Wallace Tadashi Onuma

Headquarters Company, 100th Infantry Battalion

Wallace Tadashi Onuma was born in Honolulu in May 1920. His father, originally from Niigata, Japan, immigrated to Hawaiʻi to work as a mason. His mother came from Miyagi, Japan, arriving in Hawaiʻi with her siblings and mother. Wallace was the third child and the oldest son, raised in Pauoa Valley. As a teenager, he often assisted his parents with business matters and served as their interpreter, since neither spoke nor read English. He attended Hawaiian Mission Academy and graduated in 1939.

Wallace was drafted into the U.S. Army on November 15, 1941. Before being sent to the mainland for training, he was assigned to guard duty along the Windward Coast of Oʻahu, including nighttime patrols, walking the Old Pali Road.

When World War II began, the Onuma family’s property in Pauoa Valley was confiscated by the government for construction of a gun embankment to protect Honolulu Harbor. Wallace’s father was interrogated by the FBI, and when asked whom he wanted to win the war, he answered simply: “America — because my son is in the U.S. Army.”

Wallace became an original member of the 100th Infantry Battalion, first with Company B and later with Headquarters Company, where he carried the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). He was wounded twice by road mines during his service.

Wallace often told stories of his experiences during training and combat, especially about not knowing where to sit when riding the segregated buses in Mississippi. He would tell stories of the thunderous sound of “Big Bertha,” and the sound of the projectiles traveling through the trees. One of his favorite stories was of when he served as a military policeman (MP) in Monte Carlo. Because soldiers were not allowed inside the casinos, the GIs would try to disguise themselves by dressing in civilian clothes. Wallace would take a teenager into the casino and ask him to point out the Americans.

He would also tell stories of every major campaign the 100th was involved in. At one time the Germans had them pinned down in a house for over 6 months. They were at the bottom of the hill with the Germans shooting at them from the top. They were finally able to overtake the Germans. He often spoke of the bravery of Major (Young Oak) Kim, describing him as “one crazy Korean” for his bold reconnaissance missions behind enemy lines. Major Kim would often take a unit behind enemy lines to conduct surveillance. Wallace would say how he remembered that the 100th would have been the first to enter Rome but were told to wait along the roadside while another unit rolled into the streets of Rome to receive all the glory.

Wallace also remembered instances of discrimination. After spending days crossing the Atlantic and arriving in New York City, he recalled Red Cross volunteers handing out cigarettes and candy but ignoring the AJA (Americans of Japanese ancestry) soldiers. In Sacramento, he and others were refused service because of their race. The store owners had large, printed signs in the window for Japanese to keep out.

After the war, Wallace married his high school sweetheart at Hawaiian Mission Academy, Jane K. Miranda, daughter of George H. and Rose Trask Miranda. They had two sons, Malcolm and Lambert. Wallace worked for the U.S. Postal Service and, after retirement, enjoyed golf, helping to take care of his grandchildren, and enjoyed gardening and growing orchids. He loved watching sports on television and visiting Las Vegas to bet on games. Wallace passed away in 2013 at the age of 92.