In Memory Of WWII Honouliuli Internees
By Hawaii State Senator Mike Gabbard
Aloha! I hope you and your family are doing well.
During World War II the Honouliuli Internment Camp was one of five internment sites in Hawaii. It opened on March 1, 1943 and was located on 160 acres of land. The camp was built to hold up to 3,000 people, but never reached more than 320. Most of the internees were males of Japanese ancestry, but there were also a few Germans, Italians and prisoners of war. They lived in wooden barracks and tents, which were surrounded by barbed wire fences and patrolled by armed guards. Two of the most prominent Japanese Americans interned at the camp were former territorial Rep. Thomas Sakakihara and former territorial Sen. Sanji Abe.
To preserve the memory of those interned at the site, I joined my colleagues in supporting Senate Bill 1228, authored by Sen. Will Espero this past legislative session and signed into law by Gov. Linda Lingle in June as Act 163. The bill directs the state Department of Land and Natural Resources to work with the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, the Japanese American National Heritage Coalition and the Historic Hawaii Foundation to find the best means of memorializing the World War II Japanese internment camp experience in Hawaii. The bill appropriated $50,000 to move this process forward.
With renewed interest in the Honouliuli Camp, Sen. Espero and I led a delegation from the state Senate on a Sept. 29 tour of the area, which is located on agricultural land (on the west side of Kunia Road) and is now overgrown with vegetation. We were joined on the tour by representatives of Monsanto Corporation, which currently owns the site, and by Mr. Brian Niiya, resource center director for the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii.
While on the tour, we spotted pieces of dinner plates, glass bottles, a toilet, and building foundations from the World War II era. It was an amazing experience seeing up close the remnants of what was one of the most difficult times in American history. I think it’s great that we’re beginning the long process of restoring and preserving this site for future generations to remember.
Some of the recent attention to the World War II internment sites can be attributed to Camp Preservation Bill (HR 1492). The bill, which mentions the Honouliuli camp, was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush on Dec. 21, 2006. It was co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie and supported by U.S. Sens. Dan Inouye and Dan Akaka. The bill appropriates $38 million in federal funding for the preservation of internment camps across the nation.
During the coming months, Mr. Niiya will be helping to coordinate efforts to inventory the historic remains at the Honouliuli site. To learn more, call the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii at 945-7633.
Please contact me if I can help you in any way. Mahalo for the privilege of serving you!
This article appeared in the West Oahu Islander on November 7, 2007.
Senator Mike Gabbard represents the 19th Senatorial District (Waikele, Village Park, Portion of Waipahu, and Ko Olina) on the Island of Oahu. He serves as the Vice-Chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation and International Affairs.