Ka‘ū News Briefs, Wednesday, September 2, 2020

World War II veteran Iwao Yonemitsu, of the famed 442nd Division that fought in Europe, remembers the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, which ended 75 years ago. Above, he and wife Alice attend the 2018 dedication of a new lectern they sponsored at Nāʻālehu School. It is made of koa and other local woods, by local artist Thomas King. See more below. Photo by Nalani Parlin

A KAʻŪ VET REMEMBERS THE END OF WORLD WAR II today on the 75th anniversary of the treaty signed between the United States and the Empire of Japan, Sept. 2, 1945.     Ninety-seven-year-old Iwao Yonemitsu, of Nāʻālehu, said this morning that it was a big relief for him and his friend, the late Tokuichi Nagano. "It was a relief because so many people died (75 to 85 million worldwide)."
    Yonemitsu noted that World War II also cost the United States "so much money." Both Yonemitsu and Nagano are considered members of The Greatest Generation.
     After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, Yonemitsu and Nagano, as Japanese Americans, signed up for the U.S. military to show their allegiance to this country, as many other Japanese across the country were taken from their homes and jobs to detainment camps in a climate of fear of potential loyalty to Japan.
     At Nāʻālehu Hongwanji, Shigeo Kikuchi, wife of Rev. Chikyoku Kikuchi, became responsible for the Buddhist temple when he was interred. In Volcano, Kīlauea Military Camp became an internment camp for Japanese Americans.

World War II vet Iwao Yonemitsu (center) with Minako Yamazaki (left),  of Tokyo and Pāhala, along with another attendee at Hongwanji Bon dance last year. Photo by Julia Neal

     Yonemitsu and Nagano told The Kaʻū Calendar during the years they volunteered for this newspaper, that there was no question during WWII that they were solid American citizens. They chose to fight for the U.S. in Europe as members of the esteemed "Go for Broke" 442nd Regimental Combat Team. It was comprised of American soldiers of Japanese ancestry, the most decorated unit during the conflict when the Allies defeated the Nazis who were taking over Europe. Others from Hawaiʻi included Daniel Inouye and Dan Akaka, who later became U.S. Senators, as well as the late father of Gov. David Ige, Tokio Ige.
     The governor said today, at ceremonies held at Pearl Harbor, that veterans of WWII turned their experience into living their lives at home every day in a way that protects Democracy. "That is vigilance. That is resilience. That is courage," said the governor.
     Yonemitsu said that after serving in Europe, he returned to the U.S. on a military ship from Marseilles, France to North Carolina. On his way back to Hawaiʻi, he spent time in New York City, Washington, DC, Chicago, Denver, and Oakland, traveling on the railroad. He returned to Hawaiʻi after sailing across the Pacific on the Matsonia.

Carrying out his civic duties, WWII vet Iwao Yonemitsu, now 97, comments  on the wastewater treatment plan for Nāʻālehu at a public meeting.   Photo by Julia Neal

     On this day, 75 years ago, Yonemitsu was back in Hawaiʻi. He resumed his work with the sugar company, where he became well known for his knowledge of crop production, land use, and management.
     Yonemitsu is also known for his documentation of Kaʻū's agricultural history and has made many presentations at schools and community events, including Kaʻū Plantation Days. Yonemitsu has served as President of Nāʻālehu Hongwanji and advisor to the Young Buddhist Association.
     Yonemitsu and his wife, Alice, live in Nāʻālehu. A retired school teacher, she has served as treasurer of Nāʻālehu Hongwanji and has also been an advisor to the Young Buddhist Association.
     The Yonemitsus continue to sponsor good works in the community, including the recent creation of a lectern for Nāʻālehu Elementary School made of koa and other local woods, made by artist Thomas King, of Honuʻapo. They also participate in community meetings for planning the future of Nāʻālehu and Kaʻū.
     Yonemitsu said he is writing his memoirs.

A former Hawaiʻi Attorney General and the Animal Wellness Action group are asking the federal government to bring felony charges against those who sell fighting  cocks. Photo from Animal Wellness Action

     The conclusion of Animal Welfare Action and Bronster is that with prices as much as $3,000 and few hens in the transactions, roosters sent to Guam are for cockfighting and for breeding fighting chickens.
     The group released a detailed report entitled Hawaiʻi: The Hub for Pacific Rim Cockfighting Trade. It includes names and photos of alleged fighting chicken breeders and their farms, including some on this island from Keaʻau to Pāhoa, Mountain View, Holualoa, and Kamuela.

These Live Birds containers are for fighting chicken sales, according to Animal Wellness Action. Photo from AWA

records detail approximately 750 shipments of birds by 71 individuals from more than a dozen states to Guam, where more than 130 individuals purchased the birds for fights in the U.S. territory. These shipping records revealed that Hawaiʻi had more shippers of fighting birds to Guam than any other state and sold, after Oklahoma and California, the third-largest volume of birds to this long-time hotbed of cockfighting."