NVMC In the News

Congressional Gold Medal Event

Mauians will have the opportunity to honor the Nisei Veterans of World War II who were recently awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor given by Congress. This award recognizes the bravery and patriotism of the men of the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team and MIS (Military Intelligence Service) serving in WWII.

A luncheon ceremony will be held at the Maui Tropical Plantation in Wailuku on February 25, 2012, at 11:30 a.m. Retired Major General Robert Lee, who was a Battalion Commander of the 100th Battalion 442nd Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army Reserve, will be the keynote speaker.

The unit’s color guard will fly over from Oahu to participate in the ceremony.

“We felt it important to hold this event on Maui, as only a small percentage of the estimated 80 remaining veterans living on Maui were able to attend the previous presentation ceremonies held in Washington D.C., and Honolulu” said Leonard Oka, event organizer. “Members of these units are all in their late 80s and 90s, making travel difficult for most. The Honolulu event, held in December, attracted over 3,000 veterans, family members, friends and well wishers, and we are anticipating strong community support honoring these veterans’ accomplishments.”

In particular, the event organizers are hoping that veterans and families of the MIS will step forward to be recognized. The members of the MIS, unlike the 100th or 442nd members, did not train together and were sent on assignments at all corners of the Pacific. Furthermore, until the passage of the Freedom of Information Act in1974, much of their work was strictly classified and unknown to the general public. One of the pleasant surprises at the Honolulu gathering was seeing how many MIS had attended.

Also being recognized are members of the 1399th Engineering Construction Battalion who will receive the World War II victory medal.

“Over the years, the organizers of this celebration have networked with veterans of the 100th and the 442nd, but there has been less organized contact with the MIS and 1399th veterans. We would like them to contact us so we can ensure their participation – and that of that of their widows and other loved ones – in the ceremony,” Oka said.

The final design of the Nisei Congressional Gold Medal was officially presented to veterans groups in Washington, D.C., on November 2, 2011. It features the insignias of the three units on one side and an image of six front-facing soldiers in formation inspired by a photo taken of the unit taken shortly after the battle of the “Lost Battalion” near Bruyeres, France.

The first recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal was George Washington. More recent recipients include the Tuskegee Airmen, the Navajo Code Talkers, President Ronald and Nancy Reagan and Mother Theresa.

Reservation for the luncheon can be made by mailing in the application form on the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center Website (nvmc.org) or calling the NVMC office from 8:00 a.m. – noon, Monday through Friday, at (808) 244-6862.

The deadline for reservations is February 15, 2012.