COURTESY PHOTO
Ben Tamashiro and his wife, Gloria, portrayed Bank of Hawaii's "Harry and Myra" in a series of commercials.
BEN H. TAMASHIRO / 1917-2004
WWII vet played
‘Harry’ in Bankoh adsHe and his wife won Hawaii
hearts through endearing TV spots
Ben H. Tamashiro, who played "Harry" in almost 50 Bank of Hawaii "Harry and Myra" commercials from the mid-'80s to early '90s, died Friday at the Queen's Medical Center. He was 86.
Tamashiro was also a proud member of the Japanese-American 100th Battalion during World War II, which later developed into the highly decorated 442nd Regimental Combat Team. He was the unit's unofficial historian.
"We're not sure what happened," said Brenda Imoto, one of Tamashiro's five daughters, about her father's death. "We're still waiting for the doctor's final report.
"It was so unexpected."
Tamashiro, born in Hanapepe, Kauai, and later a longtime Manoa resident, tried out for a Bankoh commercial in 1985. He ended up getting the part, and Gloria, his wife of 56 years, also got a role after the woman who was supposed to play his wife did not show up. Together the Tamashiros became known across the state as the everyday local couple who tended their garden, ran a small business and went to Las Vegas.
Imoto said: "They really enjoyed the time doing the commercials for Bankoh. ... To this day he would still respond if anyone yelled out, 'Hey, Harry!'"
The "Harry and Myra" campaign won the bank a marketing award in 1992. Bankoh Vice President Alton Kuioka said: "Ben's personality in real life was exactly like you saw him in the TV ads. This wasn't even acting for him.
"He and Gloria, through their 'Harry and Myra' spots, were immensely successful in connecting with our local customers."
Before the commercials brought him fame, Tamashiro retired from the federal government at Schofield Barracks.
Imoto said her father also loved to write for the 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans' Club as well as writing more than his share of letters to the editor.
In one of his letters to the Star-Bulletin, Tamashiro described in detail in 1998 how his landing craft never made it to shore as the 100th landed south of Naples on Sept. 22, 1943:
"We were a long way from the beach, in deep water. Maj. Jim Lovell, the battalion's second-in-command and a six-footer, was first off. Water covered him up to his face.
"I was next, all 5-feet-2 of me. Rifle in hand, and with the accouterments of a full field pack weighing me down, I was prepared to drown. But there was no way out. So I jumped in and quickly hit bottom. Giving a strong kick, the air in my pack acting like a float, I shot to the surface and dog-paddled in. ... Such was my introduction to sunny Italy."
Tamashiro is survived by wife Gloria; sister Kay Akiyama; daughters Regina and Celia Tamashiro, Brenda Imoto, Vanessa Miller and Jenny Hazama; and seven grandchildren.
Services will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday at Manoa Valley Church. Call after 3:30 p.m.
