Remembrance Summer 2013

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A PAC I F I C H I S TO R I C PA R K S P U B L I C AT I O N

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Anastyn Asbury at the USS Oklahoma Memorial on May 26, 2013, Memorial Day. Photo by: Lindsay Asbury and submitted via Pacific Historic Parks’ Facebook page.

Front cover: US Navy personnel stand at attention to welcome USS Arizona Survivor Lauren Bruner to the USS Arizona Memorial.

Inside Harbor Survivor Touched Millions of Lives - Pearl Harbor Survivor and longtime 2 Pearl National Park Service volunteer Uncle Bob Kinzler is remembered through his oral history.

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USS Arizona Survivor Lauren Bruner Returns to His Ship - Lauren Bruner, second to

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Pilgrimage to Minidoka - Three generations visit Minidoka National Historic Site in Utah

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The US Navy Japanese/Oriental Language Programs - Learn how US Navy and Marine Japanese Language Officers contributed to the war effort.

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Pearl Harbor Gram - The Martin Luther King High School oral history program in River-

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Historic Pearl Harbor Tours - Pacific Historic Parks’ popular Pearl Harbor Tours raised

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PHP Board Member Wins Award for Volunteer Work - Kwai “Sunny” Young is awarded

the last to leave the USS Arizona, recounts his December 7, 1941 experience for an upcoming documentary.

to learn about the Japanese American internment after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

side, California brings together Pearl Harbor Survivors, war veterans and teenagers for a day of learning.

more than $30,000 for the USS Arizona Memorial Restoration Fund.

the prestigious Doleman Award by the the Hawaii State Chapter Military Officers Association of America.

www.facebook.com/ PacificHistoricParksPage

www.twitter.com/ PacificParks

EDITOR Sarah Safranski

PHOTOGRAPHY Donny Chambers Sarah Safranski National Park Service

CHECK OUT THE T-SHIRTS ON P. 15!

A Message from the President: Art to Educate & Inspire Brad L. Wallis, President and CEO, Pacific Historic Parks

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he visual arts played a strong role in the development of the National Park system. Artists accompanied early expedition and survey groups as they explored the western half of the continental United States. These images of fantastic landforms, spouting geysers, bubbling mud pots, massive canyons and towering mountains helped solidify and give credence to efforts to protect and preserve these unique natural wonders. To this day, many of the works of masters such as Thomas Moran and Albert Bierstadt hang in the halls of Congress and are credited with helping the large mass of voters on the eastern seaboard understand the value of these unique places. Their work ultimately led to the creation of the federal land management agencies, which protect these natural treasures.

Just as art helped preserve the natural resource parks, it can also help us understand and relate to historic events such as the attack on Pearl Harbor.

I am pleased to announce that three original oil paintings have been donated to Pacific Historic Parks by two generous artists. These beautiful works will hang in our sales outlet at World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument and PHP is currently producing theme-related products featuring these images.

Both artists also donated reproduction rights to their works.

As with all items at our gift and bookstores, the revenue generated as a result of these product sales will help sustain our mission of supporting education and research at the parks we serve.

Derek Bridgeland, an aviation artSUMMER 2013

USS California, BB44, Approaching Pearl Harbor 1940 by Rick Nakamura.

Top: Taylor and Welsh by Derek Bridgeland.

ist who hails from the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia, donated two paintings: • Taylor and Welsh, a painting of two American airmen who mounted a counter attack flying Curtiss P-40s against a formation of Japanese dive bombers over central Oahu, and • No Where to Run, No Where to Hide, an image of the USS Nevada under attack by Japanese aircraft as she attempted to make a run for the open sea during the attack on Pearl Harbor (still in the works).

Rick Nakamura, an Oahu native who served four years with the Air Force and

an additional 28 years as an electronic technician at the Pearl Harbor shipyard, donated USS California, BB44, Approaching Pearl Harbor 1940. Nakamura was inspired by a historic photograph that captured the California returning from New Zealand.

The visual arts can create a unique emotional connection to moments in history. To see the products developed with these images, go to page 15 or visit our website. Proceeds from your purchase will support our parks.

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Pearl Harbor Survivor TOUCHED MILLIONS OF LIVES Edean Saito, Special Projects Manager, Pacific Historic Parks

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ith the passing of Robert G. Kinzler on June 14, 2013, we lost an amazing man, a humble and selfless hero. There are people who have a profound effect on the lives they pass through. Uncle Bob, as he was affectionately known, was one of them.

Born on March 7, 1922 and raised in Newark, New Jersey, Uncle Bob enlisted in the US Army on June 24, 1940.

He arrived in Hawaii on September 26 of that same year and was assigned to the 27th Infantry Regiment stationed at Schofield Barracks. On December 7, 1941, he was a Private Third Class radio operator and just 19 years old.

During World War II, Uncle Bob served in the South Pacific, continental US and Canada. After 22 years of service, Captain Robert G. Kinzler retired from the US Army in October 1962.

Uncle Bob joined the National Park Service’s Volunteers in the Parks program in 1985 and was one of the USS Arizona Memorial’s longest-serving volunteers. He loved to “talk story” with visitors, sharing his interpretation of the Pearl Harbor attack. More than a million visitors were touched by the kindness bestowed upon them by Uncle Bob. He served on the Pacific Historic Parks’ Board of Directors since 1990 and participated in our Witness to History program, a video conferencing program that connects Pearl Harbor Survivors with students across the country and overseas.

Uncle Bob was a national treasure.

More importantly, he was a treasure of a man. He never judged anyone and always had something nice to say. He was a generous man, always had a smile, and gave the best hugs. He was a true friend and loved by all.

We have been blessed to have had Uncle Bob in our lives. We love and miss him, and he’ll always have a special place in our hearts.

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n December 1991, Uncle Bob participated in an oral history interview with John Martini, a National Park Service Ranger.

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Robert Kinzler, Schofield Barracks, May 1941.

John Martini (JM): When did you enlist and where did you enlist?

Robert Kinzler (RK): I enlisted on the 24th of June 1940 at Newark, New Jersey, and requested service in Hawaii.

My purpose in doing that was to try to win an appointment to West Point by attending the West Point prep school, which was being conducted at Schofield Barracks at the time. They had another one at Fort Dix, New Jersey, but that was only a few miles from my home, so I opted for Hawaii. And it took three months to get here. I didn’t arrive until early September 1940 on the USAT Republic, a transport, which brought me from the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn Army base to Panama, to San Francisco, to Hawaii.

I got here and they off loaded us from the ship, put us on trucks and drove us a few blocks to the Iwilei Railroad Station.

They then put us on a very small railroad car. To me it was small—I was used to the regular size, but this was more like a small gauge railroad—and they took us by rail to Schofield Barracks.

We were off loaded just in front of the present Post Theater. There was a Post Theater then as well.

JM: It actually ran through the base?

RK: Mm-hm, right into the base. They then assigned me to H Company of the 27th. I had no basic training up until that point, so they began to give us our basic training. During the period of basic training, which lasted for six to eight weeks, Captain John H. Bentley, Jr.— who was the communications officer for the regiment—came out to get some volunteers to transfer to Headquarters Company. I had a year of college before I joined up and I thought that would be a better opportunity to be in than H Company, which was a heavy weapons company. So I transferred and that’s when I began to learn Morse code.

We developed to the point where we could take 20 words a minute, which would break down to 25 letter code groups in a minute. I was still a private, but I began to go up the scale. A success, you might say, pay-wise, by going from sixth to fourth, to final Third Class Specialist.

JM: Did you find yourself more educated than most of the other guys?

RK: Most cases. We did have several high school graduates, but they were far REMEMBRANCE

and few between. You could pick them out because they seemed to stand out a little differently from the others. In looking at other men in the company, I could figure out those who had a little more education than normal soldiers.

JM: You mentioned the local populace didn’t think you were anything if you were wearing a uniform. At that time, the fleet was here and the Army was being built up. How were relations between the enlisted levels, like the Army and the Navy, the Marines? Did you guys have certain areas you went to?

Did you ever spend time together?

RK: There was an area of Honolulu known as lower Hotel Street. You may have heard of that. That’s where they congregated, if they had the money. It came to the point where a $2 bill was known as sailor money, and that was the going rate.

JM: If you were off duty, what did you do to kill time?

RK: Each regiment had a little so-called restaurant in the sallysport [of their barracks quadrangle at Schofield Barracks].

It was run by a Chinese family, usually.

And beer was 10 cents. And they called it a restaurant, but it was usually a beer hall. You’d hang out there.

On Sundays, we used to hike up into the Waianae mountains. We’d go up the Kolekole Pass and then we would go from Kolekole toward Ewa, along the summit, overlooking Lualualei.

I did take the physical exam for West Point, three days of it, and I flunked because of my eyesight. On December 7, 1941, school ended abruptly anyway, so I didn’t lose out.

JM: Can we talk for a second about the West Point Prep School? How did that work? I know there were a couple of them.

RK: The West Point Prep School was run by the Army to allow servicemen the opportunity to win an appointment to West Point. Now, at that time, I think the student body was something like 2,000. The president had so many appointments he could make. Each Congressmen and each Senator could make some, but they, in some cases, had to skip a year, and that was my problem.

They didn’t have it for that year, and I guess I was somewhat in a hurry so they suggested West Point Prep School. You could tell those soldiers; they had formSUMMER 2013

fitting uniforms that were taken in by the laundress and they also had a yellow band around the hat. It was a campaign hat, a hat similar to what the drill instructors today wear. The yellow band differentiated a West Point prep soldier from a regular run of the mill.

JM: As everything got tighter and the build up happened here at Pearl, and on the whole island, what was the role of the guys up there at Schofield?

RK: We had gone on several alerts.

There were two divisions there, the 24th and the 25th. In the case of an invasion or any such thing as that, the 25th division, I believe, was to try to secure the lower, or the southern half of the island; the 24th, the northern half by defending the beaches that might possibly allow a landing, you know. Spread the concertina type barbed wire, and things of that sort.

But being in Headquarters Company, we did not normally go out on these field trips or field problems. We went on our own problems where we were to set up communications, and had some practice that way. I cannot recall ever going out with the entire regiment on a maneuver. No, I take that back. In May of 1941, we did have an island-wide maneuver. Our position was down here at Fort DeRussy. We set up a radio net there and that was it.

JM: You know, when they kept having those alerts and in November…

RK: November 27, 1941, they had an anti-sabotage alert called a real low class alert, for it was one that did not have any activity. It was done to protect our planes primarily by taking them from their protective revetments and then lining them up, wing tip to wing tip, tail to nose and nose to tail, both at Wheeler and at Hickam. We also had a small base over at Bellows Field. There were some planes there. The planes were in that condition on the 7th of December.

JM: Just before December 7, what were you assigned to that day?

RK: Okay. Well, let’s lead up to it.

The week before, starting December 1, we had dry run rifle practice. Just sighting imaginary targets, squeezing the trigger, getting the position, prone position and then kneeling position and things like that. And then on December 6, the company had a cookout for some of the people. I not only was the radio opera-

Robert Kinzler poses with a rifle at Roosevelt High School football stadium where he was stationed during the attack.

tor, but I drove a half-ton pickup truck for the radio section. Once we got to where we were going, I was then a radio operator. So, I was invited to this party of primarily truck drivers. And that was at Kailua Beach on December 6. They had the usual beer and soft drinks and hot dogs, and things of that sort, a little cook out. And we didn’t get back to Schofield until roughly 2:00am.

If you were not assigned to, say, KP or something like that, you were sleeping in. We actually had off from noon Saturday until roughly Sunday, each week, and from noon Wednesday until roughly Thursday morning.

I was intending to go into Waikiki. I had 50 cents so I get in—not Waikiki, but Honolulu. I had 50 cents at my disposal, so it was pretty close to the beginning of the month.

JM: Burning a hole in your pocket.

RK: Right, and I had to get rid of it, but not in the manner that I finally ended up in going to Honolulu. At 7:55am, there was a terrific explosion, loud enough to wake everybody up regardless of how much that person might have had to drink the night before.

JM: You were in the sack still?

RK: Yeah. I could sleep good at that time. We got dressed immediately and went out onto the lanai to see what might have caused that explosion. For you see, at that time, each regiment consisted of three battalions, each with four companies. Each company had their 3

own mess hall. And then we had two mess halls in the headquarters building.

Those ranges or stoves in the mess hall were oil fire.

We thought perhaps an explosion had occurred in one of them, so we expected to see a little excitement around one of the mess halls, but there was none.

I was on the second story of a threestory building. Flying from our left—the direction of Wheeler Field, away from it, left to right—was a very strange looking plane. The building was three stories and this was just barely missing the roof of the building, the Second Battalion, First Battalion barracks. And I’d say it was no more than 50 yards from the building, but I didn’t recognize it. It wasn’t an Army plane.

It had fixed landing gear, two men in the cockpit, the canopy was back, close enough to see the pilot clearly—that it was a man, not whether he was Chinese, Japanese, whatever. He did have a brown helmet with fringe and this huge red circle painted on the fuselage, just behind the rear man. Could have been a Navy plane, could have been a Marine plane. Didn’t mean a thing to us. We had no aircraft identification instructions in our particular company.

Robert Kinzler in his alert uniform, Hawaii, November 1941.

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There was no war talk—maybe amongst the higher echelon of officers, but not in our area.

So, not recognizing it as anything, we went down to breakfast. We were dressed and breakfast was being served so we went down to our mess hall to get something to eat. Well, I never did get to eat that day. That’s when they laid the alert call. Everything was done by bugle, not the tape or anything. A bugler went up to a seven-foot megaphone and blew his call maybe three times in three different directions. An alert call is noise.

There was nothing familiar about it at all. You know something is up when you hear a call like that, especially in the dead of night. But it was 8:00am, maybe, by that time.

When we ran out of the mess hall, no officers were around. Dougherty, our first sergeant told me to get a certain portion of my anatomy out to the pool to help disperse the trucks. That motor pool was a good 10-minute run away. I ran out only to find the trucks had been dispersed, so I had to run back, not upright, sort of leaning. But I cannot recall whether I could hear continuing bomb explosions from Wheeler. Out of 353 planes in the sky that morning, I only recall seeing the first one. I didn’t bother to look up. But while I had run out to the motor pool area and back, the rest of the company had rolled their full fuel packs, which consisted of half a tent, toilet articles, everything you would need to go out into the field.

So, I was alone in the barracks and I was rolling my own full field pack when, all of a sudden, the loudest noise, even louder than the one that woke us up, took place. What I imagined was that every gun in the area, which had been mounted on the roofs of the buildings, was firing at a plane flying over. And maybe the plane was strafing, I don’t know. At the same time, a lieutenant colonel came into the squad room, looking for some other officer. He came over to me—I was as flat on the floor as I could get—and he joined me. Then, he left. I finished and I went down. They issued me a .45 caliber automatic pistol.

Well, maybe three minutes later, we found out that it didn’t work. The ordnance came, I put a shell in the chamber, pulled the trigger, and nothing happened. We ejected that one, put another shell in the chamber, nothing happened. Then they found out that the firing pin had either broken or was just filed down. It was a little too short. They then gave me a rifle, the old Springfield.

JM: Can I interject for a second? At this point, there was an alert on, your turrets are firing, do you know that it wasn’t a drill? Do you know it was the real thing?

And do you know who was coming at you?

RK: We figured from the noise it was the real thing, but I didn’t know for maybe 10 to 15 minutes after I had gotten back from the motor pool area that it was Japanese.

JM: Up until that moment when you did find out, what had your opinion been of the Japanese as a possible enemy?

RK: Never even thought about it. I was reading news articles of the war in Europe. I was thinking more of that, not out here. Maybe I’m the only one that never thought about it.

I also found out that, after 50 years, practically everyone else other than myself was either strafed or bombed. I was neither.

I went from Schofield with a 150 others—that’s how many were in the company—all the way down to Roosevelt High School, which is at the base of Punchbowl. The football stadium was our regimental headquarters, and that’s where we set up our radio net. By between 9:30am, perhaps, and 9:45am, when the attack was easing off, we came down from the Kipapa Gulch area, down the old Kamehameha Highway. We could see all of Pearl Harbor from there. That was our first clue, you might say. Even going past Wheeler Field, none of us—I can’t remember seeing any of the smoke or the planes that were burning there.

And we went right past it. We had to.

That’s the only way we could get from Schofield down to Hickam.

Our thoughts were more on what was happening right there, rather than what’s going on over here and being curious in watching that. But once we saw that dense black smoke coming from the ships that had been burning—the oil burning—and then seeing in that black smoke very deep orange colored flames shooting—probably from an internal explosion or something. We weren’t really scared of anything, but from that point on, I think everyone in that truck that I was in, a big 2.5-ton truck might have had a laundry problem. We were scared.

I remember somebody asking what caliber—we knew by that time it was Japanese—rifle bullet they used. Somebody said .25 and we wondered if that would that hurt as much as a .30 caliber, which we had. Are they going to invade? Is REMEMBRANCE

there going to be follow up? Is the worst yet to come, or has the worst taken place already? We got down around East Loch and went up toward the—today they’re empty—the tank farm that borders Pearl Harbor.

Every time we had gone down that way—whether in a taxi or a bus, or in a convoy—there was always a Marine standing guard there. I think he was probably more scared than we were, having more or less a bird’s eye view of what was happening, and being surrounded

by Navy F-14 tanks of a million gallons of fuel oil or so.

Well, again, no plane strafed us. We weren’t bombed. According to some of the stories that are being told, people claim, “I went across that field and here comes a Jap plane strafing me, alone.” I don’t think they wasted bullets on one person. I feel as though maybe I missed something on December 7.

Anyway, we finally got to our so-called battle station and set up radio and telegraph nets for the outlying battalions.

Then I was immediately put on duty. I was a pretty good operator by that time and we did get reports. Some of these rumors that you hear, “Invasion fleet being sighted off of Waianae coast.”

Somebody saw some puffy clouds and they became paratroopers.

All of that came into the headquarters and was given to the regimental commander, who in turn had to determine what battalion would have to investigate that particular rumor. And that’s what they were, primarily rumors. Then, around 4:00pm, I think we learned that military law had been established.

The most uncomfortable feeling that night was laying on a cold floor under that football stadium, totally blacked out, no lights at all. Somebody would come and stumble over somebody and then you’d hear a shot ring out. But, fortunately, those shots all went up. It was so dark you couldn’t tell whether you were horizontal or vertical.

JM: What’s your strongest memory of that day and immediately ensuing? After 50 years, what sticks out most?

RK: Seeing the plane and then seeing the ships burning as we came down from Kipapa Gulch. You know, we came up Kipapa Gulch,and then could see all three lochs of Pearl Harbor. And then those tremendous fires, very dense black smoke.

JM: With all those alerts and rumors going on, did you still have a laundry probSUMMER 2013

lem, or did you kind of settle down?

RK: Oh, my problem was not so much laundry. I was just scared, but not–I don’t like to use certain words—but I wasn’t scared something.

JM: It’s okay. (Chuckles) Go ahead.

RK: Shitless, that’s the word.

JM: In 50 years, a lot of changes since then. How did you feel that evening, though, about the Japanese? You hadn’t thought about ‘em before…

RK: I really didn’t think about ‘em as an enemy or anything. I was just concerned and worried about my own safe being.

And then, as time went on, there was no return, especially that day. You begin to relax just a little. Things got to be rather boring, the same thing every day.

Our company commander, I think his name was Captain Fred L. Walker, Jr., had a motto: keep them busy; take their mind off of desertion. So, you’ve heard the proverbial digging a hole and then filling it in. Well, we would dig the hole one day and then the next day, we filled it in—all in the vicinity of Roosevelt High School.

I believe there’s a stream that ran down along there with the football field on the other side, toward whatever road it is.

That’s where we did our digging, in that stream.

We stood guard duty. In fact, I had taken some pictures. I had bought a camera in the old Waikiki Pharmacy, which is next to the theater.

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were slides. I didn’t get ‘em for about three years. The pictures were of us standing against a brick wall–not a brick wall, but a stonewall. They kept them because they said that there might have some military significance, but they finally gave it to me. I still have some of ‘em.

JM: We’ve only got about a minute left.

Anything that you’d like to add or say?

RK: I liked Hawaii. I liked the life, the climate, and the type of living. Oh, incidentally, those civilians, when they began to draft their own sons in around October 1940, their attitude toward the military changed a little. And on December 7, when we were at Roosevelt High School, a lot of Japanese families lived in the area. They couldn’t do enough for us. We had cookies, we had cake, we had soda; everything brought to us. Things changed.

JM: Things change.

RK: But I liked Hawaii so well that I returned for good in 1954.

JM: And you’re making your home here now.

RK: I had no job. I had a wife who was seven months pregnant and I had $1,500. It took me a month to find a job. That job lasted 30 years. I’m pushing forty years on the island now. That job was with C & H sugar refinery at Aiea JM: And we’ve got to wrap it up right now. Thanks for coming, thanks for talking.

Robert Kinzler in his National Park Service volunteer uniform.

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USS ARIZONA SURVIVOR

LAUREN BRUNER RETURNS TO HIS SHIP

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“IT TOOK LESS THAN TWO MINUTES TO REACH MY BATTLE STATION, RUNNING LIKE HELL TRYING TO GET INTO THE FIGHT.” 6

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LAUREN BRUNER USS ARIZONA SURVIVOR

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“LITTLE DID I KNOW AT THE TIME THAT BOTH THE ARIZONA AND I WERE DESTINED FOR HISTORY. ONCE I WAS ASSIGNED TO THE SHIP, WE WOULD REMAIN TOGETHER TO ITS’ END AND THEN BEYOND.” LAUREN BRUNER USS ARIZONA SURVIVOR 6 1. USS Arizona Survivor and Purple Heart recipient Lauren Bruner, with tears in his eyes, recounts the attack on Pearl Harbor while on the USS Arizona Memorial. Mr. Bruner’s visit was filmed for the documentary “Second to the Last to Leave,” a copy of which will be donated to the National Park Service upon completion.

2. Lauren Bruner reflects in front of the shrine room wall, which lists the names of the 1,177 men who died on the USS Arizona.

3. From left to right: Daniel Martinez, Chief Historian, National Park Service, World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument; Lauren Bruner, USS Arizona Survivor; and Captain Jeffrey James, Commander of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, on the boat ride out to the USS Arizona Memorial.

4. Lauren Bruner points to his battle station on the USS Arizona. He manned one of the ship’s anti-aircraft gun batteries on the portside during the attack on Pearl Harbor and was the second to last man to leave the battleship. He escaped by maneuvering hand over hand along a rope thrown from the USS Vestal. More than 70% of his body was burned and he remained in the hospital for seven months after the attack.

Lauren’s Pearl Harbor story is featured on a line of t-shirts sold exclusively at our Pearl Harbor book and gift store. Proceeds from Combat Collection t-shirt sales are donated to the national parks we serve. See page 15 for more details.

5. The interior of the USS Arizona Memorial as seen from the shrine room.

6. The USS Arizona Memorial on the morning of Lauren Bruner’s visit.

7. USS Arizona Survivor Lauren Bruner meets Japanese Rear Admiral Fumiyuki Kitagawa, JMSDF Vice Commander, Combined Task Force Commander, Escort Flotilla 3. The Rear Admiral brought his fleet to Pearl Harbor to visit the USS Arizona Memorial and Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.

8. USS Arizona Survivor Lauren Bruner participated in a floral tribute for his lost shipmates.

9. With Chief Historian Daniel Martinez, USS Arizona Survivor Lauren Bruner signs papers stating his wish to be interred on the USS Arizona with his shipmates. This was the first time that an internment paper signing was documented on camera or film for the National Park Service.

10. USS Arizona Survivor Lauren Bruner signs an autograph for a young visitor at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.

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Preservation Grave Marker

at Kalaupapa national Historical park

Richard Miller, Exhibits Specialist, Kalaupapa National Historical Park Story was originally posted on the blog Pacific Island National Parks, www.PacificIslandParks.com

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rom January to March of this year, Emily Harte, Exhibits Specialist, Historic Preservation Training Center, National Park Service, joined forces with Kalaupapa National Historical Park Exhibits Specialist Richard Miller to perform extensive preservation work on seven severely deteriorated historic tombs located in the Kalawao area of Kalaupapa National Historical Park.

Kalaupapa was established as the site of exile and imprisonment of victims of Hansen’s disease (leprosy) in 1865 by the Kingdom of Hawaii. Kalawao was the location of the first settlement of exiled people, and was the home of Saint Damien, who is widely-recognized for his work with the patients and was canonized by the Catholic church in 2009.

Approximately 8,000 people were sent to Kalaupapa during the time of

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exile. Thousands were buried in unmarked mass graves and the 1946 tsunami removed many wooden and lightweight masonry grave markers. Twelve hundred historic grave markers exist in the park today.

The grave restoration project is part of a continuous program of grave marker recording, assessment, and preservation that was started in 2003.

“Cemeteries and grave markers are a significant and unique historic property type worthy of a dedicated management program, as are the archaeology, ethnography, and museum collections programs. The grave markers contribute to the cultural landscape and are a tangible feature that illustrates the vast number of people sent to the peninsula during the period of banishment.

It is the kuleana (responsibility) of the National Park Service in Kalaupapa to provide a well-maintained community.

We view this preservation work as one of the components in meeting that responsibility,” said Erika Stein, Superintendent, Kalaupapa National Historical Park.

The most recently restored tombs are constructed of lava rock set in lime-based mortar. Most are coated with lime-based render, and some were lime washed as well. Each of the tombs had suffered partial collapse.

Preservation treatment involved careful

disassembly of collapsed and unstable fabric, followed by repair with mortars matching the original materials. Both Harte and Miller have considerable experience using historic lime-based mortars, and have received training through the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Training Center and the Scottish Lime Center Charlestown Workshops. They have worked throughout the United States on historic structures using lime-based mortars.

The restoration project was opened with Hawaiian protocol, performed on site by Kalaupapa National Historical Park Ethnographer Kaohulani McGuire. Every work day began with personal reflection by Harte and Miller to make pono (spiritually correct) the sensitive work to be undertaken that day.

Each work day was closed with eating a pinch of Kalaupapa sea salt, symbolizing the purity of the intent of the work and to provide protection for all involved in the project.

“From the moment the opening ceremony was performed by Kaohulani, I realized this was going to be an esoteric experience. The responsibility for ensuring the reverence due to the grave markers and tombs and the labor of preserving them help tell the compelling story of Kalaupapa to the world. This leaves me with an unparalleled lasting memory: one of a sense of duty to the people who lost their lives and another to the children of the future,” said Harte.

Pacific Historic Parks is proud to support the grave marker restoration project by providing financial aid to Kalaupapa National Historical Park.

REMEMBRANCE

Pilgrimage to minidoka: three generations visit a world war II Japanese american INTERNMENT CAMP Kelsea Holbrook, Ranger, National Park Service, World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument

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nspired by a USS Arizona Survivor who traveled to Hawaii with three generations of his family to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, I packed my bags and returned to my home state of Washington last summer to make a tri-generational pilgrimage to Minidoka National Historic Site in Hunt, Idaho.

My maternal grandmother Fujiko Gardner spent part of her childhood in Minidoka Relocation Center, one of 10 camps where Japanese and Japanese Americans were interned after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Now operated by the National Park Service, Minidoka was established by Executive Order 9066 in 1942 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and held more than 13,000 Japanese Americans. The Center was located on 33,000 acres of land and consisted of 35 blocks, each containing 12 barracks and one recreation center arranged around a mess hall and lavatory-laundry building.

My grandma went back to visit Minidoka many years ago and was reluctant to return. After the relocation center closed, the buildings were removed and the land was divided into small farms, some of which were allotted to World War II veterans. The camp is now a desert and all that remains are the foundation blocks of the military police station.

We started our visit at Hagerman Fossil Beds’ Visitor Center to see the Minidoka Internment exhibit. While my grandmother shared her stories of Block 21, several other visitors approached us and listened to her childhood memories.

When she finished speaking, a visitor embraced her in a sincere hug. He apologized for her internment, and we all began to cry. My grandmother later said that this interaction was one of the most meaningful in her life. No one had ever apologized to her for what her family endured during World War II. From the visitor center, we ventured to Minidoka. We found my great uncle Masuru “Richard” Tamura’s name on a bronze plaque honoring those killed in action while serving on the 442nd, a Regimental Combat Team of the US SUMMER 2013

Army composed primarily of Americans of Japanese descent.

My great uncle enlisted from Minidoka, serving his country despite the Japanese American internment, and was killed in the Po Valley Campaign on April 20, 1945. It was very meaningful to know that his memory is being honored.

My grandmother was very excited to see her brother Hiroshi’s name on the honor roll of those who lived at the Minidoka Relocation Camp, and grateful to hear that the National Park Service was working to add more names to the panel, as two of her brothers’ names are missing.

Walking along the gravel path that goes through the historic site, my grandmother shared more childhood stories. As we approached what was once the fire station, we were shocked to see a photo of my grandma’s brother-in-law, Fred Mori, on an official National Park Service interpretive sign. We took photos of the exhibit and sent them to his grandchildren.

Someday I will bring my own grandchildren to Minidoka National Historic Site and retrace the interpretive path that I walked with my grandmother, sharing the stories of our family history and memories of our visit. The World War II experience of the Tamura family will be passed through generations.

I believe it is of the utmost importance for families to connect, share stories, and make memories.

Fujiko Gardner points to her brother Hiroshi’s name on the honor roll of those who lived at the Minidoka Relocation Camp.

Top: Kelsea Holbrook and her grandmother pose for a photo in front of the National Park Service sign for Minidoka National Historic Site in Hunt, Idaho.

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THE US NAVY JAPANESE/ORIENTAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS David M. Hays, Archivist, University of Colorado Boulder Libraries

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n the ensuing years after the stunning Japanese victory over one of the most well regarded militaries of Europe in the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, the United States Army and Navy both began their own multiyear Japanese language tutorials in Tokyo. Both services sent naval and military academy graduates to train while assigned as attachés at the embassy. From 1910 until 1940, the Navy program trained 41 Navy language officers and 16 Marine language officers, of which 48 graduated and 35 became active intelligence officers during World War II. In 1941, due to growing diplomatic strain, the school had to be removed from Tokyo to the United States. It was clear that the school needed to shorten its curriculum to produce language officers quickly, and expand to produce enough linguists for the needs of the Navy and the Marines. After experiments with a Marine school at Pearl Harbor, and two pilot programs at Harvard University and the University of California at Berkeley, the US Navy Japanese Language School (JLS) shifted entirely to Berkeley in late 1941. The school used texts pulled together and a curriculum developed for the Navy by

Naoe Naganuma, who had headed the Tokyo school (for the Navy, the Foreign Service and the Army) in the 1930s. The length of training shortened to 14 months, and the instructors were mainly Nisei (a person of Japanese descent born and educated in the US) from California and Washington. The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and the subsequent internment of West Coast Japanese necessitated the school to move again or lose the bulk of their instructors/sensei to the camps.

Since Colorado Governor Ralph Carr had “welcomed” Japanese Americans to the state, and University of Colorado president Robert Stearns was lobbying with the Navy to bring schools and personnel to the university to take the place of the many students who had either enlisted or had been drafted by the military, the JLS need for a location and the university’s need for students and funding coincided. In June of 1942, the Navy’s JLS arrived in Boulder, Colorado. The School’s Navy cadre, Nisei and former missionary instructors were joined by alumni, recent graduates and even graduate students from the nation’s most prestigious universities and

colleges, with an emphasis on those who were raised in Asia and were members of Phi Beta Kappa. Trained in classes of five, most students knew only those who had came from their schools, roomed with them, or stood nearby in formation. After rigorous, intensive language training, the newly commissioned Navy and Marine officers were provided intelligence training at the Henry Hudson Hotel in New York City.

The Navy and Marine Japanese Language officers (JLOs) were then assigned to intelligence, translation, interpretation, decoding, or interrogation duties in the Office of Naval Intelligence or Office of Naval Communications facilities in Washington, DC; Commander in Chief Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center Pacific Ocean Area at Pearl Harbor; South-West Pacific Area’s Allied Translator and Interpreter Section in Australia, Fleet Radio Units at Pearl Harbor or Melbourne, or any of a number of Marine battalions, regiments and divisions during the many island campaigns. Aside from assisting in major code-breaking coups, as well as strategic and tactical discoveries, they also developed a humane manner of handling and

ENS Houghton Freeman, USNR; Postwar: Head of the Freeman Foundation.

1LT Charles T. Cross, Foreign Service Officer, 1944, Maui; Postwar: Ambassador to Singapore.

Edward Seidensticker, 1943, Colorado; Postwar: professor and expert on Japanese literature.

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REMEMBRANCE

gaining intelligence from Japanese prisoners of war, helped arrange the surrender of bypassed Japanese units, facilitated the repatriation of the bulk of the Japanese Imperial military after the surrender from China and island bases, and were an integral part of the occupation of Japan.

Perhaps as important as their wartime contributions were their postwar careers in many fields that would enhance the understanding between Japan and the United States. After WWII, the former Navy and Marine JLOs filled the ranks of academia studying and teaching the anthropology, history, literature, art, economy, society, biol-

ogy, language, landscaping, political science, and other aspects of Japan and Asia. Another group joined the US Foreign Service, rising through consular and embassy positions to the ranks of consul and ambassador.

Another portion of JLS graduates became intelligence experts in the Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, and Defense Intelligence Agency. In all, they dominated the fields that sought to comprehend and interpret Japan for America for almost a half century–truly a gift that kept on giving.

World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument and the University of Colorado maintain a

partnership that has assisted making veteran’s stories, oral histories, photographs and archives accessible to the public. A total of six students processed archival holding both in Colorado and Hawaii, managed oral histories, scanned photographs and assisted monument staff. Pacific Historic Parks’ aid to National Park Service, along with the students themselves, and the United States Department of Education helped pay for this amazing work.

If you have any questions about this article, contact David Hays, Archivist, University of Colorado Boulder Libraries, at arv@colorado.edu.

PHP Publication Wins Ka Palapala Po‘okela Awards Sarah Safranski, Communications & Publications Manager, Pacific Historic Parks

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acific Historic Parks is proud to annouce that its publication Ili Na Ho‘omana’o O Kalaupapa: Casting Remembrances of Kalaupapa was recently awarded two Ka Palapala Po‘okela Awards by the Hawaii Book Publishers Association for Excellence in Design and Excellence in Illustrative or Photographic books.

Written by Anwei Skinsnes Law and Valerie Monson, and photographed by Wayne Levin, Casting Remembrances tells the history of Kalaupapa from 1866 to modern day through interviews with and portraits of Kalaupapa residents, interviews with descendants of individuals sent to Kalaupapa, and historic and modern day photos of the land.

The Hawaii Book Publishers Association, established in 1986, is a not-forprofit organization that promotes book publishing in Hawaii. Members include book publishers, consultants and distributors. Held on an annual basis, the Ka Palapala Po‘okela Awards recognize the finest books published in Hawaii.

This year’s awards ceremony was held at the Hawaii State Library.

Casting Remembrances received an Honorable Mention for Excellence in Design and won the Award of Excellence in the Illustrative or Photographic Books category. Brad Wallis, CEO, and Edean Saito, Special Projects Manager of Pacific Historic Parks accepted the SUMMER 2013

awards on behalf of the organization.

Ka Palapala Po‘okela Judges’ Remarks Excellence in Design “Ili Na Ho‘omana‘o o Kalaupapa: Casting Remembrances of Kalaupapa is a fine example of soulful photography and tasteful design. The pages expose the bodies and faces of isolation and landscapes of remoteness with appropriate restraint and respect. The formatting of the pages and overall design qualities create appeal and interest in revealing a history worthy of remembrance in honoring the resilience of the human spirit.”

Excellence in Illustrative or Photographic Books “Ili Na Ho‘omana‘o o Kalaupapa: Casting Remembrances of Kalaupapa is important in preserving the history and images of those who suffered the ravages of leprosy. In the words of Clarence “Boogie” Kahilihiwa, “...our people have endured and persevered through the many obstacles they had to encounter because of the confinement and the stigma of discrimination.”

Special thanks to Anwei Skinsnes Law, Valerie Monson and Wayne Levin for their hard work on this award-winning book!

The Ka Palapala Po‘okela Award for Excellence in Illustrative or Photographic Books. The award was block printed and includes a sketch of the photograph featured on the book’s cover.

Order your copy today!

To order, visit our website or call tollfree 1-888485-1941.

Hard cover, 144 pages, $24.95

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Pearl Harbor Gram OUR MOTTO: REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR – KEEP AMERICA ALERT! Published Quarterly with Remembrance, Pacific Historic Parks’ Member Newsletter

SURVIVORS support HIgH SCHOOL ORAL HISTORY PROGRAM Mal Middlesworth, Editor/Publisher, Pearl Harbor Gram

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n 2001, John Corona, a high school history teacher, gave his three U.S. history classes at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, a homework assignment.

The students were to find and interview a World War II or Korean War veteran and write a report about their life in the military. What began as a classroom assignment has grown into one of the nation’s largest school-based oral history projects on military veterans.

A number of the students were unable to find veterans to interview. In response to this, Corona reached out to area veterans groups and launched the King High School Remembers oral history program. Twenty-eight veterans sat down with 78 U.S. history students and shared their stories. The students learned from those who were actually there.

“At the end of the day, watching the eyes of our kids and the reactions of the vets who were telling their stories,” Corona said, “I knew this wasn’t a one-time event. I knew we had to keep it going.” Keep it going, indeed!

From modest beginnings in a third floor meeting room that held about 100 people, King High School Remembers has grown in numbers, popularity, and scope. After three years,

veterans from Vietnam, the Cold War, and the Gulf War were added to the interviewees from WWII and Korea. In March 2013, 265 military veterans from those eras and the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan came to tell their stories.

The project now encompasses the large gymnasium, the multi-purpose room, the teachers’ lunchroom, and six portable classrooms. The number of student participants has grown from the original 78 to 700 eleventh-grade history students per year. Eight other teachers from the King social studies department currently assist John.

To date, over the 13 years the project has been in place, Corona estimates that approximately 600 veterans have shared their stories with 8,000 students. Five area high schools have adopted similar projects and the school has received local, state, and national acclaim for the outstanding oral history program.

John Corona was inspired to start the oral history program by his father, James Corona, who passed away in 2011 at the age of 91. He served with the First Calvary Division in the Pacific Theatre of World War II and received a Bronze Star.

John Carona, a high school history teacher at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, founded the oral history program in 2001.

Pearl Harbor Survivors have participated in all of the Martin Luther King High School oral history programs since the event’s beginning.

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REMEMBRANCE

rayer P

for the dead

Eternal rest grant unto them and let perpetual light shine upon them and may they rest in peace.

Bowman, Walter A. USS Maryland Dallas, TX

James, Robert L. USS Tennessee Lemon Grove, CA

Peterson, Victor H. Bellows Field Kane, PA

Brewer, Eugene USS Dale Chesapeake, VA

Jinks, Orville C. USS San Francisco Indianapolis, IN

Piper, Guy H. Ford Island Springfield, MO

Chamberlain, C.R. USS Nevada Raleigh, NC

Johann, Edward A. USS Solace Portland, OR

Richard, George A. USS Tennessee Glen Haven, CO

Denton, George W. Fort Derussy North Charleston, NC

Klovas, William G. Wheeler Field Muskego, WI

Rockney, Arlo D. Wheeler Field Lynnwood, WA

Eaker, Douglas A. USS Widgeon Apex, NC

Lubick, Marvin M. Ft. Shafter Burbank, CA

Roden, John A. Hickam Field Benton, NH

Gursky, Robert V. USS Nevada Northville, MI

Luckham, William H. USS Helena Eugene, OR

Stoklosa, Joseph F. USS Medusa Worcester, MA

Hatton, George R. USS Wordon Vancouver, WA

Mahoney, Thomas F. USS Curtiss Union, NJ

Tweiten, Jorgen USS Rigel Paulsbo, WA

Heuer, Joseph A. Hickam Field Lake City, FL

Mobley, John M. USS Medusa Fort Walton Beach, FL

Watson, Russell E. USS Sacramento Bloomington, IN

Howard, Milford O. Schofield Barracks Piedmont, SC

Moore, James F. USS Antares Peru, IN

Weindorfer, John F. Phillips, WI

SUMMER 2013

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Historic Pearl Harbor Tour memorial day 2013 1

ticket sales raised more than $30,000 for the uss arizona memorial restoration fund!

2 1. The Ford Island Field Control Tower was recently restored by the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor.

2. The USS Utah Memorial, which is rarely seen by civilians due to restricted access to Ford Island, as viewed from the waters of Pearl Harbor. Tours went around Ford Island before stopping at the USS Arizona Memorial.

3. National Park Service Ranger Carolyn Knoll narrates a Historic Pearl Harbor Tour.

4. Attendees enjoyed a close up view of the Battleship Missouri Memorial during the 75 minute tour of Pearl Harbor and Ford Island.

5. The USS Arizona Memorial on Memorial Day 2013.

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ONLY AVAILABLE AT

BOOKSTORE

$20.95 Available in S-2XL

COMBAT COLLECTION $24.95

FREE PRINT WITH PURCHASE OF COMBAT COLLECTION T-SHIRT

Available in S-3XL

www.pacifichistoricparks.org 1-888-485-1941

Pearl Harbor Survivor Burial Services

Jim Taylor, Volunteer, Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs Office

T

he U.S. Navy in Hawaii offers special burial services for Pearl Harbor Survivors, members of the military who were serving on the island of Oahu on December 7, 1941. Survivors are allowed to have their ashes scattered in the waters of Pearl Harbor, and those who served on the USS Arizona or USS Utah may have their remains interred inside those ships. Survivors are buried with full military honors, including a religious service, a three-volley rifle salute, the sounding of Taps by a bugler, and a U.S. flag folding and presentation to a family member.

In order to coordinate these services, the following documents are needed:

•Copy of death certificate;

•Copy of honorable discharge papers;

•A bio or any information on the individual’s experi ence on December 7, 1941 or service during the war

(if available);

•A large photograph of the individual in uniform,

which will be returned to the family after the service (if available).

Photocopies of all forms are acceptable; originals are not necessary. Please mail all documents to:

Jim Taylor Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs 850 Ticonderoga St., Room 100 JBPHH, HI 96860-5101

Ashes can be sent to the above address via registered mail or FEDEX. For more information, please contact Jim Taylor, retired Navy Master Chief Petty Officer and a volunteer with the Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs Office, at 808-590-7656 or send an email to james.b.taylor@navy.mil.

PHP Board Member Wins Award for Volunteer Work

Thank you!

P

Key West Vacation Rentals

Sarah Safranski, Communications & Publications Manager, Pacific Historic Parks

acific Historic Parks is proud to announce that long-time board member and Retired Army Colonel Kwai “Sunny” Young was the recipient of the Hawaii State Chapter Military Officers Association of America Doleman Award for exemplary continuous voluntary contributions to the military and civilian communities for his work at Pacific Historic Parks, the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, and numerous other community-based organizations.

Young has served on PHP’s board of directors for the past nine years (currently serving as secretary) and has volunteered more than 4,000 hours at World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument at the USS Arizona Memorial. During the holiday season, he organizes the popular Pearl Harbor Christmas Lights boat tours, which transport families around Pearl Harbor to view the decorated US Navy ships and submarines.

In addition to his work at Pacific Historic Parks, Young also volunteers with Vacations for Veterans, Hawaii Army National Guard’s Honor Guard for military funerals, YMCA, and the Pearl City Lions Club.

Young has won numerous national awards for his volunteer service including the Jefferson Award for Public Service (2009), President’s Call to Volunteer Service by the National Park Service 16

Platinum Members Gold Members William Howell Thomas Grape

Silver Members Mike Bourland Roy and Jelttle Kimble AMB Clayton Stephen Newlin WC Watson William Coats

Board of Directors Kwai “Sunny” Young at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.

(2008), and the US Department of Interior Take Pride in America Secretarial Volunteer Service Award (2008).

According to the Doleman Award citation, “Sunny truly personifies the spirit of ohana (family) and is a shining example of a person who believes that service to humanity is our highest calling.”

All of us at Pacific Historic Parks would like to congratulate Sunny on his award, and thank him for his continued service, dedication, and contributions to our organization.

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 Warren S. Nishimoto Clif Purkiser Alfred B. Rodrigues 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.

Address City

State

Zip

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

Check, payable to Pacific Historic Parks Visa Mastercard American Express Discover

Brass ($25)

• 1 Memorial Registry Honoree + lapel pin

Copper ($50)

• 2 Memorial Registry Honorees + key chain

Bronze ($100)

• 4 Memorial Registry Honorees, lapel pin, + key chain

Account number

Silver ($250)

• Bronze benefits + recognition in Remembrance

Signature

Gold ($500)

• 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 SUMMER 2013

exp. date

security code

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