Other RCT Veteran Related News

Ted’s Corner *** A SALUTE TO “THE ONE PUKA PUKA”

Did you ever wonder how the 1ooth Battalion began?  Ted Tsukiyama unfolds the “guinea pig battalion” story in “The One Puka Puka”…

Their Japanese ancestry caused them to be unwanted, feared, distrusted and even despised.  An expected Japanese invasion of Hawaii induced their hasty removal from their beloved island home. The Army didn’t know what to do with them after 14 months of training, even after their dispatch to North Africa.  They were the Army’s “orphan outfit,” playing “guinea pig” for Japanese Americans in military service.  Finally, after assignment to the 34th Division they gained the opportunity to engage in combat as the first and only segregated, all-Japanese infantry unit.

Soon they earned the reputation as the “Purple Heart Battalion” as the most decorated unit of its size and time in battle in the American Army of World War II.  They not only proved the “Americanism is not a matter of race or ancestry” but also won for other Niseis the right to fight for their country.

That is the heart-warming “Cinderella story” of the original 100th Infantry Battalion (separate), proudly identified by the men of the 100th as “The One Puka Puka.”

The true origins of the 100th must trace back to 1909 and 1920 when immigrant Japanese field workers staged a general strike for fair wages and decent working conditions, which erupted into bitter racial hostility and denigrated the entire Japanese population to be treated for the next 20 years as an economic, political, and national security threat to Hawaii.  Statehood was denied because of its large Japanese population and the questionable loyalty of even the American-born Japanese youth.  After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941, the question was directed at every Nisei, “Who you going shoot?” and the men of the 100th knew in their hearts that the burden fell upon them to answer this challenge emphatically and for all time, on behalf of every Nisei everywhere.

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Ron’s Canteen *** Lt. Col. John D. Porter

Lt. Col. John D. Porter

A nice article on Lt. Col. John D. Porter from the Go For Broke Bulletin (Vol. XLVIII No. 3 – July – September 1997) by Ron Oba.

 

It’s funny how one reminisces and start to treasure the days of old.  As one ages, the urge to recapture youth through the acquaintances you haven’t seen or heard from since.  It’s as if that the remembrances of old friends and the telling of your life story with the joy of coupling the stories with the names of soldiers you’ve lived with will somehow keep immortality alive.  Maybe that is the reason so many of the veterans are now coming in to the Archives for their oral histories so that their legacy will live forever through the retelling of their stories. 

John D. Porter, who volunteered for the 442nd from the 34th Division, is one of them.  He was here on Oahu at the Waianae R and R Center with his family.  He called to say how he remembered the men of the 2nd platoon, Capt. Akins, Capt. Hill, and others.  You couldn’t stop him for relating how proud he is as a veteran of the F Co. 442nd.  But let him tell you himself in the following taped resume (shortened for the bulletin) and anecdotes he has sent to F Company and the Archives for posterity.

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Go For Broke Bulletin Archives *** The Battlefields Tour: May 2004

From the Go For Broke Bulletin Archives, here is an article on a tour of Italy and France taken in 2004 to see former battlefields and remember the the challenges that were faced and honor the memories of the fallen.

Go For Broke Bulletin Volume 55, No. 3 – April – June 2004
The Battlefields Tour:  May 2004
By Sadaichi Kubota & Andy Ono 

The Italian Phase of the Tour:
I could not resist the K Co sponsored tour – May 18 – June 3 – because I had promised myself I would one day make the pilgrimage to honor our buddies who fell along the way.

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CGM Press Conference at Iolani Palace

March 28, 2011

A press conference was held today on the grounds of Iolani Palace, Honolulu, Hawaii. Retired Major General Robert Lee provided an update on the Congressional Gold Medal Award events planned for both Washington DC and Hawaii.  The press conference officially kicks off a fund-raising campaign for a gold medal celebration to be held at the Hawaii Convention Center on December 17, 2011. The event will include a parade through Waikiki, luncheon at the convention center, a video showing of the DC ceremony, and presentation of CGM replicas to all attending veterans.

A number of veterans attended today’s press conference. March 28th is a special date. 68 years ago, over 10,000 people gathered at Iolani Palace to bid farewell to the men of the 442, as they began their journey into history.

For more information about the upcoming CGM events, contact the 100th and 442nd veteran organizations.

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Congressional Gold Medal Award Update

February 28, 2011

Christine Sato-Yamazaki, Chairperson of the National Veterans Network writes:

Here is the latest on the Congressional Gold Medal planning:
Speaker meeting: We finally secured a meeting with Speaker Boehner’s staff on March 22nd. We will be meeting with the Speaker’s Director of Scheduling and Special Events to begin discussion on the ceremony date, venue and attendee requirements. Since the U.S. Mint will not complete the minting of the Congressional Gold Medal until September (if all goes well), we are planning to push for an October ceremony date. We will also advocate for a large venue that accommodates 1,000 people, in the hopes that the Speaker will allow all registered living veterans, widows, next of kin of KIA and next of kin of deceased veterans to attend the awards ceremony. We do not anticipate having all the answers at this meeting, but we do expect discussions to begin on this very important subject.

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*** 2010 Honor Roll ***

In Memoriam

The following tribute is in memory the veterans of the 100th/442nd RCT who have left us in 2010. It is with honor and gratitude that we dedicate our ongoing efforts to promote their legacy and all they stood for.

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Ted’s Corner *** The Nisei Soldiers of World War II

The latest from Ted’s Corner… Here is the speech that Ted gave at the recent MIS Shinnenkai Installation Luncheon, held on January 29, 2011 at Natsunoya Tea Garden.

I join with everyone in celebrating Congress’s recent law S.B. 1055 which awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the veterans who served with the 100th, 442nd and MIS.  But there were other Nisei units and soldiers who also served in the War. So speaking as a veteran I feel that that law really intended, if it were possible to do so, to recognize and honor all Nisei veterans regardless of when and where they fought or what unit they served in.  After all, they were all Japanese-Americans, fighting the same war against the same enemies, and for a common cause, and also they all had to fight a second battle, the battle against distrust, racial discrimination and prejudice on the home front. It was their total collective service, loyalty, valor and sacrifice during the World War II that changed the course of social history of the United States and bettered the lives of all persons of Japanese ancestry who call America their home. So today, may I share with you a summary profile of the Nisei Soldiers of World War II and how they loyally served their country in a manner befitting the honor of a Congressional Gold Medal.

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Barney Fushimi Hajiro, 1916 – 2011

Barney Hajiro

Photo by Vince Matsudaira

Services for Barney Hajiro was held on February 12, 2011 at 4:00 p.m. at Hosoi Mortuary. Burial with full military honors provided by the Army Reserve’s 100th Battalion/442nd Infantry was on February 14  at 11:30 a.m. at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.  He passed away on January 21, 2011 at the age 94. He was a member of 442nd M Company and I Company and the recipient of the Medal of Honor. He was a retired Pearl Harbor Naval Base Security Guard.  He is survived by wife Esther Y., son Glenn F., brothers Tokuro Hajiro and Umeo Hashiro, sister Pearl Yoshikawa and a grandchild.

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Pearl Harbor Visitor Center ** New Exhibit Honors Nisei Veterans

Eileen Sakai reports on the “Face of the Enemy, Japanese Americans Struggle to Prove their Loyalty”  exhibit that is now on display at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.
Pearl Harbor Visitor Center

MIS veteran, James Tanabe and his wife Yoshie are outspoken advocates for the accurate public portrayal of Japanese Americans. They arranged for the Exhibit Committee to meet with National Park Service officials to work out an agreement and design a small exhibit for the Pearl Harbor Visitors Center, focusing on the impact to Hawaii’s citizens of Japanese ancestry immediately following the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

In addition to construction of the new visitor center, the USS Arizona Memorial became a World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, under a new federal program. The new visitor center, while still focusing on Japan’s December 7, 1941 attack on Hawaii, now tells a broader story about the entire war in the Pacific. Shari Tamashiro was the project leader for this exhibit, Face of the Enemy, Japanese Americans Struggle to Prove their Loyalty. On December 7th, more than one-third of Hawaii’s population was of Japanese ancestry. The attack immediately cast them under suspicion from friends, neighbors and their country.
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Go For Broke Bulletin Archives ***A Mike Memories Article (1992)

From the Go For Broke Bulletin Archives (1992), Mike Memories’ Reporter, Yori  Inouye reminisces about M Co members. It starts with a beautiful and evocative poem by Pvt. Satoru Onodera.

“A Voice in the Night” – by Private Satoru Onodera
I heard a whispered voice last night,
Which floated through the battle’s might
The way of men below:
“Weren’t they meant to trust and love

Instead of thinking each as foe?”
To enjoy as Thou the gentle rains,
That wash Thy cheeks so clean:
Sweeps o’er field of waving grains
And makes the grasslands green.

Stars that light the travelers’ way,
Winds that cool the fevered brow-
The sun that brightens each new day,
The smell of heather – the song of plow. 

Do I speak of these in vain?
Must they live in greatest of sins?
Must they fight and curse the rain?
Knowing the while that no one wins?
Then midst the angry cannon’s roar
The voice for living spoke no more. 

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Inouye Visits 442 Clubhouse

On January 19th, Senator Inouye stopped by the 442nd Veteran’s Clubhouse in Honolulu to present to the veterans a copy of Senate Bill 1055, which awards the Congressional Gold Medal to the men of the 100th, 442nd, and MIS. A small reception was held in honor of the occasion, as veterans and family members showed up to greet the Senator.

The framed replica, along with one of the actual pens used in the signing of the bill, is on display at the 442 Clubhouse. Photos of the event compliments of Wayne Iha.

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TED’S CORNER *** Origins of the 442nd ***

Here is Ted Tsukiyama’s compelling story of the people and events that led to the formation of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team…

Several months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, a fearful and distrusting America barred its Japanese-American citizens from military service, altering their draft status from 1-A draft eligible to 4-C “enemy alien.” The story of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team must really begin with the Nisei’s fight to regain their right to fight for their country in its hour of peril. How did the 442nd get its start?

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Congressional Gold Medal Award Update

December 23, 2010

Christine Sato-Yamazaki, Chairperson of the National Veterans Network writes:

Dear Friends,

2010 was truly an exciting year for the 100th, 442nd and MIS who will receive the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal. We now look forward to a year of celebration in 2011. Here is the latest on the Congressional Gold Medal planning:

National Veterans Registry

Thanks to many of your efforts, NVN continues to receive a steady flow of registrant each week. Over the past month, our numbers have more than doubled. As of today, we now have 1,600 people who are interested in attending the celebration in Washington DC next year. The breakdown is as follows:

201 Veterans
61 Widows
13 Next of Kin of those deceased in line of duty
91 Next of Kin of deceased veterans
Total of 1600 that include family members of above categories

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Ron’s Canteen*** The Evolution of Post World War II Hawaii Through the 442nd Nikkei’s

Ron Oba is an active member of the 442nd Veterans Club in Honolulu. He has served as president of the organization. He is a veteran of the Second Battalion, F Company, 442nd RCT and spends much of his time promoting the 442. Here’s an article written by Ron, originally published in 1992.

The Evolution of Post World War II Hawaii Through the 442nd Nikkei’s

Whatever we do will have consequences. Conversely, whatever we don’t do will result in consequences – this is the meaning of “Karma”. “Karma” is not merely a cause and effect.

On December 7, 1941 we experienced the “Karma of Opportunity”. Our Nikkei (Japanese immigrants and their descendents) lives were not predestined to prejudice, injustice nor to a life of subordination purely on the basis of color or race. The Nikkei in Hawaii did not let faith take its predestined course. The young Americans of Japanese ancestry (AJA) took matters into their own hands to meticulously mold their fortunes and future by an indomitable will to succeed economically, intellectually and politically.

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Ted’s Corner *** Pearl Harbor Aftermath: From Tragedy To Triumph

Ted T. Tsukiyama resides in Honolulu and is an active member of the 442nd RCT Veterans Club. During World War II, he was a member of the Varsity Victory Volunteers, the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion of the 442nd RCT, and the Military Intelligence Service. Throughout the years, Ted has served as a wartime historian, often writing about his own experiences.

We’re happy to have Ted’s participation on our website. We have created “Ted’s Corner”, which will feature, from time to time, Ted’s past and current articles.

PEARL HARBOR AFTERMATH: FROM TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH

[This story is based on a speech by Ted T. Tsukiyama at a Pearl Harbor Day Retreat Ceremony on December 7, 1977 at Ft. DeRussey where the University of Hawaii ROTC corps honored as the only ROTC unit in the United States to be awarded a battle streamer in World War II]

UNIVERSITY ROTC

7:55 A.M, Sunday,  December 7, 1941, a day that will remain etched in my memory forever.

I couldn’t sleep late that fateful Sunday morning because of the constant rumbling of thunder that would not cease. Going outside I saw the sky black with smoke punctuated by puffs of white aerial bursts. “They’re sure making this maneuver look real!” I thought. Turning on the radio we heard the KGU announcer screaming, “Take cover! Get off the streets! We are being attacked by Japanese planes!  This is the real McCoy!  Take cover!” I felt as if a piece of shrapnel had pierced my very core.

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