Honoring the Heroes of the 100th Battalion Infantry

What:      Annual Grave Decorating Project at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific

Date:    Saturday, September, 28th 

Time:  8:00 a.m. - 11:00 .m. PST 

Where: National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Punchbowl 2177 Puowaina Drive
Honolulu, HI  96813

Please save this date and join The 100th Battalion Infantry Club 100 Members on; Saturday, September 28, 2019 from 8:00am-11:00am for the annual grave decorating project at The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific located at the historic Punchbowl Crater in Honolulu, Hawaii.

As most of you know, Punchbowl serves as a national memorial to honor our nation’s courageous men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces, including those who made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives while defending our nation’s freedom. The cost of freedom remembered. Punchbowl is one of only two National Memorial Cemeteries in the USA. The second is in Arlington, Virginia.

The 14th Annual Joint Memorial starts on Saturday September 28th with the decorating of our Island’s greatest generation’s one thousand 100th Battalion hero’s graves with flowers. On Sunday September 29th from 9:30am-10:30am there will be a joint memorial service in honor of our Nisei soldiers of World War II and other distinguished military. In addition to helping the The 100’s Infantry Club members lay flowers on Saturday September 28th, the public is encouraged to join the memorial service. Together we’ll honor the Nisei soldiers of World War II, including; the 100th Battalion (Purple Heart Battalion), the 442nd (Go For Broke Battalion), Regimental Combat Team, the Military Intelligence Service (MIS), the 1399 Engineer and Construction Battalion.

This National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific memorial ceremony is free to the public and is sponsored by the Nisei Veterans Legacy, whose mission is to preserve, perpetuate and share the legacy of these Nisei soldiers. The hope is to remember, learn and plan, so history does not repeat.

You might be wondering the significance of September 28th? It was on this date Sergeant Shigeo "Joe" Takata, while advancing on an enemy machine gun, was hit by shrapnel, but fought off death long enough to tell others of the location of the gun. Takata's was the first combat death for the 100th Battalion. His grave site is one of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Punchbowl graves being decorated on Saturday September 28th.

Everyone is welcome to lend a helping hand for this event. 

Entrance and parking is free on the grounds, except in the reserved parking spaces on Mall Drive. Please be mindful of the parking signage.