Densho Digital Archive - James Lovell Interview (denshovh-ljames-01-0004)

<Begin Segment 4>

JL: Over all of these years, starting way back, say, in 1930, I've become closely acquainted with a good many of the boys of the 100th, and many of their officers also. I think the relationship I established with 'em was the fact that the early school days, the athletic days. After we came home, the Club 100 was formed. I was the president of Club 100, I was chairman of the building committee that built the clubhouse, I was also chairman of the history committee that wrote Ambassadors in Arms. I spent untold hours on that.

LD: Why?

JL: Well, I wanted to be sure that that story was told right, if you're talking about Ambassadors in Arms, that's a, I think, a fantastic book. It was not written like a high school annual or something like that, it was written to tell a story rather than just all blood and guts and that sort of thing. There's a lot in there besides that. I took that job because, well, I think I knew more of the background than most of the other people.

LD: Why do you want their story to be told? What is the story you want to be told?

JL: Well, the story in Ambassadors in Arms is the story of the Japanese boys in Hawaii before the war, other people, not only them but their parents and all, and how this all came about that the 100th Battalion was ever formed, and, of course, this is what led to the 442nd. Then the book goes on to carry through the war, but not as much on the war actually as the prior years. And then at the end it tells about what these boys have done since they've come back, how they've come back and they've entered into politics, they've gone to law school, they've gone to medical school. Many, many professionals among, they've participated in government affairs, community service, they fit right in to the community and done an outstanding job in, rather than just staying to be... nothing wrong with a plantation worker, but they went to levels above that. And many of them were children of plantations. But the number of professional people, they've left their mark on Hawaii, not just from the war, but from what they've accomplished since the war.

[Interruption]

JL: Since coming back from the war they've lived by our motto for continuing service. They've improved themselves, they've gotten into community services, they have professional training so they're making real contributions in their life, they've gotten into politics, they help us run our government, they've just fit right into the community and have done everything. And I think they're continuing their service that is part of the 100th Battalion.