Aloha to all!
I am squeezing in this month’s column from the sunny island of Oahu while on vacation, in between trips to the beach, North Shore, and munching on spam musubi.
Throughout my travels in Hawaii, I have been surprised at the strong underlying presence of the 100th/442nd RCT. In the Honolulu airport there are a couple of large displays dedicated to the Legacy of the Nisei soldiers from WWII, the largest of which is in the Interisland Terminal next to the Hawaiian Airlines lounge. Then of course, the entire airport is named the Daniel K. Inouye Honolulu International Airport.
This is the same Danny Inouye who would visit Seattle and hang out with his fellow 442nd veterans at the NVC Memorial Hall as just one of the guys. The same Senator Inouye who came to Seattle to help us celebrate some of our major events, such as the Nisei KIA project, the inauguration of our remodeled Hall, and the CGM project.
While in Hawaii, I have seen Nisei veterans featured on TV and highlighted in local magazines here. At dinner parties we’ve attended, there always seems to be a family connection to the Nisei veterans Community. So, the Legacy of the Nisei veteran is well ingrained in the history of the Islands.
Back home in Seattle, I’d like to highlight the work of Ryan Seo, who is a high school student and eagle scout candidate. Ryan is the son of NVC member Stan Seo and Jenni Seo. Ryan approached the Foundation with a proposal to build a directory for the Memorial Wall as his eagle scout project.
Ryan developed an 18-page proposal covering all the details of this project, from design, construction, signage, and budgeting. Working closely with Foundation Board member Bev Kashino, the directory project moved into the installation phase last weekend. The structure has been installed and it looks to be a great addition to our memorial Wall. So, many thanks to the Seo Family, Bev Kashino, Mike Yaguchi (who provided the construction materials), and most of all to Ryan and his scouting friends who did the hard physical work.
And finally, the Foundation Board and Membership meetings for the month of August were held on a hybrid basis, both online and in person at the NVC Hall. While we experienced a few minor technical difficulties, it worked quite well. However due to the recent surge in COVID cases and the upcoming restrictions being implemented by the State, unfortunately we will transition back to the virtual Zoom format of our upcoming meetings on September 24th. We hope to see you there.
Thanks for your support of the NVC and Foundation. I will see you back in Seattle and – now back to eating my loco moco.
Mahalo and Aloha!
