HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – As we mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, a heroic group of U.S. soldiers and their families are receiving a special honor from a country once considered the enemy.
Hawaii soldiers of Japanese American, or nisei, ancestry who fought foreign enemies, while battling discrimination in their own home, were pivotal in ending one of the world’s deadliest conflicts. The 100th Infantry Battalion of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team went on to become the most decorated military unit in U.S. history.
Now, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs is recognizing three Hawaii veterans’ organizations with a commendation: the 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans, the 442nd Legacy Center, and the Military Intelligence Service Veterans of Hawaii.
Kathi Hayashi, president of the 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans Organization, joined HNN’s Sunrise to talk about their legacy and the special honor. Her father Tokuichi Hayashi served in the 100th, which was called nicknamed ‘One Puka Puka’. The organization is known as Club 100.
“We were honored to be commended for outstanding achievement in international fields, specifically, ‘promotion of mutual relationship between Japan and the USA’,” she said.
“It is significant because it honors the 80 years of work by Club 100 members to foster healing, promote peace and for collaboration between Japan and the USA.”
“These three organizations have, for many years, worked to preserve and pass on to future generations the identity and glorious achievements of U.S. military units primarily composed of Japanese Americans, through activities such as preserving and exhibiting historical materials, holding memorial services, and public relations activities,” the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu said in a statement.
“Through these activities, the three organizations have contributed to the preservation and dissemination of the history of Japanese Americans in the United States, thereby contributing to the improvement of the status of Japanese Americans in the United States, and significantly contributing to the deepening of mutual understanding and the promotion of friendly relations between Japan and Hawaii, and consequently between Japan and the United States.”
On Sept. 28, a Joint Memorial Service by the 100th, 442nd, MIS and 1399th will be held at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. The annual ceremony marks the death of the first Nisei soldier killed in combat — Sgt. Joe Takata on Sept. 29, 1943, near Salerno, Italy.
Hayashi urges everyone to remember the sacrifice of these dedicated soldiers. She keeps in mind the Japanese concept “okage sama de,” which means “thanks to you, I am successful.”
For more information, visit 100thibv.org or the Education Center at 100thbattalion.org.
The Club is also working with Steve Sue, producer/director of the award-winning Shaka, A Story of Aloha, on a new feature documentary, The 100TH: Seeds of Aloha.
The documentary highlights the heroism of the WWII Nisei soldiers from Hawaii and how their legacy of aloha has inspired service and healing for more than 80 years. Learn more at 100thfilm.com,
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