Kenji Kentaro
Born 1922, Honolulu, Hawaii. Drafted, November 1941
After the death of his parents, Kenji was sent back to Japan to live with relatives. Upon graduating high school, he returned to Hawaii and lived at the Okamura Dormitory while attending the University of Hawaii and working at a laundry in downtown Honolulu. Shortly after his return, he was drafted into the Hawaiian National Guard.
Like many young Nisei, Kenji was an avid baseball player and an active member of the Nippon baseball team. At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, he’d received minimal military training and had never fired a live round.
Born 1924, Honolulu, Hawaii. Volunteered, June 1943
The eldest of four children, Daniel grew up in a household that blended Japanese and American traditions. He attended Japanese school in the evenings after completing his “American” education at McKinley High School. His volunteer work as a Red Cross medical aide would be critically needed to help the wounded during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Daniel Inouye
Raiku 'Irish' Nakano
Born 1911, Honolulu, Hawaii. Drafted, June 1941
Raiku gained his nickname as a lightweight boxer. Being a strong swimmer, he was almost selected to participate in the 1940 Summer Olympics. When that fell through, he spent several months with his brother in San Francisco. Failing to find any suitable work, he returned to Hawaii where he quickly found himself drafted into the Army.
Born 1911, Honolulu, Hawaii. Volunteered, December 1940
Born 'Fukuo' Akinaka, in order to better assimilate into the local culture, he changed his name to “Isaac”.
After studying the Book of Mormon, he felt a great trembling through his body. To him, this was a sign that he had been called to God. One day, “a voice inside his head” told him to join the army. On December 9, 1940, he enlisted in the 298th Hawaii National Guard for one year.
His National Guard obligation would have officially ended on December 8, 1941.
Isaac Akinaka
Jesse Hirata
Born 1918, Honolulu, Hawaii. Drafted, November 1941
Born on a plantation, he attended McKinley High School and moved out on his own the moment he graduated. Getting a job at a laundry in downtown Honolulu, buying a new car, and spending his evenings on the beach playing his Ukulele, Jesse was determined to live life to its fullest.
Getting drafted into the Hawaiian National Guard became a huge hurdle to his plans.