Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 3, Number 7, 1 July 1986 — Merchant Mariners Remembered [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Merchant Mariners Remembered

Governor George R. Ariyoshi displays proclamation designating July 4as U.S. Merchant Marine Day in Hawaii. Behind the Governor from left to right are James Pauahi Rowland, a former member of the Merchant Marine Service who requested support from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for the proclamation: Jason Ohta, Merchant Marine Academy candidate; and former Merchant mariners Bill Mendez, Manuel Ledesma and Charles Toguchi. Many of Hawaii's Merchant Marine civilian sailors during World War II were of Hawaiian ancestry. According to RowIand, 20 native Hawaiian Merchant Mariners were killed or listed as missing in action during the war. many others were prisoners of war.