Okage Sama De newsletter Autumn 22

November 11th,

OKAGE SAMA

OF GRATITUDE

at the Maui Beach Hotel

We are back in-person for

Evening of Gratitude”

November 11, 5:00 p.m.

the Maui Beach Hotel. This year’s dinner fundraiser

speaker

Tamlyn Tomita and the presentation of our Hero Awards to deserving community

To show our gratitude to our supporters, we are holding ticket prices to the pre-pandemic cost of $125 per person (additional special rates for WWII and Korean War veterans and their widows).

Can’t attend in person? Don’t worry...we will have a recording

look forward to seeing

in November.

AS SWEET, wholesome Kumiko in “The Karate Kid Part 2” (1986), she captured not only Daniel-san’s heart, but the hearts and imaginations of countless youngsters, especially those of Asian ancestry. 36 years later, Tamlyn Tomita continues to inspire and uplift the AAPI community and beyond. Gracious and humble about her professional achievements, her delightful, vivacious personality bursts forth when she speaks about Nisei issues and values.

The daughter of a Nisei veteran and Issei mother, Tamlyn was born on a U.S. Army base in Okinawa and raised in Los Angeles. Her mother, Asako, is Filipina-Okinawan; her late father, Shiro, was interned as a child during World War II.

She was asked to audition for the role of Kumiko after being crowned Nisei Week queen while a junior at UCLA. In a 2021 Los Angeles Times interview, Tamlyn said, “UCLA was my motherlode of Asian American consciousness… [Congresswoman and former UCLA professor] Judy [Chu] really tested me and challenged me as far as my awakening as a woman, as an Asian American, and as an Asian American woman and how to participate – how to speak out and speak up.”

Kumiko was the first of 135 film and television characters Tamlyn has portrayed. It’s also one of the more recent, as she reprised the role for the popular Netflix series “Cobra Kai.” The actress used the moment to speak up for her heritage. “Back when I shot ‘Karate Kid 2,’ I had a voice, I just didn’t know how to use it… This time, I felt I needed to inject opportunities for Okinawan culture to be authentically represented, literally hauling [to the movie set] whatever I could…Sanshin, yukata…little tastes, little tidbits of Okinawan culture…to give to the production.”

Offscreen, she is an active volunteer and voice for numerous Jap anese American organizations and causes. As a member of the Nisei Week Foundation board of directors, she helped coordinate the August 2022 post-pandemic return of the annual celebration, one of the longest-running ethnic festivals in the U.S. Her Face book page shows a beaming Tamlyn dancing with the crowds in the streets of Little Tokyo, but her participation runs deeper than a celebrity appearance. In a recent interview, she spoke about preparation and logistics coordination with just as much joyful enthusiasm as seen in those FB photos.

Her thoughts on Nisei values align with the foundation’s mission of promoting Japanese and Japanese American heritage and traditions while bringing together the diverse communities of Southern California through arts and cultural education. “It was through Nisei Week that I became really involved in understand ing our histories as Americans of Japanese descent.” Tamlyn added, “I think that we, as Nisei, need to emphasize that we are ‘second generation AMERICANS’…Nisei values are not solely Japanese; they’re specifically Japanese American… the best of Japan, the best of America, this is the set of Nisei values, which we pass on to sansei, yonsei, gosei, rokusei… Then, other Amer icans, of other immigrant experiences, can go, ‘Hey, that’s just like what it means to be (insert ethnicity here)… these are the foods we love, the dances we love to share, the specific phrases and the philosophies behind those phrases that we pass down’… that’s what I’d like to see.”

Letter from the Executive Director

THE OKAGE SAMA DE newsletter is a free publication issued by the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center.

We encourage family and friends to submit articles, information, photos, questions, and comments to Nisei Veterans Memorial Center P.O. Box 216 Kahului, HI 96733-6716

THE NVMC MISSION

The NVMC ignites human potential by inspiring people to find the hero in themselves through the legacy of the Nisei veterans.

THE NVMC VISION

We envision a community where all people act selflessly for the greater good.

THE NVMC VALUES

Being selfless for the greater good. Leading by example. Living in gratitude. Inspiring courage in adversity. Doing the right thing, always.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Deidre Tegarden

RESEARCH ARCHIVIST Melanie Agrabante

DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Jill Tokuda

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kyoko Kimura, President

Grant Nakama, Vice President

Trevor Tokishi, Treasurer

Linden Joesting, Secretary

DIRECTORS

Peter Hanano

Rachelle Ouye

Cummins ‘Bo’ Mahoe

Michael Munekiyo

Colbert Matsumoto

Catherine Shimizu

Jan Yokouchi

Dana Young

NISEI VETERANS MEMORIAL CENTER

1 Go For Broke Place, Wailuku

Hours: Noon to 4 P.M. Weekdays

By Appointment Only (808) 244-NVMC (6862) www.nvmc.org

STANLEY IZUMIGAWA RESOURCE CENTER PRESERVES LEGACY OF ‘COMMUNITY’

From a stunning dance performance by Adaptations Dance Theater, to a myriad of hybrid programs, talks, book signings and movie screenings, to an “Evening of Sinatra” at Club Nisei, the Stanley Izumigawa Resource Center (SIRC) has been very active since its opening on Feb. 19, 2022. It is certainly exciting to share the SIRC with the community.

“Community” was such an important word to the returning veterans. It became their legacy, and now it is ours. Whether it is our volun teers, sponsors, in-kind supporters, presenters, newsletter contributors or partic ipants, these individuals are the community that is playing a vital role in keeping alive that legacy.

The community is also for whom we strive to share the inspiring stories, memo ries, and items in the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center’s Archives.

Thanks to a grant from the County of Maui and gracious donations from the Fukuda Family, Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans, Alexander & Baldwin, and others, the “Archive Digitization” project has begun. Melanie and her team are digitizing all the collections in the archive and getting them online so people around the world will have access to a piece of American history that must be remembered.

In his oral history, Stanley Izumigawa said: “Everyone wants to be a part of some thing bigger than themselves.”

The Nisei Veterans Memorial Center thanks you for allowing us to indeed be part of that dream.

In Gratitude,

Deidre Tegarden, Melanie Agrabante and Jill Tokuda

MEET THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS

Welcome to our newest members of the NVMC Board of Directors!

Michael Munekiyo

Born and raised on Maui, Michael Mune kiyo founded Munekiyo Hiraga, a full-ser vice planning and consulting firm, in 1989. The company’ s core values – selflessness, humility, gratitude, integrity, excellence, and innovation – align with the values demonstrated by the Nisei soldiers during World War II. Of those, gratitude (kansha) is perhaps the one dearest to Michael’s heart. Clearly, it’s the motivation for his service on the NVMC board.

Drawn to the center by its exhibits, Michael appreciates and applauds the NVMC’s role in educating the community about the Nisei of WWII and the tremendous sacrifices made by both soldiers and internees. His father-in-law, Nobuo Yoneda, was

Colbert Matsumoto

Colbert Matsumoto is Chairman of the Board of Island Holdings, a corporate holding company which oversees a number of operating subsidiaries, includ ing three insurance agencies, Pacxa (a technology services company), and Tradewind Capital Group. And that’s just his day job. His volunteer resume reads even longer; all of his “spare” time is spent volunteering and fundraising for numerous community, nonprofit, and public policy groups.

Born and raised on Lāna’i, with summers spent on Maui, Colbert credits his passion for volunteering and community engage ment to the examples provided by his parents. His mother worked her way up from pineapple picker to become one of the first female lunas and eventually a field superintendent; his father, also a Dole Plantation worker, was active in the union

a member of the 442nd. His father, Toshio Munekiyo, was a “no-no boy,” interned at Tule Lake. Neither man was comfortable talking about their wartime experiences.

“When I think about what they gave up…they sacrificed their lives, they sacrificed their well-being, so that we could have the lives we do now, the things we take for granted – I don’t think we could ever express enough gratitude,” says Michael. “That’s why it’s so important to perpetuate their legacy.”

Michael and his wife Lori have two grown daughters, Tessa and Carly. A fitness buff, he works out three or four times a week. He also serves on the Hale Makua Board of Directors and as an Advisor of Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii. Of his appoint ment to the NVMC board, he says, “I’m grateful and excited to have the opportunity to help this very important organization continue to be a vibrant part of the community.”

movement for many years. He also cites aikido training and noted sensei Shinichi Suzuki as major influences in his youth. In fact, upon graduating from law school, Colbert spent six months training and living as a monk at the Chozen-ji Zen temple on Oahu.

He and his wife Gail reside on Oahu; both their fathers served in the 442nd. That connection to the WWII Nisei vets is one reason he and his company have supported the NVMC since its early days. And, like Michael Munekiyo, Colbert feels it is just as important to remember the injustices suffered by Nisei and Issei civilians of the time. Toward that goal, he serves on the board of directors for Densho, a Seattle-based nonprofit which is focused on preserving the history of the incarceration of Jap anese-Americans, through extensive digital archives. “That’s the other part of the whole Nisei experience during WWII… so I’m very pleased and honored to be engaged with two organiza tions that are trying to share the lessons of those experiences for succeeding generations.”

UPCOMING EVENTS

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER: CALL (808)244-6862 | VISIT NVMC.ORG

OCTOBER 01, 2022 | 1:30PM

Obake Triple Feature with Alton Chung and Obake Movies

OCTOBER 08, 2022 | 1:30PM DOORS OPEN Monthly Movie Matinee

Free! Reservations required. Hosted at the Stanley Izumigawa Resource Center.

OCTOBER 15, 2022 | 1:30PM

Afternoon with the Author: Bruce Henderson Hosted on Zoom.

OCTOBER 22, 2022 | 10:30AM Ikebana Workshop Cost: $85.00 per person

OCTOBER 29, 2022 | 1:30PM

“East Meets West” with Dr. Jayson Chun

Hosted in-person & on Zoom.

NOVEMBER 11, 2022 | 5:00PM

Annual Dinner Keynote: Tamlyn Tomita

Hosted at the Maui Beach Hotel.

NOVEMBER 12, 2022 | 1:30PM Afternoon with the Author: Kimi Cunningham Grant Hosted on Zoom.

NOVEMBER 13, 2022 | 1:30PM Book Signing and Lecture with Shane Sato

Hosted in-person & on Zoom.

The 68th Chrysanthemum Festival

NOVEMBER 20, 2022 | 10:00AM-2:00PM Pop-Up Market

Shop Local Vendors.

DECEMBER 03, 2022 | 1:30PM

“Yakamashii!” with Kathy Collins & Keola Beamer

Hosted in-person & on Zoom.

DECEMBER 10, 2022 | 1:30PM

Afternoon with the Author: Jon Murakami

Hosted in-person & on Zoom.

DECEMBER 17, 2022 | 1:30PM DOORS OPEN Monthly Movie Matinee

Free! Reservations required. Hosted at the Stanley Izumigawa Resource Center.

I

T’S BACK! The Maui’s Sons and Daugh ters of the Nisei Veterans (MSDNV) are making their plans to bring back the Chry santhemum Festival this December. The 68th Festival was put on hold for the past two years due to COVID restrictions and concerns. The only other time that the Chrysanthemum Festival, formerly known as the Chrysanthemum Ball, was not held was in 1958 when an All Nisei Veterans Convention was held in Los Angeles. It was very unfortunate and with great regret that the MSDNV was not able to provide this special experience for high school girls to be contestants these past two years.

THIS YEAR’S EVENT WILL BE HELD ON Saturday, December 3, 2022, at the Kihei Commu nity Center. Exhibits and entertainment will begin at 4:30 p.m., dinner at 6 and the coronation program will start at 7. Admission to the festival is free. Tickets for the dinner cost $15.

The queen of the festival is the contestant who raises the most money through ticket sales.

This year, four Maui high school teens are vying for the crown of the 68th Chrysan themum Festival. The event provides the funds for the Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veteran / Maui AJA Veterans scholarship program. With an accumula tion of funds from the past 68 years, the organizations were able to continue giving $1,000 scholarships to 10 deserving Maui high school students during the pandemic.

Another major use of the funds raised each year is the Maui’s Sons and Daugh ters of the Nisei Veterans’ historical pres ervation programs in support of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center.

THIS YEAR’S CONTESTANTS ARE:

Brie-Ann Fukutomi, Baldwin High School, DAUGHTER OF DARYL & DAWN FUKUTOMI OF WAILUKU

Kaitlin Kitagawa, King Kekaulike High School

DAUGHTER OF KATHY SUZUKI-KITAGAWA & GLEN KITAGAWA OF MAKAWAO

Erin Sado, Maui High School

DAUGHTER OF KRISTINA TOSHIKIYO & MICHAEL SADO OF KAHULUI

Ava Takahama, Kamehameha Schools Maui DAUGHTER OF DAVID AND MICHELLE TAKAHAMA OF MAKAWAO

The Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans thanks the girls and their families for their support of our programs, which perpetuate the history of our Nisei Veteran fathers. We ask for the communi ty’s support for these girls as they do their fundraising during the next three months! For ticket or event information or to contribute to a contestant’s efforts, call Leonard Oka at: 808-249-2163 or 808-385-7670.

Yakamashii!

By Kathy Collins

YAKAMASHII! The Japanese word for “noisy” or “boisterous” is familiar to every local who grew up in Hawaii, regard less of their ethnicity. Many people think it actually means “quiet down!” or “shut up!” and some folks joke, “I heard it so often, I thought it was my nickname!” Kathy Col lins is one of them.

An only child raised on Maui by loving and indulgent parents, she was talkative enough to earn the nickname “Chatty Cathy” – and, yes, she did have one of those talking dolls. At Baldwin High School, Kathy’s outgoing nature spurred her to join the speech and drama pro grams, where she found two mentors who would determine the course of her adult life. Speech and debate teacher/coach Misao Kubota encouraged her to enter forensic competitions in her freshman year and, although she shied away from debate, Kathy enjoyed interpretive events, such as storytelling and dramatic reading, enough to audition for a play. “Sue Ann Loudon put the greasepaint in my blood,” she says, using an old theatre reference to one’s passion for performing.

Fifty years after that first audi tion, Kathy now performs as a professional storyteller, radio and television personality, actress, comedian, and emcee, but often describes herself as simply a loud and proud Maui girl. So, when she and NVMC Executive Director Deidre Tegarden brainstormed over potential programs, “Yakamashii!” quickly emerged as the perfect theme and title.

Subtitled “Making Noise and Talking Story with Kathy Collins and Friends,” the bimonthly show is best described as a series of fun interviews and anecdotes featuring a variety of guests with one thing in common: all have great stories to share. Depending on the circumstances, “Yakamashii!” is presented in person at the Stanley Izumigawa Resource Center, virtu ally via Zoom, or both.

The inaugural guest, in February 2022, was internationally renowned master storytell er Alton Takiyama-Chung, who served as keynote speaker for NVMC’s annual dinner (virtually) in 2020. Maui boy Brian Kohne,

screenwriter, filmmaker, and Director of UHMC’s Creative Media program, followed in April. Kathy’s next guest was her mother, 97-year-old Yaemi Yogi, whose recollec tions of old-time Maui charmed the hybrid audience. Most recently, Oahu writer/edu cator Lee Tonouchi, known as Da Pidgin Guerrilla, shared his thoughts about – and in – Hawaii’s unofficial language.

The next edition of “Yakamashii!” will feature Hawaiian music legend Keola Beamer, in person and online, on Saturday, December 3. It’s safe to say that no one will be tempted to admonish either Keola or Kathy to “Quiet down!”

Lee Tonouch,i “Da Pidgin Guerilla”

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Archive Team Encouraged By Camaraderie And Stories

That Create New Memories

When you sit with Kyle Watanabe, Charlene Doi, and Irene Bodden, you can’t help but feel as though you are among three life-long friends. They finish each other’s sentences, laugh at one another’s jokes, and enjoy such simpatico that you feel as though you have been given an opportunity to peek into a rela tionship you only see in the movies.

“No one gets along this well,” one might think. Welcome to the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center’s (NVMC) Archive Research Volunteer Team under the direction of Melanie Agrabante.

Each member of the team came to the center on a different path, at different times, bringing their own special stories with them.

KYLE WATANABE started his journey to the NVMC in the late 1980s as a member of Maui Sons and Daughters of the 442nd. His Uncle Jiro served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team Company L. At that time, Leonard Oka was forming the NVMC and asked Kyle to head the Individual Donations Committee back in 1990. Kyle stayed with the organization, becoming the historical preservation and educational coordinator in 2013, when he and his partner in crime, Melanie Agrabante, oversaw the Center, including working with the veterans and their families.

“The biggest thing I learned being around the veterans was that they were all so humble,” Kyle said. “They never talked openly about their accomplishments. Sometimes, that was a hindrance because we didn’t get everyone’s stories.”

Luckily, many of the returning men did share their stories, uniforms, letters, photographs and memories — all the things that are the foundation of the NVMC archive. “The archive is a valuable resource and is the key to telling and sharing their stories and educating the community about Maui’s Nisei Veterans,” Kyle added.

CHARLENE DOI’S earliest memory of the NVMC is the big sign board that said “Future Home of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center.” Char recalls: “I remember that sign and seeing the picture of my dad (Earl Tanaka, 442nd Reg imental Combat Team, 522nd Field Artillery Battalion) with Leonard Oka, Hiroshi Arisumi and all the men who started the center. It took them 30 years to realize their dream. I feel bad because they weren’t all alive to see the fin ished product.”

While Char knew her father served in World War II, like so many other returning soldiers, he never talked much about his time overseas. It is through the archive that Char learned more about what her father did. Earl Tanaka was a newspaper man through and through having worked for the Maui News for 48 years. He started in 1939, left to serve in WWII, where he published an Army newspaper titled “High Angle,” and then returned to the Maui News, retiring in 1987. The NVMC newsletter, Okage Sama De (OSD), is close to Char’s heart, as it was her father who started OSD on a typewrit er in 1991. Her brother Roy took over editing OSD for many years and continues to transcribe the oral histories in the archive to this day.

“To me, my dad was the epitome of a Nisei veteran,” Char said. “My dad had a real com mitment to doing what was right, not what was popular. So when people would say, ‘Oh you are his daughter,’ it always made me feel good. I would always tell Melanie that I wanted to volunteer for the NVMC when I retired. The work that the archive team does is so import ant. It is so important to share what we learn, but in that sharing, we gain so much.”

IRENE BODDEN, whose daughter Wendee Masuda was Chrysanthemum Queen in 1979, shares the time she opened The Honolulu Advertiser and saw a photo of a group of men from the 100th Infantry Battalion.

“I was looking at the photo and recognized my cousin, Pete Kiyoshi Matsuura,” Irene said. “The NVMC had just been built, so I called Pete’s daughter and told her to make a donation to the Center. I then told my late husband that we had to donate, too.”

KYLE WATANABE:

The archive is a valuable resource and is the key to telling and sharing their stories and educating the community about Maui’s Nisei Veterans.

CHARLENE DOI:

It is so important to share what we learn, but in that sharing, we gain so much.

IRENE BODDEN:

I really believe in what we are doing because one day when the subject comes up, the NVMC will be the resource on this time in history.

When asked about the significance of the team’s work, Irene shared that it’s of utmost importance to preserve and make accessible all that is in the archive for the future gener ations. “I really believe in what we are doing because one day when the subject comes up, the NVMC will be the resource on this time in history.”

Kyle, Char and Irene believe the work environ ment and people you work with are so import ant. “Melanie trusts us. That’s so important. She gives us a task and then lets us go with it.”

Melanie shared: “I could not function without this team. I love that I have three capable people that I can assign three different things to, or they can all work on one thing, togeth er. They went from being ‘people I know,’ to friends, to family.”

The friendship between the team extends beyond the walls of the NVMC, out into “the real world.” Everyone nods their heads as Irene says, “We didn’t know each other all that well when we started, but now we are like a family.”

The Archive Team has a big job ahead of them, digitizing all the collections in the archive and making it available online. A daunting task indeed, but for this fearless foursome, we imagine it will be many hours of hard work mixed with camaraderie and stories that will create new memories.

ALOHA From Maui Adult Day Care – Ocean View Center

It is amazing to think we are already into the third quarter of 2022. Despite the challenges we face daily, time just seems to move on and feels as if it goes faster and faster.

We want to express how happy we are to be merging back into the intergenerational pro gram with the Kansha preschoolers and our older adults. They were able to gather togeth er on the lawn outside both centers and enjoy a concert by “Uncle Wayne.” Our kupuna had fun and truly enjoyed watching the children interact with the comical songs he performed. The concert and time with the children was so welcomed and much needed. We look forward to more meaningful moments together. This is a very important aspect of the program that was so missed by our kupuna and staff at the Ocean View Center until recently. The Holidays are right around the corner, so interacting and enjoying moments with the children are very highly anticipated indeed!

We are happy to say that enrollment at the Ocean View Center is beginning to feel like we are getting back to normal. Our daily count is

28–33 clients a day and growing, as intakes are occurring frequently. Families in the Maui com munity are trying their best, as we all are, to have faith that life goes on in spite of the chal lenges we face. The Ocean View staff continue to strive to bring a spark of life and enjoyment back into the moments of the adults attend ing the center through friendship, activity and assistance with needs. Staff are very compas sionate and feel blessed with the privilege to touch the lives of our kupuna, to help them live life at whatever level they function, and to be extended family to all those we cross paths with.

We wish you a wonderful fall season!

Kupuna and Preschoolers

Kansha Preschool Blessed With Friendship & Generosity

IN JUNE 2022, Kansha Preschool ended a fun-filled school year and sent 12 friends off to kindergarten. We enjoyed a small ceremony in the Stanley Izumigawa Resource Center, where families gathered to congratulate their preschool graduates. Teachers then took advantage of a short, much-deserved summer break to rest and reenergize for the next group of keiki.

On August 2, we began a new school year with 14 excited students ready to learn and make new friends. We look forward to another amazing school year.

Recently, Kansha Preschool was the recipient of a gen erous grant from the Stupski Foundation, which focuses its efforts on bettering com munities. Kansha was chosen because of our unique Intergenerational Program with the Maui Adult Day Care Centers.

We are also very much looking forward to a new outdoor play space made possible with assistance from the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center and County of Maui.

MSDNV Scholarship Recipients

Ten scholarships of $1,000 were presented to 2022 graduates of high schools on Maui by the Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans / Maui AJA Veterans Schol arship Program.

THE RECIPIENTS ARE:

• Jansen Chase Aceret, Maui High School, SON OF LITO AND LILIA ACERET.

• Kawaimalie Apolo, Kamehameha Schools-Maui Campus, DAUGHTER OF JOE AND WAYNETTE APOLO.

• Jessica Mae D. Castillo, Maui High School, DAUGHTER OF KEN AND MIA CASTILLO.

• Samantha Joyce Della, Maui High School, DAUGHTER OF TYRON DELLA AND ADELAINE BUENDIA-DELLA.

• Angelina Lai, Lahainaluna High School, DAUGHTER OF SON LAI AND THUY NGUYEN.

• Grace Kathleen Martin, Maui Preparatory Academy, DAUGHTER OF AMY WISTHOFF-MARTIN AND DANIEL MARTIN.

• Leanne Osorno, Maui High School, DAUGHTER OF VANESSA MARQUEZ.

• Marie Eugene Pineda, Lahainaluna High School, DAUGHTER OF RITA PINEDA.

• Altene Jacob Tumacder, Maui High School, SON OF RIZAL TUMACDER JR. & CHRISTINA TUMACDER.

• Kaylee Volner, Seabury Hall, DAUGHTER OF RICK AND ERIN VOLNER.

The awards were presented June 11 at the new Stanley Izumigawa Resource Center of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center in Kahului.

The Maui AJA Veterans Inc. established the scholarship program, and gave the first award in 1951. Scholarships are award ed annually, based on academic achieve ment, extracurricular activities, an essay and financial need.

The major source of scholarship funding has been the annual Chrysanthemum Fes

Our staff and ‘ohana remain kansha (thankful) for the wonderful support we receive from our community and partner ing programs.

tival, formerly known as the Chrysanthe mum Ball. Funds are raised by contestants who vie to be queen of the event.

Maui AJA Veterans ran the Chrysanthe mum Ball since 1953, and provided hun dreds of scholarships over the years. The veterans turned the event over to the Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans in 2007.

When Maui AJA Veterans Inc. dissolved in 2016, it distributed its funds to the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center and to Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans.

The MSDNV pledged to use its share to continue the tradition of providing schol arships to worthy Maui high school grad uates. They honor Maui AJA Veterans Inc. by retaining its name in the title of the scholarship.

Recipients of Maui’s Sons and Daughters of the Nisei Veterans / Maui AJA Veterans scholarships who were able to attend the award program and lunch were (from left) Jessica Mae Castillo, Jansen Chase Aceret, Altene Jacob Tumacder, Kaylee Volner, Kawaimalie Apolo, and Angelina Lai.

Kansha Preschool Students

LEST WE FORGET

TOM TOMEO HIRANAGA

AUG. 27, 1927 – JUNE 29, 2022

Tom Tomeo Hiranaga, 94, passed away peacefully in his sleep in the afternoon of June 29, 2022, under the care of Islands Hos pice at Hale Makua Wailuku.

Tom was born to Masao and Takino Hiranaga of Kahului in 1927. He graduated in 1945 from Baldwin High School. Tom was inducted into the U.S. Army on Feb. 16, 1946. After 13 weeks of basic training in Wahiawa, Hawaii, he was assigned to Fort Snelling, Minnesota, for Japanese Language School and then to Presidio of Monterey, near San Francisco, where he entered the Military Intelligence Service Language School. Although he was offered the opportunity to continue his military career in Japan as an Army translator, he decided to be dis charged on May 6, 1947, with the rank of Tec 4, or Technical Ser

geant. He was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.

After his service, Tom took advantage of the GI Bill, attending and graduating in 1950 from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and worked for 35 years on Maui for the State of Hawaii Employment and Unemployment Insurance Ser vices agency, now known as Workforce Development.

Tom was actively involved with the Maui AJA Veterans Club and Maui 442nd RCT Club, and served many years as chairman of the Maui County Employee Federal Credit Union. He also enjoyed golfing, ballroom dancing, raising his grandchildren and traveling with his beloved wife throughout Asia, Europe, South America and, Hawai‘i's ninth island, Las Vegas.

Tom is preceded in death by his wife, Miyoko, his parents, and seven siblings. He is survived by sons Kent (Lois) and Paul (Bev erly) and grandchildren Kiana and Kalena.

HAROLD N. OKUMURA

SEPT. 1, 1923 – MARCH 17, 2022

Harold N. Okumura of Wailuku, Hawaii, passed away unexpect edly in his sleep on Thursday, March 17, 2022.

Harold was born in Wainaku, Hilo, Hawaii, to the late George Kazuyuki and Beatrice Akino Okumura and was the eldest of six children. He grew up on the Big Island until he was five years old when his family moved to Kaupakalua, Maui. He attend ed Haiku Elementary School and the old Maui High School, in Hamakuapoko.

After graduating from high school, Harold attended business school on Oahu. However, the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, abruptly ended his business training and he returned to Maui. He worked for the Kahului Railroad Company, where he met his future bride, Masue Go. They were married in 1943. In 1944, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he was assigned to the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) in Okinawa as a frontline interpreter until 1946. He never spoke of his time or experiences in Okinawa until 2015 when he and his family were invited by the Okinawan government for a visit. Reluctant at first to return to Okinawa, he appreciated the opportunity to witness firsthand a rebuilt, modern country.

Harold truly lived his 98 years of life to the fullest. He worked tirelessly delivering fresh vegetables for his Uncle Roy Okumura

of Valley Isle Produce, which is now Island Grocery Depot. He later owned and operated Central 76 Service Station in Kahului until his retirement in 2003 at the age of 80.

During his retirement years, Harold enjoyed thinking of new things to build and fix around the house and had various ongo ing projects. He was an inventive cook, an animal lover and res cuer, and an avid reader of books, magazines, and newspapers. It brought him joy to share stories, past and present, with family and friends.

He was happiest when he was golfing with his friends at the Maui Country Club, where he was the oldest golfer and a member for over 36 years. His golf career included at least two holes in one and a golf score equaling his age of 93. He not only enjoyed golf ing with his friends but socializing with them over a few beers, regularly, which he did until a week before his passing.

Harold is survived by his wife of 78 years, Masue; four children, Ione (Walter) Tokishi, Gwen (John) Martino, Lance (Sharon –deceased) Okumura, and Rowena (Bert) Kumabe; nine grand children; and 15 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by sisters Margaret (Mitsugi – deceased) Unemori and Thelma (Ted) Tsunokai and brothers Ralph (Alice) Okumura and James Oku mura. He is predeceased by his parents and sister, Ruth (James – deceased) Iriguchi.

THE CASUALTIES OF WAR

By David Fukuda

Over the last six months through news and social media, we have been exposed daily to the devastation and horror of war the Ukrainians are enduring. There seems no limit to man’s willingness to inflict pain and destruction upon one another — be it men, women or children.

Eight years ago, in 2014, a group of 100th Infantry Battalion sons and daugh ters visited Monte Cassino in Italy to attend the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Monte Cassino. We were in awe of the heroic sacrifices made by our fathers and the Allied soldiers under impossible conditions in their attempts to take the Abbey. But when we revisited the Abbey in 2019 with battlefield guide Dr. Danila Bracaglia, our attention was drawn to a different sacrifice: the human cost of war, particularly that of the Italian people during WWII.

We had seen the stunning Polish Cem etery (1,092 burials) on the Abbey grounds and visited the well-manicured British Cassino War Cemetery (4,000 soldiers) and the American cemeteries at Nettuno (7,858 soldiers) and Florence (4,393 soldiers). We were unaware of the 78,269 graves spread among three burial sites of German soldiers, and we were largely oblivious to the scope of the losses suffered by the Italian people during the war.

War of Attrition

During World War II, 456,000 Italians perished, more than the total number lost by the United States or even the United Kingdom. Civilians accounted for 153,000 of Italy’s victims. On our 2019 tour, we visited the site of the former town of San Pietro Infine, which no longer exists on the hillside it once occu pied. What remains are ruins, including a structure built into the hill that now serves as a museum telling the town’s story. It was destroyed during a battle that rained down artillery and mortar

fire from both sides. The plight of the town and its people was documented in the John Huston film, “The Battle of San Pietro.”

all bridges — anything to slow the move ment of the Allied forces.

The tremendous loss of lives and the misery inflicted upon the population was a direct result of the type of war that was fought on the Italian Penin sula. The German Army held the high ground, occupying every mountain top with machine guns, howitzers, mortars and tanks where possible. They cleared the land of trees and vegetation, planted mines on roads and trails, and destroyed

Gen. Fred L. Walker, whose 36th Texas Infantry Division absorbed 1,500 casu alties crossing the Volturno River in fall 1943, blamed his superiors, Gen. Geof frey Keyes, commanding II Corps, and Gen. Mark W.Clark, commander of the Fifth Army. Walker attempted to con vince them to launch the attack further north, without success, saying: “The Italian campaign will not be finished this week, nor next. Our wasteful policy or method of taking one mountain mass after another gains no tactical advantage, locally. There is always another mountain mass beyond with the Germans dug in on it, just as before. Somebody on top side, who control of the required means, should figure out a way to decisively defeat the German army in Italy, instead of just pushing, pushing, pushing.” (Jon B. Mikolashek, p. 87, “General Mark Clark”)

Cassino War Cemetery (Photo courtesy of The Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

San Pietro Infini

War of Retribution

Traveling through the Gothic Line, we stopped at the village of San Terenzo Monti, scene of one of the many mas sacres carried out by the German sol diers in retribution for partisan activity. During WWII, the citizens of San Terenzo, tired of the continued pillaging of their livestock by German soldiers, asked for help from the Italian partisans. In August 1944, 18 German soldiers were ambushed by the partisans. In retribution, SS Com mander Gen. Walter Reder ordered the execution of 159 civilians — mostly women, children and elderly — in the small square in front of the town church. A one-room museum displaying the his tory and pictures of the victims of the massacre was opened for us by an Italian gentleman who lost all the members of his immediate family in the slaughter.

Killings like this occurred across the peninsula, the most infamous of which was the March 1944 executions in Rome called the Ardeatine Cave Massacre. In response to a bomb attack by Italian partisans that killed 33 German soldiers, Hitler demanded retribution within 24 hours. German Gen. Albert Kesselring rounded up 335 victims from all walks of life who were shot to death. At his trial in 1947, Kesselring was unrepentant, claim ing that instead of being put on trial, the Italians should be erecting a monu ment to him, explaining that Hitler had

wanted 100 killed for each German sol dier lost, but Kesselring had limited the executions to only 10 for every German killed.

Marocchinate

When our tour group visited Sant’Ange lo D’Alife, we had the good fortune of meeting a 98-year-old Italian Air Force veteran who was a native of D’Alife. During the war, he was stationed on Sar dinia but would return home to check in on his mother. He remembered the Nisei soldiers bivouacked outside of town and shared stories about local heroes who pointed out locations of hidden machine gun nests to the men of the 100th.

He also shared a humorous story about Moroccan soldiers who were scared away while attempting to attack three sis ters. The girls were being threatened by Moroccan soldiers attempting to break into their home. Seeing this, a neighbor took out his trumpet and started playing loudly out of his window. The startled soldiers made a quick exit. This was our first exposure to the “Goumiers Moroc cans” (Moroccan companies). However, most other stories about the Goumiers Moroccans were not humorous.

The Moroccan units were instrumental in helping the British Eighth Army break through the Gustav Line in May 1944. Praised for their contribution by Gen.

Mark Clark, Gen. Alphonse Juin pur portedly told his men that for a two-day period after the breakthrough they were free to do what they chose and no one would question them nor would anyone be punished for their actions.

Marocchinate or “Moroccan deeds” is the term applied to describe killings and rapes that took place in southern Italy at this time. Thousands of Goumiers went on a mass orgy throughout the surrounding villages in southern Italy and raped and killed thousands of women and even some men, children and priests. Estimates of victims ranged from a few thousand up to 60,000 victims.

Casualties of War

Described here are the consequences of war: killing, rape, atrocities, relocations, starvation, and unimaginable suffering. An Italian guide once told us that there is an unwritten rule among the post war Italian families that you do not ask mothers or grandmothers what they had done during the war. It is likely the same reason why our fathers and other vet erans have been so reticent to tell their stories about the war. War is truly hell, a lesson we seem too quickly to forget.

Museum of San Terenzo Monti Massacre

The former village of San Pietro Infini, destroyed in WWII.

Archives and More

By Kathy Collins

Far from being a small and simple repository for a few dozen military records of hometown heroes, the abundant NVMC archives are an invaluable resource for historians, journalists, and students far beyond Maui’s shores. “I don’t think people realize what a wealth of knowledge and what a prized posses sion we have (in our archives),” says Executive Director Deidre Tegarden. “What we have downstairs is world class, and who we have at the realm of that is world class.”

She’s speaking, of course, about Melanie Agrabante, NVMC Research Archivist. For the past 15 years, Melanie has devoted countless hours to collecting, researching, recording, and orga nizing photos, documents, and artifacts relating to Maui Coun ty’s Nisei veterans. In recent years, she’s been approached by authors, researchers, even Tokyo’s NHK Television, asking her to share information about the World War II Nisei experience and, sometimes, specific individuals.

Her original goal – and ongoing project – is to establish an archive file for each Maui Nui veteran. It’s a challenge made even greater by the fact that even the Army has no complete list of Mauians who served in WWII. The Nisei soldiers in the official database are categorized by where they enlisted, not by their hometowns or places of residence at the time. Melanie recounts, “We actually went through the entire list, checked on all the names that said ‘Hawaii’…but I know we’re still miss ing people, because there were some who were in college on the mainland, or happened to be somewhere else when they enlisted.”

Melanie now finds herself with some 175 “empty files” – names for which the center has no documentation. By publishing the list of names (see sidebar), she hopes to reach family members or acquaintances of these soldiers. “We’re asking for people to help…someone has to have known them! We’re looking for information of any kind, photos, anything…it doesn’t even have to be service-related; even contemporary information is welcome.”

Most of the items in the already vast collection were donated by the vets themselves or their surviving families, but occasionally,

fate steps in. Melanie recalls a gentleman who had purchased, sight unseen, the contents of a storage container at auction. Upon discovering artifacts from the 442nd in the container, he contacted the NVMC and contributed the items to the archives.

MELANIE AGRABANTE, NVMC Research Archivist

Julie Checkoway, author of “The Three-Year Swim Club: The Untold Story of the Sugar Ditch Kids and Their Quest for Olym pic Glory,” has given her entire collection of research materials: notes, interview transcripts, photos, etc. The only caveat was that the information is made available to anyone interested, which coincides perfectly with another of the gigantic projects on Melanie’s plate: digitizing the archives.

Thanks to a generous private donation and a County grant, NVMC has contracted with a digital archive company to create and maintain an online repository of the entire NVMC collection. They hope to launch the website by early 2023, but Melanie and Deidre concede that the task is almost overwhelming. Hun dreds of handwritten notes need to be transcribed, documents scanned, photos taken of each article of clothing, equipment, mementoes.

As Deidre notes, the Nisei legacy extends beyond battlefield heroics; the post-war Club 100 motto was “For Continuing Service.” She says, “I like to think that what we’re doing here, whether it’s in the archives, or through our programming, or outreaching to different organizations, it is continuing service. It doesn’t have to be just about the war... Instead of focusing only on the injustices and everything that was wrong, we also want to focus on the beautiful things that have come out from it.”

Through the digitizing of the archives, the NVMC will extend its continuing service around the globe and throughout future generations. If you are able to assist with data entry or organiz ing artifacts and files, please call Melanie at 808-244-6862 or email info.nvmc@gmail.com.

Deidre Tegarden, Jill Tokuda, Congressman Mark Takano, and Melanie Agrabante

Furoshiki workshop attendees with Saori Sato Sensei

Katsunobu Abe Kiyoshi Abe

Sadaichi Charlie Abe Wallace Shunosuke Abe Yukio Eric Abe

Robert Takeo Afuso

Seizen Paul Agena Kazuo Kenneth Ajifu Minoru Ajifu

Matsuei Ajitomi Kaname Akamatsu Seitoku Akamine

Soichi Akiyama Yoshio Anzai

Takeshi Aoyagi

Kosuke James Arakaki

Seiki Arakaki

Sparky Keiyei Arakaki

Charles Masanori Arakawa Edward Seizen Arakawa

Elbert Gentaro Arakawa Hideo Arakawa Jackie Zenkichi Arakawa Jeneye Arakawa Jentoku Harold Arakawa Robert Isao Arakawa Kazumasa R Araki Leslie Goichi Araki

Tetsuo Ted Araki Kazuo Arisumi Mits Arisumi Toru Arisumi

Shigeo Asada Tatsumi Asada Eisuke Asato

Shotaro Harry Asato

Yeikichi Chester Asato Giichi Chinen

Masahide Chinen Robert S Chinen

Jack Edward Conley Masaji Demura Lyman Domoto Edward T Emura

Choichi Norman Endo Kenzo Endo

Thomas Tomoistu Saito Espineda Richard Toshio Fujii Nobuyuki Fujikawa Iwao Fujimori Moses Fujimoto Toshio Fujimoto

Wayman Yoshio Fujimoto

Hiromi Fujimura Kiyoshi Fujimura Haruno Fujitomo Haruo Fujitomo Tadashi Fujitomo Takeo Fujiyama Chester Kiyoshi Fukagawa Kenneth Masaru Fukuda Toshio Fukuda Noboru Harry Fukuyama Hayao George Furukawa Henry Shikao Furukawa Joseph K Furukawa Nobuo Furukawa Sakutaro Furukawa Kiyoshi Furumoto George Masashi Furuno Robert Naomi Furuta Noboru Archie Fushikoshi Tamaki Ralph Fushikoshi Kenneth K Goya

Yeiko Goya Masakichi Gushi David K Gushiken Hatsuji Hadano Shigeo Hamachi Katsuyoshi Hamamoto Ronald Atsushi Hamamura Stanley Tokunobu Hamamura Robert Takumi Hamaoka Tamotsu Hanida Kango Harada Frank Hiroshi Haramoto Tamotsu Hasegawa Robert Kiyoichi Hashimoto Shuichi Vernon Hashizume Tamotsu Hayashida Yukio Hayashida Akira Hedani Thomas S Hida Hideo A Higa Jusei Higa Katsumi Higa Masanobu Higa Tomijiro Higa Harold Tanoshi Higashi Wataru Walter Higashida George S Higashiguchi Ralph Soichi Higashiguchi Teichi Andrew Higashiguchi Masami Harold Higuchi Sugiichi Hiraga Susumu Dave Hiraiwa Tom Tomeo Hiranaga

Takeshi Robert Hirano Yoshiyuki Jack Hirano Yoshio Michael Hirata Gen Hirose

Yukiya Hirose Masao Hisano Hisaoka

Kiyoguma Horikami Thomas Kiyomi Horikami Tetsuo Ichikawa Morio Ichimura

Tadaomi Ida Junjiro Igarashi Edwin Tokusei Ige Kenichi Ige Shintoku Wallace Ige Tadamori Ige Tokucho Ige Yukio Ige William Yoshio Ikeda Henry Shinkichi Ikehara Kikuichiro Dick Ikehara Haruo Ikeuchi Masao Joseph Imada Sadao Imada Shigeru Imai Masaru Imoto

James Juichi Inafuku Saburo Inamasu Robert Ino Samuel Isamu Inoue Sueo Inouye

Tamotsu Inouye Yutaka Paul Inouye Jack Iriguchi Tadayoshi Iriguchi Seiji Ishihara Kenichi Ishikawa Seisuke Richard Ishikawa Richard Ishimoto

James K Ito Kiyoshi Ito Shuya Thomas Ito Takao Thomas Ito Zenkichi Kenneth Ito Charles Mitsushi Iwamoto Masao P Iwamoto Sueo Iwamoto Toshiro Iwamoto

Yukitsugu Iwamoto Yoshinori Iwamura James M Izumi Thomas Munemasa Jichaku Katsui Jinnohara

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Toshimi Kato Hisato Oswald Kawahara Richard Hiroo Kawahara Makita Kawaharada Tetsuro Kawakami

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Kikumatsu Frank Kawanishi Isamu Ralph Kawano Haruto Kawasaki Edward Sadato Kawashima Masayoshi Kaya Masao Kigawa

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Manabu Art Kikukawa Mitsuo Kimura

Wesley Hiroshi Kimura Yoshiaki Kimura Isamu Kitagawa Masayuki Kitagawa

Michinori Lawrence Kitagawa

Tsunao Kitagawa

James Hajime Kitashima

Tsugio Kitsuki

Milton Takeo Kiyono

Tsutomu Kobatake

Charles Mitsuji Kobayashi

Yoshio Kobayashi

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Fumio Koishigawa

Douglas Tsutomu Koki

Mamoru Koki

Masao Komoda

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Charles Seiyei Kubota

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Asao Melvin Kunishige

Mitsuru Kunishige

Jerry S Kuraoka

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SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT

Kiyoshi Masuda

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Toshio Miyamoto

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Central Pacific Bank Foundation

by Keith Amemiya

Educating and informing people is vital, which is why the Cen tral Pacific Bank Foundation (the charitable arm of CPB) is a proud supporter of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center and its mission to commemorate the stories and contributions of Nisei soldiers throughout the World War II era.

Many CPB employees have relatives and loved ones who fought in World War II and/or were forced into internment camps, simply for being of Japanese ancestry.

“We must never forget the sacrifices of the Nisei veterans who bravely fought for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, 100th Infantry Battalion, and Military Intelligence Service, and those who were unjustly interned during World War II,” said Keith Amemiya, CPB Foundation Executive Director. “I personally have learned many values from my nisei relatives such as self lessness, humility, and service to the community that must con tinue with future generations to ensure that Hawaii continues to be the best place in the world.”

“The CPB Foundation is proud to support the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center and its work to memorialize the honorable deeds of our Nisei veterans and ensure that their legacy and values live on,” said Royce Fukuroku, CPB Vice President and Maui Commercial Banking Assistant Manager.

Central Pacific Bank was founded by Nisei veterans, including future U.S. Senator, Daniel Inouye, who refused to accept the social inequi ties immigrant families in Hawaii faced after World War II. With their “Go for Broke” spirit, these young nisei began meeting regularly under the banyan trees of Ala Moana Beach Park to pursue their vision of creating a bank that would serve all of Hawaii’s people.

On February 15, 1954, their hard work and passion paid off with the opening of Central Pacific Bank in downtown Honolulu. Our founders strived to help local families and small businesses that the banking establishment ignored. Ever since, CPB has stood for inclusivity, opportunity, and doing the right thing.

Masaru George Nakasato

Toshiko Dorothy Nakasato

Frank Zensuke Nakasone

Glen Hiroshi Nakasone

Hideo Nakasone

Kentoku Nakasone

Larry Isami Nakasone

Shiro Nakasone

Larry Teruo Nakata

Harry Masao Nakayama

Sekiji Nakayama

Masanobu Herbert Nako

Yoshio Roy Nako

Nobuo Nihei

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Shigeru Nikaido

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Shigeo Nishihara

Akira Nishimura

Noboru Nishimura

Toshiharu Paul Nishimura Yoshito Nishimura

Andrew Hachiro Nishino Tetsu Nishitomi

Masaru Nitta James Noboru Noji Asaka Nomura

Katsuto Richard Nomura

Tsugio E Nouchi

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Hiroshi Harold Ohata

Hiroshi Oishi

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Yujiro Okahiro

Hifuo Joe Okamoto

Masanobu Okamoto

Masaichi Johnny Okamura Masayuki Okamura

Toshio Okamura Keiso C Okazaki Tokuo Okimoto Yoshiharu Okinaka Toshio Okuda

Kenneth Seikichi Okuma Ralph Tamaichi Okunaga Hitoshi Robert Omiya Shigeo Wayne Omuro Seichi Champ Ono

Takashi Nathaniel Ono

Isao Onouye

Isami Sam Osato

Chosei Roy Oshiro Iwao Oshiro Yuitsu Oshiro

Toshinori Francis Ota Akio Saito

Katsumi Gary Saito Robert T Saito

Kazuo Sakagawa William T Sakamoto

Katsumi Sakotani Saburo Sato Kentaro Segawa Shigeto Shigematsu Shoyei Duke Taguchi Masakatsu Harold Tajiri Hachiro Takahashi Yutaka Takatsuka Yasuro Tamashiro Stephen Shigenobu Tamayori Jitsuo Tanouye Mitsuyuki Tashiro Denis Sado Tengan Masasuke Toma

Futoshi Tsuchiyama

James Yasuichi Uehara

Wilfred O Ueki

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Satoki Yamamoto

Yutaka Yamashige

Saburo Yamashita

Toshiro Yamashita

Victor Isao Yamashita

Toshiaki Yokoyama

Wally Kaname Yonamine

Masato Yoshimatsu

IF YOU ARE ABLE TO ASSIST with data entry or organizing artifacts and files, please call Melanie at 808-244-6862 or email info.nvmc@gmail.com.

We proudly continue the mission of our forefathers to serve all of Hawaii’s people with aloha. We continue to believe a rising tide lifts all boats. And we are committed to the financial health of our customers so that, together, we can build a stronger Hawaii.

The CPB Foundation has long supported NVMC, and its recent support includes a $75,000 donation to complete the Stanley Izumigawa Resource Center expansion to enclose and build out NVMC’s upstairs pavilion, sponsorship of the showing of Lane Nishikawa’s “Our Lost Years” at the Historic Iao Theater, and sponsorship of the “Find the Hero” series and in-person exhibits.

Central Pacific Bank and the CPB Foundation will continue to support worthy causes and organizations in our community such as NVMC that help provide equitable opportunities for all people. A legacy wall stands at the CPB headquarters proudly displaying the bank’s history and purpose.

Keith Amemiya next to the Kansha Preschool walkway pillar sponsored by CPB Foundation.

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Margaret McGehee

Genji & Toshiko Miyamoto

Machiko Moriyasu

Karen Motooka

Gary S. & Susan L. Nakama

Diane Orikasa

Raina Ouye

Richard Rasmussen

Robbie Reneau

Robbie & Elaine Reneau

Julia Reynolds

Lauren Reynolds

Ian Ryan

Edna Saifuku

David Yospe & Brenda SaifukuYospe

Diana Saltoon-Briggs

Joseph M. and Frances J. Souki

Ronald & Mary Sowa

Kim Springer

Eddie Suguro

Paul & Judy Suyama

Ralph Takata

Donald & Judy Takayama

Dorothy Tam Ho

IN MEMORY OF HAROLD OKUMURA

Steven Tanabe

Dana Turnbull

Anna Umehira

Larry Uyeda

Steven M. & Gladys Y. Uyehara

Stanley Vidinhar

Betty Watanabe

IN MEMORY OF HAROLD OKUMURA

Brian Watanabe

Kyle & Colette Watanabe

Corrine Corky Welch

IN MEMORY OF CHARLES “CHUCK”

HAZAMA

John & Donnette Wilson

Marynella Wood

Stella Yamamoto

David Yanagisako

Tammy Yeh

Esther Yokoyama

Isami Yoshihara

DONATE TO THE

UH Professor Patrick Patterson and Author Scott Kikkawa.

WWII MIS Veteran Masao Motooka and NVMC summer staff Raina Ouye

Warren Orikasa and Frank DiSalvo pictured at an Evening of Sinatra.

Afternoon with The Author: Gail Okawa with Kathryn & Glenn Hamai.

Calligraphy with Murakami Sensei.

Walter and Ione Tokishi, Masue Okumura, Gwen Martino, Keynote Speaker Lane Nishikawa, Trevor & Judith Tokishi.

Leonard & Merahi Oka.

MAHALO

LEVEL

OKAGE SAMA DE, THEIR LEGACY LIVES ON.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE NVMC.

have been

Over the last

man’s

to the

months through news and social

and

Blessed With

and

Story

Story with Kathy Collins and Friends

Yakamashii!

Making Noise and Talking

Hotel.

We are back in-person for

the

Evening of Gratitude”

Annual Fundraising

An Evening of Gratitude