Night Before the 65th Anniversary of the 100th Battalion

Before, I forget, I want to put this in writing.  One of my most memorable times was hanging out with some of the 100th Battalion veterans at Hanagasu Inn the night before their 65th Anniversary luncheon on I believe June 23, 2007 where we had food and drinks, and sang karaoke.  All the patrons and veterans were senior in age and they all sang Japanese songs.  There is one Japanese song that I memorized, “Shimauta”, which is an Okinawan song about the love for the island.  When I sang that song with my friend Stacey, the place went nuts.  The veterans were so excited, they took pictures and a waitress began to dance.  I felt, I had a glimpse of what it was like in the old days.  I also felt sad because in the future, many in my generation may never get to experience this because the Japanese language and culture is dying in Hawaii.  Stacey and I are so fortunate.  This has got to be one of my best life experiences that made me feel more complete in life.