Japanese orphans visit isles as tradition lives on

Schofield Barracks soldiers and their families welcomed three Japanese youngsters at Honolulu Airport on Tuesday, continuing a 6-decade-old friendship between a Hawaii-based Army unit and an Osaka orphanage.

The children, 11 and 12 years old, are being treated to a nine-day Hawaii vacation by Peace Bridge Inc., a nonprofit group affiliated with Schofield’s 27th Infantry Regiment "Wolfhounds." The group is funded by regiment families

It is the 54th year the unit is hosting children from Holy Family Home in Osaka.

"I was selected as a representative (from the orphanage), so I wanted to enjoy this trip for my friends who couldn’t make it," Kohei Nada, 11, said through a translator.

Nada is joined by Kana Tsujino, 12, and Yui Sawada, 11, of Holy Family Home in Osaka, for their Hawaii home-stay experience.

The 25th Infantry Division Band played Journey’s "Don’t Stop Believin’" at the airport as soldiers and their families piled lei on the children until they reached their eyes.

Four families, mostly from the 27th Infantry Wolfhounds, will take turns housing the children during their stay.

Program participants are selected based on who has made the most progress with their personal growth, which is not limited to academic progress, program volunteer Maura Dolormente said.

The relationship between the Army unit and the orphanage began after World War II, when Sgt. Maj. Hugh O’Reilly and a dozen other Wolfhound soldiers visited Holy Family Home with a Red Cross field representative.

"Right after the war, he was ordered to visit one of the orphanages, and the place — you can just imagine the terrible conditions," Yuko O’Reilly, Hugh O’Reilly’s widow, said Tuesday.

"It was Christmas time, and he saw the children and their hungry faces, and in the cold. He said, ‘Anyone with a human heart has to do something,’ and the Wolfhounds donated money and food to the orphanage," she said.

In 1957 the Wolfhounds began hosting children from the orphanage to travel to Hawaii and stay with their families.

1st Sgt. Raymond Malcolm and his wife, Kelly, said they volunteered to host a child because it was the right thing to do.

"How could you not volunteer?" Kelly said. "We signed up right away."

Their son Brandon, 12, said he is looking forward to playing baseball, spending time outdoors and taking Kohei to Turtle Beach and Waikiki.

"We will probably spend the rest of the day relaxing," Brandon said.

Most of the itinerary is set, including a tour of Schofield Barracks and family picnics and potlucks. The youngsters will also visit the Polynesian Cultural Center and Dole Plantation as part of their schedule. The children return to Japan Aug. 4.