Early Years

When the 100th Infantry Battalion veterans returned to Hawaiʻi, many focused on rebuilding their lives — finding jobs, getting married and starting families, or continuing their education through the G.I. Bill. At the same time, Club 100 benefited from strong leadership and the continued involvement of veterans who remained active in the organization during its early years.

By April 1945, several hundred men from the 100th Infantry Battalion had returned to Hawaiʻi as they were released from hospitals or discharged from the U.S. Army. Many had been honorably discharged due to physical disabilities from wounds sustained in the war, while others continued their active service.

The men held an informal reunion on April 15 at McKinley High School, to discuss plans for the future of Club 100. The men devoted much time and work in the months that followed, while awaiting the return of the rest of the battalion members. An interim organization called “Club One Puka Puka” was organized as these men compiled rosters with names and contact information of battalion members and started making plans for the club.

Incorporation of Club 100

On December 21, 1945, “Club 100” was formally incorporated under the laws of the Territory of Hawaiʻi, and Major Mitsuyoshi “Mits” Fukuda, the battalion’s last commanding officer, was elected president. Other officers included vice presidents Mitsuru Omori (at large), Stanley Masumoto (Maui), Kazuma Hisanaga (Hawaiʻi Island), Kazuto Yoshioka (Kauaʻi), and Katsumi Kometani (Oʻahu); Edward Yoshimasu as secretary; Warren Iwai as assistant secretary; Hideo Kajikawa as treasurer; and Tadashi Ohta as assistant treasurer.

The Club 100 Charter of Incorporation lists the organization’s objects and purposes as:

1. To continue and perpetuate the identity of the 100th Infantry Battalion (Separate) and its successor in combat action, the 100th Battalion of the 442nd Infantry Regiment;
2. To preserve and uphold the high traditions of such combat units and to develop and maintain appropriate records of their heroic achievements;
3. To encourage and assist its regular members in a steadfast endeavor (1) to promote unity among all of the people of their respective communities, (2) to advance the social welfare of all people throughout the Territory of Hawaii, (3) to participate in and support activities designed to build and strengthen patriotism and loyalty to the United States of America, and (4) generally to do all lawful things that reasonably may assure that the sacrifices made in combat by the regular members of this corporation and by their comrades who died on the field of battle in the cause of liberty and justice shall not have been made in vain;
4. To promote mutual assistance among its regular members and their families; to assist its regular members and the families of their deceased comrades in obtaining those rights and benefits to which they are or may become entitled under the provisions of laws now existing or hereafter to be enacted; and to extend to its regular members and the families of their deceased comrades such other assistance, material or otherwise, as in each case may be deemed necessary or appropriate to the extent that it is feasible for the corporation to do so;
5. To provide means for social relationship and recreation among its regular members and their families and friends.

The original incorporators who petitioned for the charter were: Tadashi K. Ohta, Seigo Kagawa, Seisei Sasaki, Kungo Iwai, Wasato Harada, Jiro Matsui, Yoshiharu Nishida, Calvin K. Shimogaki, Tad T. Kanda, Susumu Hata, William Komoda, Masao Sato, Samuel M. Sakamoto, Mitsuyoshi Fukuda, Farrant L. Turner, Fumio Hayashi, Ryo Okazaki, Rudy S. Yoshida, Mitsuru Omori, Warren T. Iwai, Masayoshi Kawamoto, Goichi Shimanuki, Masaichi Goto, Mitsukazu Miyake, Roger A. Kawasaki, George G. Moriguchi, Etsuo Katano, Tokuji Ono, Thomas T. Nosse, Yasuo Takata, Sam S. Tomai, and Katsumi Kometani.

James Lovell succeeded Mitsuyoshi Fukuda as President in 1947, followed by Richard Mizuta in 1948, and Sakae Takahashi in 1949 and 1950. All three had been original officers of the battalion.

In 1948, the Club’s structure was reorganized and new by-laws established. The Oʻahu Chapter was replaced by chapters on Oʻahu organized along battalion company lines.

First Location

In June 1946, Club 100 purchased a former Japanese language school property at 1444 Nuuanu Avenue in Honolulu, from the Hawaii Veterans War Memorial Association for $43,500. The funds for this purchase came from dues collected from the 100th soldiers at a rate of $2 per month, beginning during their training on the mainland and continuing throughout the war. This served as the club’s first headquarters.

The Club 100 office was located in the main concrete building, while a separate cottage was used as a dormitory for members. A wooden building on the property had a boxing gym which was used often by some veterans. Naoji Yamagata, a veteran from Company A, was hired as Executive Secretary in August.

In 1949, this property was sold to the Kuomintang Society for $70,000. From the net proceeds, $5,000 was donated to the Hawaii Veterans War Memorial Association, to be used for scholarships for deserving students.

Interim Headquarters

After the sale of the Nuuanu property, a one-room space for an office was rented from the Young Buddhist Association at 1710 Fort Street. In spite of its small size, a regular group of veterans would gather there to play cards and “talk story.”