The Story of Hawaii Museum, located in the Maalaea Harbor Shops, is presenting two special sessions with Maui historian and author Deborah C. Pike: “Who Really Started the War in the Pacific?” is the topic of the Hawaiian History Evening on Friday, November 2 from 5-7pm and “Maui’s Heroes – 442nd” is the title of the Veteran’s Day presentation on Sunday, November 11 from 3-5pm. Live Hawaiian music and light refreshments are included. An admission donation of $10 is requested for each presentation.
For Hawaiian History Evening, Friday November 2, Pike will talk about the real story of how the US got into World War II . She will also discuss the back story of the Japanese reason for declaring war, not just on America but on all of the Pacific Islands and coastal countries surrounding the Pacific. She will touch on some of the European countries who helped the Japanese get started in building their military (e.g. the British built the largest ship in the Japanese navy).
On Veteran’s Day, Sunday November 11, Pike will feature some of her research about the famed 442nd. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team of the United States Army was a fighting unit composed almost entirely of American soldiers of Japanese descent who volunteered to fight in World War II even though their families were subject to internment. The 442nd fought with uncommon distinction in Italy, southern France, and Germany and is considered to be the most decorated infantry regiment in the history of the US Army. The 442nd was awarded eight Presidential Unit Citations and twenty-one of its members were awarded the Medal of Honor for World War II. Pike has written about the subject and interviewed some of the families, including the son of a Medal of Honor winner.
Pike holds a BA in Anthropology from the University of New Orleans and Master of Military History from Norwich University in Vermont. She is currently doing research for a book about the ship her father served on in World War II, the heavy cruiser USS New Orleans. “He was at Guadalcanal, Saipan, and Tinian… I want to honor him and the men on that ship.” says Pike, “I am looking for anyone who served on CA-32, or who had a relative who served on it.” A 25-year resident of Maui, Pike also works as a probation officer.
The Story of Hawaii Museum tells the tale of the Islands in a new way — through historic maps, charts, documents, and artifacts. The display begins with the Polynesian migrations of prehistory. It continues with examples of maps from the European voyages of exploration, the mapping of the Kingdom of Hawaii, as well as maps made during missionary and plantation days. It also includes examples of Hawaii maps from the Territorial period through World War II and statehood to the present.
Located in the Maalaea Shops near the Maui Ocean Center, the Story of Hawaii Museum is open daily from 10am to 5pm. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for children under twelve years old, and includes a DVD about the mapping of Hawaii. Docent-led tours are $10 per person.
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