BECAUSE OF YOU I AM . . . Volume 22 Issue 1, February 2015
Liberators aren’t forgotten by a grateful France: Nisei soldiers appointed to French Legion of Honor Late last year, about 50 World War II veterans in Hawaii received word from the French government that their applications for the Legion of Honor had been approved and they would be awarded France’s highest honorific medal. Eighteen Mauians are on this list of soldiers who were members of the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team and helped to liberate France. The Maui recipients of the Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur — the Knight medal of the French Legion of Honor — are: Hiroshi Arisumi, Jotoku Asato, Takeo Ikeda, Stanley Izumigawa, Shigeo Iwamasa, Kunio Kikuta, Arthur Kurahara, Clarence
Matsumoto, Robert Miyashiro, Kaoru Muraoka, Shigeru Nakamura, Edward Nishihara, Francis Ohta, Walter Sakamoto, Masanobu Sakuma, Hideo Takahashi, Shigeo Wakayama and Fred Yamashige. Invitation from an Ally
The application process began more than two years ago when David Fukuda, a member of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center board, received word from Gerome Villain from the Vosges region in France that the government was offering the Legion of Honor to World War II veterans who helped in the liberation of France.
The Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur — the Knight medal of the French Legion of Honor. Photo by Eleonore Gachet
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NVMC stages exhibit to tell
The Hawai‘i Internees’ Story Dr. Seiichi Ohata spent nearly 10 years in Japan because of a World War II prisoner-of-war exchange. After he returned to Maui, his granddaughters recall, he refused to speak to them in English. Before he was sent to Japan, Ohata had been interned on Maui and then sent to Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was stripped of all his rights in the United States, and it required a decade of persistent letter writing by his son, Seiya, and costly legal fees before he was allowed to return to his family on Maui. It was another three years before his
residence, hospital and other assets were returned to the family by the federal government. Seiichi Ohata was one of five Maui internees who were featured in the recent exhibit “The Hawai‘i Internees’ Story,” which was held in the Education Center of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center. A reception was held in the NVMC pavilion on November 5, the eve of the opening of the exhibit. Among the 50 attendees were Seiya Ohata (who also became a physician) and his wife, Kiyoko, and his daughters, Barbara Huntley
Families of Maui internees who were featured in “The Hawai‘i Internees’ Story” exhibit received posters about their relative from the NVMC. After the presentation, NVMC exhibit chairman David Fukuda (far left) posed with the family of Dr. Seiichi Ohata, including (from left) Kiyoko and Seiya Ohata; the internee’s granddaughters, Marilyn Sameshima and Barbara Huntley; and Marilyn’s husband, Doug. Photo by Melanie Agrabante
and Marilyn Sameshima. Focusing on the Mauians
Displays about the five Maui men were created by NVMC staff and volunteers and pre-
sented in conjunction with two exhibits on the internment of Japanese in Hawaii that were created by the Japanese CulturPlease turn to page 7
a message from the president of our board | Hiroshi Arisumi
A time to express gratitude 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: Nisei Veterans Memorial Center, guided by the values of Japanese-American veterans of World War II and inspired by their valor, will perpetuate the legacy of these Nisei veterans by nurturing the community’s youth, supporting care and respect for the community’s elderly and promoting an understanding about the history, values and culture of Japanese-American soldiers which contributed to their heroic military accomplishments as well as their continued contributions to the community and nation. Board of Directors Hiroshi Arisumi, President Roy Katsuda, Vice President Beryl Bal, Secretary Paul Mizoguchi, Treasurer David Fukuda Glenn Goya Hideo Kawahara Mark Mizuno Brian Moto Dwight Muraoka Yuki Lei Sugimura 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
As an old year passes and a new one arrives, it’s good to pause and give thanks to those who help us with our mission. Our 11th Annual Nisei Veterans Memorial Center Fundraising Dinner was held on November 8. Thank you to board member Yuki Lei Sugimura and your committee for planning, organizing and putting together this successful event. The banquet hall was beautifully decorated and packed with smiling people, all enjoying themselves and having a great time. We were fortunate that board member Glenn Goya was able to get Los Angeles Superior Court Judge and decorated Vietnam veteran Vincent Okamoto to take time from his busy schedule and be the keynote speaker for the dinner. From November 6 to January 3, the NVMC Education Center was the venue for “The Hawai‘i Internees’ Story” exhibit. Thank you to board member David Fukuda for chairing this very interesting exhibit of great photos, storyboards and other display items from the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii and from Maui families who shared information and stories of events that happened more than 70 years ago. It was also seven decades ago that the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and 100th Infantry Battalion fought
in France. And last month, the French government awarded the Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur medal to 18 Maui Nisei veterans who fought in France. The 18 veterans include Walter Sakamoto, Clarence “Mutt” Matsumoto and Stanley Izumigawa, who are now deceased but had applied for the award before they died. Congratulations to the awardees, and thank you to David Fukuda for helping the veterans with the applications! Thank you, Wayne Maeda, for serving as treasurer for the board of the NVMC from 1994 to 2014. I know it took lots of your time to keep our records up to date and to prepare the treasurer’s report for every meeting. We appreciate the time you gave us. Thank you, Paul Mizoguchi, for accepting the position of treasurer. The year 2014 was a very busy and eventful year! Thank you to Kyle Watanabe, our historical preservation and education program coordinator, and to Melanie Agrabante, our office manager, for all the effort and dedication that you put in throughout the year, and especially for the extra time you give when we have special events and exhibits. Thank you to our very talented Board of Directors, who tirelessly serve the NVMC. And of course, thank you to all of you who continue to support the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center. Hiroshi Arisumi President Board of Directors Nisei Veterans Memorial Center
Longtime treasurer ends two decades on board Our Center bids a fond aloha and heartfelt arigato to Wayne Maeda, who has resigned from the Board of Directors after two decades — most of it as the treasurer. “For 20 years, Wayne Maeda has served as the treasurer for the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center,” said his successor, Paul Mizoguchi. “He has 2 – February 2015
been with the organization since its humble beginnings and has played a big part in the completion of the construction and dedication of the final phase of the NVMC. “It has been a privilege and honor to have had Wayne as a leader and treasurer of the NVMC,” Mizoguchi said.
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For the Sake of Our Freedom
Quiet heroes lauded at annual dinner In our society, some are lionized for their great wealth, or their political power, or their social position. Some are renowned for their athletic ability. Others are accorded celebrity status as film stars or rock icons. But of all the titles in the world, the proudest is that of “veteran,” because it refers to an individual who was willing to give up everything for America. And every day, we walk among quiet heroes, keynote speaker Vincent Okamoto said at the 11th Annual Nisei Veterans Memorial Center fundraising dinner. The quiet heroes, Okamoto said, are the aging Nisei. He might be a veteran who was 20 when he went to war as a young medic, Okamoto said. Time and again during the assault on the Gothic Line, he exposed himself to enemy fire, trying to save the lives of wounded GIs. On many nights, he quietly cried himself to sleep, feeling guilty over the young men who couldn’t be saved. The quiet hero, Okamoto said, might be a soldier who returned from the war irrevocably changed, who never told his grandchildren why he needs a cane to get around, and never spoke to anyone about the time his unit suffered more than 800 casualties to rescue 211 Texans of the “Lost Battalion” in the Vosges Forest in France. The 220 people who gathered on Novem-
A message from keynote speaker Vincent Okamoto:
Every day, we walk among quiet heroes. These quiet heroes are our Nisei soldiers.
The audience stands in appreciation and cameras are put to work as the annual dinner opens with the Parade of Heroes. Accompanied by the younger generations for whom they blazed a trail, the Nisei veterans marched in with the newly acquired replicas of the colors and guidons of their World War II units. Photos by Melanie Agrabante
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Arigato gozaimasu! The Nisei Veterans Memorial Center greatly appreciates these sponsors and other supporters of our 2014 fundraising dinner, “For the Sake of Our Freedom.” We could not have put on the event without your generosity and commitment.
A&B Properties Inc. Ace Printing Co. Inc. Melanie Agrabante Arisumi Brothers Inc. Hiroshi Arisumi Asa Flowers Budget Rent A Car Chrysanthemum Festival First Hawaiian Bank David Fukuda Peter A. Galpin, M.D. Glenn Goya Grand Wailea Resort Hale Mahaolu Hawaiian Airlines Home Maid Bakery
Christine Hondo HouseMart Ace Hardware HouseMart Ben Franklin Crafts The Ing Law Firm Kaanapali Beach Hotel Kahili Golf Course Kahului Florist Annette Matsutani Mauian Hotel Maui Beach Hotel Maui Ocean Center Maui Oil Company and Maui Express Car Wash Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans 3 – February 2015
Paul Mizoguchi Munekiyo & Hiraga Inc. Dorothy Nakata Napili Kai Beach Resort Maya Okamura Diane Orikasa Curtis and Faye Otsuka Printers Inc. Sae Design Sam Sato’s George Sano Service Rentals & Supply Inc. Jan Shishido Tak and Yuki Lei Sugimura Takamiya Market
George Tengan Jocelyn Tengan TJ’s Warehouse Sarajean Tokunaga Tokyo Tei United Auto Parts Wailea Golf Club The Westin Maui Resort and Spa Toni Woolley Priscilla Yamamura Betty Yamashiro Kitty Yee Sidney Yee
Legacy Capital Campaign, the $1.9 million drive to complete the Education Center, the final segment of the NVMC. “I would often see Wayne’s car at 6:30 am in the morning, parked in the NVMC lot, as he signed checks, picked up deposits and other accounting papers, before driving to Kahana,” said David Fukuda, a board member who does regular campus cleaning and maintenance as a volunteer with fellow retiree Donald Ito.
Wayne Maeda Continued from page 2
“It is now the board’s responsibility to continue what the beginning leaders like Wayne have started and keep on contributing to the community. “The board, the veterans and the community wish to express their sincerest gratitude and biggest mahalo for all he has done,” Mizoguchi said. Maeda became First Hawaiian Bank’s Pukalani branch manager on January 1. A longtime employee of First Hawaiian, he also has worked in Kahului and Kahana. He “continues to serve on some nonprofit boards, still continuing to give of himself,” Mizoguchi said. “We wish Wayne continued success in all that he does.” Giving to community
Maeda’s current community service includes serving as treasurer for the Chrysanthemum Festival, which is sponsored by Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans, and for Ka Lima O Maui. He also contributes time and talent to the Maui County Fair Products and Services Exhibit, March of Dimes and
Annual dinner Continued from page 3
ber 8 in the Elleair Ballroom of the Maui Beach Hotel in Kahului were hearing from a hero in his own right. Now a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge, Okamoto is the most highly decorated Japanese American to survive the Vietnam War. He is the fourth American of Japanese ancestry to be inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame, and the
Wayne Maeda
Maui Adult Day Care Centers. He joined the NVMC early on, becoming treasurer in 1994. At that time, the parcel was marked only by a sign that identified it as the “Future Home of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center.” Several large events had been held in the preceding years, including the kickoff banquet in Wailea in 1991, and committees were making contact with various segments of the community. But much of the fundraising — and spending — would be done during Maeda’s tenure, as we evolved into the campus and programs that exist today. He capably managed the organization’s finances, including for the Marching Home for a Living
first since World War II. Okamoto was born in 1943 in the Poston, Arizona, internment center. The youngest of 10 children, he saw all six of his brothers serve in the military, including two with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Sacrifice appreciated
The theme of the annual dinner was “For the Sake of Our Freedom,” in appreciation of what the Nisei soldiers gave to us through their sacrifices and
Maeda and his wife, Joyce, have two children and three grandchildren. Though he is not directly related to any Nisei veterans, he joined NVMC because he is proud of the heritage and knew of the Nisei veterans’ service and sacrifice. Maeda resigned as treasurer in March 2014. The Education Center was opened about a year earlier, and Maeda stayed on the board as the NVMC focus transitioned from fundraising and construction to education. Also resigning at that time was longtime board secretary Leonard Oka. Maeda’s “service to the NVMC was always immediate and efficient,” said Oka,
who founded Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans, the organization that started the push for the NVMC. “He kept very thorough financial records that were always at hand, and he would provide me with immediate details on questions that I had.” Oka recalled a recurring telephone conversation he would initiate over the years: “Hi, Wayne. This is Leonard and I need to pick up a check for a reimbursement for some irrigation supplies that I just picked up. And by the way, I am on my way from the store now.” Oka recalls, “Wayne never grumbled, nor told me to wait or come back tomorrow. Wayne was always willing to take the few minutes to help, knowing that this inconvenience to him would remove the inconvenience from my time, to have to come back on another day. “As a volunteer in many community nonprofits, Wayne knew the importance and value of the time that volunteers give so often and so freely,” a grateful Oka said. “And always with a smile! Some people will not understand how important this gesture was to me. But it was!”
many heartbreaking casualties. We watched as the veterans opened our annual dinner with the Parade of Heroes, walking in with newly acquired replicas of the colors and guidons of their units. We also honored the late 100th Infantry Battalion veteran Stanley Izumigawa for his many contributions to our organization. And we expressed our appreciation to Leonard Oka and Wayne Maeda, who both ended
decades of service on our Board of Directors after accomplishing their goal of building the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center. The master of ceremonies was Brian Moto, NVMC board member and president of the Maui AJA Veterans Inc. Keith Nakaganeku entertained in his Hawaiian jazzAsian style. And many guests went home with silent auction items donated by businesses and other supporters.
Knew Nisei veterans’ story
4 – February 2015
Above: Independent contractor Glenn Higa (left) donated materials and labor to repair a termite-damaged signpost. With him is one of his employees, Pat Chong Kee. Photo by David Fukuka Left: The Nisei Veterans Memorial Center held a special flag-raising ceremony in September after the floodlight was installed. Participants in the NVMC intergenerational program — clients of the Maui Adult Day Care Centers’ Ocean View facility and the children of Kansha Preschool — listened as NVMC board member David Fukuda explained the flag-raising procedure. Pictured are (back row, from left) clients Betty Tokeshi, Ellen Horiuchi and Aileen Higa, and (front row) preschoolers Trinity Christophersen, Connor Iwamasa, Kaia Day, Roza Woodson, Ellie Reinhardt, Mia George, Blaze Honokaupu, Trey Baysa, Noah Nguyen and Jacob Poouahi. Photo by Charlene Doi
Maintenance and repair of campus prioritized At its September meeting, the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center Facilities Committee met to establish priorities for the coming year. They recognized the effects of the wind and salt-air environment, and how that requires continual upkeep of the NVMC. Committee members also noted that the Maui Adult Day Care Centers and Kansha Preschool facilities are now 7 years old. These are the elements of the NVMC intergenerational program, and they comprised Phase 1 of the campus. Within a couple of months of the committee’s meeting, environmental and other repairs had been made to these facilities. Already completed in 2014 were the installation of the photovoltaic system by Haleakala Solar, purchase of 65 chairs and eight tables for events at the NVMC pavilion, and installation of a windbreak system in
the pavilion. Following a walk-through of the facilities during the committee’s meeting, the following repairs were undertaken: • Independent contractor Glenn Higa donated material and his employees’ time to repair termite damage on one of the posts for the sign in our larger parking lot. The sign overlooks the intersection of Kahului Beach Road, Waiehu Beach Road and Lower Main Street. King Kekaulike High School AVID program students repainted the sign during an NVMC workday in November. • The ocean-facing fascia and the kitchen vent housing on the roof were repaired. • The “Go For Broke Place” street sign was stolen and had to be replaced. • A belt system to create a retractable barrier between the preschool students and the pavilion was installed.
“Nisei Veterans Memorial Center” signs were installed on each side of Kahului Beach Road fronting our campus. The state uses such brown signs to designate places of recreational or cultural interest. Photo by David Fukuda
• Lights in the courtyard and parking lot that required new bulbs or repairs were addressed. At the request of the NVMC Board of Directors, the state Highways Division installed two
5 – February 2015
new “Nisei Veterans Memorial Center” signs on each side of Kahului Beach Road, which fronts the Center. The state uses such brown signs to designate places of recreational or cultural interest. The board thanks Maui Engineering Program Manager Ferdinand Cajigal and the Highways Division for their quick action and assistance. Finally, responding to a Letter to the Editor in The Maui News noting that our American flag was not being raised every day, lighting was installed that allows the flag to be flown 24 hours a day. We had tried to have someone raise the flag each day but had only sporadic success. Now the flag can remain raised all the time. NVMC Facility Committee members are Earl Kono, Leonard Oka, Hideo Kawahara, Donald Ito, Glenn Higa, Scott Fischer and David Fukuda, the chairman.
Mauian who had unique role in war tells story to Hanashi Oral History Program “Serving in the Army Medical Corps, First Lieutenant Seiya Ohata is the only Japanese American who is known to have served in Operation Overlord: the D-Day invasion of the European continent that began on June 6, 1944,” Terry Shima of the Japanese American Veterans Association (JAVA) wrote in a preface to the Maui physician’s story about wartime experiences. Although not involved in the initial invasion and battle at Normandy, Dr. Ohata’s duties as a field medical officer were critical in the care of the heavy casualties from this major battle in American history. “D-Day started on June 6th when General (Dwight) Eisenhower unleashed the mightiest onslaught imaginable and the Allies invaded Normandy,” Dr. Ohata wrote in the account, which was condensed for a presentation at the JAVA annual luncheon in Virginia last year. “We waited, and when the Allies established a beachhead, we were ordered to proceed. I think it was around midnight on June 7th when our landing craft brought us to the shores of Omaha Beach in Normandy. The tide was low and the landing craft could go only so much — we had about 50 yards to go — it seemed like a mile. We had to wade in. My comrades were 6-footers — the water came up to their knees so it was not a problem, but being only 5 foot, the water came up to my waist! I had to carry my backpack over my head — it was very difficult. We finally arrived in the wee hours on June 8th.” National project, local connection
Stories like this that Seiya Ohata of Kula has shared with JAVA and other researchers prompted a request by Barbara Watanabe to have him interviewed for the Hanashi Oral History Program of the Go For Broke National Education Center (GFBNEC). Watanabe is the Hawaii regional director for GFBNEC and a former executive director of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center. The idea initially came from the personal relationship between Karen Kodama Low, whose dad is former Mauian Richard Kodama, a Military Intelligence Service veteran, and Barbara Huntley, who is Dr. Ohata’s
Hanashi Oral History Program subject Seiya Ohata (second from left) poses with interviewer Leonard Oka (second from right) of Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans and Maui Production Company’s Chad Nagano (left) and Dan Takamura. Photo by Kyle Watanabe
Go For Broke National Education Center’s
hanashi oral history program The interviews of Dr. Ohata and the other Nisei veterans from Maui are among more than 1,300 of World War II veterans conducted by Go For Broke National Education Center’s Hanashi project. The project is now expanding to record the life histories of Japanese Americans who served in the Korean War. For more information about the Hanashi project, visit http://goforbroke. org/oral_histories/oral_histories_hanashi. php.
daughter. Information from Karen Kodama Low made its way to GFBNEC offices in Torrance, California, then to Watanabe in Honolulu, and finally to Leonard Oka, president of the Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans (MSDNV). Sons and Daughters longtime partner
The Sons and Daughters have partnered with GFBNEC for about 10 years, helping to schedule 35 Maui Niseis for oral history interviews that can be used by GFBNEC, MSDNV and now the NVMC as a first-person resource of our veterans from Maui. 6 – February 2015
From the first contact in mid-August to the actual taping of the interview on September 21, much planning went into making Dr. Ohata’s interview happen. GFBNEC made contact with Dr. Ohata, to explain the process, and it arranged for volunteers on Maui to handle the interview themselves. In the past, GFBNEC would send a crew of volunteers, with their equipment, to tape the actual interview. Volunteers from the MSDNV would supplement the crew, helping as interviewers and with sound and video duties. This time, GFBNEC arranged for a professional videographer from Maui and depended on MSDNV and NVMC volunteers to handle all interview duties as well as take care of the facilities and other logistics. Videographer Dan Takamura of Maui Production Company and his assistant, Chad Nagano, were the professionals who handled the technical side of things, including audio, video and lighting. Oka made arrangements for a pre-interview and the actual interview with Dr. Ohata. Kyle Watanabe, historical preservation and education program coordinator for the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center, Please turn to the next page
Internees Continued from page 1
tural Center of Hawaii (JCCH). A 12-panel display titled “Clouds over Paradise” provided an overview of the Hawaii internment story, while a more recent work, “Right from Wrong,” focused on Honouliuli, the largest and longest-operating internment camp in the islands. Representing the JCCH at the reception were Executive Director Carole Hayashino and Jane Kurahara. They were producers of “The Untold Story,” a video about the Hawaii internment experience. Also in attendance at the reception were children of two Maui internees: • Wallace Arine and Susan Tamakawa. Their father, the Reverend Masao Arine, was an American citizen who was born on Maui but interned at the Haiku detention site in 1944. • Claire Ching. The daughter of internee Haruo Koike provided two ashtrays her father had crafted along with samples of petrified wood he had brought back from his four-year incarceration. He was held in facilities in Wailuku and Haiku and on Oahu’s Sand Island before being sent to the Mainland. Informational posters were produced on each of the Maui internees, and their families were presented with copies by Kyle Watanabe, NVMC historical preservation and education program coordinator. Accepting the poster about Shichiro Haga were David Fukuda and Stanley Okamoto. Mr. Haga was an uncle of Fukuda’s mother, and Okamoto was a teenager when he lived across the street from Haga’s
Hanashi Continued from page 6
handled the facility setup at the NVMC’s Education Center, and he assisted Oka with the interview process. Fit and sharp at 97 years old, Dr. Ohata drove himself from his Upcountry home to our interview at the Education Center early on a Sunday morning. Having conducted the pre-interview the week before, Oka and Dr. Ohata were ready for what would turn out to be an interview of approximately 2½ hours. Interviews for GFBNEC’s Hanashi Oral History Program are thorough, starting
Above: Siblings Wallace Arine and Susan Tamakawa take pictures of the display about their father, the Reverend Masao Arine. Left: Carole Hayashino (left), president and executive director of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, and Claire Ching talk at the reception for “The Hawai‘i Internees’ Story” exhibit. Ching’s father, Haruo Koike, was one of the Maui internees who was featured at the exhibit. Photos by Melanie Agrabante
chicken farm in Happy Valley. The fifth Maui internee in the exhibit was Katsuichi Miho. Unable to attend the reception was Mariko Miho, the family historian who provided display creators with information and permission to use family
photographs. Wendy Kondo Kobashigawa, a relative of the Mihos, represented them at the reception. A list of 100 names of Maui internees was part of the exhibit, along with informa-
with the interviewee’s family information, following him through his early “hanabata” years, and turning to his experiences leading up to and then into the years of World War II. They end with the interviewee’s postWorld War II experiences and his work and family history. Dr. Ohata’s 97-year “life story” was filled with many unique and interesting experiences that few others would be able to tell! The stories of his father, Seiichi Ohata (a physician and leader of the Japanese community on Maui), and his mother and siblings leading up to and during the war also were told in the exhibit “The Hawai‘i
Internees’ Story,” which was on display at the NVMC’s Education Center from November 6 to January 3. The Ohata story alone would have made it worth the time to see the exhibit — which highlighted the fascinating stories of several of Maui’s World War II internees. Dr. Ohata’s Hanashi oral history will be edited and copied for use at the NVMC Education Center, so the many interesting facets of his life can be shared. When asked what he would like future generations to learn about the Japanese American World War II experience, Seiya Ohata’s final statement of the interview was: “That we were true Americans!”
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Families of Maui internees who were featured in “The Hawai‘i Internees’ Story” exhibit received posters about their relative from the NVMC. Wendy Kondo Kobashigawa (second from right), a relative of the Miho family, and Lorraine Tamaribuchi, a family friend, received the poster about Katsuichi Miho. Kobashigawa represented Mariko Miho of Hilo, who could not make trip. Mariko is Katsuichi Miho’s granddaughter and the family historian. Flanking the women are the NVMC’s David Fukuda (left) and Kyle Watanabe. Photos by Melanie Agrabante
Viewing displays at “The Hawai‘i Internees’ Story” are Stanley Okamoto and June Yamamoto, daughter of NVMC board President Hiroshi Arisumi. When he was a teenager, Okamoto was a neighbor of Shichiro Haga, one of the Maui internees who was featured at the exhibit.
of Hawaii Air Cargo, for bringing in the “Clouds over Paradise” exhibit to Maui, and to Wayne Kobayashi of Printers Inc., for producing the programs and posters for the exhibit. Assisting with the posters and displays were King Kekaulike High School students Tiara Nishijo, Shelby Akuna, Alyson Hernandez-Ignacio and Joleen Paul, and University of Hawaii at Manoa sophomore Alisha Summers. The exhibit opened on November 6. It was supposed to end on December 13 but was extended until January 3. The Center had received inquiries, requests and comments about extending the exhibit, Watanabe said. “Visitors have mentioned that during the
holidays their families and friends visiting or vacationing on Maui would be interested in viewing the exhibit.” Watanabe said. Others noted it would be an opportunity for college and high school students on winter break to learn more about the history of Maui and Hawaii, he said. “The Hawai‘i Internees’ Story” was the third visiting exhibition held at the NVMC Education Center since it opened in April 2013. Plans are being made to present other visiting exhibits each year in addition to permanent displays that are created by the NVMC about the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Military Intelligence Service and 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion.
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tion about the two detention sites established on the island, in Haiku and Wailuku. It was not a comprehensive list of internees, and several other families have since come forward to offer names and stories. The “Co-Sponsors” of the exhibit were the NVMC, JCCH and Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans. MSDNV members also assisted with the serving of refreshments at the reception. Exhibit “Sponsors” were Dr. Seiya Ohata, Hiroshi Arisumi, David and Judy Fukuda, and the Japanese Cultural Society of Maui. In addition to the financial support received, thanks are due to Brian Suzuki
Docents recognized for vital contribution to earlier ‘Go For Broke’ exhibit Volunteer docents have contributed greatly to the success of visiting exhibits at the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center, and their role at “Go For Broke: Japanese American Soldiers Fighting on Two Fronts” was recognized at a luncheon held on September 7 in the NVMC pavilion. About 75 people attended, including nearly four dozen docents. The event was
co-sponsored by Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans and the NVMC. Volunteer docents greeted more than 1,100 visitors to the “Go For Broke” exhibit, which was held from May through mid June in the Education Center. Glenn Goya opened the appreciation program by thanking the volunteers for their contributions. David Fukuda 8 – February 2015
spoke briefly about “The Hawai‘i Internees’ Story” exhibit, which would open in November. These two NVMC board members took lead roles in the presentations of the respective exhibits. Leonard Oka also addressed the honorees, explaining that the ongoing effort to Please turn to the next page
“Josephines” help celebrate century mark
JoAnn Sinton uses a bookstand at “The Hawai‘i Internees’ Story” exhibit. Sinton’s father, Clarence “Hekka” Oka, served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Her brother Leonard is a former NVMC board member and current president of Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans, which donated five bookstands to the Center.
For years, Nisei veteran Tom Yamada carried in his wallet a newspaper clipping that told of a woman named Josephine who gave a million dollars to charity. Yamada would joke that he was looking for Josephine so he could teach her how to spend her money more wisely – on having fun. On the occasion of his 100th birthday in August, he celebrated with two “Josephines” during the Maui 442nd Veterans Club quarterly luncheon at the Wailuku Hongwanji Mission. The Josephines were associate club members Nelson Okumura (left) and Irwin Yamada. Tom Yamada was an original member of the 100th Infantry Battalion before joining the Military Intelligence Service. Photo by Tiffany Iida
Volunteer docents (from left) Jan Matsushita, Judy Fukuda and Shelby Akuna, a King Kekaulike High School student and participant in its AVID program, talk story while Mele Fong and Richard Tom provide music for the appreciation gathering.
Photo by Kyle Watanabe
Donation of bookstands means better exhibit, program experience Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans (MSDNV) donated five bookstands to the Education Center at the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center. These bookstands will display books, documents, articles and reference materials for visitors to view and read. “Our organization raises funds annually through the Chrysanthemum Festival,” said Leonard Oka, president of MSDNV. “The partnership with the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center historical preservation and education program is a primary reason for our contestants to raise funds every year.” The bookstands are relatively light, so they can be easily transported and set up in other venues. Also, speakers can use them as lecterns at various events. “The bookstands will enhance the visitors’ experience by allowing them to comfortably view oral histories, newspaper articles and textbooks,” said Kyle Watanabe, historical preservation and education program coordinator. “We appreciate the Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans supporting the Education Center with their generous donation.” The public is invited to view displays in the Education Center on weekdays from noon to 4 pm.
Photo by Melanie Agrabante
Docents Continued from page 8
gather veteran photos, documents and artifacts is important to the NVMC’s future. Oka is a former NVMC board member and is founder and current president of MSDNV. NVMC Office Manager Melanie Agrabante put together 45 gift bags for our special guest volunteers. The volunteers also participated in a lucky number drawing for 20 other gifts. This was followed by a bingo game that used key words from the list of “Nisei Values” listed in the “Go For Broke” exhibit by its creator, Eric 9 – February 2015
Saul. Among the terms used were giri (sense of duty), gaman (quiet endurance) and ganbari (persistence). Special recognition was given to Diane Orikasa for her tireless work in recruiting, training and coordinating almost 50 volunteers for the “Go For Broke” exhibit. Without her dedication and commitment, the exhibit would not have been as successful as it was. Mele Fong and Richard Tom provided entertainment before and during the lunch, which featured steaks prepared the night before and grilled just before the gathering by the MSDNV.
Peace museum in Okinawa hears ‘precious’ MIS stories The curator of the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum was at the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center Education Center on August 18 to interview two Maui veterans. Harold Okumura and Tom Yamada, both veterans of the Military Intelligence Service, gave filmed interviews to Hiroyuki Kunugi and his three-man camera crew. Okumura’s interview is part of a project sponsored by the Japanese government to record stories about the Battle of Okinawa. More than a thousand interviews have been conducted of Okinawans who lived through the Battle of Okinawa, and an attempt to record “the other (Allied) side” of the story is being undertaken. “These stories are very precious to us in understanding the Battle of Okinawa,” said Kunugi, who had previously come to Hawaii on his own to conduct interviews. Okumura recalled that he was already married with a daughter when he was inducted into the Army on Armistice Day (November 11) 1944. Following six months of jungle training at Schofield Barracks on Oahu, he was sent overseas to his assignment in Okinawa. Okumura’s job was to coax civilians out of the caves to safety, an often-impossible task given that soldiers were often in the caves with the residents and forbidding their escape. If Okumura’s efforts to persuade them to come out proved unsuccessful, flame-throwing tanks would burn them out. Okumura also witnessed, from afar, the women jumping to their deaths off the cliffs of Okinawa. Reflecting on both these experiences, his comment was simply, it was “pitiful.” While Harold Okumura’s interview was done in English, Tom Yamada’s was done completely in Japanese. Yamada recounted how he was drafted into the Army after traveling to Japan for post-high school education at Doshisha College. Being fluent in Japanese, he was assigned to the MIS from Camp McCoy, Wisconsin. Yamada ended up in Yokohama after tours in Brisbane, Australia, and Manila, the Philippines. It was in Japan where he had his historic encounter with Hideki Tojo, Japan’s notori-
Harold Okumura (right) is interviewed by Hiroyuki Kunugi, curator of the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum, as the museum’s three-man crew records the exchange. Photos by Melanie Agrabante
Until they witnessed his interview, most of Harold Okumura’s relatives had not heard him talk about trying to persuade Okinawans to come out of the caves, and how sad it made him when many wouldn’t listen to him. His wife, Masue (third from left) knew, but not (from left) son-inlaw Walter Tokishi, grandson Dean Tokishi, daughter Ione Tokishi and daughter Rowena Kumabe. Tom Yamada (seated) talks story with Harold Okumura on the day they were interviewed by the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum. Enjoying the exchange, behind Okumura, is David Fukuda, NVMC board member.
ous war leader. Yamada was assigned to serve as an interpreter to Tojo during his first night in the hospital following Tojo’s 10 – February 2015
botched suicide attempt. Located in Itoman City and overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the museum tells the history of Okinawa from the Meiji era through the battles of World War II and into the Cold War, including how Okinawa’s land was taken and its people oppressed through the centuries. The mission of the museum is that of “Conveying our Hearts of Peace to the World.”
Senator visits NVMC, sees programs, makes $2,500 donation U.S. Senator Brian Schatz visited the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center on October 30 while he was on Maui campaigning for the November 4 general election. He toured the Education Center, Maui Adult Day Care Centers’ Ocean View site and Kansha Preschool. Senator Schatz was given a sneak preview of “The Hawai‘i Internees’ Story” exhibit, which opened the following week. Being of Jewish descent, the senator was particularly interested in the topic of the exhibit, and he showed great interest in what the National Park Service is
envisioning for the Honouliuli site on Oahu and the sites of detainee camps on Maui. Following his time in the Education Center, Senator Schatz visited with the clients at the MADCC Ocean View site and the children at Kansha Preschool. The senator also presented a generous donation from the Friends of Brian Schatz in the amount of $2,500 to the NVMC. Accompanying Senator Schatz was his chief of staff, Maria Oshima Paul, and his field representatives on Maui, Kari Luna Nunokawa and Helen Neilson.
U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (third from left) poses with his NVMC hosts. Representing the NVMC were (from left) board members Roy Katsuda, Beryl Bal, Glenn Goya and Hideo Kawahara, and Kyle Watanabe, historical preservation and educational outreach coordinator.
independent of this quota. Applications are still being accepted by the French government. If a veteran served in France during World War II and has copies of his discharge papers, please call the NVMC office at 244-6862 or Fukuda at 878-1354.
Legion of Honor Continued from page 1
Over the next 18 months, attempts were made to contact eligible veterans and to help them fill out the three-page application. More than 18 men were interviewed but a few were ineligible for the award; some due to being wounded before the French campaign, others because they didn’t have the necessary paperwork. Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans sponsored an award-presentation ceremony for the Maui recipients on January 22 at Kahului Union Church. A reception followed. The presentation was made by Pauline Carmona, the French consul general in San Francisco, and Patricia Lee, the honorary consul of the Consulate of France in Honolulu. (The deadline for this issue of Okage Sama de did not allow for pictures from the ceremony. More coverage is planned for the next issue of the newsletter.) Normally, a person must be alive to receive the medal. During the months before their
Education Center display
Two Maui veterans receiving the Legion of Honor award are Fred Yamashige (left) and Hideo “Pakala” Takahashi. Both men earned Silver Star medals during combat in the Vosges Mountains in France.
applications were approved, Izumigawa, Matsumoto and Sakamoto passed away. However, their medals were awarded. The ceremony-planning committee, headed by Eric Yamashige, was pleased that the French government made the decision to present the award to the families of the three deceased veterans. Elsewhere in Hawaii, award ceremonies were held January 21 on the Big Island and January 23 on Oahu.
The National Order of the Legion of Honor was established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802. It has three ranks (knight, officer and commander) and two high offices (grand officer and grand cross). The president of the French Republic, currently Francois Hollande, is the grand master of the order, and appoints all its members. A strict quota system limits the number of appointments — although those related to World War II are being made
11 – February 2015
A display featuring the 18 awardees, information about the award, and photographs and videos of the ceremony is being planned for the NVMC Education Center. The application process added to the historical collection at the Education Center. “I also used the application as a pretext to allow me to gather information for short biographical sketches on each veteran,” Fukuda said. Speaking of a decades-long historical preservation effort, he said: “We had been wanting to collect the veterans’ military discharge papers and general information about each veteran for our files, and both were required for the application.”
First display of units’ banners conducted at annual service The colors and guidons of the 31 Nisei units of World War II were unfurled and on display for the first time at the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center during the annual Joint Memorial Service held on September 28. As the replicas of the banners were carried in by the soldiers’ sons and daughters and by friends of the baby boomer generation, the veterans of the respective units were asked to stand. The audience applauded in recognition of their service. The acquisition of the colors and guidons and their presentation in gold-colored floor stands were possible because of donations from Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans (MSDNV), Maui AJA Veterans Inc. and the families of the late 442nd Regimental Combat Team veterans Noboru Nagoshi (Company E) and Clarence “Hekka” Oka (Company L). The stands were placed behind a traditional focal point of the service: three large frames that display pictures of the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team soldiers from Maui who were killed in action during World War II. The service was born after World War II as 100th Battalion veterans gathered to remember their KIAs. It is held on the Sunday closest to September 29, the date in 1943 on which the 100th suffered its first KIA, Sergeant Joe Takata. The Maui gathering has evolved to honor the 442nd, Military Intelligence Service and 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion. MSDNV now sponsors the Maui service. The longtime event chairwoman is Jill Ross, whose father, Stanley Izumigawa, was among seven Maui veterans who passed on during the past year. Ross included a significant role in her program for the Baldwin High School JROTC. The cadets presented the national and state colors, assisted with the unit color and guidon ceremony, performed a drill team routine and participated in the reading of names and floral presentation for the 100th/442nd KIAs.
The children of two Nisei soldiers carry the guidons of their father’s units: Francine Lee, daughter of Edward Nishihara, Company D, 100th Infantry Battalion, and Gary Nakama, son of the late Sadao Nakama, Company I, 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The colors and guidons of the 31 Nisei units of World War II were unfurled and on display at the NVMC for the first time during the annual Joint Memorial Service held on September 28. Photos by Melanie Agrabante
Leonard Oka, president of Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans, reads the names of veterans who passed away since the last Joint Memorial Service. They were: 442nd Regimental Combat Team — Clarence Matsumoto, Mitsuo Nakamura, Thomas Tomomitsu Abe and Masami Yamato; 100th Infantry Battalion — Stanley Izumigawa; and Military Intelligence Service — Robert Matsushita and Tadao Murata. Oka is flanked by the photos of Maui soldiers from the 100th and 442nd who were killed in action in World War II. Behind the frames are the colors and guidons of the units in which the Maui Nisei soldiers served.
Also reading names where Christian Eugenio and Issac Pena, and Chrysanthemum Festival contestants Devynn-Leigh Kochi, Arissa Molina and Courtney Lau Hee assisted with the floral presentations. The Reverend Shinkai Murakami of the Wailuku Hongwanji Mission and Mayor Alan Arakawa both said a few words in recognition of the sacrifices and contributions of the Nisei veterans and, in particular, of those who gave their lives during the war so that we may live in freedom today. Sons and Daughters played prominent 12 – February 2015
roles in the service. David Fukuda was master of ceremonies, opening with a brief history of the event. He also presented a short biography of Takeyasu Thomas Onaga, a Maui soldier who was killed in action in France. Onaga served in Company I, 3rd Battalion, 442nd RCT. Floyd Nagoshi provided the musical prelude and led the attendees in the national anthem, the 100th Battalion marching song and the 442nd song, “Go For Broke.” The Sons and Daughters served refreshments.
The 3rd Battalion’s Pioneer Squad moves past Mougeolle Farm to clear a minefield outside of Bruyeres in October 1944.
Mougeolle Farm as it appeared in April 2012. Photo by David Fukuda
Photo might fade, but not soldiers’ memories David Fukuda joined the board of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center in 2009 as it was in the final phases of planning for the Education Center. He offered to provide nuggets of history about some of the things the Center preserves, and he now spends about five minutes before each board meeting sharing these stories. Articles by David based on these presentations are published in Okage Sama de. A veteran of the Vietnam War, David is the son of the late Major Mitsuyoshi Fukuda. A businessman for most of his adult life, David is retired; his last career was as a history teacher at King Kekaulike High School. § There is a memorable photograph that was taken just outside the town of Bruyeres as the men of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team were moving out toward Belmont and Biffontaine during the Rhineland Campaign in France. The men who walked that path all vividly remember the scene as they passed the German halftrack parked on the roadside in October 1944. A return visit must-see
On his trip through Bruyeres last year, Hiroshi Arisumi told his children who were traveling with him that returning to this spot was one of the must-see places he wanted to revisit. Arisumi recalls that the 232nd Combat Engineer Company, of which he was a part, was instructed to clear a roadblock set up by the Germans about 50 yards up the road
from the halftrack. When the Engineers went out with their chainsaws to break up the trees that the Germans had cut down to form the roadblock, they were almost immediately hit with an artillery barrage. The enemy had locked in the position, forcing Arisumi’s unit to take shelter in depressions in the adjoining cemetery. Sound of a sniper
In an interview I had with the late Walter Sakamoto back in 2012, he also had vivid memories of being at this location as a soldier in Headquarters Company of the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion. He and his partner were assigned to lay a communication line across the road. Typically, they would have been forced to dig a fairly deep trench into the road — which was compacted — to prevent tanks from digging up the wire. But at this crossing, utility poles were conveniently located on both sides of the road. By laying the line above the road, they would save themselves a lot of backbreaking digging. Sakamoto proceeded to climb up a utility pole on one side of the road when he suddenly heard the cracking sound of sniper fire near his head. He quickly descended the pole, and he and his partner pulled out their picks and commenced digging the trench. Other than the absence of the halftrack, time has stood still in this rural setting. In April 2012, my wife, Judy, and I stopped to take a photo of the former Mou13 – February 2015
geolle Farm as it stands today. The farmhouse is no longer occupied, and although a few additions had been made to the original structure, the main house was clearly identifiable nearly 70 years later. Things appeared calm as the camera captured the men from the 3rd Battalion’s Pioneer Squad walking by the halftrack. During the previous week, though, it was anything but calm for the men of the 442nd RCT. The Nisei soldiers had just liberated the town of Bruyeres. After absorbing deadly artillery fire from Germans guns, the three battalions cleared the four hills surrounding Bruyeres before engaging the enemy in house-to-house combat. And it was from this very location that Task Force O’Connor was launched, resulting in the first Presidential Unit Citation for the 442nd RCT in France. In the six days (October 15-20) it took to liberate Bruyeres, the unit sustained 57 men killed in action — more than they would in the six days it took to free the “Lost Battalion” (the regiment received orders to save the Texas battalion on October 25 and made contact with their objective on October 30). In fact, the 442nd would continue to sustain heavy casualties up to October 25, in the towns of Belmont and Biffontaine, as well as in the days immediately following the rescue of the Texas battalion. From November 1 to 6, the unit would sustain an additional 35 KIAs.
Taking Hill 140
A Sansei visits a battlefield in Italy that tested soldiers and the medics who tried to save them, and cost her father his left leg In September, Valerie Matsunaga and friends from Maui visited Italy. While there, she explored the area around Hill 140, a battlefield on which her father, Toshio Kubota, lost his leg while fighting for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Valerie has a longtime association with the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center and Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans, including serving as a vice president of MSDNV in 1992. Following is her account of the trip to Italy, and her “attempts to find Hill 140.” § une 26, 1944, was the first day of combat for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and its new first battalion — the 100th Infantry Battalion. The Japanese-American units had just been united, in Italy, and their objective on this day was Belvedere and the road to Sassetta. They began by clearing Survereto, a province in Tuscany about 60 miles southwest of Florence. The plan on June 27 was to follow artillery fire into Sassetta, with the 100th Battalion leading, the 3rd Battalion on its left and the 2nd Battalion coming up in reserve. The regiment kept driving the enemy north, engaging in multiple battles until they had passed Sassetta. On July 1, after resting only a few days, the 442nd took Cecina. On July 2, the regiment approached the Arno River, and on July 5, a hard-fought battle to take Hill 140 ensued. Held by a single German battalion, Hill 140 was the main line of resistance. The machine-gun squad of L Company of the 3rd Battalion and G Company of the 2nd Battalion were wiped out. The 2nd and 3rd
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Valerie Matsunaga, “Papa” Giafam and Glenn Shishido. Matsunaga’s father, Toshio Kubota, served in Company K, 3rd Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Shishido’s father, Akira, was with Company A of the 100th Infantry Battalion. Photo by Faye Kashiwa Otsuka
battalions were under the constant barrage of artillery shells as they dug into their position at the hill’s base. Very little ground was gained in the coming days. The 232nd Combat Engineer Company assisted by defusing landmines that lay in the 442nd’s path. The battle was dubbed “Little Cassino,” calling to mind the fierce fighting for Monte Cassino and describing the German resistance that caused 442nd medics to face overwhelming casualties. The 2nd Battalion moved to the eastern front of Hill 140 and the 3rd Battalion moved to the western front and converged on the German flanks. On July 7, the last German resistance was taken down and the hill came under the 442nd RCT’s control. That same day, my father, Private First Class Toshio Kubota of Company K, 3rd Battalion, was wounded by a shell fragment in his left thigh, resulting in amputation above the knee. Excerpts from the oral history interview with TOSHIO KUBOTA on October 13, 1997, by Dawn Duensing
“Oh, in Company K, I was just an ordinary rifleman, that’s about it. Nothing, Nothing special,” was the way Toshio Kubota described his role. When Toshio first got to Europe and witnessed casualties and fatalities of combat, he “didn’t think anything about it” when he saw “those people shot . . . and they’re dead. I kind of felt bad. But, after that, it didn’t bother me at all. But then when I got hit, I said to myself, ‘Oh boy, this is it. I’m going home. So I don’t have to worry about the war anymore.’ ” 14 – February 2015
Toshio Kubota’s own words describe the night Hill 140 was taken: “I got hit in Siena (Italy). . . . Well, actually, the enemy pushed us off this hill. And then we dug in, then we went back, we took the hill back. And then in that process I got hit by a mortar shell. And my friend, Takeji Goto, he was the one that saved my life. He dragged me down the hill and took care of me. And then the . . . (medics) fixed me . . . the medics took over. They put me on a jeep and they said, ‘OK, we’re taking you back to the medical hospital,’ or whatever they call it.” About a four or five hours passed from the time his friend took him out to the medics and when he was finally transported to the evacuation hospital. My father described his pain during this time. “Well, funny, when you have deep wound like that, it’s not painful. It’s more of a . . . burning sensation. It’s not that . . . well, it was kind of numb and burning sensation. You know, like when you cut your finger with a knife, it really hurts, right? But no, it’s not like that. . . . “It (the evacuation hospital) was right in the back of the line. So I was fortunate enough that, right there and then, they said, ‘Oh, we cannot save your leg. So we have to take it off.’ This was at the evacuation hospital. And they says it’s too far gone so they had to just take it off. “After several months, I found another wound in the back (of his thigh). There was this shrapnel still lodged in it. Then it came out by itself. One big piece of shell.” Please turn to the next page
Hill 140 Continued from page 14
I
n the early 1980s, Mr. Goto visited Maui and was introduced to me by my father as “the man who saved my life.” We lowered our heads with tears streaming down our faces, bowing to him with respect, as he stepped out of his rental car with not one but two prostheses. He had lost both of his legs during the war. Mr. Goto and my father continued to keep in touch through visits to Maui and California and during veterans reunion events.
Edean Goya takes in a display at the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center. Goya and her husband, Glenn, and their family visited the center in September. Her father, John Hamano, now 94 years old, served in the 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion. Photo by Glenn Goya
Italy 2014
I was invited to be a guest of Dr. Galen and Flo Wiger, who were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary at Viva Villa Vera in Italy in September 2014. Every five years, the Wigers celebrate their anniversary in Italy and invite close friends to share in the experience. Dr. Wiger is a physician at the Lahaina Clinic of Kaiser Permanente, which is also my employer. I sought the help of fellow travelers Glenn Shishido, Faye Kashiwa Otsuka, TJ Lane, Jason Chau and Jennifer Nguyen in my journey to find Hill 140 on Sunday, September 21, 2014. Like me, Glenn and Faye have ties to the 442nd. Glenn’s father, the late Akira Shishido, was with Company A of the 100th Battalion. Faye’s former father-in-law is the late Edwin Goya, father of Glenn Goya, who is a member of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center Board of Directors. Glenn Shishido is a retired forest management supervisor for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. His responsibility was to read maps and walk the mountains and trails (take hikes). Faye is a talented photographer who offered to capture our moments. TJ’s father, the late Thomas J. Lane, was a captain in the Army’s 101st Airborne Division who was in the Battle of the Bulge of World War II. TJ is fluent in Italian and a seasoned driver in Italy, and he rented a larger vehicle to accommodate us. Jennifer Nguyen (of A Saigon Cafe) and Jason Chau (of Asian Star) are running and training partners who are my comrades in life journeys that require companionship, endurance and encouragement. Together, we six comprised Team Hill 140. Already fraught with flight delays, missed connections and getting lost en Please turn to the next page
Experience of Confinement: Heart Mountain center tells story of harsh conditions, loss of freedom endured by Americans . . . who were Japanese Glenn Goya is member of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center. Among other contributions, Glenn took the lead role for NVMC last spring when it hosted historian Eric Saul’s exhibit, “Go For Broke: Japanese American Soldiers Fighting on Two Fronts.” § On September 11, my family and I traveled to Heart Mountain, Wyoming, the site of a Japanese American internment camp during World War II. We visited the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center, which opened on August 20, 2011. Built in the same style as the tar-paper barracks the internees lived in during their confinement, the center tells the stories of how the Americans of Japanese ancestry endured the relocation and confinement. Through the exhibits, photo gallery and a film titled “All We Can Carry,” we experienced the confinement of Japanese Americans through the eyes and experience of former internees. Internees endured wind, dust, cold, poor food and a humiliating loss of freedom. In time, the War Relocation Authority and the internee leaders recognized some of these issues and began to resolve them. Heart Mountain eventually included a hospital; interneerun fire, police and judicial systems; a post office; a water delivery system and sewage treatment plant; a power station; 15 – February 2015
two grade schools and a high school; and several cooperative enterprises. Internees set up an active recreation program and developed a successful agricultural program. About 14,025 people lived at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center from 1942 to 1945. During that time, 556 babies were born there, 148 people died, 800 men and women served in the armed forces and 85 protesters refused to obey draft orders. Among the latter group, 63 were sent to federal penitentiaries for resisting the draft. The presiding judge, T. Blake Kennedy, wrote, “If they are truly loyal American citizens, they should, at least when they have become recognized as such, embrace the opportunity to discharge the duties of citizens by offering themselves in the cause of our national defense.” The Heart Mountain Relocation Center officially closed on November 10, 1945. Internees received a train ticket and $25 to begin their new lives. While many managed to rebuild their lives, some struggled and never recovered. In 1988, the federal government formally apologized for uprooting and imprisoning Japanese Americans, calling the episode a result of wartime hysteria, racial prejudice and a failure of political leadership.
Kansha Preschool grateful for those who care about the children Kansha Preschool is primarily funded by program fees paid by families. However, as an independent nonprofit program, we must generate additional support to meet increasing operating costs, to keep program fees from escalating and to allow the preschool to maintain the standards required of programs accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. These financial resources include fundraisers, grants and the generosity of contributors to our annual donor campaign. Parents and preschool board members work together to assist staff in promoting, staffing and providing needed items for
Hill 140 Continued from page 16
route to our villa compound, we set out on this day with one objective: find Hill 140. We were armed with a GPS and maps provided by a school teacher from Italy, Davide del Guidice, who Glenn met as he tried to retrace his father’s steps in Italy. (That story is for another time, and it is for Glenn to share.) When Davide learned that I would be seeking Hill 140, he provided us with detailed maps and illustrations. Davide’s grandfather used to take supplies to the German outpost, and he shared his stories with Davide as he grew up. The search for Hill 140 was aided by a picture that showed the topography and shape of the hill, with a river at its base. By chance, we met our “Papa and Mama” — Giafam and Iiza, husband and wife physicians who ride the hill trails on a motorcycle to provide care to rural patients in the area. They were on a Sunday motorcycle ride as we neared Castellina, just east of our destination, where the topography of every hill that we approached seemed to signal it was Hill 140. We stopped to ask them for
the fundraisers. The preschool director is responsible for writing grant proposals and managing grants that are awarded. The preschool is grateful to the following, whose volunteer efforts secured grants for our preschool so far this school year: • The King Kekaulike AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program and its adviser, Jan Matsushita, and Nisei Veterans Memorial Center board member David Fukuda. Their efforts resulted in a Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation grant for quality early education for needy families. • Emi George, parent and board president, for securing a Morgan Stanley
Foundation contribution in support of our intergenerational activities. Two of our six annual fundraising events are held in early spring. • Rummage sale: The rummage sale takes place in February in the courtyard of the NVMC. Parents, staff and board members contribute and prepare items for the sale, and they volunteer for tasks on the sale day. Earnings are designated for specific needs, such as replacing or upgrading office equipment and obtaining materials needed to maintain accreditation health and safety standards for environmental concerns. In 2014, rummage sale earnings supported
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directions. Doctor Giafam instantly recognized our desired destination. When he was a young child, he used to walk the hills near Hill 140 collecting war artifacts. He said his grandfather told him Hill 140 was the second-bloodiest battlefield of World War II in Italy. He offered to have us follow them in our car. Consequently, I crossed the Pesciera River and we walked the terrain of Hill 140. Taking Hill 140
Driving our car, we followed the motorcycle as far as we could, then proceeded to walk. We passed a key landmark, a fork in the trail signifying Le Macchia. After traveling several hundred meters, we turned around and sought to approach Hill 140 on an alternate route. Nightfall was nearing, and we were supposed to return to the villa in time for supper. Undaunted, Glenn read the detailed trail map and, with the doctors’ knowledge of the area, we were able to approach Hill 140 from the south. Most of our group stayed in the car as Glenn and I approached the hill at dusk. Faye and her camera were in close pursuit. We traveled northeast
With the brush thickening and the sun setting, Valerie Matsunaga crosses a creek after she and Glenn Shishido retreated from their attempt to approach Hill 140. “As we crossed a little creek . . . I imagined what fears and thoughts my father and his comrades experienced as they, perhaps, crossed the same Hill 140 area carrying military packs under heavy artillery fire,” she said. Photo by Faye Kashiwa Otsuka
until the brush became thick and we had to retreat. As we crossed a little creek, balancing precariously on the rocks, I imagined what fears and thoughts my father and his comrades experienced as they, perhaps, crossed the same Hill 140 area carrying military packs under heavy artillery fire. Emerging from the woods, I expressed gratitude to my Italian papa and mama, Doctors Giafam and Iiza. It was now dark, and we drove via an alternate route (thanks to the rerouted GPS directions) and arrived back at the villa way past
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dinnertime — with apologies due to our hosts for missing supper. Beyond Hill 140
There were no commemorative markers or placards that I became aware of to memorialize the wartime events. My plans for the future include meeting Davide del Guidice together with my immediate family — husband Alan, daughter Shawna and son Chad — so that they, too, may experience glimpses of the past and to retrace the steps that Grandpa Toshio took.
Enjoying the Maui Adult Day Care Center open house are (from left) Elias Escanilla, Lilia Ross, Eloisa Mizuno, Elle Cochran, Floyd Nagoshi, Corazon Matsumoto and Sylvia Garcia. Photo by Margie Dela Cruz
NVMC, preschool join open house for Maui Adult Day Care Centers Maui Adult Day Care Centers sponsored open houses at its Nisei Veterans Memorial Center and other sites to commemorate our 40 years of service to the community. At the NVMC, the Education Center, Kansha Preschool and our Ocean View facility kept the doors open from 5:30 to 7:30 pm on August 21 so the public, politicians and special guests could visit and learn about the programs that are available to the Maui community. Everyone enjoyed delicious pupu, desserts and a fantastic punch. The Minyo Dancers entertained visitors with traditional Japanese dances in the main room of Maui Adult Day Care Center. During the entire evening, the air was filled with the sounds of Randal & Friends performing in the beautiful, scenic pavilion above the Education Center, which overlooks Kahului Harbor. Thanks to the collaboration among Maui Adult Day Care Centers staff, the NVMC and the Kansha Preschool staff, a long overdue event — an NVMC-wide open house — was enjoyed by all.
Preschool Continued from page 16
the purchase of a laptop to replace the school’s 9-yearold laptop, and curtains that help to cool and provide security for the classroom. This year’s rummage sale will be on February 21 from 8 to 11 am. • March Walkathon: Parents collect contributions on behalf of their children’s efforts in the Walkathon. Parents and board members come to support the children as they complete their 10 laps of walking around the trike path. Board members provide prizes for the highest numbers of collections and the highest dollar amounts collected. Walkathon contributions help to cover contractual and service supports that are necessary to demonstrate that the program is meeting legal and regulatory requirements, such as accountant fees and maintenance/repair services.
Recieving 2014 scholarships at a Maui AJA Veterans luncheon June 21 at Kaunoa Senior Center were (from left) Tyler Kiyota, Marley Duncan, Kasie Takayama, Alek Fredericksen, Maile Naito, Maile Amine and Rochelle Coloma. Not present for this picture was scholarship awardee Andie Matayoshi. Photo by Melanie Agrabante
Maui AJA Veterans, MSDNV offer $1,000 scholarships Maui AJA Veterans Inc. and Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans (MSDNV) are again jointly sponsoring a scholarship program that will award $1,000 scholarships to up to 10 high school seniors on Maui. To be eligible for a scholarship, an applicant must be a senior planning to graduate during the 2014-2015 school year, be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, have applied to or been accepted by a college or university, and be a resident of Maui currently attending a high school on Maui. The scholarships are awarded without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, creed or national origin. Applications will be available through counselors at local high schools and must be postmarked no later than March 16. In 2014, eight $1,000 scholarships were awarded. The recipients were Maile Amine, Lahainaluna; Rochelle Coloma, Maui High; Marley Duncan, Kamehameha Schools Maui; Alek Fredericksen,
King Kekaulike; Tyler Kiyota, Seabury Hall; Andie Matayoshi, Seabury Hall; Maile Joanne Naito, King Kekaulike; and Kasie Takayama, Kamehameha Schools Maui; Matayoshi, Naito and Fredericksen were members of the Chrysanthemum Festival court in 2012. Fredericksen was Naito’s escort. Funds for the scholarship program are raised by Maui AJA Veterans and the Chrysanthemum Festival sponsored by MSDNV. Maui AJA Veterans was founded by Nisei veterans to honor the memory of all who served, encourage fellowship among veterans and their families, and promote community service and education. MSDNV strives to perpetuate the legacy of the Americans of Japanese ancestry who served during World War II, through the collection of oral histories, photographs, publications, documents and artifacts, in cooperation with the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center. Both are nonprofit organizations.
KKHS junior is Chrysanthemum Festival queen Devynn-Leigh Kochi is the queen of the 62nd Chrysanthemum Festival. She was crowned on December 6 at the Velma McWayne Santos Community Center in Wailuku. The queen is 16, from Haiku, a junior at King Kekaulike High School and the daughter of Cindy Asato-Ko17 – February 2015
chi and Kevin Kochi. The princesses are: • Arissa Molina, 16, of Kahului, a junior at Baldwin High School and the daughter of Jana Yamashiro and Ariston Molina. • Courtney Lau Hee, 17, of Pukalani,
Please turn to page 20
Contributions to the NVMC FOR THE PERIOD AUGUST 1 THROUGH NOVEMBER 30, 2014 Army Friends of Brian Schatz Division Hiroshi Arisumi Mits M. and Eleanor S. Arisumi David T. and Judith Fukuda Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans Paul and Jessie Mizoguchi Seiya and Kiyoko Ohata Daniel T. and Grace S. Shigeta The Iris Naomi Yamato Revocable Living Trust, in memory of • Hideyuki Hayashida, 100th Infantry Battalion Medic, KIA, 1944 • Masami Yamato • Shigeru James Yamato • Shiro and Fusae Yamato Regiment Alexander & Baldwin LLC Arisumi Brothers Inc. Gene and Beryl Bal Foodland Super Market Ltd., Give Aloha donations Dr. Peter Galpin Hale Mahaolu Sam Hironaka Japanese Cultural Society of Maui Maui Oil Company Inc. Yukio and Jane Okuda Ryan Ouye Tak and Yuki Lei Sugimura United Auto Parts Inc. Kyle I. and Colette K. Watanabe Tom Yamada Battalion Robert and Geraldine Carroll James Hirata Ramona Ho Gerald H. Kibe Aline Rolaff, in memory of Tamotsu Hamaguchi and Howard Hamaguchi George K. Sano, in memory of Edward E. Nakamura Joseph M. and Frances J. Souki Larry and Barbara Tadakuma Bruce and Dawn Ueki Isami Yoshihara Company Tak Ageno Tommy and Marilyn Araki Richard and Annette Arine Claire M. Ching, in memory of Haruo and Fusayo Koike
Kazuo Ching, in memory of Haruo and Fusayo Koike Louise Corpuz Masao and Adeline Daida Foodland Give Aloha matching donations: Foodland and Western Union Glenn and Mrs. Lillian Fujihara, in memory of Sue Arisumi Harry and Mae Furomoto Ellen Furukawa, in memory of Charles Mizoguchi Yoko and Wayne Hamamura Charles Hazama Masuye Hew Tom and Miyoko Hiranaga John Hirashima Shufflo S. Honda Joyce Horikawa Howard and Pam Ikeda Sharon Ikeda Mr. and Mrs. Bradford Ing Tilden Jio Richard and Ruby Kano Hideo Karatsu Tom and Marian Kawamoto George and Pearl Kaya Kunio and Tsugiko Kikuta Elaine Kina, in memory of Richard Kina and Patrick Kina Wayne and Joyce Maeda Takashi and Eleanor O. Masuda Maui Adult Day Care Centers Anna Mayeda, in memory of Mrs. B. Goya John and Leslie Mizoguchi, in memory of Lillian Takabayashi Mark and Eloisa Mizuno Brian Moto Helen Nakashima, in memory of Edwin Nakashima David and Katharine Okada, in memory of Stephen T. Okada, Military Intelligence Service Jean Okimoto, in memory of Humio Okimoto Harold and Masue Okumura Nelson Okumura Curtis and Faye Otsuka Virginia Shaw Fujio and Grace Shibano John and JoAnn Sinton
Takamiya Market Inc. Lance Takamiya Peggy Takashima, in memory of Anthony Takashima, 100th Battalion, Company D Hideo and Tomoe Takeuchi Charmaine Tavares Dr. Cliff and Ruth Tokumaru Paul K. and Sueko K. Wong, in memory of Takeo and Takenobu Kaneshiro William and Lucy Wong Platoon Nora Abe Myrtle Agrabante Myrtle Agrabante, in memory of Carol Koki Wallace Arine, in memory of the Reverend Masao Arine and the Reverend Torako Arine (Maui Jinsha) John Arisumi and Anne Sakamoto Michael and Adrienne Asato Rachelle Bras Brown-Kobayashi LLC Earl and Phyllis Fukami Furomoto Service Inc. Willie Goo Tetsuo K. and Margaret Hamada Charles and Sandra Hirata Mark Hiyakumoto Christine Hondo Richard and Alice Inouye Teruo Kakihara Mitsugi Kamemoto Jennifer Kaneshiro, in memory of Fujio Sueno Wilfred and Judith Kaneshiro, in memory of Fujio Sueno Hideo and Joyce Kawahara Ethel Kawamura Richie and Helene Kaya C. Komoda Dennis Koyanagi Jon and Roslyn Lightfoot Janet Miyahira Michael and Joyce Miyamoto Mel and Magel Mukai Floyd and Sharon Nagoshi Gary S. and Susan L. Nakama Jane Nakama
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! 18 – February 2015
Shoichi and Yukie Nihei, in memory of Shinobu Kametani Torio Nishida Pearl Nishino Mark and Frances Oka Diane Orikasa Paul and Yvonne Petro Elizabeth Saito and Grace Shibano Ken T. and Kelvyn C.T. Saito, in memory of Takaaki Saito, 232nd Combat Engineer Company Sueno Saito Tsugio and Ruby Sakurada Van R. Shimizu Ray and Gale Shimomura Arlene Shinozuka Dennis and Pauline Shiroma Allen and Janice Shishido Dixie Shugars, in memory of Stan Izumigawa Larry and Barbara Tadakuma Ann Takakura Ralph and Thelma Takata Frances Takumi Susan Tamakawa, in memory of the Reverend Masao Arine and the Reverend Torako Arine (Maui Jinsha) Isamu Tamashiro Allan and Linda Tanaka Marvin and Jocelyn Tengan Nelly Uehara Esther Watanabe Gordon and Lynette Watanabe Catherine Yee Ronald Yoshimoto Squad Robert and Marge Bento Estelle Chun Linda Yamanuha Cornwell Catherine Giamenelli Evelyn Heu, in memory of Lillian Takabayashi Glen Katania Ken Kawaguchi and Cheryl Murase Mitsue Kubo Joy K. Kubota Gene and Charleen Matsudo Carla Mizuta and Charles Kohler Kiyoka Murayama, in memory of Lillian Takabayashi Fern Nakama Yukie Ng, in memory of Lillian Takabayashi Tomoko Ohata John Wilson
FEBRUARY 2015
GIVING to the NVMC Donor Categories Category and Support Levels
Army Division Regiment Battalion Company Platoon Squad
$2,500 and over $1,000 - $2,499 $500 - $999 $250 - $499 $100 - $249 $25 - $99 Up to $24
PLEASE SUPPORT THE NISEI VETERANS MEMORIAL CENTER Your tax-deductible contribution will help the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center maintain the NVMC “Living Memorial” campus and fulfill its mission of promoting understanding about the history, values and culture of the Nisei veterans among our community’s children, families and visitors.
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Enclosed is a check for $ , payable to NISEI VETERANS MEMORIAL CENTER, to support NVMC in its work to educate the community about the history, values and culture of the Nisei solider. Please charge my donation of $ Account #:
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Please mail this form to: Nisei Veterans Memorial Center, P.O. Box 216, Kahului, HI 96733 For other donation options, visit our website, www.nvmc.org. Please call NVMC at (808) 244-6862 with any questions you may have.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! 19 – February 2015
Okage Sama de ...
February 2015
The court of the 62nd Chrysanthemum Festival (from left): Princess Courtney Lau Hee and Bryce Corden-Yoshida, Queen Devynn-Leigh Kochi and Andrew DeMichele, and Arissa Molina and Nathaniel Idica. Photo by Nagamine Photo Studio
Chrysanthemum Festival Continued from page 17
a senior at Maui High School and the daughter of Leslie and Mark Lau Hee. The queen of the annual festival is the contestant who raises the most money, through ticket sales, for Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans. MSDNV co-sponsored the 2014 event with the County of Maui. Proceeds support MSDNV’s historical preservation projects, which are done with the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center, and scholarships, given in partnership with Maui AJA Veterans Inc. Last year, $1,000 scholarships were awarded to eight graduates of high schools on Maui. (See the story on page 17.) Contestants also represent the Sons and Daughters and the NVMC at various events throughout the year. The feature of the annual event is the coronation and the court’s traditional
ballroom dance performance, and it also includes exhibits, entertainment and dinner. Queen Devynn-Leigh was escorted by Andrew DeMichele. Princesses Arissa and Courtney were escorted by Nathaniel Idica and Bryce Corden-Yoshida, respectively. The couples attended weekly sessions with ballroom dance instructors Jeffrey and Lydia Dela Cruz to prepare for the performance. The festival was created as the Chrysanthemum Ball, a ballroom-dance affair, by the Maui AJA Veterans as a way to fund its community service in areas such as youth sports and scholarships. The veterans group was formed as soldiers returned from Europe and the Asia-Pacific areas after World War II. In 2007, the event name was changed to Chrysanthemum Festival, to reflect its focus on Japanese culture. The following year, the veterans group turned the event over to the Sons and Daughters.
The Nisei Veterans Memorial Center P.O. Box 216, Kahului, HI 96733-6716