11/14/2018
H.R. 5706 would allow for a functional re-designation of two significant sites in Hawaii: Pearl Harbor and the Honouliuli Internment Camp, providing both of these sites with enabling legislation that recognizes their significant roles in history. The boundaries and management of these sites will not change.
Pearl Harbor is the only site in Hawaii currently incorporated in the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, which also includes several sites located in California and Alaska. Although the Valor Monument consists of multiple sites, National Park Service materials reference Pearl Harbor as the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument.
H.R. 5706 would separate Pearl Harbor from the Valor Monument and establish it as the “Pearl Harbor National Memorial.” Pearl Harbor is a physical representation of “the day that will live in infamy,” the strides made in U.S.-Japan relations, and U.S. entry into World War II. This historic site deserves a name to match its separate identity and significance from the rest of the Monument.
Along with the well-known USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor is host to the USS Missouri and the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park. Together, these sites attract over a million visitors to Hawaii and Pearl Harbor every year, serving as a significant contributor to Hawaii’s tourist-driven economy.
H.R. 5706 would also establish the Honouliuli National Monument as the Honouliuli National Historic Site. As some of you know, I am the granddaughter of two internees, one of whom was interned at Honouliuli, which I did not learn until very late in his life. In fact, many who grew up in Hawaii did not know about Honouiluli until it was designated, highlighting the need to quickly preserve the site and its history.
Although not as well-known as other confinement sites, Honouliuli is unique in that it provides an important historical perspective for martial law in the U.S., the treatment of prisoners of war, and the distinguished history of the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Infantry Regiment. In their evaluation of the site, the National Park Service said Honouliuli “appears to offer the greatest potential to preserve resources and interpret the history of the [World War II] internment.”
While Japanese-Americans on the mainland were interned indiscriminately, that would have been impossible in Hawaii’s predominantly Japanese-American workforce. Unlike the U.S. mainland, the military imposed martial law in Hawaii for the duration of World War II and came up with a process to identify those who were perceived to be a threat. These prisoners, mostly male, were separated from their families for years. Some were sent to the mainland – like my other grandfather, Honouliuli, or other sites in Hawaii.
Despite these circumstances, over 10,000 Japanese-American men from Hawaii signed up to serve this country in war. Over 2,000 men were accepted and served in what eventually became the 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team. This unit, which includes Hawaii’s late Senator Daniel Inouye, is the most decorated of World War II. Their story is one of incredible patriotism, courage, and service.
The collective stories of Honouliuli, and the context in which it was built and operated, are invaluable lessons about the decisions made in the name of war.
H.R. 5706 is supported by our local community, receiving endorsements from Pacific Historic Parks and the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii. In addition, this bill has been endorsed by the Go for Broke National Education Center and AMVETS.
H.R. 5706 will go a long way towards preserving what happened over 75 years ago at both Pearl Harbor and Honouliuli – the good and bad – for future generations and, I hope, will leave an impression of the sacrifices and courage of our greatest generation.
The House voted Tuesday to create a separate Pearl Harbor National Memorial in Hawaii to mark the attack on the U.S. naval base there by Japan on Dec. 7, 1941.
