83rd Anniversary 442nd RCT Banquet

March 27, 2026 – Hale Ikena, Fort Shafter

Karl Okemura, President of 442nd Veterans Club/Legacy Center (2nd Hq Co)

Flags: US, Hawaii, 442nd, 100th, 522nd, MIS

Guidons in large stand:  442nd Hq Co, 442nd Service Co, 442nd Medics Det, AntiTank Co, Cannon Co, 232nd Eng Co, 206th AGF Band; 100th Bn Hq and Co A-D; 2nd Bn Hq and Co E-H; 3rd Bn Hq and Co I-M; 522nd FA Bn Hq, Service Bty, and Bty A-C; 171st Inf Bn (Sep)

Guidons to right of stand: 100th Inf Bn (Sep) Co E and F; MIS; 1399th Eng Bn Hq and Co A-C

Arrival of our only 442nd Veteran, Tadao Yoshimoto of E Company, age 104, with his granddaughter Kailey Miyasato, daughter Irene Lee & her husband Keith Lee

Thanks to Geralyn and Willard Holck for the lovely table decorations

Banquet Co-Host Stanford Miyamoto and Kehau Miyamoto (D Co)

Banquet Co-Host Wayne Kuwata (3rd Hq Co) directing the Guidon Procession; left:  Mark Oshiro (AT Co), Ken Inouye (E Co)

MIS Veteran Wilbert Toda and grandson Michael Austin

ROTC cadets from University of Hawaii served as our Color Guard

Table 3:  Jonathan Masaki (Hawaii News Now), Emcee; Rep. Gregg Takayama, 1399th EC Bn; Karl Okemura (2nd Hq); Katsunori Tsunoda, Japan Consulate; Mel Kaneshige, 442nd Veterans/Legacy Center (2nd Hq); Col. Jerrod Melander, UH, Historical Speaker.  Standing:  Capt. Russell Shimooka, USARPAC; Ken Inouye (E Co); Col. Art Tulak, America250 Commission; Col. Gil Mestler, guest

Table 5:  Geralyn Holck (Cannon Co); 442nd Widow Muriel Kashiwa (L Co); Terry & Ross Sasamura (L Co).  Standing:  Aaron Jay, Kristen Nemoto Jay (Cannon Co), Keynote Speaker; her parents Eric & Mary Ann Nemoto (Cannon Co); Willard Holck (Cannon Co)

Audio/Visual handled by Melanie Yamaguchi (M Co) and her husband Davis Pitner

Registration Table:  Alec Toshi, Melissa Morinishi, Carolyn Morinishi (L Co & MIS)

442nd Legacy Center:  Ken Inouye; Karl Okemura; Mel Kaneshige

Sales Table handled by Oshiro ‘ohana (AT Co):  Mark & Debbie in the center; on the left their daughter Katrina Kaneshiro, her husband Colin, granddaughter Kyla; on the right their son Landon Oshiro, his wife Gayle, grandson Jace

Scubie Hasegawa was in charge of the Guidon Procession

Russell Fukeda (I Co) in line awaiting start of Guidon Procession

Karen Kikukawa, MIS Club President

Daniel Den Betsui, 232nd Engineer Company:  Tribute to our newly commissioned 2nd Lieutenant

Tadao Yoshimoto (E Co Veteran) and Ann Kabasawa (100B Sep), our photographer

83rd Anniversary Cake:   Juanita Allen (522nd Hq Staff)

Table 6:  Wayne Kuwata (3rd Hq Co), Melanie Yamaguchi (M Co); Scubie Hasegawa; Davis Pitner; and Cal Nomiyama, Andy Tamori, & Alan Hayashi from Go For Broke Association

Table 1:  Melvina Allen (guest); Ken Akinaka & Delores Glover (100th Medics); Kathi Hayashi (Club 100 President, A Co); Eric Tsukamoto (100th Hq Co);  Karen Kikukawa, MIS President (3rd Hq Co & MIS); Kehau Miyamoto (D Co); Michael Austin (MIS); Wilbert Toda, MIS Veteran; Stanford Miyamoto (D Co)

Table 10:  Rodney Nakayama (L Co), Clyde & Annette Matsumoto (522nd Svc Bty); Gary Mobley (100Sep F Co).  Standing:  Chuck Totto & Paula Nakayama (3rd Hq Co); Alvin & Leona Abe (442nd Medics); Susan Mobley (100Sep F Co)

Table 4:  Jenny Nomura (AT Co); Curtis Noborikawa (K Co).  Standing:  from L Co & MIS –  Carolyn Morinishi, Alec Toshi, & Melissa Morinishi; Brent Noborikawa (AT Co), Lori Noborikawa (AT Co)

Table 7:  Laura Hirayama (522nd Hq Bty); Laurie Oue (522nd Svc Bty); Dean Tanna (522nd B Bty); Elsie Chun (522nd Hq Bty), Sydney Chun (522nd Hq Bty).  Standing:  Michelle & Guy Nishizawa (522nd B Bty); Sandy Tsukiyama (522 & MIS); Louise Ching (522nd Hq Bty)

Table 11:  H Co & MIS Tahara ‘ohana:  JC Carvalho, Guy Bello, Pearl Bello; representative from Fort Shafter.  Standing:  April Carvalho, Lynn Kim, Troy Tahara

Table 9:  K Co. ‘ohana Lisa Izutsu, Laura Giddings; James Giddings; Elan Giddings; guest Kimi Ogata.  Standing :  Medics ‘ohana:  Troy Jacobs, Mike & Pauline Schmalle, Lisa Schmalle-Jacobs

Soldiers Photo Table:  Handled by Laura Hirayama (522nd Hq Bty) and Jenny Nomura (AT Co)  Mahalo to our soldiers

Visitors from Maui Nisei Veterans Center:  Floyd Nagoshi (E Co) with daughter Nicole Galicinao and her children (left to right) Aison, Tide, and Cruz

Major Rawlin Sasamura with 442nd Hq Co guidon

Tadao Yoshimoto, E Co Veteran, is greeted by Robert Bevin, Army nurse from Tripler Hospital

Packing up the flags & guidons at the end:  Scubie Hasegawa, ROTC cadet Sereno, Wayne Kuwata (3rd Hq Co)

Mahalo nui loa to everyone who attended and helped to make our 83rd Anniversary Banquet a success!