Parade to honor WWII veterans

HONOLULU —Distinguished World War II veterans will be honored during a special Victory Parade this Saturday in Waikiki to commend recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal and others.

“The City and County of Honolulu is a strong supporter of our military and our veterans, and we look forward to this opportunity to express our gratitude to our heroes,” Carlisle said.

The parade will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday (December 17, 2011) at Fort DeRussy, and proceed down Kalakaua Avenue to Kapiolani Park. The parade will pause at the intersection of Kalakaua and Seaside avenues, where Carlisle will conduct an honorary ceremony.

The parade will begin the “Hawaii Salute to the Congressional Gold Medal Veterans,” a two-day event commemorating the awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal this year to the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and Military Intelligence Service. The parade will also honor the 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion.

Veterans of the honored military units will ride trolleys in the parade, which will also include the Royal Hawaiian Band, military bands, representatives of each branch of the armed forces, and ROTC members from the University of Hawaii and several Oahu high schools.

The Congressional Gold Medal is the nation’s highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress. The 100th and 442nd were recognized for their unmatched combat record during World War II, and the MIS was recognized for the work of its interpreters, translators and spies. The vast majority of soldiers in these units were Americans of Japanese ancestry from Hawaii and the mainland who had volunteered for military service. Although not included in the Congressional Gold Medal award, the 1399th has long been recognized for its outstanding record of completing 54 major projects in Hawaii during the war.

On Sunday, December 18, the veterans will participate in a memorial service at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl, which begins at 9 a.m.

For more information, go to www.congressionalgoldmedalhawaii.com.