Reservists’ families to join
celebration of 442nd

More than 60 people who have a family member serving in Iraq with the Army Reserve's 100th Battalion will be honored Sunday at a banquet marking the 62nd anniversary of the formation of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

Among those attending will be Allen and Adele Hoe, parents of 1st Lt. Nainoa Hoe, who was killed in Iraq on Jan. 22 by a sniper. Hoe was the leader of 2nd Platoon of Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry. The unit is part of the 1st Stryker Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division and is stationed at Fort Lewis, Wash. Hoe also was a member of the 100th Battalion while simultaneously enrolled in the University of Hawaii's Army ROTC program.

His brother, Spc. Nakoa Hoe, is a member of the 100th Battalion who, as the sole surviving brother, has been given a waiver from combat duty by Army.

The 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry, one of three combat brigades assigned to the 29th Brigade Combat Team, is the only infantry unit in the Army Reserve and still carries the colors of the 100th Battalion.

The Army unit was formed after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and was made up solely of Japanese Americans. It was later assigned to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and emerged from the battles in Italy and France as one of the Army's most decorated units with 22 Medals of Honor.

Also attending the banquet will be retired Brig. Gen. Ray Gandy, former commander of the 9th Regional Readiness Command, whose son, 1st Lt. Colin Gandy, is in Iraq with the 100th Battalion.

As part of his keynote address. Maj. Gen. Bob Lee, state adjutant general, will include videos and photographs of island reservists and Army National Guard soldiers serving in Iraq.

Other speakers at the luncheon, which will begin at 10 a.m. at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, will be Gov. Linda Lingle, Mayor Mufi Hannemann, U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka and U.S. Rep. Ed Case.

The banquet follows a memorial service at 8:45 a.m. Saturday at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Feature speakers will be William Paty, civilian aide to the secretary of the Army, and retired Vice Adm. Robert Kihune.