21ST ANNUAL JOINT MEMORIAL SERVICE

Honoring the U.S. Soldiers of World War II who served in the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Military Intelligence Service, and 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion

HONOLULU, HI – On Sunday, September 27, 2026, at 9:30 a.m., the 2026 Joint

Memorial Service, honoring the U.S. soldiers of World War II who served in the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT), Military Intelligence Service (MIS), and 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion, who died in World War II or have since passed away, will be held at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl. The service is free to attend and is open to the public.

▶︎ History of the Joint Memorial Service:

On September 29, 1946, the veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion — the first Japanese American segregated unit to fight in Europe — held a memorial service in Hawaiʻi to honor their comrades who had died during the war, for whom a formal memorial service could not be held under combat conditions. Through their postwar organization, Club 100, the veterans continued to organize and participate in an annual memorial service for their fallen comrades. The service is held each September on the Sunday closest to September 29, marking the date in 1943 when Sgt. Shigeo “Joe” Takata became the battalion’s first member killed in action. Eighty years later, we continue the memorial service tradition first established by the veterans.

Held as a joint memorial service since 2006, the service now honors all of the men who served in the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Military Intelligence Service, and the 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion who died during World War II or have since passed away. The four units were mainly comprised of American of Japanese ancestry (AJA) men who were Nisei, born to first generation Issei immigrant parents from Japan. Although only five feet, four inches and 125 pounds on average, they were giants in combat, with brains and hearts to win battles that others could not, spreading Aloha that is still remembered in the small towns they liberated from enemy oppression. The 100th and 442nd would become one of the most decorated units in U.S. military history.

The men saw the horror of their homeland being bombed in the December 7, 1941 surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Most had never left the islands at that point, but the 100th/442nd would see combat halfway around the world in Europe, and the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) would save countless lives in the Pacific by using their linguistic skills. The 1399th remained in Hawaiʻi playing a crucial role in strategic military construction projects.

▶︎ Handout on the 100th / 442nd / MIS / and 1399th:

▶︎ 2026 Joint Memorial Service Program Overview:

The program will include a presentation of the colors, floral tributes, musical offerings, and a rifle salute. The ceremony will also include a memorial address, testimonies from youth speakers, participation from the 111th Army Band, and volunteer student escorts and JROTC cadets.

Hawaiʻi-born Major General Jason Kamiya, U.S. Army (Ret.), son of 100th Infantry Battalion Charlie Company soldier Lawrence Masanobu Kamiya, will be our keynote speaker, delivering the memorial address on the theme of “legacy.” He recently spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the "I Am an American" traveling exhibit in San Francisco about the meaning of the term "legacy" and our role to take deliberate action to keep the values of the AJA soldiers in motion.

The 2026 Joint Memorial Service is organized by the 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans (Club 100) and presented by Club 100 in partnership with the Sons and Daughters of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the 442nd Veterans Club, the 442nd Legacy Center, and the Military Intelligence Service Veterans Hawaiʻi. These organizations are primarily composed of descendants and family members of the men who served in the units they represent. Together, they proudly work to preserve the identities, traditions, and legacy of the units they honor.

The public is warmly invited to join us in honoring the men of the 100th, 442nd, MIS, and 1399th, who gave so much in the fight against oppression and discrimination. Their courage and sacrifice helped demonstrate that loyal Americans come from every background and that all Americans deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, and equal rights. We welcome everyone to come together in remembrance and gratitude.