LIHUE — Jiro Yukimura and Norman Hashisaka, both veterans of the Military Intelligence Service, said they do not deserve the medals and accolades received from Jeffrey Pears, chaplain for Kauai Hospice, and Jim Jung, chaplain of the American Legion, Post
LIHUE — Jiro Yukimura and Norman Hashisaka, both veterans of the Military Intelligence Service, said they do not deserve the medals and accolades received from Jeffrey Pears, chaplain for Kauai Hospice, and Jim Jung, chaplain of the American Legion, Post 54.
“There are others who deserve these more than we do,” Hashisaka said. “What about the others? There are so many more worthy than us.”
Pears, a U.S. Marine, said the special certificate of appreciation and thank you and the accompanying pin is part of a national campaign hosted by Kauai Hospice.
“We present these to veterans who are in care facilities, hospitals, and retirement homes,” Pears said. “There are about eight veterans who reside at the care facility at the G.N. Wilcox Memorial Hospital. We plan to present them pins and certificates a little closer to Veterans Day.”
Hashisaka and Yukimura will be appearing Sunday at the main pavilion at Lydgate Park as Ambassadors of Peace, speaking about their experiences during the war and expressing their hope for world peace during the International Day of Peace event hosted by the Interfaith Roundtable of Kauai.
The event includes several activities and starts at 3 p.m.
“This is foolish,” Hashisaka said, referring to his tenure with the U.S. Army during World War II. “You get some of the best minds and youth and train them how to kill. Other nations do the same thing, and when they meet on the battlefield, we lose some of them. How foolish.”
