Episode 134: Tales from Punchbowl, Part VII

 

Army Brigadier General Francis Shigeo Takemoto was the first Japanese American general officer in the US military. He was promoted to brigadier general in the Hawaii National Guard by Hawaii Governor in January 1964. In February 1964 he was nominated by President Lyndon Johnson to be promoted to brigadier general in the US Army Reserves. That nomination was confirmed by the full US Senate two weeks later.

Brigadier General Takemoto passed away on May 26, 2002; he was 89 years old. His ashes were installed at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Columbarium Court 3, Row 300, niche 304.

Army Captain Allan Masaharu Ohata was a quiet achieve who went above and beyond the call of duty but did not like to ask others for help and almost never spoke of the war once he returned from Europe. Many of his closest friends who met him after the war had no idea he was a veteran until he passed away.

Captain Ohata passed away on October 17, 1977 after a battle with cancer; he was 59 years old. He was interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Section III, Grave 474.