The bell nestled safely in the bell tower of the Memorial Tower tolled 69 times — once for each name that was recited — on Sunday at the Waimea Shingon Mission.
Rev. Tomo Hojo of the West Kauai Hongwanji Mission rubbed his arms following the final echo faded off the cliff walls in the hot Waimea air.
“I’m going to be sore,” Hojo said. “But this is nothing compared to the sacrifices made by the veterans.”
More than 100 guests from all parts of the island gathered in Waimea Valley to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II (which formally took place on Sept. 2, 1945), as well as commemorate the legacy of the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat.
The distinguished guests to the interfaith observance included West Kauai Club 100 president Ken Morikawa, University of Hawaii Professor Emeritus Dr. George Tanabe, Mayor Dereck S.K. Kawakami, and Rep. Dee Morikawa. Kawakami presented a proclamation paying reverence to the many sons and daughters of Kauai who were involved in World War II.
“Tell the stories,” Tanabe said during his keynote address where he relayed the story of Uncle Primo and the grandchildren. “That is how we know who these people are. They come out in the stories that are told.”
The 69 names are connected to the 100th Btn and the 442nd RCT, according to research done to identify the toba, or memorial shrines found in the chamber behind the wall containing kanji that translates to Memorial Tower.
Volunteers from the Waimea Shingon Mission — while working to restore the shrine, the adjoining 88 replica temples, and a giant concrete Buddha — discovered the toba that are nestled among five lotus sculptures housed in the chamber.
“September marks 80 years since the official end of the conflict in the Pacific, and it was 80 years ago that construction started on the original 88 temples that were replaced in 2008 for the 100-year anniversary of the Waimea Shingon Mission,” said Patrick Watase, a Waimea Shingon Mission member and volunteer.
Construction was started by Gold Star families who wished to continuously pray for their sons who died on the battlefields in Italy and France. Praying at the 88 temples was significant for members of the Shingon Mission whose founder, Kobodaishi, was born in Shikoku more than 1,200 years ago.
“Incidentally, Rev. Kohtoku and Michiko Hirao both experienced the Shikoku pilgrimage that takes about seven weeks to complete in an area that is about twice as big as the Big Island,” Watase said.
The discovery of the 40 toba in the Memorial Tower triggered research among the Shingon Mission members and descendants of the 100th Btn. This research led to not only the connection to the 100th Btn and 442nd RCT, but also discovered other Kauai sons that are buried in the National Cemetery of the Pacific, Diamond Head, and others. The total number of veterans come to 69 discovered sons.
“This morning’s services was long overdue and started with the translation of the 40 toba back in March of this year,” Watase said. “It has been a challenging journey in research and analysis. Research is still ongoing.”
Source: The Garden Island