Author Archives: Jon

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Exhibit Announcement: Children’s Messages of Peace and MIS Veterans at the 100th Veterans Clubhouse

Sun, February 4, 2018 by Jon

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Announcement from the 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans Club

An exhibit of Children’s Expressions of Peace from the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum is open from February 1 to March 5, 2018 at the 100th Inf Bn Veterans Clubhouse.

The exhibit will be open on weekdays only to March 5 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. It will be closed on weekends. Parking is at the Clubhouse or on the street.

The exhibit includes stunningly beautiful artwork, poetry and essays by students in Okinawa reflecting the reality of War on their homeland and their hopes for peace. This year, over 16 award winning pieces (all different from last year’s works) are on display.

Also on exhibit are profiles of three Military Intelligence Service WWII veterans with roots in Hawaii: Dr. Shinye Gima, the late Takejiro Higa and Herbert Yanamura. The displays on MIS veterans include personal photos, their memories of their wartime service and what life was like before and after the war.

There will also be showings of the 2017 documentary “Proof of Loyalty” about WWII veteran Kazuo Yamane. Mr. Yamane started off with the 100th but due to his Japanese language fluency, he was recruited for the MIS. The documentary provides one of the best historical timelines about the 100th Infantry Battalion as well as a fascinating look at Mr. Yamane’s exemplary military and civilian life. The film runs about an hour and please stop by no later than 12 noon if you’d like to see the movie so the Clubhouse can close by 1:00 pm.) For a detailed synopsis, please visit the film’s website at: https://proofofloyalty.com/

There is no admission fee for the exhibit.

Download (PDF, 4.5MB)

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Registration Info for the 442nd RCT 75th Anniversary Banquet

Tue, January 16, 2018 by Jon

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2.25.2018 Update
It’s not too late to register for the 75th Anniversary of the 442nd RCT banquet! The deadline has been moved back to March 7. Please share this information with your friends and family.

Important change: The doors will open at 9:30 instead of 10 AM. The plan is to start the procession into the ballroom at 10 AM; we hope folks can be in their seats by then. We made the change to keep the program as short as possible out of respect for our very elderly veterans.

We are looking for volunteers to be Guidon Bearers representing all the 442 companies, to march in the opening procession. We have some volunteers, but are looking for more!

If your veteran loved one is deceased or not able to march in the procession, we are welcoming family members to march behind the Guidon Bearer of their dad/grandpa’s/great-grandpa’s company. Participants are asked to bring an 8” x 10” photo of their loved one in a standing frame to be placed on a table at the end of the procession.

Lastly, we still need participants to read short passages of quotes and poignant messages from soldiers during war time. Participants may also read their own message to their father/grandfather. The messages should be a minute or less.

If you’re interested in volunteering for any of these program activities, please contact Gwen Fujie at gwenfujie@gmail.com, or 888-9374 as soon as possible.

Please see attached registration and procession forms for more information.

Mahalo and see you on the 18th!

The 75^th Anniversary Banquet of the 442^nd Regimental Combat Team will be on Sunday, March 18, 2018. The theme is Celebrating with Gratitude and Pride. Doors will open at 09:30 am, with the program to start at 10:00 am (and ending between 1:30 – 2:00 pm). The banquet will be at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, Hawaii Ballroom.

A Special Request from the planning committee is for the Veterans group photo, which will be at 9:30 am and veterans are asked to be on time for the photo.

Veterans and wives as well as surviving spouses are free. The cost for others is $75.00 per person.

Lunch entrée will be a chicken and short ribs combo. If the Vegetarian option is preferred, please indicate with a check mark on the registration form (see below).

The cost for self-parking is $10; valet parking is $15. Parking for veterans, wives and widows – whether self-park or valet — will be paid for. For those driving a passenger with a wheelchair, someone will assist you at the front entrance of the hotel if you wish to drop off passenger(s).

The deadline to submit reservations and payment is Wednesday, March 7, 2018. A block of rooms is also being held at the Sheraton Waikiki for those wishing to stay there. For questions, please contact the 442^nd Veterans Club office by phone (808-949-7997) or Email (442veterans@hawaiiantel.net).

Banquet Registration Form

Download (PDF, 318KB)

Grand Procession Registration Form

Download (PDF, 53KB)

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This Time in 442nd RCT History (Jan 2018)

Tue, January 16, 2018 by Jon

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The Champagne Campaign in the French Maritime Alps, Part 2

A brief summary of the “Champagne Campaign” was included in the November 2017 E-newsletter. The 100^th/442^nd was assigned to protect the right flank of the Sixth Army Group along the French-Italian border in the French Maritime Alps from November 1944 to March 1945. Despite the use of the term “champagne” and the liberty granted many of the men to Nice, Paris and other French towns and cities, there was still war at hand and daily patrols and fighting took place.

Excerpts from the Headquarters 442D Regimental Combat Team Monthly Historical Report for the month of January 1945 will serve to highlight some of what the men lived through during this “campaign”.

New Year’s Day 1945, the 100^th conducted reconnaissance from Menton to Castillon, the 2^nd Bn did the same from Castillon to Mount Grosso, the 522^nd fired in support of the 2^nd Bn and the 232^nd Combat Engineers laid mines.

January 3, Able Co. and Fox Co. patrols went on reconnaissance and reported no enemy activity, 3^rd Bn organized a reserve line from Roquebrune to Col de Braus, Antitank Co. was on guard duty on roads and at installations, 94 Italian refugees were apprehended and turned over to command in Nice, and new cold-climate sleeping bags were distributed to the companies.

January 10, the Regimental HQ and Medical Detachment moved location by 5 miles, 232^nd assisted Easy, Fox and George Cos. with laying antipersonnel mines and double apron fences, and a ration of beer and candy was distributed to the companies.

January 15, a George Co. patrol departed for Olivetta at 1700 with the intention of capturing prisoners and engaged with enemy troops on the banks of the Bevera River. The patrol leader was hit and the radio was damaged and inoperable. The patrol withdrew and S Sgt Rocky Matayoshi went to retrieve his lieutenant and carried him back 300 yards under fire. The patrol then attempted to move location but encountered a mine field and also could not cross the Bevera River, so spent the night outside. The next day, five men who were headed to the patrol to evacuate the wounded lieutenant ran into a minefield and two were killed with the other three wounded.

January 21, all personnel were ordered to check and carry gas masks and protective equipment at all times, a Fox Co. patrol had spent the night in the field and returned at 1600 with no enemy contact, Mike Co. guards recaptured two German POWs that had escaped from Nice, the 522^nd fired in support of the 100^th.

January 30, a plaque from the 1^st Bn, 141^st Infantry Regiment (36^th Infantry Division), the “Lost Battalion”, was received by 442^nd HQ and the inscription on the plaque read, “To the 442d Infantry with deep sincerity and utmost appreciation for the gallant fight to effect our rescue after we had been isolated for seven days. Biffontaine, France, 24-30 October, 1944.”

This was also a period of rebuilding the strength of the 442^nd. Ten officers and 369 enlisted men joined the 442^nd as replacements during this one month alone, and these replacements brought the 442^nd back to near full strength. The other side of this is that the replacements were needed because 442^nd men had been killed or injured in combat during the previous months.

Reference: https://library.manoa.hawaii.edu/departments/archives/mss/aja/nara/1945-02-06_MonthlyReport.pdf (accessed 1.15.2018)

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Sneak Preview of Go For Broke, a 442 Origins Story movie

Sun, November 19, 2017 by Jon

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Sneak Preview of the Go For Broke, A 442 Origins Story movie, Hawai’i Theater, October 8, 2017
By Gail Nishimura and Jon Ishihara

“442nd RCT Foundation Presents a Stacey Hayashi Production” was on the printed program for this special event to provide a preview of this movie long in the making on the 442nd RCT. In attendance at the Hawai’I Theatre in Honolulu were some 442nd veterans, many 100th/442nd family members and distinguished guests. The movie preview was attended by approximately 1400 people.

Opening the event was a group of dancers from Okinawa and Hawaii, with a lively presentation. Then Jake Shimabukuro played the national anthem on the ukulele and the 100th/442nd Reserves Guard posted the colors. Admiral Harry Harris, Commander U.S. Pacific Command, gave the keynote speech and then made a special presentation of the French Legion of Honor medal to veteran Mr. Masayoshi Nakamura. The text of Admiral Harris’s speech can be read here. Hawaii Governor David Ige then presented Stacey Hayashi with a proclamation making October 8, 2017 “Go For Broke” day.

This movie was dedicated to the late K. Mark Takai, U.S Representative from Hawai’I and a strong supporter of Stacey Hayashi and this movie. His daughter says “Go For Broke” in the movie. Stacey said Mark would leave copies of her book “Journey of Heroes” in his office for people visiting to read.

Former Senator Daniel Akaka attended and was in one of the scenes of the movie (look for him in the funeral scene.) Our own S&D member Anita Nihei was an extra and you can see and hear her a couple of times during the scene at Iolani Palace. S&D member Gwen Fujie and Anita’s son Gavin were also extras but the camera goes pretty fast at times and the crowd and recruits are big groups.

The movie itself moves quickly (90 minutes) and covers events just before and the year after Pearl Harbor. It tells of the Hawaii Territorial Guard and the formation of the Varsity Victory Volunteers (VVV). It also introduces the 298th Infantry/100th Infantry Battalion. The movie closes with the famous picture taken at Iolani Palace of the men who were inducted into the 442nd RCT in April 1943. Very touching as we get a look into the daily lives of different people before, during and after the start of the war, scnes which are based on stories from 442nd veterans.

The Hawaii Film Festival showed the film on the 12th of November at Hawai’i Theater and other venues. It was also just shown on the Big Island and Kaua’i the weekend of 17-19 November. Here is the link to the film’s description via the Hawaii Film Festival: go_for_broke_a_442_origins_story_2017

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This Time in 442nd RCT History (Nov 2017)

Sun, November 19, 2017 by Jon

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This Time in 442^nd RCT History
After the Vosges: The Champagne Campaign in the French Maritime Alps

October 30, 1944 was a Monday but for many with a sense of history it is the day the 442^nd RCT reached the 1^st Battalion, 141 Infantry Regiment in what has come to be known as the “Rescue of the Lost Battalion.” This is a short summary of the movements of the 442^nd following the brutal fighting in the Vosges Mountains, including the Rescue.

According to historical information in the National Archives, the 100^th Infantry Battalion was detached from the RCT on November 10 and was sent to Nice on the southern coast of France. The rest of the 442^nd RCT was given relief on November 17 after the more than one month of fighting in the Vosges. They traveled by truck a distance of 540 miles over four days to St. Jeannet, just a few miles west of Nice in the “Maritime Alps” of France, stopping in Docelles within the township of Bruyeres for one day. One can only imagine the thoughts of some of the men as they rode in the trucks down from the eastern part of France to the southeast, after the fighting in the mountains and the liberation of the towns of Bruyeres and Biffontaine, and the loss of so many of their friends and comrades.

The RCT reentered duty on November 23, Thanksgiving Day in 1944, having been attached to the 44^th Antiaircraft Artillery (AAA) Brigade, and the men provided defensive duty along the France-Italian border until March 1945. The 100^th rejoined the 442^nd on November 28. The duty for the 442^nd was to patrol a stretch of the border. But because the area is part of the French Riviera and the men were able to avail themselves of the comforts of the resort towns as the units were not engaged in battle, this period has been dubbed the Champagne Campaign.

In spite of the relative peace of this duty compared to front line battle, 11 442^nd soldiers died, 96 were were wounded and others went missing or were injured. A notable event that occurred in the town of Menton was the capture of a one-man German submarine. This is reported to be the first time that the U.S. Army captured an enemy submarine, and it was accomplished by soldiers of the 442^nd. Read more details of the event in the link below to a transcript of stories by Antitank Company Shiroku Yamamoto.

Sources

https://www.goforbroke.org/learn/history/combat_history/world_war_2/european_theater/rhineland_maritime.php

https://nisei.hawaii.edu/object/io_1149149955984.html

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Corrected – 2017 442nd S&D Family Christmas Party, Dec. 17

Wed, September 13, 2017 by Jon

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The S&D annual 2017 Family Christmas party with about 100 in attendance was held on December 17 at the 100th Infantry Battalion Clubhouse in Honolulu. Five veterans were present this year: Robert Kishinami, Fujio Matsuda, Jack Nakamura, Richard Nomura and Shiroku “Whitey” Yamamoto. Members, family and friends enjoyed the lunch spread provided by the Iolani School cafeteria, which included old time favorites like steamed fish, korean fried chicken, shoyu pork, salads, fruits, noodles, cakes and all kinds of desserts donated by members.

collage of the veterans that attended the Family Christmas party

the 5 veterans that attended the 2017 Family Christmas party

Door prizes too numerous to count were passed out to all in attendance, with top prizes of $50 gift cards and many other gift cards. We really appreciate all the door prizes donated by many who came. Christmas carols were sung, games were played and enjoyed including the “Right Family” story and Santa handed out gifts to kids and adults alike. S&D members and friends ended the year enjoying each other’s company and the Christmas season. Thank you so much for all those who came out to help!!! Please join us next year!

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The Japanese American Museum of San Jose

Wed, September 13, 2017 by Jon

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Visiting the Japanese American Museum of San Jose

I visited the Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMsj) in May of this year with my wife and my wife’s aunt, who lives in San Jose and is a member of the museum. I am very glad that we went, because I humbly submit that the visit helped to increase my understanding of the world. I have not yet visited the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles or other Japanese American museums in San Francisco, Seattle and other cities. I have been to the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii (Honolulu) a number of times, thank you.

There is a portion of the JAMsj that features the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. There is also material on the Military Intelligence Service. What made the biggest impact on me, however, were the stories and artwork related to the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans who were living on the West Coast, including Japanese Americans who lived in and around San Jose.

Reading the material and viewing the artwork impressed on me a bit of the experiences of the 120,000 Japanese Americans who were forced from their homes after December 7, 1941 – impressions that I had not gained from books and articles I had read before my visit. There is also a re-creation of a barracks from the Tule Lake incarceration camp that we walked through that held my attention in a way that a written description would not. My mother-in-law was sent to an incarceration camp with her family, but she does not remember much since she was 2 years old when they entered the camp. My wife’s aunty was also incarcerated with her family in a different camp and she shared some stories with us and with the docent who took us through the JAMsj. These are stories that must not be forgotten and the JAMsj is helping to tell these stories to visitors to the Museum and their website.

The JAMsj also has other exhibit material such as old farming equipment used by San Jose and Santa Clara Valley Japanese Americans farmers (including a tractor from about 1915!), baseball and sumo related information from around San Jose and information on the pioneers who established the San Jose Japantown area. To folks like me, born and raised in Hawaii, I highly recommend visiting the JAMsj and other Japanese American museums on the mainland. The hope is that you come away with a greater understanding of the fuller Japanese American experience, which includes the experiences of our 442nd veterans and also the experiences of the Japanese Americans incarcerated during WWII.

Located in the San Jose Japantown area, the JAMsj is located about half a block off Jackson Street (which has a number of Japanese restaurants for your dining adventure). The Museum is in the former residence of Tokio Ishikawa, M.D., who was born and raised in San Jose, practiced medicine and also led tours of Japantown so that he became known as the Historian of San Jose Japantown.
www.jamsj.org

by S&D member Jon Ishihara

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75th Anniversary Banquet “Diamond Jubilee” of the 100th Infantry Battalion

Wed, September 13, 2017 by Jon

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The Ebb Tides performing

The Sons and Daughters of the 442nd were well represented at the 100th Battalion’s 75th Anniversary Banquet, which was held on Sunday, July 23, 10am-2pm, at the Pomaikai Ballroom at Dole Cannery. We had two full tables – including officers Grace Fujii, Juanita Allen and Shirley Igarashi, and members Gwen and Clayton Fujie, Glenn and Edean Goya, Lynn Heirakuji, Phyllis Hironaka, Anita Nihei and Ken Akinaka. Wes Deguchi, representing the NVL, was also present. (Sorry if we missed anyone.) Also our guests Mr. and Mrs. King Lit Ching sat with us. He is the son of Hung Wai Ching, who in 1940 was part of the Hawaii Council for Interracial Unity that helped prepare the local Issei community for the impending war. King Lit is working with us, the S&D, to fundraise for Tom Coffman’s new book, How Hawaii Changed America.
S&D members Anita, Gail and Grace

The banquet was wonderful – the 100th can sure do these events up right! They had all of the veterans march in as their names were called, there was a 75th Anniversary cake, and the entertainment was spectacular. During our meal, we were entertained by The Ebb Tides playing everything from Hawaiian to Japanese to swing music. Afterwards, a young performer in full traditional attire including white face makeup, did several Japanese dances. This was followed by his luring audience members up to dance – and the first one up was our own Gwen Fujie, followed quickly by Anita Nihei. Before it was all over, they had been joined by Grace Fujii and – Japan Consul General Misawa, Hawaii Governor Ige and Honolulu Mayor Caldwell. Clearly the best way ever to end the banquet. We truly hope that the 100th continues with a 76th Anniversary Banquet in 2018.

S&D members Gwen and Anita

S&D member Gail with 100th Infantry Bn veteran Masaharu Saito and family

table centerpiece – cute

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This Time in 442nd RCT History (Sept 2017)

Sun, September 10, 2017 by Jon

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RHINELAND CAMPAIGN-VOSGES (October 10, 1944 – November 21, 1944)

There were five major battle campaigns that were fought by the 442^nd Regimental Combat Team, of which the Rhineland Campaign-Vosges was one of them. The 442^nd arrived in France in October 1944 to join the 36^th Division as part of the 7^th Army, after fighting in and then leaving Italy, where the 442^nd and 100^th Infantry Battalion had joined up to form the RCT. At this point in time, the Allies were about 40 miles from the France/Germany border but the Vosges Mountains brought a new type of terrain experience for the 442^nd soldiers.

map of Bruyeres showing 442nd RCT movement and hills A, B, C, D

map from https://1stabtf.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/map-bruy%C3%A8res-17-octobre.png

In order to proceed ahead towards the border, the soldiers needed to secure the town of Bruyeres. Bruyeres is located in a valley bordered by four hills, which were heavily guarded by the Germans. The Allies labeled the hills A, B, C, and D. Hill A was Northwest of Bruyeres, Hill B to the North, Hill C on the Northeast side, and Hill D was to the East. Besides the hilly terrain and dense forest, the soldiers encountered thick fog, mud, rain and cold temperatures, conditions that were extremely challenging for fighting.

On October 15, 1944, the 442^ndbegan their attack on Bruyeres, under the command of Major General John Dahlquist. The 100^th Infantry Battalion attacked Hill A, the 2^nd Battalion attacked Hill B and the 3^rd Battalion moved in to take the town of Bruyeres. After three days of “vicious” fighting and assistance from the 522^nd Field Artillery Battalion, Hills A and B were secured and the enemy was cleared out of Bruyeres. The Germans still held Hills C and D, so on October 19, the soldiers began their assault on those hills. With casualties of 100 plus men, the hills were finally secured. Hill D became known as “Ohama’s Hill” to the 442^nd in remembrance of Tech Sergeant Abraham Ohama, F Company.

After some needed rest, the 100^th was ordered to march east to the town of Biffontaine. They were soon encircled by German forces who fired heavy artillery and rocket fire. Low on supplies, the 100^th had to hide in building cellars and wait for assistance. Finally on October 23, the 3^rd Battalion of the 442^nd reached the 100^th and assisted in driving out the German forces and handing Biffontaine to the 36^th Division.

The Rhineland Campaign-Vosges liberated several towns in France but it had the most profound impact on Bruyeres and Biffontaine. In honor of being liberated by the soldiers of the 442^nd Regimental Combat Team from German forces, the people of the two villages have erected monuments and hold yearly celebrations to recognize the soldiers of the 442^nd. School children in Bruyeres learn to sing Aloha Oe and Hawaii Ponoi as part of their curriculum. It is impressive to see the extreme gratitude of the people of these two towns toward the 442^nd RCT and their families. If you have the chance to visit the area, such as during the planned 2019 tour, you will get to experience this first hand. Others have been fortunate to have already visited Bruyeres and Biffontaine, as written about in our May e-newsletter.

https://www.ville-bruyeres.fr/

References

https://www.goforbroke.org/learn/history/combat_history/world_war_2/european_theater/rhineland_vosges.php

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/442nd_Infantry_Regiment_(United States)#Vosges_Mountains

https://www.the442.org/battlehistory.html

https://www.homeofheroes.com/moh/nisei/index6_vosges.html

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442nd Veterans and the National Museum of the U.S. Army

Fri, September 8, 2017 by Jon

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Aloha Hawaii 442nd RCT Veterans, Families, and Supporters

The U.S. Army plans to open a new National Museum of the U.S. Army (NMUSA) near Washington D.C. in 2019. NMUSA will include sections recognizing the WWII Nisei Soldiers of the 442nd RCT, 100th Infantry Battalion and Military Intelligence Service. It is seeking individual Nisei Soldier stories, as well as objects and artifacts that will be made part of the exhibit. See the NMUSA website at: thenmusa.org.

The Sons & Daughters Chapter is working with the National Veterans Network to coordinate the submission of 442nd Soldier stories for consideration for use in the museum. S&D member Lynn Heirakuji is the point of contact for this project and is providing detailed information on how interested parties can submit Soldier stories, as well as donated objects and artifacts, to be considered for inclusion in the NMUSA. Attached is an Information Sheet (below) on NMUSA along with two Attachments that explains NMUSA and what it is seeking to help create the Nisei Soldier sections of the new museum. The one-year deadline for bringing these sections to completion is very tight.

This is an extremely important and rare opportunity for the compelling story of the WWII Nisei Soldiers to be told at the national level and to a broad audience.

Please review the Information Sheet and support this effort by

nominating a WWII 442nd RCT Nisei Veteran for individual recognition

at NMUSA – the local submission deadline is October 1, 2017. If you have any related

objects or artifacts

that you would like to permanently donate to NMUSA, please consider doing so – submission deadline is September 30, 2017.

On behalf of the Sons & Daughters of the 442nd RCT, Lynn is coordinating the submission of 442nd RCT Hawaii Nisei Soldier stories. Mark Matsunaga and Susan Muroshige will be coordinating the nominations for the MIS and 100th Infantry Battalion Soldiers, respectively.

Please email Lynn at LHeirakuji@gmail.com if you have any questions or need help with your nomination submission. Or you can call or text Lynn at 240 351-8656.

Thanks
Lynn Heirakuji
Sons & Daughters of the 442nd RCT, Member
Nisei Veterans Legacy, Board Member

Download (PDF, 524KB)

Download (PDF, 139KB)

Download (PDF, 1.3MB)

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Hawaii Nikkei Legacy Exhibit in Yokohama, Japan

Thu, July 13, 2017 by Jon

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Hawaii Nikkei Legacy Exhibit in Japan
By S&D member Byrnes Yamashita

The Hawaii Nikkei Legacy Exhibit at the Japanese Overseas Migration Museum, Yokohama, Japan.
Photo courtesy of Philbert Ono.

An exhibit highlighting the Japanese-American experience in Hawaii from the initial waves of immigration through World War II and the post-war period with photographs and narrative text in English and Japanese opened in Yokohama this past June. Included are photos of Nisei soldiers from the 100th, 442nd, 1399th and MIS who fought in World War II to prove their loyalty to the United States. The exhibit also includes a section on prefectural roots that identifies prominent Japanese Americans from Hawaii whose ancestors were part of the flow of contract workers (kanyaku imin) who came to Hawaii beginning in 1885 to work on the sugar plantations.

The idea for this exhibit was initially conceived in 2015 by Mrs. Michiko Shigeeda, wife of the then Consul General of Japan in Honolulu, Mr. Toyoei Shigeeda, who is currently Japan’s ambassador to Lithuania. Mrs. Shigeeda felt that the Japanese people who already have a strong affinity for Hawaii would be interested in learning about the history of the Japanese Americans in Hawaii. Bishop Ryokan Ara of the Tendai Educational Foundation, who was recently named a Living Treasure of Hawaii by the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii, was the spiritual inspiration for the project. Bishop Ara has worked for over 40 years to improve the understanding and relationships between the Japanese Americans in Hawaii and the Japanese people. Mr. Ryoji Koike of the Pacific Aviation Museum played a key role in coordinating with organizations and support groups in Japan.

An exhibit content committee, including three S&D members, collected photographs, wrote the narrative and designed the exhibit. The project was prepared completely through volunteer efforts with printing and other expenses funded by the Nisei Veterans Legacy (NVL) and in-kind contributions.

Titled, “The Hawaii Nikkei Legacy,” the exhibit is co-sponsored by the NVL, the Japan America Society of Hawaii and the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii. (“Nikkei” refers to Japanese who have migrated to various foreign countries.) The exhibit is currently open at the Japanese Overseas Migration Museum (JOMM) in Yokohama, Japan. The JOMM is operated by the Japan International Cooperation Agency or JICA. The JICA is the rough equivalent of the USAID in the United States and one of its elements is the Association of Nikkei and Japanese Abroad, which serves as the host for the exhibit.

The exhibit is scheduled to be shown at the JOMM through September 3, 2017. It will also appear at the Hawaii Expo event at the Hikarie Building in Shibuya, Tokyo from July 15-17. Then it will be shown in Fukushima City from July 19-29 in conjunction with the City’s 110th anniversary celebration. Finally, it will be at the Imperial Bank Building in Hiroshima City from October 1-14. Anyone traveling to Japan during these time periods are encouraged to see the exhibit. The exhibit may also be shown in Hawaii in 2018 though no arrangements have been made to date.

Hawaiian music performance by Kuʽulei Mamo Park (daughter of a 100th Infantry Battalion veteran, at right in photo – corrected) and her band with hula dancers at the opening ceremony for the exhibit.
Photo courtesy of Philbert Ono.

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This Time in 442nd History (July 2017)

Wed, July 12, 2017 by Jon

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The Flight of the Anti-Tank Company

(photo courtesy of the U.S. Army)

The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was an U.S. Army infantry unit, as we the friends and family of the 442nd veterans know. Not all may know, however, that just weeks after the 442nd arrived in Italy and entered combat in June of 1944, the men of the Anti-Tank Company were separated from their 442nd brethren to be trained as glider troops taking to the air to transport anti-tank guns, Jeeps and ammunition. Here are some details of the flight of the Anti-Tank Company.

For general background, the 442nd HQ, 2nd and 3rd Battalions had all arrived in Italy by mid-June 1944. The battle hardened 100th Infantry Battalion was attached to the 442nd RCT on June 11. The 442nd RCT then entered combat in Italy on June 26 near Suvereto and continued this phase of fighting until July 24. Within this context, the Anti-Tank Company was detached from the RCT on July 16 for a secret mission in support of Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France by Allied troops.

The men of Anti-Tank Company learned that they were assigned to glider training. They had to learn how to load and lash down equipment in the gliders, and the gliders would be used to transport the entire Company with British-made anti-tank guns in to the battlefield. They did this training near Rome.

Then on August 15, as part of the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Airborne Task Force, the men of Anti-Tank Company loaded into the gliders, were pulled by U.S. aircraft from Italy to Southern France and landed in the fields and in the trees around Le Muy, France. There were injuries, especially to the pilots of the gliders that were transporting the Company. The 517th paratroopers had preceded the Anti-Tank Company to secure the landing areas, and these infantry men suffered casualties.

The Company was able to set up their guns and for two months after their glider flights guarded the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment and the flank of the U.S. 7th Army. The Anti-Tank Company is the only unit in the 442nd to receive the Glider Badge.

Read the words of veterans of the Anti-Tank Company in these links:
https://nisei.hawaii.edu/object/io_1149148189765.html (accessed 7/8/2017)
https://www.100thbattalion.org/archives/newspaper-articles/ben-tamashiro/the-antitank-company-442-rct/ (accessed 7/8/2017)
https://www.goforbroke.org/learn/history/combat_history/world_war_2/european_theater/southern_france_campaign.php (accessed 7/8/2017)

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Jon

Author Archives: Jon

Exhibit Announcement: Children’s Messages of Peace and MIS Veterans at the 100th Veterans Clubhouse

Registration Info for the 442nd RCT 75th Anniversary Banquet

Corrected – 2017 442nd S&D Family Christmas Party, Dec. 17

70th Anniversary Tribute Video

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442nd and Veterans Related Sites