Mahalo to City and County of Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, for proclaiming October 13 – 19, 2024 as “Legacy of the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team Week.”
The proclamations signed by Mayor Blangiardi are dated October 13, 2024, and read as follows.
"WHEREAS, soldiers of the 100th Infantry Battalion, composed of Hawaiʻi citizens predominantly of Japanese ancestry, entered combat during World War II in September 1943, and in the summer of 1944 joined the 442nd Regimental Combat Team when it arrived in Italy; and
WHEREAS, in October 1944, soldiers of the combined Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat Team during the Rhineland-Vosges Campaign liberated the town of Bruyères, as well as the nearby villages of Laval-sur-Vologne, Belmont, and Biffontaine, France, from German occupation; and
WHEREAS, soldiers of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team then answered the order to rescue the men of the 1st Battalion, 141st (''Texas") Infantry Regiment, trapped behind enemy lines deep in the Vosges Mountains; and
WHEREAS, through heroism and tenacity, the soldiers of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team persevered through days of fierce, nonstop battle and successfully rescued over 200 men, thus marking the rescue of the "Lost Battalion" as one of the top U.S. Army battles in World War II; and
WHEREAS, in October 1961, Bruyères, France, and Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, officially ratified a
Sister-City relationship that continues to this day; and
WHEREAS, descendants of these soldiers continue to work with the citizens of these towns to remember the valor of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team through their historical, educational, and memorial programs; and
WHEREAS, October 2024 commemorates the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Bruyères, Laval-sur-Vologne, Belmont, and Biffontaine, and the rescue of the "Lost Battalion" by the 442nd Regimental Combat Team,
NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICK BLANGIARDI, Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, do hereby proclaim October 13-19, 2024, to be
LEGACY OF THE 100TH INFANTRY BATTALION AND
442ND REGIMENTAL COMBAT TEAM WEEK
to remember the legacy of the men of the 100th and the 442nd for their courage, patriotism, and sacrifice in World War II, and to offer my warmest aloha and gratitude to the people of Bruyères, Laval-sur-Vologne, Belmont, and Biffontaine, France, for their friendship and commitment to help preserve the stories and spread the legacy of these soldiers, and for maintaining 64 years of our Sister-City relationship."
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi proclaims October 13 – 19, 2024 as “Legacy of the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team Week.”
"WHEREAS, in September 1944, soldiers of the 45th Infantry Division liberated the town of Frémifontaine, France, from German occupation during the Rhineland-Vosges Campaign of World War II; and
WHEREAS, soldiers of the 36th Infantry Division's 442nd Regimental Combat Team, composed predominantly of Japanese Americans, liberated the nearby town of Bruyeres the following month; and
WHEREAS, many Veterans and their families began visiting the Vosges during the post-war years and were welcomed enthusiastically by the local townspeople, thus resulting in the development of close bonds of friendship between these Americans and French citizens; and
WHEREAS, during at least the past two decades, the town of Frémifontaine was visited regularly by the Veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and the townspeople embraced and treated them with the highest regard for their valor and sacrifice during their World War II combat in France; and
WHEREAS, these brave Veterans are very few in number and unlikely to be able to travel again to France for their annual anniversary visit to the towns of the Vosges that are so dear to their hearts; and
WHEREAS, it is now left to the descendants of these soldiers to carry on their work with the citizens ,of these towns to remember the valor of the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team through their historical, educational, and memorial programs; and
WHEREAS, many of the men of the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team were from the Hawaiian Islands,
NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICK BLANGIARDI, Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, do hereby proclaim October 13-19, 2024, to be
LEGACY OF THE 100TH INFANTRY BATTALION AND
442ND REGIMENTAL COMBAT TEAM WEEK
to remember the legacy of the men of the 100th and the 442nd for their courage, patriotism, and sacrifice in World War II, and to offer my warmest aloha and gratitude to the people of Frémifontaine, France, for their friendship and commitment to help preserve the stories and spread the legacy of these soldiers."
Our warmest aloha and mahalo to those in France who helped to honor the 100th/442nd during the October 2024 ceremonies and special events held to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberations.
During our Club 100 tour to battle sites in Italy and France in September 2024, we were able to embrace the opportunity to interact with the people of the towns we visited. It is wonderful to know that we share this love and admiration for the 100th and 442nd with the villagers residing in areas that the units liberated from the tyranny of Nazi rule. The people of Italy and France have done an excellent job of sharing the battle accomplishments and Aloha, and we greatly appreciate their support and friendship.
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