It was September 1944, in the last year of the Second World War. Harayuki Tamamoto, who grew up north of Hilo, was 21 years old and recently inducted into the Army. He spent two weeks at the Helemano Army camp near Wahiawa before being transported by pineapple train car to Honolulu Harbor. There, the soldiers boarded a troop transport and set sail for San Francisco, where they would disperse to various Army bases for more training.

"A day out of Honolulu Harbor, I noticed that the guy above my bunk never got out of his bunk, always lying down," Tamamoto said. He offered to help him up to the top deck for some fresh air, but the man was so sick he couldn’t bear to move.

"There on, I always brought him apples, oranges, biscuits, bread and whatever I could get hold of. Many times I shared my meals with him," Tamamoto recalled.

When the ship got into port at California, Tamamoto realized that his friend would never be able to climb out of the ship’s hold three decks below, lugging his big duffel bag. He was just too weak after a week of seasickness.

"I slung my duffel back on to my shoulder, grabbed hold of his bag and struggled up to the top deck. Once on the top deck he thanked me gratefully and that was the last I saw of him."

After serving in the Army, Tamamoto came home to Hawaii. He worked at the sugar mill at Ookala, got married and raised a family.

"About 30 years or so later, my first son, Warren, graduated from UH-Manoa medical school, so my wife and I flew over from Hilo to attend his graduation ceremony," Tamamoto said. "There in the gym before the ceremony started, Owen, my second son, approached me. He wanted me to meet his girlfriend Jan’s parents. I didn’t know he had a girlfriend till then."

When Tamamoto was introduced to Jan’s father, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

"I called out to him, ‘Eh, you the guy I fed on the troop ship on our way to mainland United States.’ He was very much surprised and said, ‘You the guy who fed me.’

"’Yes,’ I said. ‘I never forgot you all these years.’ We shook hands and he held on to me for some time."

The man was Bill Tanji of Kauai.

Not long after that reunion, Tamamoto’s son and Tanji’s daughter were married. The two soldiers who started out as Hawaii boys sailing into the unknown became more than friends. They became family.

For 30 years, they shared celebrations and family dinners — on land — until Tanji died in 1999. Tamamoto, now 88, was encouraged by friends at the Mililani Hongwanji to write down his story of friendship.

"Lesson learned," he wrote as his closing line, "always be nice to people whoever they are."

Lee Cataluna can be reached at lcataluna@staradvertiser.com.