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Quarterly 522nd FAB lunch meetings

Quarterly 522nd FAB Lunch Meetings
by Chapter President and S&D member Phyllis Hironaka

Photos of Ted Tsukiyama, Mits & Ellen Kunihiro; and of Biggie Nakakura & Harold Ueoka

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Boyan Higa and Joe Obayashi passed me the torch in 2015 – I got to watch them in action for about a year as Secretary. They schedule four meetings a year. Our next meeting is our Christmas party, complete with bingo, raffle, and Christmas carols.

About 20 people attend each meeting. The veteran attendees are usually:
Masayuki (“Boyan”) Higa (past Pres.) Masaru (“Biggie”) Nakakura, our Treasurer
Joe Obayashi (past Pres.) George (“Rocky”) Tanna
Ted Tsukiyama Mitsuru Kunihiro
Fred Hirayama Harold Ueoka
Roy Fujii Henry Urada
Flint Yonashiro

Several wives also attend: Nancy Higa, Jane Ueoka, Ellen Kunihiro; and widows Mildred (Mike) Hara, Chiyoko (Don) Shimazu, Laura (Katsugo) Miho, Nancy (Milton) Uchigakiuchi; Hilda (Stanley) Kaneshiro, and Sue (Melvin) Hamamoto. Several sons and daughters usually join in as well.

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Photo: The “522 Ladies” Mildred Hara, Hilda Thomas (Millie’s very close friend), Nancy Higa, Chiyo Shimazu

 

 

Addendum by 522nd daughter, Juanita Wright Allen:
At our August 2016 meeting, we had a guest speaker, Dr. Tamar Hoffman. Her family fled Germany before the war and settled in Israel, where she was born. She has been a physician in Honolulu for the past 27 years. Dr. Hoffman had one reason for asking to address our meeting — she wanted to meet 522nd veterans in person, to thank them for their part in the liberation of one of the Dachau sub-camps and the rescue of Jewish survivors who were marched from the camp by the retreating Germans. In particular, she had read Light One Candle, the 1995 book by Solly Ganor, one of the survivors, who had been rescued by Clarence Matsumura (photo below) of Hq. Battery, 522nd Field Artillery. Solly was well known among all the veterans at the meeting and after Dr. Hoffman’s brief talk they started to reminisce about the end of the war when they were literally chasing the German army across the countryside and by accident came upon the concentration camp and its survivors. It made for a very interesting meeting and was a reminder of how precious our veterans are and how fortunate we are to have them with us still.

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Update to the Battle to Restore Civil Rights for Veteran Noboru Kawamoto

Joint Statement by the State of Hawaii and Counsel for Plantiffs Noboru and Elaine Kawamoto

HONOLULU, HAWAII (September 6, 2016) – As a result of meetings and discussions between Plaintiffs’ counsel, Jeffrey S. Portnoy and John P. Duchemin, and Defendants’ counsel, Deputy Attorneys General, Andrew L. Salenger, Dana A. Barbata and Caron M. Inagaki, Plaintiffs Noboru Kawamoto and Elaine Kawamoto have been reunited in his nursing care home pending determination by the Court of the constitutionality of certain Hawaii state statutes and administrative rules applicable to community care foster family homes.

Plaintiff Noboru Kawamoto is 95, a World War II veteran and member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and his wife, Plaintiff Elaine Kawamoto, is 89. This temporary accommodation is limited to these Plaintiffs and the impact of the laws as applied to them only. Counsel expect to file motions seeking summary adjudication of this lawsuit by United States District Court Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi to resolve this case.

Please note that there will be no further comment to the press at this time. Thank you.

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Cades Schutte LLP

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11th Annual Joint Memorial Service, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016

Veterans, Sons & Daughters, Granddaughters and Grandsons and Family and Friends –

The 11th Annual Joint Memorial Service (JMS) which is open to the public was held on Sunday, September 25, 2016, at 10 am at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. The JMS is held to honor the Japanese American Soldiers who served in WWII, specifically, those in the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the Military Intelligence Service, and the 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion. Thirty-three thousand Japanese Americans served in the U.S. Armed Forces during WWII and 800 lost their lives fighting for this country, which had initially classified them as “enemy aliens.” The wartime service of the Nisei Veterans was instrumental in helping to shift the racial mood of the country toward Japanese Americans and lay the groundwork for the admission of Hawaii to the Union. Their exemplary service also opened the doors of social, economic and political opportunity for future generations.
Mr. Matt Matsunaga, son of the late Congressman and U.S. Senator, Spark Matsunaga, will be the keynote speaker at this event. The Royal Hawaiian Band will provide musical entertainment.

Thank you to All who joined Us on Sunday, September 25.

Download (PDF, 176KB)


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Photos from Memorial Day services, 2016

442nd RCT Veterans and Sons & Daughters of the 442nd RCT took part again this year in Memorial Day services to honor and remember those who sacrificed for our country.

 

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Photos of the 442nd RCT 73rd Anniversary Banquet held on April 10, 2016 (3 of 3)

These are candids and a mix of the shots at this year’s banquet.

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Photos from the 442nd RCT 73rd Anniversary Banquet held on April 10, 2016 (2 of 3)

These are group photos.

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Photos from the 442nd RCT 73rd Anniversary Banquet held on April 10, 2016 (1 of 3)

Thank you to all the photographers of the 442 S&D and friends.

This is the first of series of post with photographs – of a great banquet in honor of our fathers, uncles, grandfathers, heroes.

 

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International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 142 joins the 442 Sons & Daughters in support of HB600

ILWU Local 142 informed the 442nd Sons & Daughters on 4 April that they are adding their support for passing HB600, a Bill submitted to the Hawaii State Legislature 15 months ago.   This Bill will fix the current law that has the unintended, but real, effect of denying the right of a married/civil union couple to live together in the same Community Care Foster Family Home.  Couples that have their costs paid by taxpayers through the Medicaid program are not affected by the current wording of the law.  But couples who cannot qualify for taxpayer-funded Medicaid support are denied the right to live together, until they become so poor they need taxpayer support.  Fixing this injustice to our elderly Kupuna is the target of HB600.

442nd RCT veteran and ILWU pensioner Noboru and Elaine Kawamoto are the latest victims of this faulty law.  The problem was first encountered by a retired Hawaii State judge and his wife.  The Legislature corrected the law in 2009, but the fix was allowed to lapse.  HB600 should fix this problem once and for all.

For more details see

https://442sd.org/restore-elder-civil-rights-malama-pono-ke-kupuna/

 

 

More information on ILWU Local 142 can be seen at:

ILWU Local 142 An Injury to One is an Injury To All

https://www.ilwulocal142.org/blog/index.php

 

The ILWU Story in Hawaii

https://www.ilwu19.com/history/the_ilwu_story/organization_in_hawaii.htm

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Letter from the Sons & Daughters to our Senators and Representatives

On 14 March 2016, we the Sons &  Daughters hand delivered a letter to all the Hawaii State Senators and Representatives.  The letter requested their support for passage of HB600 so that our 100/442nd RCT veteran Noboru Kawamoto can be reunited with his wife Elaine.  One of these letters is presented on this page so you can read what we pleaded with our Legislators to make happen.

Download (PDF, 292KB)

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Sons & Daughters join the battle to restore the civil rights of Noboru & Elaine Kawamoto so they can be reunited

Please see this page for information.

 

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Representative Tulsi Gabbard meets 100/442nd RCT veteran Noboru Kawamoto.

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FAQs about Noboru & Elaine Kawamoto Petition Drive – Passage of HB600

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2015 442 S&D’s Family Christmas Party

A good time was had at the Family Christmas Party held in December by over a hundred 442 Sons & Daughters, members and their families and friends, including several of our cherished 442 veterans. Thank you to Ann Kabasawa for the planning and organizing, her gang of volunteers for setup, cleanup, donations, entertainment, and Santa and helpers. And thank you Sons and Daughters and S&D members and your families for making it a fun event!

Hope you enjoy the selection of photos below taken by Clyde and by Pat.

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522nd Field Artillery Battalion

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CAMP ‘US, FRANCE

Microcoft Word Doc

 

 

 

 

 

The Bruyeres, Vallons des Vosges Community of Communes

The Bruyeres Vallons des Vosges Office of tourisme

and the Peace and Freedom Trail Association- Go for Broke French Club

are delighted to present to you a new website dedicated to the Camp’US project:

Click here

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The National Order of the Legion of Honor

 

January 14, 15, 16, 2015 – Hawaii

France honors veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd RCT in three separate ceremonies held on the Big Island, Maui and Oahu. Some 57 veterans received the French Legion of Honor decree, the highest decoration bestowed by France, in recognition of those who risked their lives during World War II to liberate France.

Legion of Honor (2)

Click to view KITV news clip

Click to view West Hawaii newspaper article

Click to view Rafu Shimpo news article

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