Ka Hoku o Hawaii, Volume XL, Number 6, 30 May 1945 — News Of Big Isle Men In Service [ARTICLE]

News Of Big Isle Men In Service

Pfc. PhiHp C. Dingla»a ; son of 'implleio Dinglasa bf Laupahoeoe, is receiving attention t Barnes General hospitai, Vanouver, Wash, after bemg injurec! >y Japaneae mortar fire on Lūzori. le wears t*he £urpjie'.Heart and he Asiatic Pacific campaigii rib>on with battle stars for the iuadalcanal, New t Britain, and campaigns. iSnlisting in the army in March, -941, he received infantry basic .raining, at Schofield Barraclcs. :Yior to his induction, he was jmployed as locomotive engineer J y the Hana plantation on Maui. Pfc. George C. Scott of Honovahau, Hawaii, has recovered .'rom wounds received in action ast November in iGermany. He tias : . been releaaed from a U.S. ;onvalescent center in England Lo i-eturn to active dut!y with his intantry unit. Sgt. Robert K. -Kupukaa of Kohala led a patrol on Okinawa that re&ulted in the killing of four Japs and the capture of .a light maehine gun. He is, a members of the 27th division.

First sergeant Ernest Mun Sung Loq, son of Mr. and Mra. Loo Akau of 1440 I&noole St. Ext., Hilo, has been Commissioneci second lieutenant upon successful completion of the officer candictate course at the infantry school at Fort Benning, Ga. ,He was inducted into the army in October of 1940 and served with the 298th infantry. He i# a graduate of Hilo high schookand the University of Hawaii. Pvt. Raymond, Lee, serving with the Io9th infantry regiment, 28th infantry division in Germany, has been awarded the Combat Infantiyman's Badge for participating in the recent drivQ into the Rhineland. He is the brother of Clement Lee, employed by the Hawaii Telephone System. Sgt. William L. Roback, son of Mrs. Mealoh-a Roback of 60 Wainaku Ave., is one of a group of equad leaders in the lst "Powder River" division, recently cited for meritorious devotion to duty and respect for thcir obligation iii tlie service pf their country. Serving on the Fifth Army ; front in Italy, he is a, section leader in the sth sectīon, 3rd platoon, Cannon Co„ 3Gth infantry regiment. "For heroic achievement in October of 1944, Pfc, Kiyoshi Sekemoto of Hilo was. awarded the Bronze Star by General J-acob L. I)evers, commanding general of the 6th Army Group. S'tanding erect to exchange fire with ti\e enemy rifleman, Pvt. Sekemoto Was wounded in the hand aivd forced to cease firing, but by distractir»g the protective sniper fire, he enabled his comrades to encircle the enemy pos:tion, neutralize the emplacement and later kill the supporting srjper. Pfc. James T. Okamoto, son of Mrs. Daisy M. Nakano of Hilo has ueen. awarded., posthum<iusiy, tlie Silver Star for gallantry "in action near Biffon,taine, France. While engaged in a subsequent fii-e-fight With the eneniy, he was mortally wounded by a sniper.

In rec<jgnition of his courageous leaōership, 2nd LU Teruo Ihara of 383 Kilauea Aye., was awarded ,a Bronze Star receutiy by Brigadier Gtneral Ralph K. cox»iKpaxder of a Sixth Army Group umt a 2nd battalion cereiuony at AnUhea ou U»e French Hiviera. Lt. Ihara, \vhose brother waa, killed while wiUi ttie IOOUi baU\iliou during the ltaliaiv a battlefield j)rouiotioq iu ltaly w*tk General ilark, W. park tho bai- «n his collar, He has been woauded u» aeUoiU and holds the Puiple Heart, and tlie Cou\bat liu'antrynwu*a for exeuiplary conduct xmder en*aiiy fire. Jidward of 170 Woliu SU, HUo> ts , now s«rvtu« witii the Uoth int'at,itry nagknent Uie Io3rd Diviswn iu Geruwuvi% . Cpl. Tokuichi Nakano of Kaaleh«, Kau, has be<?n awarde the Star for RchieVemejit ir. eoaneelioii wilh Kiiljtarv operatlons Novomfeer 1 and 2 of 1914 in the of la Crosettt\ Frvuice. Sgt Yoshio T&fta£&vv& <jf Hilo| has bee« awarded Uu» Brouze Star, for RveritorhJus achiewa\ent in J eoMMeUon with miiitary oj*era-, Uen in th® vkinit>, v of I

For heroic achievement in i'wuaee, Sgt Masatsu Kawamot<> Of Hawl was awarded the Erunzt.' Star m«4al. Duriug the action to relieve the "Lost Battalion" of the 141st infantry, his company found itaelf seriously reduced by the* intense fighting. He hiniself unhes!tantly, accompanied dctails, to deliver rations to front-iin<j troops. M/Sgt. William Aiona, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Aiona, Sr., of 1589 Kinoole St., Hilo, has received the Bronze Star Imedal from Lt. General Robert C. Hichardson, Jr., for outstanding administrative efficiency in a POA headq-uarters staff position. "This award symbolize the efficiency of your staff sectwi," .Gen. Richardson told Aiona. He cited the work of headquartcra men as important factōra in th« victorious march acro.ss the Pacific, A graduate of St. Louis College, Aiona worked for C. Erewer & Gō., Ltd.j Hilo, before entering the army at Scholfied. He was assigned to the Hawaiian department headquarters, now Pacific Oeean Areas, shortly after the Pearl Harbor attack.