Maui vet center
set to break ground

Construction on a preschool
and adult care facility will
kick off with a ceremony

KAHULUI >> A blessing and groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled tomorrow to mark the start of construction of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center.

The event, at the center's site in Wailuku, starts at 9 a.m. and will be followed by a reception at the Ka'aike building at Maui Community College.

The center, including a preschool and adult-care facility, is to serve as a tribute in Hawaii to all of the Japanese-American veterans of World War II, including the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and Military Intelligence Service.

Despite internment of thousands of Japanese by the federal government during World War II, many Japanese Americans joined the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which became the most highly decorated unit of its size in World War II.

Center Executive Director Barbara Watanabe said her group is trying to raise the final $1 million of $4.5 million for the project.

"Time is of the essence to start construction," she said. "These veterans are now in their 80s, and we want them to see and walk the center, which will be a lasting tribute to their bravery and citizenship."

For more information about the capital campaign, contact the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center office at 808-244-6862, or visit the Center's Web site, www.nvmc.org.