Speakers to teach us and share....

	Kumu Nona Chaney, Aunty Lisa, Uncle Mokihana and Uncle Bobo - Hawaiian practice of growing, cleaning, and pounding the kalo or taro root.

	Mr. Ray Higa (former Aiea High School V.P. on the left), Kumu Luka (Hula teacher on the bottom left), Kumu Kaimikaua (Hula teacher below), Provide insights into the Aiea of the past- the land, people, practices and the supernatural

 

Mr. Oba - 442nd war veteran & history of Aiea (A citizens' prospective and author of Aiea community article in Hawaii Herald)

Mr. Ron Oba's Presentation Memories of Ole' Aiea Town Near the stadium, there was an area called Halawa Village where 10 families who used to take care of the pumping station. There was also a pumping station in Waimalu Valley but it is no longer there...just nice houses. The Nobunaga, Ishibashi and Nonaka families used to take care of it. The water from the pump was sent up to the heights. Right near Webling School, there was a reservoir. There were a lot of goldfish in it and we used to catch them and take them home to our aquariums. Most of the area was sugar cane fields. There used to be another reservoir in Aiea Heights called #5. Between the l6th and l7th hole at Pearl Country Club, there was a #8 reservoir where we used to go swimming. Along Pearl Harbor, there was railroad. Right near the stadium, there was a fish pond, pier and railroad station. The train went to Pearl City, Haleiwa, Nanakuli...all the way to Waimanalo. When you cross Kam Highway by 49ers Restaurant, you turn left instead of going into McGrew Point. The Navy is making a nice park there but in the old days, it used to be a fishing village. The freeway was not a straight street. It used to weave back and forth. During the war, the animal quarantine station used to be a temporary cemetery. 442nd Combat Team On July 2, 3 and 4, the 442nd team will have a convention. A new monument will be dedicated at Ft. DeRussy. I have written a book called Men of Company F and have donated issues to every public library. When the war started in 1941, I was a senior in high school. I was having breakfast and at first, I thought people were popping firecrackers. But as the noise got louder, I thought that the Navy and Army may be doing maneuvers (military practice). However, suddenly there was a loud noise and it shook my house. I ran to the shore. There were 8 battleships in Battleship Row. The enemy was dumping bombs as they came from the northern part of the island in two waves. I saw huge black smoke and flames. I thought there must be a big accident in Pearl Harbor. The fire from one battleship caused a chain reaction which set fire to another. When one of the planes flew really low past me, I saw the red insignia of the rising sun and realized that the planes were Japanese. There are 1,177 sailors still in the Arizona battleship. 33 set of brothers were killed and several father and son combinations were killed. 48 civilians were killed as the artillery shot from the battleship landed in McCully, Waikiki and Kalihi. It is recognized as a national cemetery and a memorial. Some of the sailors who survived are now in their 80's. Some of the survivors that died asked that their ashes be buried in the memorial with full military service. So now, there are more then 1,177 sailors buried in the Arizona Memorial. Aiea used to have a Japanese, Spanish, Filipino, Portuguese area. But we all got along together. But when the war started, the government rounded 1800 issei (first generation) who were teachers, ministers, etc. and sent them to Honouliuli before they were sent to the Mainland. The government was afraid of anyone who had to do with Japan. There were 10 internment camps on the Mainland. A family had one room in the barracks with a common bathroom. 120,000 were sent to these camps. Recently, President Bush apologized to those who went to the camps and survivors were given $20,000. These camps were surrounded with barbed wire and a guard tower with machine guns pointed in towards the internees. Soon after the war started, the Japanese boys were digging ditches and setting up barbed wire around the shore. But someone convinced the territorial governor and President Roosevelt to get the Japanese boys to join the Army. At Aiea Gym, Captain Burns, who later became one of the governors of Hawaii State, held a meeting and asked each one of the boys to sign up in order to show their loyalty. I felt I was an American and I didn't have to prove my loyalty. I therefore refused to volunteer. But when 10,000 boys gathered at Iolani Palace, I decided to volunteer . 3,900 boys volunteered from Hawaii, 1.500 from the Mainland. We were sent to the Mainland for basic training on the Lurline ship. The boys were trained at Camp Shelby where there were lots of snakes. After basic training, every soldier was given a patch. The first patch of the 442nd battalion had a yellow hand (Japanese belonging to the yellow race), dagger (samurai sword with blood on it), and a rising sun backdrop. It was recommended that a new patch be designed. It had the arm of the Statue of Liberty. After training, we were sent to Italy. We were sent to invade southern France. We were sent to Marseilles and up to Bruyeres and Le Fontaine. Many boys were killed as they fought in the Vos Mountains that were full of tall pine trees. So many boys were killed since when the artillery hit the branches, the shrapnel split into tiny pieces that hit and killed the soldiers. After fighting in the forest for 30 days, the 36th Division replaced the 442nd Battalion and it was surrounded by the Germans. The General of the 36th division told the 442nd boys to rescue the Lost Battalion. In the 4-5 day combat, 211 Texas soldiers of the 36th division out of 245 were rescued. However, 200 of the 442nd Battalion boys were killed and 800 were injured. "I" and "J" companies had the most casualties. Because of their efforts, the 442nd Combat Team were allowed to become honorary citizens of Texas. The team was asked to go back to Italy. They had to march up the hill where there was a German fortress. They climbed the hill during the night and hid during the day. 25 boys fell off in the process of climbing...but fortunately, none of them got killed. When they reached the top of the hill, they took the fortress in 38 minutes. Previously, there was no action for 5 l/2 months at this site. The combat team participated in 8 major battles. 9,488 received the Purple Heart Award which is given to anyone who was injured during battle which someone else witnessed. 18,000 citations were given for bravery. In Le Fontaine, there is a permanent monument to mark the Lost Battalion campaign. The combat team came back from Europe on the Liberty ship. They were invited to Washington D.C. before coming back home to Hawaii.

Mr. Norman Kawabata - Shares sugar mill history and information on the HARC facility. Claire Tamamoto - Community Member: has spearheaded the effort to save the Sugar Mill. Mr. Gary Okino - City and County Planner: provides insight on the process for development and city planning and improvement within a community.

Dr. Steven Sumida - Sumida Watercress Farm, facts on the farm as well as the lands history and previous uses. David Sumida - Sumida Farm Manager: shares watercress recipes and watercress production information.

SUMIDA WATERCRESS FARM Interview of Dr. Steven Sumida Sumida Watercress Farm is located amidst Kalaau Springs. Kalaau means "abundant clouds" in Hawaiian. In this area, there are lots of clouds that come from the Koolau Mountains. During November and December l794, the chief of Oahu, Kukiiahu ambushed his uncle, Kaeo, who was the chief of Kauai near the Aiea/Pearl City area. Kaeo tried to run away but Kukiiahu asked a soldier of fortune, Captain Brown to try to track Kaeo's escape. It was fairly easy to spot Kaeo who wore his bright yellow and red cape. Captain Brown shot his gun from his gunboat which was docked in Pearl Harbor to indicate where Kaeo was. This enabled Kukiiahu to track Kaeo down, capture and kill him. Many were killed in this battle. One woman from Kauai, who was thought to be dead, was thrown on a stack of corpses. An owl, pueo, (which is the symbol of Gus Webling School), flew down and fanned her face which allowed to revive her. The owl then led her to a cave in Halawa Valley where she hid. We are able to learn about this woman because her nephew wrote this story. During the past 100 years, the Sumida Watercress Farm property was utilized for many things. It originally was a taro farm. However, it was also a rice field with even a rice mill that was run by a water wheel that utilized the water from the Huawaii (water gourd) spring. Bananas were also planted at one time. There was even a tannery which needed a lot of water to process the leather. In l928, the Sumidas leased the land from Bishop Estate. The lease expires in 2005. 12 employees are employed to work the watercress farm. The youngest employee is 56 but they were hired for their dexterity, patience and skill. They are paid $7.00 an hour with full medical benefits. In the back of the property, the Lau family owns a taro farm.

Senator, David Ige - Political prospective on the use and changes to Aiea community.

City Councilman, Mufi Hanneman Political prospective on the use and changes to Aiea community.

proposed to have a community center and art museum along with the library. The city also wanted a elderly type of homes because the community ti getting older and someone needs to take care of them. Library, community center, elderly home, museum and a small portion will be used for industrial. The problem was that crazy sirt did not want the proposal. Because they said no, there is group in Aiea that is still trying to go along with the city proposal. However, crazy shirt is trying to subdivide the parcel and will sell them off. The council will not change it to commercial to protect the small business in Aiea. It is hoped that crazy shirt will work with the city and allow some of the city proposal. The city wanted the area to be park. Hopefully, no one will be willing to buy the parcel, crazy shirt may take on the proposal from the city so that they can fulfill the wish list. However, cracy shirt may want to sell the parcel that the city cannot afford. Preservation is with the State and federal government. It has to go on to the national historical register. As constituents of Mr. Hannaman, he is willing to be the first person to contact. Then dependiing of whether it is possible, it will be persued. Have gathering place in Aiea-amphitheater. Look at the mill site as a possible eco-tourism proposal.   culture and art land utilization

Seniors at Aiea Hongwanji Interviews with Senior Citizens that grew up and shaped the modern Aiea town	Interviews with Kenji Tokuno (left), Pauline Higuchi (right), Jane Asada (bottom left), Doris Shimizu (bottom right)

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