WHO/WHAT: PBS Hawai‘i will broadcast “Proof of Loyalty: Kazuo Yamane and the Nisei Soldiers of Hawaii,” which was shown at the recently concluded Hawaii International Film Festival. The film by documentarians Don Sellers and Lucy Ostrander highlights the history of the Nisei soldiers who rose to the challenge and served America in World War II. Among them was Kazuo Yamane, who was drafted into the 100th Infantry Battalion and subsequently transferred to the Military Intelligence Service. As an MIS soldier, Yamane was among the first AJAs to work in the Pentagon. He was subsequently assigned to the Pacific Military Intelligence Research Section, referred to as PACMIRS. Using his language skills, he found the complete Japanese army ordnance inventory in a collection of captured documents initially thought to be worthless. Yamane’s final assignment took him to Europe. A trailer of the film can be viewed at http://proofofloyalty.com.
WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, Dec. 7, 9 p.m. on PBS Hawai‘i. The screening will be preceded by a PBS Hawai‘i “Insights” discussion at 8 p.m. titled “Tribute to the One-Puka-Puka.” Discussants will include former Hawai‘i newspaper journalists and history buffs Mark Matsunaga and Tom Coffman, who are featured in “Proof of Loyalty.” (Repeat broadcast of “Proof of Loyalty” only on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 1 p.m.)
