On Sunday, May 3, 2026, Turner Hall at the 100th Infantry Battalion Memorial Building (Clubhouse) was full of positive energy as students shared the results of their research in the 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans’ Legacy2Action (L2A) initiative.

Students were challenged to find a problem they were passionate about, study the success values of the 100th, then develop a creative solution to solve the problem. In addition to the American core values of the U.S. Army – duty, honor and country, the 100th soldiers were raised with Japanese success values of Giri – obligation, Gaman – perseverance, Ganbari – to give it all one’s got, Sekinin – responsibility, Chuugi – loyalty, Haji – to protect the family name, and Enryo – modesty. 

This is the 5th year of the 100th’s L2A initiative and everyone said “this year was the best!” We continue to collect feedback to improve the program. The students were like the 100th soldiers in that they made a decision to believe in themselves and took action to do what was right — simply because it was the right thing to do. When they saw people or animals suffer, felt racism or injustice, saw waste, or found someone who needed help, they took a stand to make a change.

In their reflections on the Nisei values, one could feel their passion and deep personal commitment to something larger than themselves. If they ran into obstacles, they never gave up, didn’t get discouraged and looked for creative alternatives. They held onto the vision of their goal and kept fighting until they achieved the mission. That kind of high-performance thinking — combining individual initiative with teamwork to make things happen — is leadership. We are proud that the legacy of our 100th patriarchs lives on through our L2A student participants.

Thank you to Central Pacific Bank for continued support so we could upgrade the projector and screen for our presentations. Thank you to Hawaiian Island Creations for their generous gift cards to award the individual projects. Class projects were awarded with a pizza party. 

The format of the L2A initiative is a two-minute overview then breakout into a science fair type set up when students interface with the audience to more fully explain their solution and collaborate on ideas to strengthen their proposals. 

We were thankful that Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) Superintendent Keith Hayashi took time on a Sunday afternoon to listen to the L2A student presentations. He was very impressed and said, “The students were amazing. Thank you for inviting me.” At the HIDOE workshop to pilot 100th/442nd lesson plan in four of Hawai‘i’s public schools held on May 6, he specifically mentioned listening to the L2A student presentations at the 100th Infantry Battalion Memorial Building and felt this would be a good thing for public school students to learn the history and values, and “to stand up for what is right and contribute to a more just society.”

There was a palpable “mana” or divine energy of the 100th soldiers with vibrant chatter around Turner Hall. The students displayed confidence, eloquence and passion as they explained their L2A projects. The buzz heard during the Q&A segment said it all. The enthusiasm from the students made its way into the minds and hearts of those in attendance. The spirit of the 100th soldiers seemed to have meandered its way into the present as these young students of the future lay their imprint in helping to improve the communities around them.

Here are highlights from the student presentations:

Thalia Grace Hoapili – HTA Food Pantry: Thalia from Hawaii Technology Academy (HTA) started a free Food Pantry for fellow students since their school does not have a cafeteria. Sometimes students forget their lunch, don’t have money to go out to buy lunch or some may have food insecurity. Thalia showed her sensitivity to not embarrass students. The value that drove her was giri (duty; obligation), and in her carefully thought out instructions, she noted, “Please only take what you need. If you need to eat, eat! But please leave food for other students.” What a thoughtful way of leaving instructions so as not to shame anyone, yet be able to leave the booth unmanned as the ones ‘policing’ the booth would be the people visiting the booth. “The way to make people trustworthy is to trust them.” (Ernest Hemingway). 

Shayna McElhannon – HTA Cross Campus Connections: As a senior, Shayna made it her sekinin (responsibility) to help her HTA school to develop cross-campus connections. It must be quite a challenge to help the 1,700 students of HTA whose four campuses stretch across the Hawaiian islands to feel “connected.” But, no task was too daunting for Shayna. She took it upon herself to meet with administration on HTA’s Kauaʻi and Maui campuses. She led student workshops to gather feedback and build connections. She plans to go to the Kona campus to implement her project. Shayna also hopes to leave a blueprint for future students at HTA to create similar projects while engaging meaningfully in Hawai‘i’s community and understanding the history/people/groups who helped make it such a rich environment. 

Maiya Birdsall – Crafting for a Cause: Maiya identified a problem that many dogs and cats were orphaned after the Kona storms. She felt the giri (obligation/duty) to help by creating toys for dogs and cats cared for by shelters. She reached out to Club 100 members, and within 24 hours we collected donations of old clothes, blankets and towels for her project. She asked the fellow members of her craft club and global studies club to join forces to make the toys. Upon meeting Maiya, we were amazed that a ninth grader successfully completed this monumental task. She matched her love for crafting with a way to help animals. 

HTA U.S. History Classes – Bringing Letters to Life: Club 100 recently donated 111 letters to the Hawai‘i State Archives written by the 100th soldiers to Lieutenant Colonel Farrant Turner when he returned to Hawai‘i from fighting in Europe. Hawai‘i State Archivist Adam Jansen had a video call with the HTA classes and asked for assistance to obtain photos, biographies, military records, etc. of the soldiers who wrote the letters. Two classes from HTA came forward to solve the dilemma. Through their effort the letters came to life with replicas of the letters more than 80 years old accompanied by personal data. It was amazing to be standing in front of their booth with replicas of the original letters addressed to Lt. Col. Farrant Turner, who was a leader well respected and loved by the men of the 100th. Many letters referred to him as “Pop”. We could actually feel the mana of the men who took the time to write him many letters of appreciation in perfect handwriting. Descendants of the 100th will forever be grateful to the many students who participated in this project – Maria Kimitch, Alisha Baricuatro, Sierra Chang, Kayj Roughton, and Daniel Paz did a great job in representing their classes. 

Olivia Goo, Sophia Chun, Gabe Wong – Supply drive for those in need, especially after the Kona low storms: These students represented their 7th grade class at ‘Iolani called “ My Life, My Island, My World” to explain their school community Supply Drive for those in need following the Kona Low Storms. The back to back storms caused flooding statewide with most devastating impact on the North Shore side of Oahu. It is always heartwarming to see such young people leading drives to help people who are suffering from natural disasters.

Sam Barcia and Mateo Fei-Diaz – Ala Wai Filter Project: Sam and Mateo represented their team’s goal to help alleviate an ongoing problem of pollution in the Ala Wai Canal. Their water pump filter together with the use of bio balls would help lessen the pollution in this canal. The last picture of a proposal to open the canal on two ends – Kapahulu end and Ala Wai Boat Harbor end – would be an ideal solution albeit a bit costly. With scientists like these young men, perhaps a solution is in the not too distant future. 

Ariana Ortiz – Ethnic Studies at My School: Ariana brought to light to the audience from Hawai‘i that diversity isn’t just about Asians and Hawaiians. In Hawai‘i, we don’t have a chance to interface with many African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos, South East Asians, Arabs, etc. She feels Ethnic Studies should be required. She notes, “I see ignorance and racism because of a lack of exposure.” An observer from California, Dr. Nolan Higa [son of Thomas Taro Higa (Co. A)], mentioned that he was impressed with the insight that such a young person, only a sophomore in high school, had about the topic of ethnicity and the need for ethnic studies both at the high school and college levels. Ariana feels that ethnic studies is needed because we live in a world of conflict with diverse ethnic groups. Imagine if, through education, people can be more understanding and receptive towards the thinking and beliefs of people from other cultures. Ariana was driven by the value of giri. She notes, “It is our duty to prepare the next generation to become worldly adept, prepared, and educated.”

Chloe Yang – Relieving Tax Burden: Chloe is not new to helping people in the lower-income community of the people in Hawai‘i. Both this year and last year, she helped to make it easier for these individuals to navigate their taxes. She is only a junior and is already a volunteer with VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance). Chloe says it is her giri (sense of duty) to give back to her local community by volunteering which gives her firsthand experience in the field of taxes. This is Financial Literacy education at its finest – learn by doing. 

Makana Herbert – Mālamai na Hānauna: Makana’s project calling for all to Care for the Land is a resounding call to help Hawai‘i salvage whatever is left of its biodiversity. Endemic species are rapidly decreasing due to the rise of invasives. Makana says that much more could be done about this situation if there was more outreach and local participation. Be a conservation hero! It is our giri (obligation) to protect our islands, haji (an embarrassment) to not protect our ecosystem, and we must gaman (endure) all the challenges as we protect the ʻāina through collective efforts. 

Max Gatchalian, Max Kawakami, and Justus Shitaoka – Reducing Food Waste: These three students attended ‘Iolani’s Legacy2Action kickoff meeting without any knowledge about the initiative. They were inspired by the story of the sacrifice given by the 100th Infantry Battalion soldiers and the feats that they accomplished during WWII to fight tyranny, prove their loyalty and for equality for the sake of people of color. The students chose to do a project of Reducing Food Waste. They feel it is their sekinin (responsibility) to their community and the world in protecting the planet. In addition to educating students to buy only what they can consume, they shared the idea of a GROW program to turn food waste into compost for the school’s garden and local farms. 

Madalyn Pendergast – Remembering Empathy: Madalyn points out that many countries in recent years look for victories in war without thinking of the consequences felt by the innocent civilians. The farther away from the battleground, the less empathy is felt by the people. It is impressive that Madalyn’s 100 year old great-grandfather, although not in the 100th, fought in WWII and helped her recently to put together the video for her project!

Mahli Uejio and Charlotte Upton – Intergenerational Programs: Mahli and Charlotte identified a problem where elderly people living in senior assisted living facilities don’t have enough social interaction, leading to loneliness. They experience depression, driven by feelings of being forgotten or boredom. They felt a passion of giri (obligation) and sekinin (responsibility) to make a positive difference. They plan to develop a program where high school students sign up to visit isolated elders. They feel that our elders took care of the student’s parents and the student, so it is now our turn to take care of them. Some say empathy is the secret weapon for students in a technical field to solve problems based on human needs. 

Todd Wu – Bringing Meat Home: Todd researched the concern of lack of meat production infrastructure in Hawai‘i. The meat we eat in the islands is almost all imported. Only 5.8% of the beef consumed in Hawai‘i is locally produced. He will work to identify a process where more meat can be produced locally. Todd and his team set up a booth in a local sustainability fair. They discussed the benefits and harms of meat production with curiosity, not as talking points. What his team realized was this: “They did not change a policy that day. They changed a conversation.” Imagine if more serious issues encountered by our politicians would take this route for resolution – a more peaceful world indeed! In his reflection, he states, sekinin resonates with him, as, “Responsibility is what you owe to the things you love. Further, the 100th didn’t just say they loved Hawai‘i. They took responsibility for its future, at tremendous personal cost, because love without action is just a sentiment.”

Star Qian and Natalie Chu – The Hidden Lifeline: Star and Natalie researched a topic which many shy away from discussing, but it is of critical importance to those who are trapped in it – sex trafficking. Victims are often isolated or controlled, and bathrooms may be one of the few private spaces available to them. They not only researched this topic but have a proposal to work proactively in helping victims through subtle restroom stall posters with resources that safely share information including hotline phone numbers which can be torn off on the bottom. Very innovative! They feel giri as a sense of duty to protect other females and will gambaru to do their very best. 

Sijin (Qingqing) Chen – Unexpected Cons of Floods: Qingqing addressed our most recent flood disaster which affected many on the North Shore, including her own family. She mentions that she and other students have had struggles with their education due to a lack of stable infrastructure which in turn led to displacement, disrupted routines and emotional stress. Short-term support is there, but with the problems encountered by these students and families, the assistance is needed on a long-term basis. Many people help immediately after a disaster, but that is often not enough. She wants to support legislation on infrastructure resilience, school emergency planning, and equitable resource distribution. As a displaced student, she lives by the Nisei value of gaman (perseverance), continue to show up and keep on going on. It is unfortunate for young people to experience so many challenging situations due to a natural disaster. 

Aletheia Uchida – Community Collage: Aletheia [great-granddaughter of Gary Uchida (HQ)] noticed a problem in her neighborhood of Kakaʻako, that there is a lack of communal space as the area is getting filled with high-rise condominiums. She knows this is a challenging problem but using the value of gaman (quiet endurance), she will continue to push toward her goal of establishing communal or shared public space. Her goal is to foster casual hangouts, chance encounters and to bring families together to help each other as community. Her desire is to be inclusive so the space will welcome people from all walks of life, including those that are houseless. She plans to work with a legislative representative to collect drawings from the community and create a collage.

With gratitude and best wishes! Much appreciation to all who participated as presenters, or those in the audience who basked in the pure light of young voices wanting to make a positive change for the future. Our 100th patriarchs thank everyone for remembering their sacrifice and applying their values in line with their Club motto, “For Continuing Service.”

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This article has been reprised from the May 2026 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans "Puka Puka Parade" article, written by Elsie Higa Yoshimura [daughter of Thomas Taro Higa (Co. A)] and Kathi Hayashi [daughter of Tokuichi Hayashi (Co. A)]. Back issues of the Puka Puka Parade can be viewed online, courtesy of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa eVols digitial repository — the most recent issues available to the public can be viewed here: https://hdl.handle.net/10524/86866. For more about the 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans Puka Puka Parade, please visit https://www.100thibv.org/post/puka-puka-parade-newsletter.