D Company
Tadayoshi Hamasaki was born in Kipahulu, Maui. His family lived in several different places on Maui – Waihee, Waikapu, Lahaina, and Wailuku. The fourth of eight children, Hamasaki had to quit school after the 8th grade to help his family. After the war, he went back to school and earned his GED.
An original member of the 100th (D Company), he was inducted into the Hawaii National Guard on March 25, 1941. His youngest brother, Kazuichi, later joined the 442nd. In Italy, Hamasaki was severely injured by a bomb blast which threw him across the room. He was in a body cast for six months. While recuperating in a Battle Creek, Michigan hospital, he met his future wife Mary through a friend.
When he was young, Hamasaki played softball. After the war, he continued to play softball on Maui in the “old man’s league.” He also enjoyed fishing, especially for ulua, was considered a “jack of all trades” and had a green thumb.
Hamasaki was a very quiet and kind man who took good care of his family. He played mahjong on Sundays, but always took his family to eat saimin for lunch and then returned to continue playing. His friends called him Taddy and knew he was always willing to help them out.
His wife Mary called him Ted and nursed him as he endured severe medical problems during the last seven years of his life.
Read the newpaper article by Ben Tamashiro, Mary Hamasaki: Unbreakable Spirit.
![Tadayoshi Hamasaki stands in front of the barracks at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, 1942. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_014.jpg "Tadayoshi Hamasaki stands in front of the barracks at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, 1942. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Company C soldiers pose together in Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_002.jpg "Company C soldiers pose together in Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Soldiers on Cassino, Italy hillside, 1944 [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_003.jpg "Soldiers on Cassino, Italy hillside, 1944 [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Three soldiers pose for a photo in Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_006.jpg "Three soldiers pose for a photo in Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Three soldiers pose for a photo in their winter gear, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_007.jpg "Three soldiers pose for a photo in their winter gear, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![A soldier reads a newspaper outside a dugout in Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_008.jpg "A soldier reads a newspaper outside a dugout in Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![100th Infantry Battalion chow time in Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_009.jpg "100th Infantry Battalion chow time in Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Soldiers take some down time on a Cassino hillside, Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_010.jpg "Soldiers take some down time on a Cassino hillside, Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Tadayoshi Hamasaki poses in front of a tent in camp. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_tadayoshi_016x.jpg "Tadayoshi Hamasaki poses in front of a tent in camp. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Soldiers rest in Cassino, Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_011.jpg "Soldiers rest in Cassino, Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Three soldiers catch up on the news while in a trench in Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_012.jpg "Three soldiers catch up on the news while in a trench in Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Tadayoshi Hamasaki poses with his rifle. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_013.jpg "Tadayoshi Hamasaki poses with his rifle. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Tadayoshi Hamasaki stands in front of his tent. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_015.jpg "Tadayoshi Hamasaki stands in front of his tent. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Tadayoshi Hamasaki on the beach with some men of the mortar platoon in the background. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_021.jpg "Tadayoshi Hamasaki on the beach with some men of the mortar platoon in the background. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Soldiers perform housekeeping duties at their camp in Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_029.jpg "Soldiers perform housekeeping duties at their camp in Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![100th Battalion soldiers pose for a photograph in the forest. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_031.jpg "100th Battalion soldiers pose for a photograph in the forest. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![100th Battalion soldiers pose for a photograph in the forest. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_032.jpg "100th Battalion soldiers pose for a photograph in the forest. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Eight soldiers pose for a photograph in the forest. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_tadayoshi_039x.jpg "Eight soldiers pose for a photograph in the forest. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Eight soldiers pose for a group photo. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_tadayoshi_052x.jpg "Eight soldiers pose for a group photo. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Squad #3 soldiers from the 100th Battalion in Wisconsin. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_tadayoshi_038x.jpg "Squad #3 soldiers from the 100th Battalion in Wisconsin. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Soldiers relax during some down time from fighting in Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_034.jpg "Soldiers relax during some down time from fighting in Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Tadayoshi Hamasaki and fellow soldier pose in the streets of Cassino, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_036.jpg "Tadayoshi Hamasaki and fellow soldier pose in the streets of Cassino, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Three soldiers sit on a utility vehicle in Italian camp, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_043.jpg "Three soldiers sit on a utility vehicle in Italian camp, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Soldiers disembark from transport vehicles with their belongings. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_045.jpg "Soldiers disembark from transport vehicles with their belongings. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Soldiers prepare the pig to roast after their reception in Maui, July 1940. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_050.jpg "Soldiers prepare the pig to roast after their reception in Maui, July 1940. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![100th Bn. soldiers help build the barracks at Camp McCoy, 1942. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_059.jpg "100th Bn. soldiers help build the barracks at Camp McCoy, 1942. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Four soldiers take leave in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, 1942. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_060.jpg "Four soldiers take leave in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, 1942. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Soldiers gather around for a meal. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_tadayoshi_027x.jpg "Soldiers gather around for a meal. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Soldiers gather in the rubble of an Italian city, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_066.jpg "Soldiers gather in the rubble of an Italian city, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![A soldier sits on rubble in Cassino, Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_067.jpg "A soldier sits on rubble in Cassino, Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Red Cross women pass out doughnuts and coffee to 100th Battalion soldiers in Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_068.jpg "Red Cross women pass out doughnuts and coffee to 100th Battalion soldiers in Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![A Red Cross woman talks to the troops, Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_069.jpg "A Red Cross woman talks to the troops, Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Soldiers show off shrapnel in Cassino, Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_079.jpg "Soldiers show off shrapnel in Cassino, Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![A soldier squats next to a mortar shell in Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_mary_77.jpg "A soldier squats next to a mortar shell in Italy, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Soldiers prepare the pig to roast after their reception in Maui. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_tadayoshi_049x.jpg "Soldiers prepare the pig to roast after their reception in Maui. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![3rd Platoon of Company D in Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, 1942. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_tadayoshi_055x.jpg "3rd Platoon of Company D in Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, 1942. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Three soldiers catch up on the news while in a trench in Italy. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_tadayoshi_025x.jpg "Three soldiers catch up on the news while in a trench in Italy. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Soldiers rest on a Cassino hillside. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_tadayoshi_024x.jpg "Soldiers rest on a Cassino hillside. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Tadayoshi Hamasaki poses in front of a Christmas tree in La Crosse, Wisconsin, November 28, 1942. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_tadayoshi_017x.jpg "Tadayoshi Hamasaki poses in front of a Christmas tree in La Crosse, Wisconsin, November 28, 1942. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![100th Battalion soldiers gather around a mortar. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_tadayoshi_033x.jpg "100th Battalion soldiers gather around a mortar. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Soldier stands near a tree in camp, Italy. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_tadayoshi_044x.jpg "Soldier stands near a tree in camp, Italy. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Soldiers arrive to Maui after an induction reception, July 1940. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_tadayoshi_048x.jpg "Soldiers arrive to Maui after an induction reception, July 1940. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Soldiers overlook Cassino, January 9, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_tadayoshi_062x.jpg "Soldiers overlook Cassino, January 9, 1944. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Tadayoshi Hamasaki and friends drive a jeep through an Italian town. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_tadayoshi_040x.jpg "Tadayoshi Hamasaki and friends drive a jeep through an Italian town. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![Mortar Platoon gathers around to practice firing. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_tadayoshi_030x.jpg "Mortar Platoon gathers around to practice firing. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")
![A soldier squats next to a mortar shell in Italy. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]](https://www.100thbattalion.org/wp-content/gallery/hamasaki-tadayoshi/hamasaki_tadayoshi_064x.jpg "A soldier squats next to a mortar shell in Italy. [Courtesy of Mary Hamasaki]")