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seven Japanese American Soldiers were promoted to officers in a solemn ceremony on Monday, eight years after they fought for the United States during World War II despite being labeled “enemy aliens.”
White garlands adorn framed photos of men displayed on Honolulu After the ceremony began, the rain stopped and their families watched from a tent to protect them from the wind and rain.
All seven are students at the university. hawaii They initially served in the Hawaii Territorial Guard when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, but shortly after the attack, the United States banned most Japanese Americans from serving and considered them enemy aliens.
The seven cadets instead worked in a civilian labor camp called the College Victory Volunteers, performing tasks such as digging trenches and breaking rock until early 1943 when U.S. leaders announced the creation of a segregated Japanese-American regiment. The seven men joined the unit, known as the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
The combat team, along with the 100th Battalion, which was composed primarily of Japanese Americans from Hawaii, became one of the most decorated units in U.S. history. Some soldiers fought for the Allies even as their relatives were interned in Japanese American internment camps because they were considered a public danger.
“It’s important for us to really give back and recognize our ancestors and these veterans that we stand on their shoulders,” said 1st Sgt. Nakoa Hoe was part of the 100th Battalion, 442nd Regiment, as the unit is now known in the Army Reserve. He noted that the once segregated unit now encompasses “multiple cultures.”
He added that the seven men “made huge sacrifices at a challenging time, when their loyalty to the country was questioned and even their family members were imprisoned”.
The seven men – Daniel Besui, Shinen Shinaka, Robert Murata, Grover Nagaji, Akio Nishikawa, Hiroshi Tomita and Howard Urabe – died in combat in Europe in 1944. All but Murata were killed in the battle to liberate Italy from Nazi Germany. Murata was killed by a shell in eastern France.
Murata’s nephew, Todd Murata, 65, grew up hearing about his uncle’s sacrifice. “It’s an honor to be associated with those people who volunteered, those people,” he said. “After all these years, people still remember them.”
Along with other relatives, he watched as the men were promoted to second lieutenant, a rank they would have earned had they completed the ROTC program.
Although Hawaii was not a state at the time, these cadets were all U.S. citizens because they were born in the area after Hawaii was annexed in 1898.
Monday’s remembrance ceremony came amid growing concerns that President Donald Trump’s administration is whitewashing American history ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations. The administration has been criticized for steps such as last week’s removal of a slavery exhibit at Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park.
last year, Pentagon It says an internet page honoring a black Medal of Honor recipient and Japanese-American service member was mistakenly removed. But amid the Trump administration’s pushback against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, it has staunchly defended its overall campaign to eliminate content that specifically targets the contributions of women and minorities.
Lt. Col. Jerrold Melander, a former professor of military science in the University of Hawaii’s ROTC program, said the tribute to the seven men was not about DEI but recognition of their merit and “their ultimate ability to give their lives for their country.”
Melander said he initiated the commissioning effort in 2023 during the administration of former President Joe Biden and approved the promotion last year during the Trump administration.
The university awarded these individuals posthumous degrees in 2012. Laura Lyons, interim vice provost for academic excellence at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, called their promotions particularly important.
“Everyone’s contributions and sacrifices to this country’s ideals of freedom and security should matter and should be recognized, no matter who they are,” Lyons said.