friend, John Min, on Maui, when he asked me if my father was Takao Kubota. I said, “Yes,” and John said my father had saved his uncle Kenneth Higa’s life during World War II during the 100th Battalion’s landing at Anzio Beach in Italy. The shelling was terrible and a group had gone out on
the French government for the following veterans: Takashi Aragaki, I Co., 442nd (owned Sputnik’s Restaurant in Hilo) Hiromi Fujimura, B Co, 100th & H Co, 442nd (corrected) Kenneth Ray Higashi (South Dakota), D Co., 100th/442nd Masatsu Kawamoto, I Co., 442nd (lives in Hawi) Don Matsuda, A Co., 100th (former Club 100 President) Stanley Toshiyuki
Kenneth Masaichi Higa 100th Battalion C Company Private First Class
“We wanted him to go, because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.” It was indeed a once in a lifetime opportunity for 93-year-old 100th Battalion veteran Kenneth Higa. “Oh, it was wonderful. I’m really glad that I went,” he said. From the moment the Hawai‘i group arrived in Washington, to the ceremony and the
“We wanted him to go, because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.” It was indeed a once in a lifetime opportunity for 93-year-old 100th Battalion veteran Kenneth Higa. “Oh, it was wonderful. I’m really glad that I went,” he said. From the moment the Hawai‘i group arrived in Washington, to the ceremony and the
kamikaze attack on his ship at the Kerama Islands off Okinawa as he intercepted enemy radio communications. Bill Imoto, Shoichi Nakahara, Satoshi Kurokawa, Joe Kadoyama, Joseph Kinyone, Kenneth Omura, George Chibata, and Captain William Laffin are others who died in different places. Eleven ATIS men, including Joe Kadoyama, were killed in a plane crash
legacy and all they stood for. Saburo Hasegawa 6/11/10 100th Bn A Co Philip “Matsu” Shigeo Matsuyama 9/1/10 100th Bn C Co Kenneth Kazuto Katayama 1/7/11 100th Bn B Co Ernest Kamisato 1/8/11 M Co George Kurisu 1/11/11 100th Bn A Co Robert Sasaki 1/11/11 L Co Shinichi Hirata
Iwao Kishimoto 4/19/2012 100th Bn D Co / I Co Hideo Murakami 4/21/2012 F Co Bill Satoru Ito 4/21/2012 Cannon Seichi Moriyasu 4/29/2012 100th Bn D Co Kenneth Tamotsu Yoshiura 4/29/2012 100th Bn A Co Kenji Fukuda 5/7/2012 100th Bn B Co Roy H. Kitaoka 5/8/2012 100th Bn D Co James Hiroshi Matsunaga 5/31/2012
