Kenneth Muroshige

B Company

Kenneth Torao Muroshige was born in Kipahula , Maui in November 1914 and grew up in the Haiku area. While working in Honolulu, he was drafted into the Hawaii National Guard and assigned to the 298th Infantry. He was among the men who guarded the north shores of Oahu in anticipation of an invasion by Japan.

Married in April 1942 to Mieko Tomita, he left in June with the Hawaiian Provisional Battalion, renamed the 100th Infantry Battalion Separate after it landed In Oakland. He was in B Company.

While at Camp McCoy, he was befriended by several Lacrosse families and visited them frequently. He and his wife returned to Lacrosse in 1970 and stayed for several days with one of the families.

Muroshige was wounded in the area around Pozzilli, Italy just a month after the 100th entered combat. Stranded on a mountain, he could not be rescued by litter bearers for more than 24 hours and was afraid he would lose his leg. He spent many months in hospitals in Oran, Africa and then in Georgia, Texas and California before finally returning to Honolulu.

After the war, he joined the Civil Service and repaired office machinery at military bases in Hawaii, retiring as a supervisor. He was active in Club 100 and enjoyed bowling, softball and golf with other 100th veterans. Muroshige died in August 2008 and is interred at Punchbowl with many of his comrades. He was survived by his wife Mieko and two daughters, Susan and Amy.

Read Kenneth Muroshige’s Memoirs