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Home , Hawaii Territorial Guard, Kazuo Sakamaki, Niihau incident, Pearl Harbor

State Department of Defense

pupukahipupukahi: “harmoniously united” 3949 Diamond Head Road, , Hawaii 96816-4495 Honoring our Veterans Scenes from the Governor’s Veterans Day ceremony at Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery in Kaneohe. Nov, 11, 2016

Governor David Ige and Major General Arthur “Joe” Logan lay a wreath during a ceremony to honor veterans.

1 • pupukahi • November 2016 • Website: www.dod.hawaii.gov • [email protected] Hawaii CERF-P puts skills to the test at Vigilant Guard 2017 154th Wing Public Affairs Story by Senior Airman Orlando Corpuz with California Air Guard counterparts formed the emergency medical response element. Some of the capabilities they brought to the table were search and rescue medical response, trauma treatment, and incident triage support.

“Det 1 is a new unit for the Hawaii Air National Guard,” said Lt. Col. James Faumuina, commander, Det 1 HQ 154 MDG. “It’s a very unique component in terms of our medical capabilities to support civilian authorities in domestic operations.”

While California and Nevada have National Guard CERF-P teams of their own, the severity of the simulated catastrophe required support from out of state. Hawaii CERF-P, being in the same FEMA region as California deployed as a result.

“Typically, a state will be impacted and the incident overwhelms the state and they need to bring in other resources,” Faumuina said. “The more the incident expands, the more capacity you need to Hawaii Army National Guard soldiers evacuate a simulated victim during a medical evacuation scenario at Exercise Vigilant Guard 2017, Delle Valle Regional Center, California, Nov. 17, 2016. Vigilant Guard is an exercise program sponsored by Northern Command add to it.” in conjunction with National Guard Bureau to provide State National Guards an opportunity to improve cooperation and relationships with their regional civilian, military, and federal partners in preparation for emergencies and catastrophic events. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Orlando Corpuz) Once an official request for assistance is made, Hawaii CERF-P can organize and A major earthquake struck California The exercises occur annually across deploy to the incident within a relatively and Nevada causing fatalities and the U.S. and is a showcase for Federal short amount of time. damage to major infrastructure. Fires Emergency Management Agency and disruption to basic services and [FEMA] regions. It brings together For this exercise, airlift of personnel and utilities compounded the severity of the civil support teams, National Guard equipment was accomplished through a situation. High amounts of casualties emergency response units, and local and combination of Guard C-17 Globemaster, were sustained as California and Nevada state emergency responders into regional KC-135 Stratotanker, and C-130 Emergency Medical Services were state play. Hercules aircraft. strained to the point of being overrun. As part of the exercise, more than CERF-P’s specially trained airmen It’s only a scenario, but it’s a scenario 175 Hawaii Air and Army National and soldiers are organized into six that disaster response agencies hope to Guardsmen deployed to California, Nov. units: Command and Control, Medical never have to respond to. Regardless, 14 to 20 to take part in the simulated Response, Decontamination, Search emergency officials want to be prepared. disaster relief efforts. and Extraction, Fatality Search and Recovery, and Joint Incident Site The fictional, yet not out of the realm of The task force was part of the Hawaii Communications Capability. possibility situation was what disaster National Guard’s Chemical, Biological, planners and responders had to contend Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive The idea is that the CERF-P with as part of Exercise Vigilant Guard Enhanced Response Force Package organization can deploy in parts or as a California/Nevada 2017 [VG17]. whole package for a tailored response to “The CERF-P is a team made up of 203 a given incident. Vigilant Guard is an exercise program Army and Air National Guardsmen who sponsored by the United States respond to disasters which exceed the “CERF-P is modular such that if request Northern Command [USNORTHCOM] capacity of local responders in the areas for assistance for only Search and Rescue in conjunction with the National Guard of search and rescue, mass casualty capability, then we would respond in Bureau [NGB]. It aims to provide state decon, medical triage, fatality search kind.” Flynn said. national guards with a valuable training and recovery, and communications.” said opportunity to improve cooperation Hawaii CERF-P commander, Army Maj. Hawaii National Guard soldiers and and relationships with their regional William Flynn. airmen teamed up for search and civilian, military, and federal partners in preparation for emergencies and The HIANG’s Detachment 1 Continued - page3 catastrophic events. Headquarters 154th Medical together

2 • pupukahi • November 2016 • Website: www.dod.hawaii.gov • [email protected] CERF-P Cont. extraction exercises. Events requiring decontamination were handled by Army Guard personnel while Air Guard crews took care of Medical, Fatality Search and Rescue, and Communications.

“Joint Incident Site Communication Capability [JISCC] provides voice, data, video and radio accessibility between local, state and federal agencies,” said Chief Master Sgt. Nolen Kanekuni who heads the JISCC team. “The system is so flexible that a county sheriff on a cell phone can call up a military commander who is using a common military radio.” Congratulations General Brett Wyrick

Exercise scenarios were After a long and varied career which included 154th Wing Medical Officer, Surgeon General for designed to press agencies the Air National Guard and National Guard, Brett Wyrick was promoted to Brigadier General to their maximum as the November 4, during a ceremony held at Washington Place. California training sites provided a wide variety of training props and facilities, and offered the opportunity for a comprehensive 75 Years Later examination of an emergency A formation of F-22 Raptors agency’s abilities. from the 199th and 19th Fighter squadrons perform “It’s one of the best a flyover above the 75th opportunities to get out and Commemoration of the get to know our other state Dec. 7, 1941 attack Joint partners,” said Faumuina. Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, “When you look at an Hawaii. The attacks on incident, it’s not always going seven bases throughout to be a state or local event. It precipitated America’s could be a regional event.” entry into World War II.

The annual commemoration According to Flynn, VG17 ceremony is designed to foster also provided value outside reflection, remembrance, of the obvious gains from and understanding for those training. affected by the events that changed world history. (U.S. “We use these national level Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. events in order to hone our Nathan Allen) skills with other teams from FEMA Region nine and across See pages 4-7 to read the country. The exercise also about how Hawaii gives the community feeling National Guardsmen of security knowing that the responded to the attacks. National Guard will be there in times of disaster.” Flynn said.

3 • pupukahi • November 2016 • Website: www.dod.hawaii.gov • [email protected] Japanese Hawaii Guard officer leads incident inspection team

By Retired Master Sgt. Stephen M. Lum of birth. After earning his degree in old beekeeper, Ishimatsu Shintani, is 1936, he moves to for a teaching summoned to translate. Shintani, a 41- Pre-World War II Hawaii position at Waimea High School, where year Hawaii resident, who had child born Before the United States is “drawn” into he meets and marries a fellow teacher. in the island and therefore were American World War II, Maui-born, American of On Sept. 3, 1939 he becomes Kauai’s citizens, wanted not part of questionable Japanese Ancestry “Jack” Hifuo Mizuha Huleia School principal and six days situation. Another Niihau AJA resident, prepares for a life time of community later is place on active duty as the U.S. Yoshio Harada, a bookkeeper, is then service. His parents were among the prepares for an anticipated involvement brought translate for Nishikaichi and earliest Japanese immigrants from in the war raging in Europe and the is intimidated by the pilot who tells the Hiroshima Prefecture to come to Hawaii Asian-Pacific theatres. He is one of the Haradas about the attack on Oahu and a when it was still a kingdom and he was original 40 AJA members of the Hawaii rescue submarine was on its way. Harada born Nov. 5, 1913, when Hawaii was Guard to be mobilized on Oct. 15, 1940. and his wife Irene are swayed into helping a U.S. Territory. Mizuha attends the Militarily the first lieutenant is assigned the stranded pilot. The Haradas fearing University of Hawaii where he earns to Company M, 299th Infantry, at Burns for their safety, not only translate for undergraduate degrees in business Field, Hanapepe, Kauai, becoming unit Nishikaichi, but align themselves with and economics in 1934. While at the commander in August 1941. the invader. The lightly secured Zero university, he joins the Reserve Officer pilot and Harada secure weapons and Training Corps which pays for his capsulized threaten to kill island residents if they schooling and he is awarded an officers Following the , don’t help them. The week long standoff commission after successfully completing fighter pilot come to a head when Nishikaichi shoots the program. He joins the Hawaii Petty Officer 1st Class Shigenori Benehakaka “Benny” Kanahele three time National Guard’s 299th Infantry shortly Nishikaichi crash lands his disabled A6M3 and despite his wounds, Kanehele kills after graduation. Zero on what he thinks is an uninhabited the pilot by lifting him up and knocking island (isolated island Niihau off Kauai) on his head against a wall. As Kanahele’s Jack continues his studies at the Dec. 7, 1941, the day of the Pearl Harbor wife, Ella, hit Nishikaichi repeatedly with university working on a master’s in attack. a rock, Benny sliced the pilot’s throat. education. To earn money to pay for his Shortly thereafter, a scared Harada schooling, he works as a Honolulu Police The island’s 100 plus civilian population, commits . Department reporter/police patrolman which had no telephones or radios, had not clerk, where he also learns shorthand. heard of the attack events on Oahu. The Several days’ later, Hanohano and He meet a young police officer named first to see the Japanese pilot is Hawila other locals, who escaped on a lifeboat James A. Burns, who becomes Hawaii’s “Howard” Hanohano as the Zero crashes earlier, arrive on Kauai and inform second Hawaii State governor. Dual- in front of his home. Hanohano pulls the the authorities. The events would lend citizen Mizuha, divests himself of his groggy Nishikaichi clear of the plane, “credence” those who preached not Japanese citizenship Mar. 28, 1936 removing his sidearm and official looking trusting AJAs and talk of internment. in formal expatriation proceedings, papers. Hanohano feeds the pilot breakfast severing ties with his father’s country at his home, while a Japan-born 60-year Military deploys investigation team

4 • pupukahi • November 2016 • Website: www.dod.hawaii.gov • [email protected] Later that week, eager to prove his 100th Infantry Battalion goes to war to the parents of Nisei soldiers.” He loyalty, 1st Lt. Mizuha volunteers to lead While the federalized AJAs Soldiers, wrote letters for fellow Soldiers letting 13 enlisted Soldiers from the Hawaii originally scheduled to discharge are those at home, like politicians, public Guard’s Hanapepe unit to the island of moved and form the nucleus of the newly officials and employers know, that the Niihau to capture the pilot, rescue the created Hawaiian Provisional Infantry returning Soldiers would need jobs and local population and investigate what Battalion, AJA Hawaii Territorial Guard assistance adjusting to life with various happened. Soldiers were dismissed Jan. 19 (many mental and physical disabilities. Much were University ROTC cadets were now like today’s Employer Support of the Among the volunteers is Kauai AJA 4C, enemy aliens status). Guard and Reserve, and the Veterans Pfc. Ben Kobayashi, whose family also Administration work for the veterans. migrated from Hiroshima. Kobayashi, In June 1942, the provisional battalion who joined the Hawaii Guard Nov. 10, boards the U.S. Transport Maui, bound Mizuha’s post military career 1940, was to serve as Mizuha’s driver/ for the mainland and eventually Camp Mizuha returns to Hawaii after he had translator. The “old,” over 30 Soldier, McCoy, Wis. While in transit the unit been medically discharged and returns didn’t know that a former co-worker was was activated as the 100th Infantry to his educational career with an the local (Harada) who helped the Zero Bn. (Separate). After more training appointment as principal of Hanamaulu pilot. the battalion goes on to Salerno, Italy, School on Kauai. His wartime injuries in the European theatre of operations did not slow down his continued fight to Mizuha, who was the Burns Air Field and breaks racial barriers for its inform communities, Rotary clubs and (Hanapepe, Kauai) unit commander newly created bigger brother the 442th other organizations about the need to up until Dec. 7, 1941, was demoted Regimental Combat Team. The 100th assist returning veterans readjustment to executive officer in response to Bn. later becomes the 442nd RCT’s to everyday life back home in the islands. white officer’s concerns of the loyalty first infantry battalion, but retained After the war ends, he used the G.I. Bill of Japanese American Soldiers of the the 100th name (2nd and 3rd Infantry to attend the University of Michigan Hawaii Guard. After landing on Niihau, Battalions follow the normal protocol of Law School and returned to Kauai and Mizuha leads the detachment across names). passed the Hawaii Bar exam. Mizuha the island. Survivors are questioned as become one of the few 100th Bn., 442nd Mizuha uses his police-reporter learned Maui-born 1st Sgt. Takashi Kitaoka, Co. RCT veterans to join the Republican shorthand to take comprehensive notes. B, 100th Bn., said that upon landing in Party. In 1948, he runs for and is elected The dead bodies of the Nishikaichi Salerno, Italy, in September 1943, he to Kauai’s Board of Supervisors (prelude and Harada are found and buried. The and Mizuha were huddled together as to County Council) and later a Territory confiscated Japanese pilot’s papers and projectiles were landing nearby, “We’re constitutional convention delegate. detainees Shintani and Irene Harada sitting here being shelled, let’s move He also serves an appointment as a are brought for further review on Kauai. over there and get away from this place.” University of Hawaii regent in the 1950s. Niihau’s Irene Harada is incarcerated ‘And Mizuha says, Kit, don’t move. They In 1958, he serves as Hawaii’s attorney until June 1944 and Ishimatsu Shintani already shelled here. They are not going general, following year he is appointed is eventually sent to an internment camp to shell here again [if they don’t see as an Oahu circuit court justice. In on the mainland. Mizuha is transferred anybody].’ He was a very smart guy.” 1961, Republican Gov. William F. Quinn to Schofield Barracks, where he is Kitaoka, who went on to become a Maui appoints Mizuha to the state Supreme promoted to captain. In 1945, Kanahele Circuit Court Judge, recently died Aug. Court as an associate justice. In one of receives a Purple Heart and Medal 9, 2016, at the age of 104. his first duties, Mizuha gets to swear of Merit from U.S. government. The On Sept. 29, shortly after arriving in in his battle buddy Takashi Kitaoka remnants of the Japanese Zero today Salerno, Mizuha volunteers to lead as a Maui Circuit Court justice. After is on display at the Pacific Aviation a team to located where a German an eight year appointment, where he Museum on , Pearl Harbor, machine gun nest is holding up the championed individual rights, protecting Oahu. advance of the 100th Battalion. the Constitution, collective bargaining Kobayashi (Mizuha’s Kauai driver) and free public schools, Mizuha retired to Japanese American Soldiers, chimed in, “Mizuha was a good man; he his own private law practice. including Mizuha, removed from is always volunteering for stuff.” While Hawaii Guard units leading the troops against heavy gun Club 100 legacy Newly promoted Capt. Mizuha is assigned fire in Colli, Italy, he suffered a bullet Mizuha was an original member of the as Co. D, 299th Infantry. commander, wound that entered his back, narrowly 100th Battalion and a founding member and quickly earns the respect of his young missing his spine and lungs. He survives of Club 100, the 100th Infantry Battalion Soldiers. “I remember him very well,” the wound, but is hospitalized for nearly Veterans. Members had a set amount recalled veteran Goro Sumida in a 2012 a year, first to Africa, then to North of the paycheck during their activation interview “He came and raided our crap Carolina and finally Chicago. put into a fund to build a club house game and gave all the money to the Red where 100th Battalion members, their Cross.” More fallout for the AJA Soldiers Disabling injuries exempting him from families and friends could gather after after the Pearl Harbor attack included further military service do not stop the war for fellowship and community weapons being “turned-in” and demotions Mizuha from fighting for the correcting activism (fighting for veteran’s rights from guard missions to work details. On the injustices done to the AJA Soldiers. and benefits). As active as Jack was in May 28, 1942, Mizuha and all the other While convalescing he writes public fighting for the rights of others, he rarely AJAs were removed from the ranks of the letters defending the loyalty and frequented the club house or discussed 298th and 299th Infantry Regimenst, 798 rights of the AJAs. The President’s the war. He died in 1972 at age 72. men from the 298th and 608 men from the wife, Eleanor, invites him to the White 299th along with 28 officers. House where his ask the First Lady “to support measures to grant citizenship 5 • pupukahi • November 2016 • Website: www.dod.hawaii.gov • [email protected] Hawaii Guardsmen capture number one

By Retired Master Sgt. Stephen M. Lum when he saw something off the shores of Sakamaki spends most of his Bellows beach. The Waimanalo-raised incarceration at Camp McCoy, Wis. It was more than a year since the Hawaii Guardsman could not leave his post so he After the war he is released and began Guard was mobilized (Oct. 15, 1940), as radios his Co. G headquarters. Joe died working at Motor Corporation. German and Japanese military forces at age 82 in Hawaii in 1997. He was a He became president of its subsidiary in were invading Europe and the Asian- staff sergeant when he was deactivated. Brazil in 1967. He died in Japan in 1999 Pacific Theatres. The United States at the age of 81. was drawn into World War II with the The incident is investigated by a jeep- bombing of Pearl Harbor. load of Co. G Heavy Weapons Platoon The second sailor from the two-man sub Hawaii National Guard Soldiers from Co. Guardsmen led by Lt. Paul. G. “Playboy” was Japanese Petty Officer 2nd Class G, 298th Infantry Regiment were doing Plybon and Cpl. David M. Akui. Hawaii- Kiyoshi Inagaki. Inagaki’s mangled body their pre-invasion mission of guarding born native Hawaiian Akui sees an washes on the beach three days later the northeastern sector of Oahu on Dec. object off shore (which turns out to and Tsubota used his blanket to cover 7, 1941. be a Japanese midget sub) and then the body of the dead engineer. Inagaki, spots a body on the beach. He then whose death is attributed to injuries and “That morning we noticed smoke rising grabs a M1 Garand rifle from the jeep drowning, is taken away and buried. from Kaneohe Air Base,” said Cpl. and fires a warning shot between the Thomas Kiyoshi “Kewpie” Tsubota, legs of the body. The survivor regains Nisei Pvts. Seisho Okuma and Takuya American of Japanese Ancestry consciousness, opening his eyes to the “Roy” Terada, and Cpl. Tsubota, Guardsman. “A plane with a red barrel of Plybon’s M1911 45 caliber pistol are AJAs Guardsmen who were at ‘hinomaru’ beneath its wings (Japanese and Akui’s rifle. Plybon would die during the Bellows beach incident but not Zeros) flew over. We thought it was just the war in the South Pacific. mentioned in most published and online maneuvers until the machine gun firing reports. They go on to be part of the (our gunners returning fire) strafed near Japanese Imperial Navy Ensign 100Th Infantry Battalion that first Bellows Airfield. Then we knew it was Kazuo Sakamaki, survivor of a two- trains at Camp McCoy, Wis. for real.” man Haramaki 19 Midget Submarine, is captured by the Guardsmen and Okuma, like many second generation Guard Soldiers were dispatched to becomes the United States’ prisoner Japanese, is almost mistaken for an “nearby” Diamond Head’s Fort Ruger of war number one. Sakamaki says “enemy” Japanese National because his to secure ammunition, Bellows was not to Guardsmen in broken English, “I English was very poor. He survives the authorized to have large amounts of am cold.” Tsubota tried to question battles in the European Theatre, but ammunition. Sakamaki who refused to answer in died in 1953, at age 36. either English or Japanese. Tsubota Terada, who had witnessed the attack Private Quirino F. “Joe” Oligario becomes the first Nisei (second Japanese on Pearl Harbor the day, before is was as at his lookout in the hills of generation Hawaii-born) to engage in mentioned in a Hawaii Herald article Waimanalo in the pre-dawn hours the interrogation of a Japanese POW in and “The Anguish of Surrender - day after Pearl Harbor was attacked World War II. Japanese POWs of World War II”

6 • pupukahi • November 2016 • Website: www.dod.hawaii.gov • [email protected] by Ulrich A. Strauss, and became a Japanese linguist with the Military Intelligence Service. Tsubota’s Japanese language education is noted and he is “volunteered” to be a trained interpreter/translator with the MIS and is one of 14 AJAs to volunteers to serve with the Merrill’s 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional). At the time of this article he is still alive, wrote his account and it was published in the Hawaii Herald and is available on the 100th Bn. website.

Akui also went on to be a part of Gen. Frank Merrill’s Marauders, fighting in Burma (Myanmar). After the war, Akui continued his Hawaii Guard service until 1959, when he enlisted in the in Naval Reserve. He died in 1987 at age 67.

The damaged HA-19 brought to Pearl Harbor. The sub is shipped to the U.S. mainland for intensive study by naval intelligence and later used for War Bond rallies. It is presently at the National Museum of the , “the Nimitz Museum,” in Fredericksburg, Texas, hometown of Fleet Adm. Chester W. Nimitz.

7 • pupukahi • November 2016 • Website: www.dod.hawaii.gov • [email protected]