The 100th Infantry Battalion Memorial Plaque, located at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) at the top of its Memorial Walk in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, reads:
"The Men of The 100th INFANTRY BATTALION AMERICANS OF JAPANESE ANCESTRY HEROES OF THEIR GENERATION 〜 1942-1945 〜 Out of their ordinary lives they met the crisis of the times. With courage and valor, they fought not only the enemy, they fought prejudice at home. 100th Infantry Battalion World War II Veterans."
At the 100th Infantry Battalion Memorial Plaque dedication held on November 29, 2005, Col. Gene Castagnetti USMC (Ret.), then-director of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl and Honorary Member of Club 100, delivered the welcoming speech. In this speech, he explained, “this memorial plaque, which is placed just forward of the 442nd plaque because the 100th Infantry Battalion was Separate and constituted before the 442nd, takes its place along with 61 other memorials which validate the service of our nation’s veterans.”
In this speech, Col. Castagnetti also commended Dr. Denis Teraoka (100th Inf Bn, Co. D), Club 100 (100th IBV) president at the time, and Mr. Stanley Akita (100th Inf Bn, Co. C), chairman of the monument project, for their efforts in carrying out this project. He also thanked Mr. Donald Jones, who designed and donated the stone boulder and bronze plaque.
Dr. Teraoka explains in the “Puka Puka Parade” newsletter (January 2005), that the plaque was made to “commemorate the achievements and sacrifices of the 100th Infantry Battalion in their fight for freedom. We want to honor our buddies who fought alongside us, and who died on the battlefields of Italy and France; that their sacrifices were not in vain and that we the living have not forgotten them.”
The 100th Infantry Battalion memorial plaque is located at the top of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific Punchbowl Memorial Walk, just before the entrance to the lookout, and the memorial is presently the only one along the walk that also has a vase for visitors to decorate flowers.
If you are planning to bring flowers to decorate at the memorial plaque, please note that the nearest water/trash bin location is at the entrance to the Memorial Walk. If you happen to notice dried flowers at the plaque, we appreciate your kokua in helping to discard of them. Parking can be found near the entrance to the Memorial Walk — as you head along Memorial Walk towards the lookout, the memorial plaque will be on the right side.
Please enjoy a leisure stroll along the walkway lined with memorial markers honoring the men and units that have served America and remember to stop by at the lookout to admire the incredible views of Honolulu, as you take a moment to honor these U.S. service members.
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