Jack Takemoto of Nebraska was among the thousands of people attending the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony Wednesday in Washington, D.C. “I represented my father, Wallace Takemoto,” he said. “Wallace was in the Hawai‘i National Guard at the time of the
Jack Takemoto of Nebraska was among the thousands of people attending the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
“I represented my father, Wallace Takemoto,” he said. “Wallace was in the Hawai‘i National Guard at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack and became part of the original 100th Battalion.”
Wallace’s brother Koichi was also with him for the duration of World War II.
“My dad was in HQ Company and Koichi was in B Company,” Jack said. “Both now rest at the Kaua‘i Veterans Cemetery in Hanapepe.”
Jack said his mother, Tsugime, was interned in the Amache Camp and her brother, Yuki, enlisted from the camps, eventually joining the 442 Regimental Combat Team as part of the 552 Artillery Unit which entered Dachau, Germany.
“This was a great honor for the 100th Btn, the 442 RCT and the MIS,” Jack said. “Many Hawaiian Japanese American were part of the Unit and many did not return.
“I looked for other Kaua‘i veterans and especially original 100th Btn members, but was unable to find them. I did, however, find some Hawai‘i veterans, some of whom had Kaua‘i connections.”
Jack said his father’s sister, Kimi Fujimoto, lives in Lihu‘e and he comes to visit family on Kaua‘i each year before Christmas.
“I plan to provide a replica of the medal to the Kaua‘i Veterans Museum in the name of my father and mother who were active in the Club 100,” Jack said.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
