Saturday, Sept. 24, from 8:00am to 1:00pm. RC of Honolulu, is looking for volunteers to help decorate 1,000 heroes’ Punchbowl graves with flowers There are also 100 Nisei Veterans graves being decorated in the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery at 45-349 Kamehameha Hwy. in Kaneohe. Help there is welcomed. Then on Sunday, Sept. 25, from 9:30 to 10:30 am, the public is invited to a joint memorial service in honor of our Nisei soldiers of World War II. Questions can be directed to Rick Tabor, Rotary Club of Honolulu; rtabor12@twc.com
On Saturday, look for the tables, under the tents, with buckets of flowers. Club 100 organizers will assign you to a section, hand you a map, bucket of flowers and off you go, into history, in search of 100th Battalion soldiers. Volunteers are advised to bring sunscreen, a hat, an empty container to fill vases. No worries, there will be plenty of folks available to help you, so just ask, if needed.
Punchbowl was once used as a lookout for Hawaiian warriors. Now, it is the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, the final resting place for those that have courageously served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Since its inception, the 100th Infantry Battalion Club 100 members have held an annual memorial service to remember and honor those who perished during World War II.
In the chaos of battle, it was impossible to hold final rites for those who were killed in action. In recent years, the descendants of all World War II Nisei units and the Nisei Veterans Legacy pay tribute to those KIA as well as to the survivors who have since passed away. The 2022 memorial event is sponsored by the Nisei Veterans Legacy; its mission is to preserve, perpetuate and share the legacy of these honorable Nisei soldiers. Prior to the memorial service, the public is invited to help decorate 1,000 heroes’ graves with flowers on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 8:00am to 1:00pm.
There are also 100 Nisei Veterans graves being decorated in the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery at 45-349 Kamehameha Hwy. in Kaneohe. Help there is welcomed.
Then on Sunday, Sept. 25, from 9:30 to 10:30 am, the public is invited to the Nisei Soldiers Memorial Service in honor of our Nisei soldiers of World War II, including the 100th Infantry Battalion (Purple Heart Battalion), the 442nd (Go For Broke) Regimental Combat Team, the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) and the 1399 Engineer Construction Battalion.
Special Note: 2022 is the 80th Anniversary of formation of the 100th Infantry Battalion (Separate). The memorial address will be delivered by author and educator Brendan Burns who is the grandson of the late Governor John A. Burns. Musical offerings will be provided by The Royal Hawaiian Band, Junior ROTC cadets and the Celtic Pipes and Drums of Hawaii. This year’s celebration will be a memorable one for all involved.
Why Sept. 25? The memorial service is held annually on the Sunday closest to Sept. 29 — the day in 1943 that Sgt. Shigeo “Joe” Takata of the 100th Infantry Battalion became the first Japanese American soldier killed in action in World War II. Sgt. Shigeo “Joe” Takata was hit by shrapnel and fought death long enough to point out the location of the enemy, action for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Sgt. Takata rests in eternal peace at Punchbowl.
On September 13 Rotary Club of Honolulu’s noon guest speakers will open with past Rotary president, Retired General David Bramlett; History of the 100th/442 in WWII. The meeting will wrap up with a Call to Action from Club 100 past president Harry Nakayama, who is also a Rotarian.
Questions can be directed to Rick Tabor, Rotary Club of Honolulu; rtabor12@twc.com