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Left: Due to the government shutdown, our USS Arizona Memorial Make-A-Wish tours had to be rerouted. Families were treated to a tour of the Battleship Missouri Memorial and Ford Island. Pictured: Alyssa Sellers, age 11, and her family, visiting from Woodbridge, California, on the deck of the Battleship Missouri Memorial. Front cover: Gates close off the parking lot at the USS Arizona Memorial. Back cover: Pearl Harbor Survivor and longtime National Park Service Volunteer Robert Kinzler on the USS Arizona Memorial. Uncle Bob was recently interred at the National Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl.
Inside Exhibit Unveiled at Pearl Harbor Visitor Center - WWII Valor in the Pacific Nation2 New al Monument opens a new exhibit honoring a young girl who died due to radiation exposure from the atomic bomb.
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Life Under Japanese Occupation: Cesar’s Story - Cesar Salang remembers the Japanese
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Teachers Institute Attendees Visit Former Japanese-American Internment Camp -
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The US Navy Japanese/Oriental School Archival Project - Learn how the US Navy and
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Chief Radioman Keeps Communications Open During Attack - Read the amazing story
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Pearl Harbor Gram - Pearl Harbor Survivor and longtime USS Arizona Memorial volunteer
occupation of the Philippines, including the Battle of Bataan, Bataan Death March and the arrival of American troops at Leyte.
2013 Teacher’s Institute attendees visit the former site of Honouliuli Internment Camp in central Oahu with volunteers from the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii.
Marine Japanese Language Officers archival project got started due to the efforts of a few persistent veterans. of Frank Ralph DeAugustine, who guarded the search frequencies for Rear Adm. Patrick N.L. Bellinger’s Task Force NINE.
Robert Kinzler is interred at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl.
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EDITOR Sarah Safranski
PHOTOGRAPHY Donny Chambers Sarah Safranski National Park Service
Barricades block off the parking lot at the USS Arizona Memorial.
A Message from the Interim CEO Aileen Utterdyke, Interim CEO, Pacific Historic Parks
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he excitement of opening a new, permanent exhibit at WWII Valor In the Pacific National Monument in September quickly gave way to October’s 16-day government shutdown and the closure of national parks across the US. While the park closures were widely reported in the news, businesses that work with the parks were also affected. At the USS Arizona Memorial, we were forced to close our book and gift store (it’s located on federal land), countless tour and transportation companies lost business, and our Pearl Harbor partners experienced a drop in revenue. Disappointed visitors were forced to peek through barricades to get a look at the monument, Make-A-Wish tours had to be rerouted to Ford Island, school group visits were cancelled, and planning for the December 7th commemoration was halted. Our stores on Guam and Saipan were forced to close as well. (Kalaupapa National Historical Park was able to remain open because it is run by the Hawaii Department of Health, although it did experience a significant drop in visitation.) Pacific Historic Parks’ mission is to support the national parks we serve, but without any money coming in through our brick and mortar stores, annual aid to our parks will have to decrease, budgets and projects will need to be reevaluated. We are working to come up with creative ways to keep revenue coming in to counter the effects of the shutdown and prepare for the possibility of another one. Our national parks need our help more than ever. Correction: In our summer issue, the message from the president contained a misspelling of the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk. Thank you to reader Linda Vincent for pointing out our oversight and sharing the following story with us via email: The Curtiss P-40 and the seaplane tender (AV-4) of the same name were named for Glenn Hammond Curtiss, an American aviation pioneer...My father, Clarence Everett Green, was stationed aboard the USS Curtiss, tied up at Pearl Harbor, when the Japanese attacked on FALL 2013
Among so much negativity came a display of heartfelt support. Armed with lawn mowers, clippers and weedwackers, a group of military families spent more than two hours cleaning up the entrance to the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center (note the mowed lawn in the above photo). Their dedication to our Pearl Harbor Survivors and our national monument was a wonderful reminder of why our work is so important. We encourage you to show your support for the USS Arizona Memorial and our national parks in the Pacific by becoming a member, making a donation or making a purchase at www.pacifichistoricparksbookstore.org. As I write this, the government shutdown has finally ended and the USS Arizona Memorial will reopen by the end of the week. There will be a lot of work to do to get our parks back up and running again, but we’re excited to welcome the many visitors who were previously turned away. In order to save on print costs, you’ll notice that this issue of Remembrance is a few pages shorter than usual. Thank you for your understanding during this financially difficult time. *** Recently, we said goodbye to our CEO Brad Wallis, who returned to Colorado to be with his family. We thank Brad for his hard work during his time at Pacific Historic Parks and wish him many happy returns, surrounded by his children and grandchildren. The search for a new CEO is underway; stay tuned for updates.
December 7, 1941. At first, my father manned a gun, firing at enemy planes. Soon after, an enemy plane crashed into her number one crane. A few minutes later, a bomb from another plane hit the Curtiss and exploded below deck, causing an inferno. My father was badly burned trying to pull a shipmate, who later died from his burns, from the hold...My father went on to become a plankowner of the USS Hornet (CV-12). He was always proud of his service on the Curtiss and to be a Pearl Harbor Survivor. 1
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New Exhibit Unveiled at Pearl Harbor visitor center Sarah Safranski, Communications and Publications Manager, Pacific Historic Parks
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orld War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument unveiled a new, permanent exhibit on September 21 featuring a paper crane folded by Sadako Sasaki, a 12-year-old girl who died from leukemia due to radiation exposure from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The Sadako Legacy Foundation of Japan, led by the Sasaki family, donated the crane, one of five that remain, to the National Park Service in 2012. Sadako’s touching story is well known in Japan and throughout the world. According to a Japanese legend, if a person folds 1,000 paper cranes, that person is granted one wish. Sadako Sasaki began folding paper cranes during her hospital stay; her family estimates that she folded between 1,300-1,600 cranes before her passing in 1955. Sadako not only wished for her health, she also wished for world peace. Her cranes have come to symbolize peace and reconciliation. The new exhibit, located at the end of the museum near the model of the USS Arizona, completely encloses the tiny crane, which is perched on a circle of glass. When visitors look inside the case, their movement triggers a light inside the exhibit that turns on for five seconds, revealing the crane (The National Park Service preservation team determined that too much light exposure would damage the artifact). 2
Two exhibit panels tell Sadako Sasaki’s story and provide information on the occupation of Japan. WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument’s mission is to tell the story of WWII from Pearl Harbor to peace. Held on International Peace Day, the Sadako Crane exhibit unveiling brought together the Japanese-American community in Hawaii, the Sasaki family, Pearl Harbor survivors, local residents, and park visitors. The event featured a Taiko performance by students from Pacific Buddhist Academy; speeches by Masahiro Sasaki, Sadako’s brother, and USS Arizona Survivor Lauren Bruner; a vocal performance by Yuji Sasaki, Sadako’s nephew; and free origami folding, miniature book making, and card making activities. In an unprecedented display of healing and reconciliation, prior to the ceremony, Mr. Bruner presented Masahiro Sasaki with a paper crane he folded. Together, the men presented a memorial wreath at the Tree of Life, a symbol for peace, in remembrance of those who died during the attack on Pearl Harbor and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In a touching moment, Mr. Masahiro helped Mr. Bruner, who utilizes a wheelchair, to the stage for his speech during the official ceremony. Donations for the Sadako Crane exhibit came from a variety of donors, in-
cluding large corporations, non-profits, individuals, and students. A 10-year-old boy donated his birthday money, students from Pacific Buddhist Academy collected pennies, and students from Punahou School folded paper cranes for donations. Free flights, discounted hotel stays, and printing services were also donated for the event. Fundraising and event planning for the exhibit and unveiling brought together individuals from multiple organizations, including the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii, Hiroshima Hawaii Sister State, Pacific Buddhist Academy, Punahou School, and the Hawaiian community. More than 50 volunteers from multiple organizations helped direct people to their seats, handed out programs, gave origami folding demonstrations, and participated in the official ceremony. Prior to the September 21 ceremony, the Sasaki family, USS Arizona Survivor Lauren Bruner and members of the National Park Service and Pacific Historic Parks participated in both Buddhist and Hawaiian blessings of the new exhibit. Pacific Historic Parks is proud to support the National Park Service’s efforts to build this exhibit by collecting donations and providing direct aid.
REMEMBRANCE
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1. The Sadako Crane exhibit at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center before the September 21 unveiling. 2. Sadako’s paper crane as seen through the magnifying glass of the new exhibit. 3. Students from Pacific Buddhist Academy kicked off the ceremony with a Taiko performance. 4. Masahiro Sasaki, Sadako’s brother, helps USS Arizona Survivor Lauren Bruner to the podium during the ceremony. 5. A memorial wreath sits in front of the Tree of Life, a symbol for peace, at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. 6. A rainbow shines over the USS Arizona Memorial on the morning of the Sadako Crane exhibit unveiling. 7. Yuji Sasaki performs the song “Inori” during the official ceremony. 8. Masahiro Sasaki, Sadako’s brother, helps USS Arizona Survivor Lauren Bruner dedicate a memorial wreath. 9. Members of the Sasaki family and USS Arizona Survivor Lauren Bruner participate in a traditional Hawaiian blessing.
Life Under Japanese Occupation: Cesar’s Story David R. Krigbaum
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esar Salang has one piece of advice: never waste a grain of rice. As a child, Cesar lived through the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, a time when food scraps were often one’s only meal. When he remembers that time, his thoughts always drift back to food, or the lack thereof. “We did not have any work or source of income. We just depended on sugarcane because, at that time, 70 percent of Luzon was planted with sugarcane,” said Cesar. “Some people are eating— morning up to evening—sugarcane and coconut. We don’t have the rice at the time.” Before the war, Cesar’s father Eusebio Salang was a barber and farmer in Dinalupihan. After the occupation began, he found himself cutting hair for the Japanese. Occasionally, his family’s sugarcane and coconut diet was supplemented with gifts from Japanese officers, often a pig’s head and other parts of the animal they considered inedible. “Can you eat the head of the pig without rice? Sometimes without salt, then you eat it without anything. Can you just imagine, do you think you can do that every time,” he asks. Born in 1936, Cesar was one of nine children and lived in Dinalupihan, a part of northern Bataan Province that borders Zambales and Pampanga. Rural Dinalupihan was mostly sugarcane fields, which sustained the populace during the war years. During the Battle of Bataan, which was fought on the Bataan peninsula from early January 1942 until April 9, 1942, Dinalupihan was mostly bypassed, with the exception of the Battle of Layac Junction, which took place one kilometer away from the Salang home. The battle was intended to slow the Japanese advance and buy time for United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE), the PhilippineAmerican force, to finish preparing
“We were so afraid, because they might know that our father is a guerilla and kill us all,”—Cesar salang
Cesar Salang at his home in the Philippines.
the main line of battle further down the peninsula. After a day of fighting, USAFFE pulled back and the Japanese forces continued into the province. With the fighting elsewhere, it seemed the war would pass Salang’s family. It literally passed by during the Bataan Death March. Layac Junction, the scene of fighting three months prior, became the 68th kilometer of the march. After the surrender of U.S. forces on Bataan, most of the 12,000 surviving American troops were taken prisoner and gathered at Mariveles on the southern tip of the Bataan peninsula. They prepared to move to Camp O’Donnell, a makeshift prison camp 111 kilometers away. The Japanese didn’t want to waste trucks on the prisoners so they were forced to walk most of the way before being put in railroad cattle cars in San Fernando for transportation to the Camp. Most of the prisoners were sick and malnourished from months of fighting without resupply. Traveling in 100 degree weather, they had a difficult time on the march. The Japanese guards shot or bayoneted anyone who fell or attempted to escape. In some cases, prisoners, either alone or in groups, were pulled aside and executed as an example to the others. Of the 70,000 who started the march, only 54,000 would make it to Camp O’Donnell. Many were killed or died of exhaustion, but some never made it because of Filipino civilians like Eusebio Salang. During the march, anyone who attempted to aid the prisoners, with few exceptions, ran the risk of being shot or bayoneted by the guards.
Despite this risk, Eusebio Salang was one of many Dinalupihan locals who chose to help the prisoners by hiding escapees in his home. The majority of the prisoners were Filipino and with a change of clothes could blend into the local populace. Americans rescued by Filipinos were quickly moved into the mountains to be hidden by guerillas. These Death March survivors became guerillas themselves and continued to fight the Japanese. Two of Cesar’s relatives, Privates Angel and Fermin Salang would die on the march or at Camp O’Donnell. Their names are inscribed in the black marble of the Capas National Shrine, which sits on the former prison camp site. About half the prisoners who made it to O’Donnell would share their fate. After the battle and death march, every living thing on the Bataan peninsula (with the exception of humans) was consumed by the armies, including snakes, monkeys, horses and carabao, an Asian water buffalo used for farming and transportation. The Salang family owned more than 40 carabao, which were butchered and eaten during and after the battle. “Everything that we can see, that we can eat... [became food],” he said. Once the occupation began, the Salangs got new neighbors. The Imperial Japanese Army commandeered his aunt’s home and used it as the headquarters for the local garrison and a prison camp. Prisoners were tied to poles in front of the house and left outside for days or weeks at a time. “I tell you it’s a terrible thing that happened at the time. They are cruel, you know. Some of the guerilla that had been caught, they tied to a post without anything. In the morning, some of them died right there on the post, you know, sitting or standing right there. The body would be put in a truck and other prisoners would bury it. If the captain is too crazy that morning, those people who dig the grave, they will also be included. They are going to shoot the guerilla [prisoners] who dig [graves] for the dead. They are going to kill them. They are going to be buried right there in one place. I tell you, it’s a terrible thing.”
Left. Bataan, May 1942. Group of American prisoners, note Japanese guard with fixed bayonet. The march of death was from Bataan to the prison camp at Cabanatuan. Right: Bataan, May 1942. The March of death. Along the march, these prisoners were photographed. They have their hands tied behind their backs. Left to right, Samuel Stenzler, Frank Spear, James McD. Gallagher.
When asked about his wartime experience, the first story Cesar tells is about how guerillas or suspected guerillas’ families were handled. “If they caught one guerilla at a house on the mountain, they are going to get the baby and they are going to throw it right through the window. The Japanese or Korean soldier, they are going to catch the baby with their bayonet and swords. I have seen that personally. I was about eight years old or nine years old at the time.” These actions hit close to home for Cesar and the Salang family because, unknown to the Japanese, their barber and trusted neighbor Eusebio, like 250,000 other Filipinos, was also a guerilla. While under occupation, Eusebio didn’t consider himself a “real” guerilla, as the “real” guerillas lived in the mountains. As he was close to the Japanese, he was able to provide the guerillas with information on anti-guerilla operations and acted as a runner. “We were so afraid, because they might know that our father is a guerilla and kill us all,” he said. The Salangs avoided detection throughout the occupation, doing what was required of them and acting normal. The Japanese required work from all men, regardless of age, so Cesar’s brothers Oscar and Diosdado played housekeeper to the garrison and cleaned the headquarters. Cesar did menial tasks at construction sites. He found if he endured a bit of ridicule from the soldiers, they would someFALL 2013
times give him rock-hard bread. Cesar also learned Japanese in school. At 77 years of age, he can still count in Japanese and recite the required formalities for greeting Japanese soldiers. Forgetting those phrases would have resulted in a spanking or beating from a soldier. Except for what he had to know, Cesar didn’t take his Japanese studies seriously. He believed the occupation would end soon and that the Americans would come back as MacArthur promised. His faith was rewarded on October 20, 1944, when American troops came ashore at Leyte, returning to the Philippines. For the Salangs, this marked the beginning of a dangerous new period as the Japanese became more cruel. Cesar’s family joined the guerillas in the mountains and hid for three months in order to avoid the Japanese. Some of his companions, who were not as lucky, were caught and killed. In January 1945, American troops landed on Luzon and began bombing the former Clark Air Field and it’s outlying strips. Their time hiding in the mountains was almost at an end. “We can see the Japanese airplane and the tora-tora (American fighter planes). They bombed the airbase and we can see the smoke coming up. When we see that we are very, very happy,” he said. As the Japanese troops went into hiding, they were still cautious. They lived in fear until American ground forces arrived in Bataan two weeks
later, bringing liberation and, just as importantly, food. “The Americans arrived and brought sardines, canned foods, the chili con carne...you know the chili con carne?” With the arrival of the American army, the Salangs came out of hiding and Eusebio the barber-guerilla joined the U.S. Army for the duration of the war. “It’s good enough that MacArthur said, ‘I shall return’ because he really returned and performed what he had promised. We owe something to the United States but the States also have to owe something to veterans [Filipino guerrillas and soldiers] because they go together fighting against the Japanese and all the forces against the United States. Tell you, we are still lucky in living by now but those things that have happened we cannot remove it in our mind, especially me. I can see actually those things that had happened,” Cesar said. After the war, Eusebio went back to being a barber and a farmer, living peacefully with his wife Maria until his death in 1969. Cesar grew up to become a mechanical engineer. He served as a pipefitter instructor at U.S. Navy Base Subic Bay for 16 years before it was closed. He later worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He is now retired and lives with his wife, Florentina Sabulao Salang, who saw the landings at Leyte, in Dinalupihan. 5
Teachers institute attendees visit former japanese-american INTERNMENT CAMP Top: Teachers hike through a former aqueduct in Honouliuli Internment Camp. Left: Japanese internees receiving chow, M.P. Co. mess, immigration station, Honolulu, Feb. 17, 1942. Middle: R.N. Hotchkis 8/13/43 is carved into the base of the old guard tower at the former Honouliuli Internment Camp. Right: A floral tribute to the internees ended the visit to Honouliuli Internment Camp.
Sarah Safranski, Communications and Publications Manager, Pacific Historic Parks
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hile the story of Honouliuli Internment Camp and its inhabitants has remained relatively unknown, recent efforts by the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii are bringing the story to a wider audience and into classrooms around the Hawaiian Islands. In July 2013, Pacific Historic Parks and the National Park Service partnered with JCCH to educate teachers from Hawaii on the treatment of Japanese Americans after December 7, 1941, the daily life of internees, and the inner workings of WWII internment camps. Held on an annual basis, our Teachers Institute is a free, five-day program that includes hands on, curriculum-based activities; oral histories; panel presentations; visits to historic sites; and more. In addition to visiting Honouliuli Internment Camp, teachers also explored the USS Arizona Memorial, USS Utah Memorial, USS Oklahoma Memorial and the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl. The goal of the program is to arm teachers with the resources and strategies they need to bring the story of the December 7th attack and the events of WWII to life for their students. Program partners for the Teachers Institute include the National Park Service, Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, University of Hawaii Center for Oral History, and the Hawaii Department of Education. For the first time, Teachers Institute participants had the opportunity to earn PD and non-PD credits for their participation in the workshop. After watching a brief documentary on the JapaneseAmerican internment at the University of Hawaii’s East-West Center, Teachers Institute attendees made their way by van to Honouliuli Internment Camp. The 160-acre camp, which was built to hold more than 3,000 individuals, lies in a gulch 6
in central Oahu on land now owned by Monsanto, an agriculture biotechnology company. Incarcerated by the Federal Government under Executive Order 9066, many of Hawaii’s prominent JapaneseAmerican citizens were detained immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor when Hawaii was under martial law. They were housed in temporary holding sites at immigration stations and on Sand Island on Oahu, Kalaheo Stockade on Kauai, Haiku Camp on Maui, and Kilauea Military Camp on the Big Island. When Honouliuli opened in March 1943, more than 300 internees were moved to the camp; many others were sent to camps on the continental U.S. In addition to Japanese Americans, Honouliuli also held individuals of Italian, Irish, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, and German descent. Many of the internees were held for the duration of WWII. Honouliuli was leveled by the military following the war, but a few markers of the camp’s existence remain. Volunteers from the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii used these clues as well as photos and artifacts to introduce teachers to life at the camp. A concrete base with a soldier’s name carved in it marks the location of a guard tower; an aqueduct, which is now used as a hiking path, helps orient teachers within the camp; and a large concrete slab marks the base of the mess hall. Historical photos and drawings were used to tell the stories of internees, which included teachers, editors, and religious leaders. Teachers Institute attendees left Honouliuli Internment Camp armed with a new lesson for their students, one that often goes untold, even in Hawaii. To learn more about the Teachers Institute, visit www.pacifichistoricparks.org. REMEMBRANCE
PEARL HARBOR WITNESS REMEMBERS HAWAII UNDER MARTIAL LAW Colleen Sweeney, Education Intern, Pacific Historic Parks
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n the afternoon of December 7th 1941, Governor Joseph Poindexter, fearing for the Islands’ safety, signed Hawaii’s freedom over to the military, which maintained its place of power on the Islands until October of 1944. Jimmy Lee, who was 11 years old when he witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor, recalled, “After the attack was over, when we came back home from the mountains, it seemed like there were military all over the place, surrounding our home area around the beach front. Soon after that, word came around that there were a lot of restrictions placed on us in that area— not only us, but the entire Island. It was kind of announced to us that we had to stay out of the waters.” This was just the beginning of the military’s restrictions. Blackouts, food rationing, gasoline rationing, ID cards, gas masks, bomb shelters, censorship, price control, new money and curfew followed in the days to come. “I remember explicitly violating curfew by getting up early in the morning to milk the cows. One of the military guards with a rifle and bayonet stopped and halted me. He asked me what I was doing at that time in the morning. As a young kid, you’re scared as heck, but the thing is, he was just as scared because he wasn’t sure who we were and what we were doing.” As the war continued, the military worked with civilians to prepare for an invasion. “We dug bomb shelters under our chicken coop. Every house around our area had a bomb shelter. They were nothing more than a hole in the ground with lumber piled on top,” he said. Air raid drills were held on a weekly basis and gas masks were provided to every citizen on the island (Japan refused to sign the Geneva Convention ban on biological weapons and had used poisonous gas on the Chinese in the past). According to Jimmy, the gas masks were too bulky for children so many were issued “Bunny Masks,” basically a sack in which to place a child in case of attack. In spite of having food from their farm, Jimmy and his family still felt the effects of rationing. He remembers the FALL 2013
Top left: Clearing kiawe brush at a beach near Ewa, Oahu, for expected Japanese invasion of Hawaii. Jan. 1942. Top right: Pearl Harbor witness Jimmy Lee speaks to students from Bishop Gorman High School at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, where he volunteers for the National Park Service education program. Left: Construction of bomb shelters at Kewalo Basin, Dec. 1941.
long lines for fish and chicken. Making friends with a few soldiers, however, proved advantageous. He recalls, “We got to be friends with the military that was around our camp. They used to have their steaks and chickens, and I guess maybe they got tired of eating that. We taught them how to eat clams and fish and crabs. I think they deliberately left chicken and steak for us in the garbage. We picked it up from the camp every day to feed our pigs, but the food, although it had been thrown out, was really well wrapped. I think we ate pretty well...We couldn’t eat everything we had [from the farm]. We had control; we had to share with the community. Neighbors pulled together and helped each other.” The Office of Price Control, which was put in place to ensure businesses didn’t overprice products in reaction to the rationing, arrested and fined his parents, who owned a Chinese restaurant. They were charged for overpricing their shark fin soup; the officers didn’t understand that it was a delicacy and simply cost more to make. Jimmy also remembers the military trading his parents’ American dollars
with new ones that had Hawaii printed on them. If anyone, especially the Japanese, were to take the money and try to use it elsewhere, it would be useless. He remembers the blackouts, keeping blankets around to hide the light, his father getting in trouble for smoking cigarettes after dark, how hard gas rationing was on his family’s farm, and always having to carry his ID card. Martial law lasted for nearly three years. “It was just hectic,” Jimmy said, “One of the biggest things about it was, no but, if, or what, you just had to obey the rules, you cannot say no, you just do what they tell you or be arrested.” The fear of being jailed and even the fear of death is what kept Jimmy, along with many others, in line and disciplined. “Life was just miserable under martial law,” he said. Jimmy’s childhood was interrupted by the war and all that came with it. “The fear and what we went through, one had no choice but to mature, really mature...We became a little more disciplined and I guess a little bit more confident,” he said. 7
THE US NAVY JAPANESE/ORIENTAL SCHOOL ARCHIVAL PROJECT David M. Hays, Archivist, University of Colorado Boulder Libraries
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he US Navy JLS/OLS Archival Project started when former Navy Japanese Language Officer Captain Roger Pineau, USN, discovered that Samuel Eliot Morison’s tome on the WWII Navy would not include information on the school. Pineau was working as a researcher for Morison at the time; information on the JLS and its graduates was likely still classified. Frustrated, Captain Pineau promised to write a book on the school, its sensei, its graduates and their accomplishments and contributions. In the late 1970s, Captain Pineau contacted the Archives at the University of Colorado Boulder Libraries in search of resources on the JLS/OLS, which operated out of the university from 1942-1946. Pineau hoped to find papers in the university’s collections. The archivists were able to provide a roster of JLS attendees and found references to the hiring of sensei in the Board of Regents minutes. Articles in the university’s student newspaper and the Navy’s V-12 magazine, Knots & Fathoms, were also discovered. Working from the old roster, Pineau and fellow JLS graduate William Hudson grew their address list through comrades and shipmates, by word of mouth and through forwarded correspondence. The contact list grew to include several hundred graduates out of the total 1,650 attendees. Pineau encouraged his contacts to reach out to other graduates and to publicize the US Navy Japanese Language School. He knew a Washington Post or local news article on the school might help connect this often isolated group of veterans. He also sent out questionnaires and letters of inquiry, and began to organize reunions. In 1992, Pineau partnered with the University of Colorado to hold a reunion on campus for more than 40 JLS veterans and family members. At that 50th anniversary reunion, attendees were introduced to the archives and the school expressed its desire to collect their papers and artifacts. By 1993, Roger Pineau had developed 20 feet of research files on the JLS and its graduates. William Hudson 8
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had built a research collection of his own. When CPT Pineau passed away without starting his book, he willed his collection to the archives. Hudson’s papers were donated soon after. Between 1990 and 1999, the kin of former sensei of the school visited the Archives at the University of Colorado Boulder Libraries seeking information for claims cases. Several scholars who were writing books on the USN JLS/ OLS also visited. Due to growing interest, University
of Colorado archivists decided to carry on the efforts of the late CPT Pineau and began to expand the JLS collections. In 2000, archivists cold called Pineau’s and Hudson’s contacts to solicit their archival collections. The Interpreter, a project newsletter filled with JLS stories, comments and obituaries was launched soon after. In 2002, the university held a 60th anniversary JLS reunion, attracting more than 100 veterans and their kin, soliciting collections and motivating contacts. In the REMEMBRANCE
past 13 years, the university has continued to build on Pinaeu’s mailing list, attracted 200 collections, and reached out to numerous Navy and Marine museums and archives. In 2006, 2009, and 2012, researchers who used the university’s holdings published books that: introduced the military and naval methods of Japanese language instruction during WWII; examined the University of Colorado-
based operation and its graduates; and provided biographical information on one of the JLS graduates. In addition, in 2012, scans of more than 1,000 WWII photos of the Pacific were provided to World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument at Pearl Harbor. The images of the sensei, attendees and graduates of the US Navy Japanese Language School can finally be seen alongside the photos of
their combat and support comrades, just where the JLS veterans would want them. Inspired by Pineau and Hudson’s work, the University of Colorado archivists have accomplished much more than they had originally intended or imagined. To learn more, visit ucblibraries. colorado.edu/archives/collections/ and click on US Navy Japanese/Oriental Language School Archival Project.
CHIEF RADIOMAN KEEPS COMMUNICATIONS OPEN DURING ATTACK J. Michael Wenger, Historian and Author, Steady Nerves and Stout Hearts
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rank Ralph DeAugustine was born to Salvatore (Samuel) and Mamie DeAugustine in Milford, Massachusetts, on May 7, 1901. Short and stocky, the youngster grew up speaking Spanish, Italian, and English. After completing high school, the ambitious DeAugustine entered the tailoring trade, and completed a year of business studies at Burdett College in Boston. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on December 2, 1920 and reported to the destroyer McLanahan (DD-264) for “instruction on Radio.” He spent the remainder of his first enlistment on the Selfridge (DD-320). DeAugustine advanced rapidly in his chosen rating, and secured an appointment as Chief Radioman in 1926 after less than six years in service—a demonstration of both diligence and ambition. After serving in numerous aviation-related assignments—including the Langley (CV-1) during the period of her conversion to, and re-classification as, a seaplane tender (AV-3)—DeAugustine spent the two remaining pre-war years attached to Utility Squadron ONE (VJ-1) at San Diego, and subsequently at NAS Pearl Harbor, as Chief Radioman (Permanent Appointment). As one of the senior “Utron” radiomen at NAS Pearl Harbor, it is unknown whether CRM (PA) DeAugustine had assigned duties on the morning of December 7, 1941. During the Japanese first wave attack which caused power failures on Ford Island, DeAugustine rushed to one of the JRS-1 amphibians parked in the vicinity of Hangar 37, powered up the radio, and commenced guarding the search frequencies for Rear Adm. Patrick N.L. Bellinger’s Task Force NINE. FALL 2013
Left: Lieut. (j.g.) Frank Ralph DeAugustine, circa June, 1944, prior to his departure from Hawai‘i for duty at the Bureau of Aeronautics in Washington, D.C. Right: The parking area assigned to VJ-1 west of Hangar 37 (just out of the photo at right). With the exception of the Vought OS2U “Kingfisher” and Grumman JRF amphibian at lower left, the other nine aircraft— four Sikorsky JRS-1s, and five Grumman J2F “Ducks”— are all from CRM DeAugustine’s utility squadron, VJ-1. It was in these aircraft types that DeAugustine operated radios during and after the Japanese attack. Viewed during the early afternoon of December 8, 1941 from the naval air station’s water tower.
After the attack, DeAugustine set radio watches in damaged aircraft that were unable to fly, and there, he and others monitored homing frequencies for the crews of the PBYs, JRS-1s, and J2Fs then engaged in their search for the Japanese fleet. He also maintained communications with the outlying naval air station on the island of Maui. Such meritorious actions relieved, significantly, the communication load on the beleaguered radiomen in the Administration Building on Ford Island. Frank DeAugustine’s commanding officer, Lt. Comdr. Paul B. Tuzo, Jr., was enthusiastic in his praise of the former’s devotion to duty, and for his “efficient and brave actions in the face of the enemy.” DeAugustine continued service with VJ-1 through much of the war, and
attained commissioned rank, receiving a temporary appointment to Lieutenant (j.g.) on March 1, 1944. Shortly thereafter in June, he transferred to the Bureau of Aeronautics in Washington, D.C., where he rose to Lieutenant. In 1947, he reverted to his previous enlisted rank, and entered the Fleet Naval Reserve before retiring in his hometown of Milford, Massachusetts in 1951. Credits: Service photo and supporting documents from DeAugustine’s Official Military Personnel File made available courtesy of the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
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Pearl Harbor Gram OUR MOTTO: REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR – KEEP AMERICA ALERT! Published Quarterly with Remembrance, Pacific Historic Parks’ Member Newsletter
Pearl Harbor Survivor interred at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl
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4 1. Jim Taylor, Volunteer, Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs Office, leads the interment ceremony for Captain Robert “Uncle Bob” Kinzler before family, friends, and representatives from the National Park Service and Pacific Historic Parks at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl. 2 & 3. Uncle Bob was buried with full military honors including a three-volley rifle salute and the sounding of “Taps” by a bugler. 4. Honor guard volunteer and Pacific Historic Parks board member Kwai “Sunny” Young presents a flag to the family of Captain Robert Kinzler at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl. 5. Following the ceremony at Punchbowl, Uncle Bob’s ashes were spread in the waters of Pearl Harbor. His daughter Karen tosses flowers in the water in remembrance of her father. Read more about Uncle Bob Kinzler in our summer issue of Remembrance. Visit www.issuu.com/remembrance.
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P rayer
for the dead
Eternal rest grant unto them and let perpetual light shine upon them and may they rest in peace.
Barton, Leonard F. USS New Orleans Coreydon, IN
De Ryckere, Archie G. San Diego, CA
Hoopes, Martin C. USS Pennsylvania Danville, CA
Parker, George W. USS Wasmuth Newman, CA
Bauer, Fred L. Ford Island Rialto, CA
Donnelly, Lowell E. Camp Malakole Show Low, AZ
Howard, Milford O. Schofield Barracks Piedmont, SC
Piper, Guy H. Ford Island Springfield, MO
Bowman, Walter A. USS Maryland Brownsboro, TX
Fisher, Albert USS Medusa Winner, SD
Jandizo, Theodore J. Ford Island Pheonix, AZ
Price, Howard A. USS Maryland Coldwater, MS
Browning, Carl USS Phelps Mattoon, IL
Ford, Leslie USS Breese Bedford, TX
Johnson, Robert F. Hickam Field Los Angeles, CA
Puccio, Syl J. USS West Virginia Rome, NY
Buford, James O. USS St. Louis Columbus, OH
Geritz, William J. Ford Island Berkeley, CA
Klovas, William G. Wheeler Field Muskego, WI
Rockney, Arlo D. Wheeler Field Lynnwood, WA
Chaney, Ernest C. USS Patterson Pasadena, CA
Goddard, Lawrence USS Maryland San Diego, CA
Kowalski, Arthur A. USS Pennsylvania San Diego, CA
Roffman, Louis Hickam Field Riverside, CA
Chebetar, Frank A. USS Phelps Virginia Beach, VA
Godfryt, Thaddeus G. Kaneohe NAS Oak Lawn, IL
LaMotte, Louis H. Fort Shafter Hilton Head, SC
Roosevelt, Theodore F. USS Utah Glendora, CA
Clabaugh, Jack P. USS Whitney La Mesa, CA
Gordon, Donald E. USS Arizona San Diego, CA
Lindenmeyer, Ralph E. Ford Island Vista, CA
Schools, Kenneth C. Schofield Barracks Perris, CA
Clark, Roy J. Wheeler Field Victorville, CA
Gorr, Walter R. Schofield Barracks Tracy, CA
Lubrick, Marvin Fort Shafter Burbank, CA
Showe, Jean W. USS Raleigh Serverna Park, MD
Connolly, Francis M. Quincy, MA
Gursky, Robert V. USS Nevada Northville, MI
Mahoney, Thomas USS Curtiss Union, NJ
Sprouse, Robert W. Greenwood, SC
Covington, James C. Schofield Barracks Columbia, SC
Halcomb, Carrol Schofield Barracks Redding, CA
Middleton, William E. Hurst, TX
Thompson, Gerald E. USS Hull Chesapeake, VA
Cruz, Henry Mesa USS Arizona Chula Vista, CA
Harrer, Lynn L. USS Pennsylvania San Diego, CA
Miklochik, John Hickam Field Waymart, PA
Todisco, Generoso P. Hickam Field Medford, MA
Currier, John R. USS Dobbin Chula Vista, CA
Hatcher, Louis J. USS Honolulu Granitville, SC
Mills, Robert E. Marines Darlington, SC
Voso, Edward Schofield Barracks Spring Valley, CA
Dennett, Robert J. Hickam Field Westfield, MA
Hettinger, George P. USS Utah North Aurora, IL
Morrill, John A. USS Castor Spring Valley, CA
Watson, Russell E. Naval Base Pearl Harbor Bloomington, IN
Denton, George W. Fort Derussy North Charleston, SC
Hill, William W. Schofield Barracks Edgewater, CO
Nealand, Edwin H. USS New Orleans Coeur d’Alene, ID
A MESSAGE FROM PHSA PRESIDENT EMERITUS
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ellow Survivors, The bonds are still there. It is with real pleasure to note that our chapters are, not only still meeting, but many have added new social members to their groups. I receive copies of chapter newsletters reviewing their activities and their active participation in local veterans events, most of which show special recognition to our Survivors. Some of our chapters are participating in the meetings with Sons and Daughters units; don’t overlook these opportunities. If you have items of interest beyond your local area, send them to Mal Middlesworth. He will see that they receive proper space in the Gram section of Remembrance. Also, an item of importance: Death Notices. Remembrance has a Death Notice Section in each of their issues along with an attachment to mail to Remembrance on the death of a Survivor (see below). Let’s not forget that Survivor. If you know of
a death, make certain proper notification is made to Remembrance. It is from these death notices we are able to track, with reasonable accuracy, the number of our living, fellow Survivors. These notices can be sent directly to: Sarah Safranski Publications and Communications Manager 94-1187 Ka Uka Blvd. Waipahu, HI 96797 Remember Pearl Harbor – Keep America Alert William H. Muehleib, PHSA President Emeritus, Pearl Harbor Survivors Association
PEARL HARBOR SURVIVORS ASSOCIATION REPORT OF DEATH
Please send to: Sarah Safranski Pacific Historic Parks 1 Arizona Memorial Place Honolulu, HI 96818
*Please include an obituary notice, if possible.
Unit Or Station December 7th Name City
Address
State
Zip
Next of Kin Address Date of Death
Services
Interment
Funeral Home Yes
Continue sending Remembrance?
No
Remarks Relationship
Formed Prepared By: Address
City
Date State
Zip
Thank you! Gold Members
Board of Directors
Paul Kott Douglas Holden Thomas Grape
Jeff Bell James M. Boersema Robert Q. Bruhl Noel W. Bragg Dwight L. Cobb Joachim P. Cox Colette J. Higgins Patricia A. Lucas Alan R. Mattson Clif Purkiser Alfred B. Rodrigues
Silver Members Colleen Berry Wayne Poole William Coats WC Watson 12
Alby L. Saunders Neil A. Sheehan George E. Sullivan James K. Sylva Geoffrey M. White Kwai S. “Sunny” Young
REMEMBRANCE
Become a member today! Mr./Ms./Miss/Mrs./Mr. & Mrs./Dr./Other Name (please print) We are honored by the many supporters who have joined us in our mission and represent Pacific Historic Parks around the world. Together, we are committed to preserving history. Your support will help preserve the stories of Pearl Harbor, WWII in the Pacific, and Kalaupapa. In partnership with our members, Pacific Historic Parks supports the National Park Service at four NPS sites throughout the Pacific, benefitting millions of park visitors and more than 30,000 students.
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Email address At Pearl Harbor, your membership supports the restoration of the USS Arizona Memorial, interpretation of the events that took place during WWII in the Pacific, and funds education programs.
Home phone Information for Memorial Registry (name, rank, branch, dates, location)
In Kalaupapa, your membership supports the preservation and protection of significant sites including renovation and maintenance of St. Damien’s own St. Philomena Church.
Donation information q Yes! I would like to support Pacific Historic Parks by joining/renewing (circle one) member at the following level: q Brass ($25) q Copper ($50) q Bronze ($100) q Silver ($250) q Gold ($500) q Platinum ($1000+)
Your membership designated to Saipan supports and funds educational programs and museum displays and exhibits in honor of the American and Marianas people who gave their lives during the Marianas Campaign of WWII.
At the following park: q USS Arizona Memorial q Kalaupapa, Molokai q American Memorial, Saipan q War in the Pacific, Guam q Where most needed q Yes! I would like to make an additional donation to further support the restoration of the USS Arizona Memorial. I have enclosed the following donation: $
Your support in Guam funds educational and interpretive programs at the T. Stell Newman Visitor Center, commemorating the sacrifice and bravery of those who fought in the battles of the Pacific War Campaign.
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
• 15% bookstore discount • 1-year Remembrance subscription
Payment information $ Membership donation $ Additional donation for the restoration of the USS Arizona Memorial $ Total amount enclosed q q q q q
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• 1 Memorial Registry Honoree + lapel pin
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• 2 Memorial Registry Honorees + key chain
Bronze ($100)
• 4 Memorial Registry Honorees, lapel pin, + key chain
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• Bronze benefits + recognition in Remembrance
Signature
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• Silver benefits, annual calendar, donor coin + guided USS Arizona Memorial Tour for 4 with audio tour
Platinum ($1000+) • 4 Memorial Registry Honorees, recognition in Remembrance, annual calendar, US flag flown over the USS Arizona Memorial with flag certificate, + guided USS Arizona Memorial Tour for 6 with audio tour FALL 2013
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For more information about the membership program: Phone: 1-888-332-1941 (toll free) Email: membership@pacifichistoricparks.org Online: www.pacifichistoricparks.org Pacific Historic Parks is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. Your contribution is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
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1 Arizona Memorial Place Honolulu, Hawaii 96818