James M. Hamada: Abridged Family History
The Hamada Family in 1940 at the Mormon Tabernacle, Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii
front row: left to right: Allan, James, Patrick, Jr.
back row: left to right: Patrick K. Sr., Stella nee Akama Hamada
I was born on November 6, 1931, at the Waimea Hospital next to the Waimea High and Elementary School . My parents were Patrick Kenichi Hamada, Sr. and Sakae "Stella" nee Akama Hamada.
I am the oldest and I have two other brothers, Patrick K. Hamada, Jr. and Allan N. Hamada. Patrick, Jr. was killed in action on Old Baldy, North Korea in August 1951. He was 17 years old.
We lived in Kekaha until 1939 then moved to Honolulu. In September of 1942 my brothers and I moved to Waimea and lived with my Uncle Fred Hamada's family for one year. My uncle was a very strict, no nonsense person who had different ideas from my parents as to how children should behave. From the moment we woke up to bedtime we were under a series of constant "corrections." Everything from proper English to eating at the table could be a subject of detailed discussion.
World War II Days
Kauai Style Thanksgiving for the Troops:
Way back then Thanksgiving was not a week long vacation from school for students. Not only that but there was a major war going on. No time for slackers on the Homefront, USA.
My uncle gave us a day off from chores and homework, so we went to check out Waimea Beach. That November day would change forever Waimea's outlook on how serious the war situation was. We saw a Landing Ship Tank (LST) offloading men and equipment in a sense of great urgency. Nobody could accuse the Army of playing around on a very revered National holiday. Those guys had a war to deal with.
Anyhow the commanders probably thought it may be good for morale to let the soldiers have a few hours off. Everywhere you looked in Waimea, there were wall-to-wall G.I.s. My uncle invited more than a handful of soldiers to have Thanksgiving Dinner with us.
One should also remember that during the war, things including food was not very plentiful. The soldiers were very grateful for what we gave them. It was probably an improvement over what the mess sergeant had in store for them.
Our dinner was probably memorable for the soldiers also. It was different from the traditional Thanksgiving Dinner. Rice, fish and mochi were not what most mainland Americans envisioned for Thanksgiving.
The LST closed its gigantic doors and sailed away. Quite a few of the civilians on shore cried because the reality of it was that some of the G.I.s were shortly going into combat, and some would not be coming back. That was just one of the many of Waimea, Kauai's contributions to the war effort.
For me it was one memorable day. I have reflected on it constantly since that day. I have heard of, or seen U.S. Army soldiers being mistreated in Honolulu and elsewhere, but I cannot remember or heard of them being mistreated in Waimea. That is why our little town is called WAIMEA NO KA OI.
Does anyone recall the LST and that Thanksgiving Day in Waimea? Please email me: kimo951@sbcglobal.net
The G.I.s:
During World War II, there were a lot of US Army soldiers all over Kauai. Everywhere you looked or went to there was some kind of encampment.
Across the Waimea River just makai of the Russian Fort there was a machine gun bunker and a small house that the soldiers lived in.
My brother Patrick and I used to go there quiet frequently to see how the GIs were doing. They showed us how to disassemble and assemble the M1 rifle and machine gun.
Every now and then we used to eat lunch with them and in turn, my uncle would have them over for dinner. So it worked out quite well. I often wondered what happened to them.
One of those soldiers was addicted to golf and he would practice his swings on the beach. Can you imagine that infantryman carrying those golf bags all over the Pacific Combat Theater?
Family
History
Trying to piece
together a family history is one giant undertaking, especially when the
previous generation are all dead. My grandparents came from Toda Gun,
Miyagi Prefecture. Now for the fun part, we do not speak, read or write
Japanese. Our cousins in Japan speak English very poorly. And we have just
learned that the Akama family may have originally come from the Fukuoka
Prefecture. My late Uncle Paul Akama was the manager of Kauai Soda. His
brother was Takumi Akama, an early day ILWU organizer on the island of
Kauai. Have you ever heard of them? These are the stories that I want to
or have someone put in story form.
My mother ("Stella" Sakae Akama Hamada) was born in Huleia, Kauai, which is on the other side of Kipu. Now younger people on Kauai do not know where Huleia existed. Tourists from the mainland probably know more of that area because of the kayak trips up the Huleia River. I would be interested if any old timers who lived in the Huleia area knew the Akama family to please send me an email kimo951@sbcglobal.net
More earlier
recollections…
|
I went to the Waimea Christian Church pre-school way back then probably around 1936. I can't remember much about that pre-school. Thinking back on it now, I wonder how come I went to that school because we lived in Kekaha at the old Kekaha homesteads. The Hamada Brothers had a service station there at one time. It went out of business during the depression. That is why my parents went back to work for the Kekaha Plantation. As I recall the headmaster of the pre- school had very long, white hair. Probably a little less than shoulder length. Way back then people used to make jokes with long hair like that, such as "Are you a violinist?" Long hair then was usually associated with concert musicians. Was there a Nick Kamaka (Kamai?) that lived near the Waimea River. I think we may be related because my cousin Harry may have married into that family. I use to go to school with a Stanley Ito in Waimea. I think his mother use to work in the post office. We lived near the post office next to the barber shop...and I remember "Posto" the barber very well. My cousin
Ronnie used to work at the photo studio across the street. And he
had an unusual side job as a part time photographer's assistant at
Fujimura Studio. He used to prop up coffins so the family could
gather around to take group pictures with the deceased. I recall
the Fujimura family because the Fred Hamada family and the
Fujimura family were good friends. |
This page will always be under construction
