Thomas Sunao Kuwahara was born on May 22, 1923, in Wainaku, Hawaii. He was the son of Yasuta and Tsuma (Okazaki) Kuwahara. He was educated at Hilo Intermediate School, Hilo High School, Hawaii. Before entering the service, he was employed as a stevedore for McCabe, Hamilton & Renny, Honolulu, Oahu.
Private Kuwahara was inducted into the Army on March 25, 1943, at Schofield Barracks, Oahu (Serial number, 30105683 ). He trained at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. Following training, he was assigned to the 100th Infantry Battalion, Company A, and joined the unit in Anzio, Italy.
Private Kuwahara was killed in action on June 2, 1944, during the Rome-Arno Campaign. He was initially reported as Missing in Action but formally declared dead a year later on June 3, 1945. He is memorialized at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl), Honolulu, Hawaii and at the Tablet of the Missing in the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy.
Awards include:
★ Bronze Star ★ Purple Heart★ Combat Infantryman Badge★ Marksmanship Badge★ World War II Victory Medal★ American Campaign Medal★ Army Presidential Unit Citation★ Army Good Conduct Medal★ European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign
Sources:
https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/uploads/Kuwahara-Thomas-Sunao.pdf
https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/46747-kia-japanese-american-dog-tag/