James “Jim” Lovell

Headquarters, 100th Infantry Battalion

James “Jim” Lovell was an educator, coach, and military leader whose life reflected a deep commitment to guiding young people and supporting Americans of Japanese ancestry (AJAs) during a pivotal period in Hawaiʻi’s history. For many Nisei (second-generation) Japanese Americans born to immigrant parents, his influence came at a time when opportunities were limited and their place in American society was still being defined.

In pre-war Hawaiʻi, young Nisei often faced social and economic barriers as they worked to establish themselves as full-fledged Americans. In this environment, progress was often made possible through the support of key individuals outside the Japanese American community who believed in their potential. Educators such as Dr. Miles E. Cary of McKinley High School provided important mentorship and advocacy for students, while military leaders like Lt. Col. Farrant Turner offered stability and leadership to the newly formed 100th Infantry Battalion during World War II. Alongside these figures, Maj. James Lovell played a unique and lasting role that bridged both education and military service.

Lovell was born on February 6, 1907, in Hastings, Nebraska, and later moved to Hawaiʻi after graduating from the University of Nebraska in 1930 to begin his teaching career. He often noted that his Nebraskan upbringing helped him adapt easily to island life, describing both communities as down-to-earth and welcoming of diverse people.

At age 23, he arrived in Honolulu and began teaching at Washington Intermediate School, where he also coached multiple sports, including football, basketball, and track. He later taught and coached at Roosevelt High School and McKinley High School, working closely with AJA students and earning a reputation as a dedicated teacher, coach, and mentor. At McKinley, under Principal Miles Cary, he was appointed Assistant Principal, strengthening his influence on student development and leadership. Teaching and coaching brought Lovell close to his students, and many who would later serve in the 100th Infantry Battalion were pleased to learn that he would be one of their officers.

Military Career

Lovell had begun his military career in his home state of Nebraska, where he served in the National Guard, and later joined the Hawaii National Guard in 1931. After the outbreak of World War II, he was selected in 1942 by Lt. Col. Farrant Turner to serve as executive officer of what would become the 100th Infantry Battalion (Separate), a unit composed primarily of AJA soldiers from Hawaiʻi. In this role, Lovell helped build the battalion’s structure, including its logistics and organizational system, at a time when no established model existed for a segregated or “separate” combat unit within the U.S. Army.

“There was no table of organization for a ‘bastard outfit’ such as us. We had no parents, no regiment to turn to,” Lovell later reflected. “In a military set-up, there was no such thing as a ‘separate’ battalion. So when this outfit was formed…I had to work up a table of organization.”

Lovell was ordered to report to Washington shortly after the unit arrived at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, for training. He brought with him the organizational plan he had developed. His plan called for the 100th to establish its own supply section to manage uniforms, equipment, food, and transportation. It also included five rifle companies, an anti-tank platoon, a dentist, and two doctors — features not typically authorized for a battalion. “We formed our own outfit based on this plan that I had written,” Lovell explained. “That plan was approved and was handed to us when we landed in Italy. Later, that plan was used throughout the whole military.”

Lovell became known for his leadership style in training and on the battlefield. He, like Lt. Col. Turner, defended his soldiers on the mainland when they faced discrimination. Soldiers remembered him as someone who led from the front, shared danger with his men, and consistently placed their welfare above his own safety. His battlefield conduct earned him deep respect within the unit and helped solidify the bond between leadership and enlisted men.

During the Italian campaign, Lovell was seriously wounded in action near Alife and later again at Cassino. His injuries at Alife were severe, including a wound from a “Screaming Meemie” rocket fragment that severed an artery in his upper thigh. Doctors had to tie off the artery and hope circulation would return, as infection or gangrene could have resulted in the loss of his leg.

While recovering in a military hospital in Bizerte, North Africa, Lovell was initially restricted in movement but gradually regained mobility. During this period, Lt. Col. Farrant Turner was relieved of command of the 100th Infantry Battalion and visited Lovell before returning home. While recuperating, Lovell recalled watching British soldiers play soccer below the hospital and slowly walking short distances as part of his rehabilitation. He was later transferred to a tent recovery area near an airfield, where he continued to heal while remaining determined to return to the 100th Infantry Battalion as quickly as possible.

In a notable episode during his recovery, Lovell acted on that determination and arranged — without formal orders — to make his way back toward the battalion. Around the same time, Company A soldier Eugene Kawakami, who had also been wounded at Alife, was recovering in a separate tent area. Kawakami was also eager to return to the 100th, and after learning that Lovell shared the same resolve, he asked to accompany him. However, no formal arrangements could be made, as both men were still convalescing and without official orders.

As Kawakami later recalled, he went to Lovell’s tent one morning only to find it empty. No one knew when Lovell had left or where he had gone. Hospital orderlies were concerned, since Lovell’s wound was still bleeding and required medical attention. Because he was absent during bunk check, he was temporarily listed as absent without leave — referred to informally by the men as “reverse-AWOL” — having left without formal authorization despite still being under medical care.

In reality, Lovell had already set his return in motion. He made informal arrangements at an airfield and joined other recovering soldiers on a flight to Naples. From there, he continued by overland transport back toward his unit. During this journey, Lovell also learned that fellow officer Jack Johnson had been killed.

Upon finally rejoining the battalion, Lovell resumed leadership duties, recalling, “Soon as I got back, I relieved Major Clough because I was senior to him, and I became battalion commander then.” When asked later whether his hospital records ever caught up with him after his unauthorized departure, Lovell responded simply, “I don’t know that they ever did.”

As Kungo Iwai (HQ Co.) later recalled:

“It was in the chill of one early evening at the hillside village of San Michele that the Major returned to the front after recovering from wounds. Morale was low when the men down from the barren snow covered hills of Radicosa and Venafro, but the return of the major had an electrifying boost to the morale of the men for they had suffered the cold, snow, and the loss of several of their comrades. The Major didn’t have to speak; his return to the battalion now dwindled by casualties was enough to bring hope and new spirit among the haggard assortment of very tired men.”

But at Cassino, where fighting was ferocious, Lovell was wounded again. Veterans later recalled the shock of finding their battalion commander ahead of the point man during the assault.

Warren Iwai (Co. C) later recalled:

“I believe (Maj. Lovell) was our battalion commander at the time. This was our second attack at Cassino. We were attacking toward the castle. Our was leading this column in the attack.

We were under the cover of smoke shots. I was the point at that time. As I approached towards the castle, I saw a silhouette of a soldier in front of me. I thought, ‘What the heck? Who’s this soldier in front of me?’ There’s not supposed to be anybody in front of me except for the enemy!

As I approached him, it was Maj. Lovell… and he was our battalion commander! What army in the world would you find the battalion commander in front of the point man in the attack? Let me tell you, you won’t find anything like that in any other outfit, where you’ll find the battalion commander out front like that, worrying about his men…”

Mike Tokunaga (Co. C) similarly recalled seeing Lovell on the front lines:

“Maj. Lovell was supposed to be in the back, at battalion headquarters. But he was right up front, in front of the combat guys.

(At Cassino), as he was crawling across a terrace, the German machine gun hit him. We thought he was dead, because after he was hit, he didn’t move. (But) I think what he did was make the Germans think he was dead because he was in a wide open area. I remember that after darkness fell, we had to go pick him up, and he was breathing!”

This time, Lovell’s injuries were too severe for him to return to combat. A bullet lodged in his back stopped just one-eighth of an inch from his spine and could easily have left him paralyzed. Another bullet shattered the bone in his leg, ending his frontline service. He was evacuated and sent home on February 8, 1944, after a distinguished combat career. His military honors included the Silver Star, Bronze Star with clusters, Purple Heart with Cluster, Combat Infantry Badge, Distinguished Unit Citation, and multiple campaign medals.

Life after the War

As president of Club 100 in 1947 and chairman of its historical committee, Lovell played a leading role in preserving the battalion’s legacy. In 1948, together with Lt. Col. Farrant Turner, he commissioned Dr. Thomas Murphy, a history professor at the University of Hawaiʻi and chairman of the local War Records Committee, to write an official history of the 100th Infantry Battalion. Originally envisioned as a concise account of the battalion’s formation, combat service, and deactivation, the project evolved into an important historical record that preserved the broader experiences and contributions of the AJA soldiers.

Lovell also helped bring the 100th Infantry Battalion’s vision for a permanent clubhouse to fruition, reflecting his continued commitment to the veterans he had served alongside during the war. In June 1946, Club 100 purchased the former property of a Japanese language school at 1444 Nuuanu Avenue in Honolulu, which became the organization’s first headquarters. After receiving permission to sell the property in 1949, Lovell directed the proceeds toward the purchase of three lots on Kamoku Street. Serving as chairman of the Building Committee, he helped oversee the planning and construction of a permanent clubhouse for the veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion. Dedicated during the battalion’s 10th anniversary celebration in 1952, the Clubhouse continues to serve as Club 100’s headquarters today.

James “Jim” Lovell passed away on April 15, 2001, at the age of 94. His legacy endures through the courage, leadership, and unwavering loyalty he demonstrated alongside the men of the 100th Infantry Battalion, whose respect for him remained lifelong.

Read James Lovell’s Officer profile

“Salute to Major James Lovell” Puka Puka Parade Article by Kungo Iwai (February 1952, Vol. 5 No. 11)

A Bastard Outfit – What Else” Puka Puka Parade Article by Ben Tamashiro (Jan-Feb 1980, Vol. 34 No. 1 / Mar-Apr 1980, Vol. 34 No. 2) 

“Maj. James Lovell” Article by Arnold Hiura (Hawaii Herald, June 19, 1992)

An Oral History Interview with Major James Lovell by Ted Tsukiyama and Sakae Takahashi (1994)