Edward Harada

D Company

Edward Komao Harada was born at home in the Palama district of Honolulu, Hawaii in 1917.  The second son of six children to Issei parents, Shokichi and Sada, he often fondly recalled the joys of a simpler lifestyle while growing up in urban Honolulu.

Known as “Komao” by his childhood and 299th Infantry buddies, he served as D Company’s supply sergeant from the unit’s origin until his discharge in September 1945.  Having attained the rank of Staff Sergeant, he is remembered for his attention to detail and fairness in dealing with his unit soldiers.  His military service also included five years with the 299th Infantry band, Hawaii National Guard, as a drummer and bugler prior to WW2.

After the war, Ed, his wife Kazumi, and children lived on the Big Island before resettling back in Honolulu.  Working as an independent construction cost consultant, he developed a highly regarded reputation for his uncanny ability to accurately estimate a project’s construction cost.  One US Army Corps of Engineers estimator often quipped how he wished Ed’s background and knowledge could be reprogrammed into a computer.

It was before the advent of computer and electronic games that he built games for his five children.  Baseball, bowling, cribbage boards, a firecracker cannon and even a wooden sailboat were a few of his many projects.  Later in life, he would devote his free time developing an “N” scale model electric train network which kept him occupied for many years.  He was also an avid reader and writer.  Some of his childhood and military service stories were published in the Honolulu Advertiser.

A humble man of few words, he is remembered for his strength of character and family devotion.  Ed passed away in 2006.