandro Bonomi greeted us and conveyed his gratitude and respect for the role that the Japanese-American soldiers played in liberating their village from German occupation (see Alessandro’s letter at right). We were deeply moved by the genuine warmth and pleasure he took in meeting a daughter of one of the Nisei soldiers that played such a pivotal role in the lives of the people in this small village. Continued on page 22
This old stone wall had been broken to allow passage of the Nisei soldiers and their armored vehicles over the Arno River.
Our hosts in Campo, Catherine Kissel and Carlo Laj talk with Franco Bernacchi (center) where the 442nd RCT crossed the Arno
Officers of the ARCI, (left) Luka Cavallini, son of a partisan fighter, and (right) Alessandro Bonomi welcome JoAnn Sinton to the Sagra degli Schiaffoni in Campo.
A Moving Encounter It seemed impossible to believe what our good friend Carlo Laj was telling us: During one of his professional journeys, by chance, he met the daughter of Clarence Oka, an American soldier (442nd Regimental Combat Team from Hawai‘i), who, during WWII, was in Italy and stayed for a short time in our little village of Campo, near Pisa in Tuscany, Italy. Another encounter occurred in Campo—this time not by chance, but by personal choice—between Carlo and the family of Clarence Oka. We have been very happy to know that Mrs. Oka Sinton (Oka’s daughter) and her husband, John, would come to Italy 70 years after her father, and it has been a great emotion to meet her, and to see in her eyes her emotion to be here; all our thoughts were with her father and with all the allied soldiers who fought with the Italian people to regain our freedom. She came in August during our festival: “Sagra degli Schiaffoni” and we were proud that she could taste and like our “schiaffoni” (a special pasta of our region), stay with us for dinner and also wear our apron. Thank you, Signora Oka, for your visit to our village. Thank you for the emotion you gave us! We hope, although we live on the other side of the world, that there will be another chance to meet you. Alessandro Bonomi presents Sagra degli Schiaffoni aprons to JoAnn and Catherine while Carlo looks on.
Arrivederci! Alessandro Bonomi
13 – October 2015
NVMC Donates Land for Peace Park
(Left to right) Paul Mizoguchi, Yuki Lei Sugimura, Brian Moto, Ted Clement, Scott Fisher, Carol Gentz and Malia Avilla. Photo: Melanie Agrabante
T
he Nisei Veterans Memorial Center (NVMC) consummated the transfer of an adjacent 4.5acre parcel to the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (HILT) on July 1, 2015. The parcel, which spans the NVMC’s Go For Broke Place driveway to Kanaloa Avenue, will be transformed into a “Peace Park” featuring nature trails and scenic vistas for the community to enjoy, with
appropriate signage acknowledging the Maui Nisei Veterans Center. The land was acquired from A&B Inc. in 2011 to comply with the Maui Island Burial Council’s requirements of land ownership. The parcel, which falls within the tsunami zone and Special Management Area (SMA) boundaries, is subject to conservation zoning that restricts development. These restrictions, coupled with the maintenance costs involved, led the
board to reach out to HILT about taking ownership/stewardship of the property. “NVMC is excited about the preservation of this open space as a peace park honoring all Maui veterans and is happy to donate the property to HILT for this purpose,” said NVMC President Brian Moto. “We respect HILT’s distinguished record of land stewardship and conservation,
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One landmark of interest on the property is the series of arched concrete walls located near Kahului Beach Road. These are the remnants of the Kahului Railroad Company’s rock crusher operation that existed from 1921 until the facility was damaged by the 1946 tsunami (see photo). It is one of the few remaining structures of the railroad that operated from 1879 to 1966—the longest-running railroad in Hawai‘i.
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Continued from page 14
and believe that our collaboration will result in a lasting tribute to our veterans.” Negotiations regarding the property, which began in early 2014, were predicated upon the establishment of a reserve fund to ensure HILT’s ability to maintain and preserve this parcel. The transfer was made possible in May of this year, when a major HILT donor offered to provide the bulk of the funding necessary. Other donors who have supported this project include Mary Sanford, A&B Kokua Giving Program, Matson and several NVMC board members. NVMC and HILT would like to thank Reed Ariyoshi of Warren Unemori Engineering, and Attorneys Rick Kiefer and Barclay MacDonald for their assistance in preparing the transaction documents. “We have been very honored to work with the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center on this project,” said Ted Clement, Hawaiian Islands Land Trust’s executive director. “On behalf of the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust, I want to thank the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center for donating the land and our donors for contributing funds so that this strategically located land can serve as a future peace park honoring veterans.”
Honoring World War II Veterans France and Italy’s World War II U.S. cemeteries
David Fukuda folds the American Flag at the U.S. cemetery near Florence, Italy. On his left is Carol (Komiyama) Matsunaga and on his right is Alvin Shimogaki, whose fathers served with David’s father in the 100th Infantry Battalion.
I
t was heartwarming to see 300 to 400 attendees at this year’s Memorial Day service at the Maui Veterans Cemetery in Makawao. Volunteers from Maui’s Sons and Daughters of Nisei Veterans served refreshments, which they have donated to this event for the past 24 years. Most gratifying was the announcement that through the cooperative efforts of the federal, state and county governments, the 10-acre Maui Veterans Cemetery will be designated as a national shrine before year’s end. This coveted status is shared with only one other cemetery in Hawai‘i—the West Hawai‘i Veterans Cemetery in Kailua-Kona. During the past three years, my wife Judy and I have had the humbling experience of visiting five World War II U.S. cemeteries located in France and Italy. Every park has an administrative office and a memorial with a chapel overlooking the cemetery grounds. In the memorials are stunning mosaics depicting the battles that occurred in the region. Each cemetery is immaculately maintained with rows of perfectly aligned white marble Latin crosses and Stars of David. A walled area with the names of those soldiers who are missing in action stands nearby. If a soldier’s remains are subsequently recovered, a bronze rosette is placed next to his name on the wall. This past April, we had the opportunity to visit the Rhone American Cemetery and Memorial in Southern France. The cemetery is in Draguignan, located nine miles northwest of Le Muy, where the anti-tank company of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team landed on Aug. 15, 1944. The anti-tank company took part in Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of Southern France, entering the county on gliders as part of the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 1st Airborne Task Force. The Rhone American Cemetery was the fifth European U.S. cemetery we have visited in the last three years, and by far the smallest. The 890 U.S. soldiers buried here make up less than one-tenth of the 9,387 men who are laid to rest at Normandy to the north (see chart, next page). Continued on page 17 15 – October 2015
The 522nd Field Artillery Battalion Exhibit
The “Unlikely Liberators” exhibit will be on display at the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center’s Education Center from Nov. 10, 2015, through Jan. 29, 2016.
First displayed in 1987, “Unlikely Liberators” chronicles the history of the Japanese-American soldiers of the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion and their rendezvous with history when they came upon Jewish prisoners in Nazi concentration camps at Dachau, Germany. Other members of the unit were among those who saved victims from the infamous Dachau Death March. Photographs and text depicting these encounters are featured in the exhibit, which was created by Eric Saul, former curator of the Military Museum at the Presidio in San Francisco. The 522nd Field Artillery Battalion was activated at Camp Shelby, Mississippi on Feb. 1, 1943, and attached to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT) for most of the war. Manned by Nisei from Hawai‘i and the Mainland, the battalion was comprised of three gun batteries, each with four 105-millimeter 16 – October 2015
Howtizers, a headquarters and service battery, and medical detachment. The 522nd Field Artillery Battalion developed a reputation for its speed, skillful forward observers and accurate fire, but became best known for its role in liberating Jewish survivors in Dachau subcamps and the Landsberg-Kaufering Dachau Death March. In March of 1945, the 522nd was detached from the 442nd RCT and spent the next two months traveling “1,100 miles across Germany... firing 15,219 rounds and take every objective of their 52 assignments,” roving between almost two dozen units (Crost, Honor By Fire, p.239). On April 29, 1945, the unit came upon their first sighting of Jewish prisoners. An exhibit text panel featured the words of Josef Erbs, a Dachau Concentration Camp survivor who was liberated that April:
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Honoring WWII Veterans Continued from page 15
“ I was put in Dachau for many months. On that afternoon, this JapaneseAmerican came and saved my life.” Continued from page 16
“On April 29, a big oriental man saved my life. I was 18 years old, 76 pounds at the time—barely alive. He picked me up from the ground, inside the camp. His uniform had an emblem… blue, with a white hand and white torch. He was a young Asian man with the American Army. Never before had I seen an Asian man or a black man… ” “I was put in Dachau for many months. On that afternoon, this JapaneseAmerican came and saved my life. I was on the ground, couldn’t walk… If the war had lasted another day, I would not have lived through it. I was on my last breath. I drank some caraway soup. Up to that time, I felt alone in the whole world.” This is Eric Saul’s second exhibit at the NVMC Education Center. His first, “Go For Broke,” held in the spring of 2013, attracted over 1,000 visitors. The NVMC Education Center will be open Monday through Friday from noon to 4 p.m.
Guiding us through the grounds was a knowledgeable and enthusiastic senior staff member who explained the history of Operation Dragoon, as well as the mission of the America Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), which oversees our military cemeteries and monuments. Normandy is the largest and most visited American cemetery, attracting one million visitors annually. It was the first one Judy and I visited back in April, 2012. Overlooking the beaches where most of those buried here gave their lives during the invasion, one can almost visualize the events of that summer in 1944 that led to these soldiers’ deaths. Yet despite the large numbers buried here and at other European cemeteries, the great majority of American men who lost their lives abroad are buried in the United States. After the end of World War II, a fallen soldier’s next of kin was given the choice of having the remains buried abroad or brought home to the United States. Over 60 percent chose to have their loved ones brought back home. Once made, the decision was irrevocable. All but one of the 101 Maui soldiers who were killed in action in the European campaigns were returned to Hawai‘i. Only Yoshio Tengwan of Lahaina is interred at Epinal, the provincial capital of the Vosges department. The Epinal American Cemetery is well maintained, nestled in a wooded area over the Moselle River. But Epinal is not a primary tourist destination; visitors to the cemetery are few in number. When Judy and I looked through the visitors’ log, we saw only a few dozen names separating ours from Gen. Robert Lee’s contingent that came through five months earlier. Sadly, these veterans—most of whom were too young to have families and thus descendants—are rarely visited. Thankfully, tour companies are beginning to include stops at these U.S. cemeteries in their itineraries to enable travelers to reflect and pay respect to these soldiers. If you are planning to travel to Europe in the future, I encourage you to include a visit to one of these American cemeteries in your schedule. Meanwhile, I look forward to seeing you at next year’s Memorial Day service at our own Maui Veterans Cemetery. World War II U.S. Cemeteries located in Italy and France Size in Acres
Burials
Missing
77
7,861
3,095
172.3
9,387
1,557
Florence (Italy)
70
4,402
1,409
Epinal (France)
49.5
5,255
424
Rhone (Draguignan, France)
12.5
860
294
Sicily-Rome (outside of Anzio, Italy) Normandy (overlooking Omaha Beach, France)
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Harold Okumura with his family in front of the Okinawa Prefecture Peace Memorial: (left to right, standing Hiroyuki Kunugihi, curator; grandsons Trevor Tokishi and Dean Tokishi; a member of the media; (seated) Rowena Kumabe (with back turned, Ione Tokishi; Masue Okumura; Harold Okumura; granddaughter Tarrah Tokishi and Gwen Martino.
Harold Okumura Returns to Okinawa
“A
With a loudspeaker in hand, he ctually, I didn’t want to to persuade civilians who took refuge in the deep caves along the coastline to eswould fervently urge them, “Please return to Okinawa, because cape the devastation of their homeland. come out. Don’t worry. You can trust I was afraid of reliving Please turn to next page the bad memories of my experiences there,” said WWII Veteran Harold Okumura. “But because of the request from the curator of the Okinawan Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum, I went. Now I’m glad I did.” Okumura’s initial reaction upon his arrival was one of complete amazement. The resilience and fortitude of the Okinawan people led them to rebuild their cities and country from complete devastation into the modern country that it is today. In April 2015, Okumura returned to the site of one of the deadliest and most destructive battles of the Pacific in World War II. Seventy years earlier, he had been as- Upon their arrival in Okinawa, and here at Sobe Beach, Harold Okumura and his family signed as a Military Intelligence Service were greeted by many reporters, photographers and cameramen from local newspapers, TV and radio stations. interpreter, whose initial function was 18 – October 2015
Harold Okumura with Hiroyuki Kunugihi, curator and director of Okinawa Prefecture Peace Memorial.
Harold Okumura looks through names on the “Corner Stone of Peace.”
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first landed. The caves were still visible. The bay retains its beauty. The following day, the Okumura clan was taken to Sedake, where a refugee camp was set up to house the 500 civilians. Two original Okinawan refugees from this camp unexpectedly appeared on this day and related to all how Okumura had helped them cope with their immensely changed lives and living conditions.
me. I am a third-generation Japanese from Hawai‘i.” This was a difficult task, as enemy soldiers were often in the same caves and forbade the civilians from leaving. When attempts to coax them out failed, the caves were then completely set aflame. It was really heart-wrenching to witness this, Okumura said. There were times, however, when he was successful in persuading some civilians to abide by his pleas, which gave him tremendous relief and happiness. But Okumura also recalled witnessing civilians leaping off cliffs to their deaths to escape the “merciless killing by the American soldiers,” as fabricated by the enemy soldiers in the same caves. Okumura’s experiences were vicariously relived by his family, who accompanied him on the trip: his wife, three daughters and their spouses, and three grown grandchildren. Upon their arrival in Okinawa, they were greeted by many reporters, photographers and cameramen from local newspapers, TV and radio stations. During each day of their four-day stay, transportation was provided to
various sites. At each site, Okumura was interviewed at length about what it was like when he was last there. At the Peace Museum in Mabuni, Itoman, the director led him and his family through vivid and surreal exhibits depicting how civilians coped in their cave dwellings during the Battle of Okinawa. On April 1—exactly 70 years since arriving in Okinawa during the war—he and his family were transported to Sobe Beach near Yometan Village, where he
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This photo of Sobe Beach was taken on April 1, 2015, 70 years to the day that Harold Okumura landed with U.S. troops on Sobe Beach during WWII. 19 – October 2015
Return to Okinawa Continued from page 19
They said Okumura “borrowed” a portable generator to help the refugees with electric power. He gathered U.S. Army c-rations to share with them. He had also driven one of these survivors to different cave sites to help find his grandmother, who got separated but was still alive. Mostly, they said, he gave them hope. Okumura was greatly touched by their testimonies. Okumura’s underlying motivation and intent in returning to Okinawa was “to teach his children and grandchildren the preciousness of peace.” Wars are horrific, especially for the innocent civilians, and he wanted future generations to learn from “The Battle of Okinawa” and how wars must be avoided. He accomplished his missions… then and today.
Mr. Yogi thanks Harold Okumura for helping him find his grandmother, who got separated during a cave evacuation during WWII, but was still alive.
Mahalo and Farewell to Kansha School Founding Director Charlene Doi
T
he Kansha Board of Directors thanks Charlene Doi for her nine years of service to Kansha Preschool. Charlene is the founding director of Kansha Preschool, which opened it’s doors in 2006 as part of Phase I of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center’s Intergenerational Center—a living memorial to the Nisei Veterans. This was the first and continues to be the only intergenerational shared site on Maui. In 2010, Char was interviewed for an article that appeared in the Journal of Intergenerational Relationships. The article highlighted the unique partnership between Kansha and the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center as well as her personal experience as a daughter of a Nisei veteran. She explained that the vision and mission of Kansha “is in perfect alignment with the Nisei values of respect for all generations and abilities,
particularly respect for our elders.” When asked about the preschool’s name, Char explained that “‘Kansha’ is a Japanese word meaning ‘very deep respect and gratitude.’ It is a word steeped in Japanese tradition that goes far beyond simple thanks—to a feeling of compassion and thankfulness expressed through one’s actions.” Since the beginning, Char has been completely dedicated to teaching the younger generations gratitude for and perpetuating the values of the Nisei soldiers. Since Kansha opened in 2006, Char has maintained a strong program that lead to the school becoming accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The accreditation process was a tremendous commitment of time, and like all of Char’s work, was completed to perfection. In March, Char stepped down as Kansha’s executive director. We will 20 – October 2015
miss her and wish her the best as she begins her next chapter. The board is dedicated to upholding the values and goals of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center that Char incorporated into her classroom and looks forward to continuing to move the program forward. INTERGENERATIONAL CENTER Part of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center’s mission is to perpetuate the veterans’ legacy through education and continuing service to all generations. At the NVMC Intergenerational Center, Kansha Preschool children and their “grandpas and grandmas” at Maui Adult Day Care Centers’ Ocean View facility maintain a loving connection as they share the courtyard and other facilities.
lest we forget Takashi “Johnson” Toda
Oct. 10, 1924–May 10, 2015 Takashi “Johnson” Toda of Wailuku passed away at the age of 90 on May 10, 2015, at Maui Memorial Medical Center. Toda was born on Oct. 10, 1924, in Pu‘unēnē. Toda enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the Military Intelligence Service. He completed his training and military schooling at Fort Snelling in Minnesota. Toda was a pharmacist and owner-operator of Toda Drugstore in Kahului. Toda is survived by his wife, Myrtle Toda; sons Blake Leslie Toda and Derek Toda; daughter Debbie Toda; sister Toshie Nagata; two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Raymond Kunio Iwamoto Aug. 6, 1916–June 8, 2015
Raymond Kunio Iwamoto of Wailuku passed away at the age of 98 on June 8, 2015, at Kula Hospital. He was born in Pu‘unēnē on Aug. 6, 1916. Iwamoto was inducted into the U.S. Army on Nov. 13, 1941, as a draftee into the 83rd Quartermaster Depot Company in Hawai‘i, later to be incorporated into the Hawaiian Provisional Infantry Battalion. On June 5, 1942, the battalion shipped out of Honolulu and arrived in San Francisco, where they were renamed the 100th Infantry Battalion (Separate). Iwamoto and the 100th Battalion were transported to Camp McCoy in Wisconsin, then eventually to Camp Shelby in Mississippi for basic training. Iwamoto started out in Company F then eventually was transferred to Company C in combat in Europe. Iwamoto participated in the Central Pacific Campaign, Naples Foggia Campaign and the Rome Arno Campaign. For his service, he was awarded the American Defense Service Medal with clasp, EAME Service Medal, Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, Combat Infantry Badge and the Purple Heart (combat wound) with an Oak Leaf Cluster (second wound). Iwamoto was separated from service on Sept. 5, 1945, with the rank of Private First Class. After returning from the war, Iwamoto worked at the Waiehu Municipal Golf Course, starting as a groundskeeper and working his way up to the position of superintendent until his retirement in 1971.
our departed comrades He loved golf and won the Maui Invitational Golf Tournament in 1951. He was a past member of the Waiehu Golf Club. He is survived by his wife, Fumiko Iwamoto; daughters Jean (Louis) Wada and Annette (Richard) Arine; four grandchildren; six greatgrandchildren; and sisters Kathleen (Wallace) Harada and Sueko Ikeuchi.
Arthur S. Kurahara
July 8, 1921–July 31, 2015 Arthur S. Kurahara of Kahului, passed away on July 31, 2015, at age 94 at Hale Makua in Kahului. Kurahara was born on July 8, 1921, in Pā‘ia, Maui. He grew up in Nashiwa Camp, attended Pā‘ia School and graduated from Maui High School. Upon graduation, Arthur worked at Maui Agriculture in Pā‘ia. Kurahara was inducted into the 442nd Infantry Regiment on March 23, 1943, and served in Company D. He was later included in the first replacement group that would join the 100th Battalion (Separate), which was already fighting in Europe. Upon arrival in Italy, he was assigned as a radio man under the D Company commander and later as a messenger. Arthur participated in the Rome-Arno, Po Valley, North Appennines and Rhineland Campaign, which included the Liberation of Bruyeres and Biffontaine and the Rescue of the “Lost Battalion.” Kurahara was awarded with the American Campaign Service Medal, EAME Service Medal, Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Distinguished Unit Badge and World War II Victory Medals. At the end of the war, he re-enlisted in November 1945 and was eventually discharged in January 1947, reaching the rank of Technical Sergeant. After the war, Kurahara returned to Pā‘ia and his employment at the Pā‘ia Mill, this time, as a mechanic. On Jan. 22, 2015, along with 18 other Maui veterans of the 100th Battalion/442nd RCT, Kurahara received the French Legion of Honor Medal. He was active in the Maui 442nd Veteran’s Club, 100th Infantry Battalion Club-Maui and the Maui AJA Veterans Club. He is survived by his wife, Amelia; son Alan (Mari) Kurahara; and daughters Adrienne (Michael) Asato and Alison Ordonez. He is also survived by four grandchildren—Kristi-Lyn Wooten, Ryan Umeno, Miki-Ann Asato and David Kurahara.
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Contributions to the NVMC FOR THE PERIOD APRIL 1 THROUGH JULY 31, 2015 Division
Hiroshi Arisumi HDG6 Jerry Ogawa, Vivian Tully & Corinne Bauske, in honor of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team Kenneth Okimoto, in memory of Sue Arisumi Kenneth Okimoto Fred H. and Helen Yamashige Regiment
James and Mrs. Lillian Chou, in memory of Joe Nakamoto Maui United Hongwanji Buddhist Women’s Association Warren and Joanne Shibuya, in memory of Tec 5 Yoshio Shibuya, Headquarters Co, 442nd RCT, Pfc Kaoru Watanabe, Cannon Co., 442 RCT, S Sgt Willard “Lanky” Matsumoto, H Co., 442 RCT Adele Sumida Chris and Lornna Takahashi Battalion
Willie and Janet Yoshida Goo Meiji and Toshiko Hirose Shigeo Iwamasa Hideo and Joyce Kawahara Alec and Maren McBarnet Richard and Patricia Miyashiro Company
Anonymous donation, in memory of Kunio Kikuta Richard and Annette Arine, in memory of Raymond K. Iwamoto, 100th Infantry Battalion
Michael and Adrienne Asato Edmond & Betsy Cardoza Norman and Lauren Chun Stephen and Elsie Chun Mary Whyte Coleman, in honor of Hiroshi Arisumi Carroll Correa Harry and Mae Furomoto Glenn and Katherine Hamai Yoneko Hashimoto Calvin and Sharon Higuchi, in memory of Kunio Kikuta Ken and Akiko Hiji Roy and Gwen Hiraga Tom Hiranaga, in memory of Miyoko Hiranaga Chieko Hiwatashi Shoma Hotta, in memory of Kihachiro J. Hotta, PFC, 100th Infantry Battalion Kenneth & Sandra Ichikawa Tadao Ishii Alfred Itamura Jimmy’s D.C. Electric Richard and Ruby Kano Roy and Betty Katsuda Tsugiko Kikuta Judith Kitagawa, in memory of George Kitagawa Francine Lee Michael Lewis and Carolyn Nakaki Erika and Janell Magarifuji Corazon Matsumoto Les and Valerie Matsumoto Bernard and Merle Momita Albert and Julie Morita Mae F. Murabayashi Nakagawa Family Richard and Cora Nitta, in memory of Kunio Kikuta Harold & Masue Okumura Cynthia Char Ong
Keiko Matsudo Orrall, in memory of Seizen Matsudo, 100th IFB/442nd RCT and in honor of Minoru Nakamura, 442nd RCT Fred Rohlfing Aline Rolaff, in memory of Tamotsu Hamaguchi and Howard Hamaguchi Jonathan & Jill Ross Karen and Patrick Saka Hisako Sano, in memory of Major Martin Ideue Gladys Sonomura in memory of Kunio Kikuta Masako Suehiro Lance Takamiya Hideo and Tomoe Takeuchi Tanikai Inc. Alan and Viveia Tokunaga Lynne and Charles Toma Thomas Umetsu Shigeo and Janet Wakayama Ray and Roberta Westfall Platoon
Nora Abe, in memory of Thomas Abe Myrtle Agrabante Ralph and Amy Arakaki Robert and Geraldine Carroll Alvin and Michie Chee Madoka Chugo Cindy Fergerstrom-Palea, in memory of Kunio Kikuta Clayton Fujimoto Emiko Goshi Tetsuo K. and Margaret Hamada Nelson and Leslie Hiraga Janice and Clarence Ishizu Dick and Sharon Kamita Stanley and Hilda Kaneshiro
Sam Kikumoto, Jr. Kenneth and Bernice Kimura Chosei and Frances Kuge Dan and Susan Michibata Kaoru & Fujie Muraoka Alison Ordonez Grace Saito Momoye Shimada Helene and Ray Sokugawa, in memory of Terry S. Higa, 232nd Engineering Battalion Ralph & Thelma Takata Eileen Taketa Isamu Tamashiro Ken Tome Frederick and Arlene Toyama, in memory of Jenny and Clarence “Hekka” Oka Linda Unemori Gordon and Lynette Watanabe, in memory of Jiro Watanabe, 442nd RCT, Company L Sueko Watanabe Mandy Westfall-Senda Satoko Yamada, in memory of Akira Ishikawa Elaine and Milton Yamashita Harvey Yatogo Squad
Jameson Apana John Fernandez Lillian Hiyama Ai Iwane M. Kanemoto Tama Makishima Joseph Mathis Esther Mo’okini, in memory of Sadamu Koito Serikaku Family Allen and Janice Shishido John and Donnette-Gene Wilson Esther Yokoyama
Note: The Nisei Veterans Memorial Center has made every effort to present accurate information in the list of contributors. Please assist us to maintain our records correctly by calling us at 244-6862 if you notice an error. Mahalo!
Campo Remembers Continued from page 12
Later, we met with Carlo’s childhood friend, Franco Bernacchi, on the banks of the Arno. Franco showed us the exact place where he said the Americans crossed the river. The armored vehicles were too large to pass along the small village road, and we saw the place where an old stone wall had been broken to allow their passage through a field. Franco was pleased to have us visit and have the
opportunity to show us this place that was so important to them. As we expressed gratitude for his efforts, he replied simply, “They freed us. They made it so we could breathe again.” As we struggle to encourage the next generations to not forget these deeds, it was very touching and heartwarming to know that the people in Campo have not forgotten.
22 – October 2015
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! 23 – October 2015
Okage Sama de ... OCTOBER 2015
n President
Emeritus Hiroshi Arisumi
An interview with Hiroshi: His life of gratitude, honor, courage and humility, by S. Sanae Tokumura Page 1
nN isei Veterans
Scholarship Awards
Exceptional high school recipients for this year’s scholarships. Page 9 nA
Hiroshi Arisumi at Shelby 1942
visit to Okinawa
A warm Okinawan welcome for Harold Okumura—and memories of his survival of 70 years ago. Page 18
The Nisei Veterans Memorial Center P.O. Box 216, Kahului, HI 96733-6716