The Vosges
The residue of ancient conflicts saturates the very air and soil of the fog-shrouded Vosges. Indeed, it is a part of everything that is the Vosges.
The Vosges is a place where one cannot pass without breathing in its essence and hearing the faint distant echoes of cannon. And, when the wind is just right, one still may hear the dim cries of those whose blood has transformed these forested hills into hallowed ground.
And in this sacred place, now frequented only by the living, remain the spirits of its defenders, ever ready to again arise in its defense.
Museum Board Named
A few days before Thanksgiving, we received news that the members of the Museum oversight board have been named. The board will serve as the management arm of the museum and is expected to make decisions on artifact acquisitions, staffing, hours of operation, maintenance, and marketing. The museum will be operated as a separate entity. The board will be composed of the following individuals:
Anne Bonjean, President, English Teacher and Activist in preserving the history of the 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team.
Yves Bonjean, Vice President and former Mayor of the city of Bruyères who built the Torch Monument on Hill 555 in honor of the 100th/442nd RCT, among other things.
Benoit Howson, Treasurer and English teacher at the IUT Epinal-Hubert Curien Technical Institute (Université de Lorraine) and Head of the Quality, Industrial Logistics and Organization (QLIO) Department. Mr. Howson is well-known for his ceaseless dedication to memorializing the WWII allies who lost their lives in liberating France.
Patricia Aubert, Secretary and former governmental Accountant and Public Administrator.
Carl Williams will serve as defacto Curator and is not a member of the oversight board. Former Deputy Secretary for the California Business, Housing and Transportation Agency and serves on the Board of Directors of the Friends and Families of Nisei Veterans (FFNV).
The next steps are now in focus. An architect will be retained to reconfigure the permanent building’s 1100 sq. ft. of space to bring it up to museum standards including building security, fire, environmental controls (heating and air conditioning), lighting, movable walls, a video viewing area, reception, signage, and museum office. Work will begin as soon as the architectural plans are completed and reviewed by the board.
It is planned that the permanent museum will open in October 2026.
Prior to the end of the tax year is a great time to make tax-deductible donations to the museum fund.
Please help us complete this important project and permanently preserve the memory and artifacts of the Nisei who sacrificed so much, not only for France, but for all of us.
If there are any questions, including about artifacts, I can be reached at cwilliams@intl-aero.net and 916-233-8069. Thank you.
Grand Opening Exhibition
On October 18, 2024, during the celebration of the 80th Anniversary of the liberation, the Heroes of the Vosges Museum opened at the Musee Henri-Mathieu in Bruyères, France. The museum honors the 100th/442nd and the French Resistance. Admissions is free and all exhibits are in both French and English. See you there!
One Puka Puka Leads the Way
Song written by Howard High, President of the Japanese American Veterans Association
From island homes
of sugar cane,
Where trade winds sang
and skies would rain,
They answered
duty’s solemn call,
Though doubts and
fear surrounded all.
Born of
"いっせい" dreams
and "にせい" pride,
They stood as warriors
side by side,
With "がまん"
in their hearts
of flame,
They’d forge
a legacy and name.
***
One Puka Puka
leads the way,
From Hawaiʻi Nei
to war’s dark day.
For the Red, White,
and Blue they’d fight,
Proving loyalty
in freedom’s light.
Remember
Pearl Harbor,
they made their stand,
With courage carved
in every land.
One Puka Puka,
brave and true,
Fighting for me,
fighting for you.
***
Their hearts
were heavy,
filled with honor,
In secret sailed
across the water.
From Camp McCoy
to Shelby's dirt,
They trained
with grit
through sweat
and hurt.
Their letters home,
in quiet prose,
Spoke honor that
the "いっせい" chose:
"がんばれ," fight
for your good name,
Bring honor,
never bring us shame.
***
In Italy’s hills
they paid the price,
Purple Hearts
for sacrifice.
They bled where
others held
their doubt,
But valor left
no room for doubt.
They charged
through fire,
they cleared the way,
Their silence louder
than what words say.
Each fallen soul,
a torch alight,
A guide for those
who still must fight.
***
One Puka Puka
leads the way,
From Hawaiʻi Nei
to war’s dark day.
For the Red, White,
and Blue they’d fight,
Proving loyalty
in freedom’s light.
Remember
Pearl Harbor,
they made their stand,
With courage carved
in every land.
One Puka Puka,
proud and free,
They changed
the course of history.
***
They came back home
to rise once more,
To open wide
democracy’s door.
In Senate halls
and island schools,
They lived by 'がまん,'
broke the rules.
Their march lives on,
their truth remains,
In every fight
for justice gained.
So let their song
rise high and bold—
One Puka Puka,
brave and gold.
***
One Puka Puka
leads the way,
Through shadows
dark to brighter day.
Their legacy
will never fade,
In every step
that freedom’s made.
Museum Objectives
Preserve
To preserve protect and display the artifacts and stories of the members of the 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team and the French Resistance who, together, liberated Bruyères, Belmonte, Biffontaine and rescued the Lost Texas Battalion.
Teach
To teach future generations that freedom is never guaranteed and often calls for great sacrifice.
Create
To create an economically beneficial destination attraction for the town of Bruyères.
Keep Alive
To keep alive, for all who visit Bruyères, the heroic stories and lessons that are now part of the Vosges.
Museum Advisory Panel
Allen Kamemoto
Allen Kamemoto is a retired Financial Planner, COL US Army Reserves (ret), active in Hawaii Rotary and two Heritage Clubs, and is a student of genealogy. He is the son of Sgt. Kazuo Kamemoto, a member of the 100th Infantry Battalion who was wounded in Italy. Married to Carol Kamemoto, a retired Elementary School teacher. He and his wife live in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Linda Ono
Linda Ono is a retired Contract Analyst for the University of California at Davis and is the daughter of Pvt. Kiyoshi Ono, a member of Battery B of the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion who fought to liberate Bruyères and to rescue the “Lost Texas Battalion” in October, 1944. Linda lives in Sacramento, California.
Jeff Fujioka
Jeff Fujioka is a retired Mathematical Statistician with the National Marine Fisheries Service and an amateur historian with emphasis on the 100th/442nd and the preservation of the memory of the Japanese-Americans imprisoned under Executive Order 9066. His Father and uncles served in the 442nd RCT and the MIS. His parents and grandparents were imprisoned at Minidoka Internment Camp where he was born. He is married to Carol Fujioka, a retired elementary school teacher. The couple lives in Alaska.
Liberation of Bruyères
Between 15th and the 23rd of October 1944, the 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT) drove the German occupiers from Bruyères, Belmonte and Biffontaine. The ranks of the American soldiers who liberated these communities were composed almost entirely of Nisei (second Generation) Japanese-Americans from Hawaii and the Mainland - including some who had earlier been imprisoned in so-called “Internment Camps.” Before arriving in the Vosges, these soldiers had distinguished themselves in fierce battles in Italy including at Monte Casino and Anzio, among others. Following the Liberation of Bruyères and the incredible rescue of the “Lost Battalion,” the 100th/442nd returned to Italy in 1945 and, in a few days, broke the nearly impregnable Gothic Line - a German defensive line that had stopped the American advance for more than five months. For it size and length of service, and known for its “Go for Broke” motto, the 100th/442nd became the most highly decorated military unit in the history of American warfare.
French Forces of the Interior
Young men and women of the French Forces of the Interior (FFI) lead the Nisei liberators through the torturous trails that crisscrossed the mountains. They reported on enemy numbers and positions, and, with often primitive weapon, destroyed enemy assets. Many of these irregular "soldiers" gave their young lives to free their country. The parents of these young men and women became one with the grieving families of Nisei soldiers lost in battle.
Tell the Story
The purpose of the Heroes of the Vosges Museum is to tell the stories and preserve and display the artifacts of the Nisei liberators and the brave volunteers of the French Forces of the Interior.
Marie of Bruyères
The story of a little French girl who meets the Japanese-American soldiers who gave her back her freedom.
The Road to Sand Hills
The tale of a forgotten WWII Japanese American Soldier.
Hill 555
In 1947, the grateful but still ravaged town of Bruyères, built on Hill 555 a simple monument in honor of their American liberators. Over the years, the monument has undergone significant changes from its original timber and packed earth construction. Today it is carefully maintained by the town and is open to the public year-round. Every year since 1947, the people of Bruyères, Belmont and Biffontaine gather to celebrate their liberation and to honor the many young Japanese-Americans who sacrificed on their behalf. In 2017, a second monument was added to Hill 555. This large granite addition was designed to represent the shoulder patch worn by the soldiers of the 100th/442nd RCT. Known as the “Torch Monument,” it stands nearly ten feet tall and represents the torch of freedom that was returned to Vosges by Japanese-American soldiers.
Resources
100th Infantry Battalion Veterans Organization
The purpose of this organization is to perpetuate the identity and legacy of the 100th Infantry Battalion; to promote community service, patriotism, and social welfare for the people of Hawai‘i; and to provide a support network for the veterans of the 100th, including those who gave their lives in World War II, and their families.
100th Infantry Battalion Veterans Education Center
The center features an extensive online collection of photographs and documentation of the 100th Infantry Battalion history. The collection can be accessed worldwide through its website, and locally through displays and reference library at the clubhouse.
Nisei Legacy Tours
Follow the go for broke spirit. Walk in the footsteps of the 100th/442nd RCT on the ever-moving frontlines of World War II. Our long-term goal is to not only passively present the presence of the Nisei soldiers in Europe, but ensure the preservation of their legacy here by getting younger generations involved in an active way through restoration projects and exchanges.