Kintaro Hamashige, Kin, was raised in Laie-Kahuku, Oahu, where he was one of eight children. “Kin was a freshman at the University of Hawaii when Army recruiter Sgt. Edwin Kawahara arrived with a message and an opportunity: the Army was in serious need of language personnel and this need offered the bilingual Niseis an opportunity to serve their country, dispelling loyalty fears. According to Kin, ‘this was a Catch-22 situation, as there was a lack of trust for Nikkeis and they were not generally welcomed by the ‘establishments,’ but if they did not volunteer they were not patriotic.’… Taking heed of the message, Kin discussed it with his parents, [and] to his surprise, passed the language exam and volunteered for MIS [Military Intelligence Service]. Mr. Hamashige arrived in Camp Savage, Minnesota, in February, 1944 [for training]. When his studies were completed, he was assigned to the Philippines, and was there when the “A” bombs were dropped in Japan. He arrived in Yokohama about a week after MacArthur signed the cessation of war documents on the deck of the USS Missouri.”

After the war, Mr. Hamashige returned to the University of Hawaii for one year to continue his studies, but transferred to Bowling Green State University in Ohio where he received a degree in Business Administration. He later earned a masters degree in Economic History and Banking from New York University, where he met his wife, Betty Ulm. The Hamashiges settled in New York, where Kin worked at Chase Manhattan Bank for 25 years; he and his wife have two children and one grandchild.

Excerpts from this description were acquired from within a booklet published by the Day of Remembrance Committee of New York City, dated 1996, titled “Honoring Japanese American Veterans of World War II”.