HONOLULU (KHON2) — Hawaii-born WWII heroes were honored almost eight decades after their deaths on Friday, May 10.
The families of five Nisei soldiers were presented Purple Heart medals for their loved ones who died in 1945 during a ceremony at Pearl Harbor.
A C-46 transport plane that was carrying 31 soldiers crashed on Okinawa during an air raid alert in August, 1945. Some of the men were listed as killed in action and earned Purple Heart medals that are awarded to service members who are wounded or killed in battle.
“And the others were listed as being died in an airplane accident, or died non-battle,” said Dan Matthews, one of two researchers who discovered the discrepancy in military records.
Five of those who were listed ass died non-battle were Hawaii-born Nisei soldiers who served in the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Service to interpret Japanese-language messages and interrogate enemy soldiers. The researchers wondered if the Army would finally recognize all the soldiers who passed when they discovered the discrepancy in 2022.
“Perhaps the question should be better phrased, ‘Why would we not award Purple Hearts to those deserving even after the passage of nearly eight decades,” said retired Gen. Paul Nakasone, former U.S. Cyber Command director.
The families of the five Hawaii soldiers were presented Purple Heart medals in their honor 78 years, eight months and 27 days after the servicemen were killed.
Wilfred Motokane, Jr. was just 7 years old when his father Wilfred Motokane, Sr. died in the crash and said it did not hit him at the time.
“But after you’re older, then you say, ‘Geez, I wish I had him around to, you know, play ball with and guide me more in college,” Motokane, Jr. said with a laugh. “That was something!”
The plane went down less than one month before the surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay that ended WWII was held.
“But obviously the surrender went on anyway,” Motokane, Jr. said, “which is good!”
The younger Motokane — now 86 years old — said surviving families think that the posthumous award for their loved ones was better late than never.
“I think it’s like a long time coming,” he said, “but we’re happy it got done!”