This year’s scholarship was established byVietnam War veteran, Tak Furumoto, his wife Carolyn, and Tak’s sister, Dr. Margie Sakimura, in honor of their brother-in-law, Hiroshi Hamai, a US Army Veteran who served during the Korean War.
Hiroshi grew up in the San Luis Obispo area of central California. In his youth, he enjoyed fishing, hunting, and making model airplanes. He loved all sports, especially baseball. However, when Hiro was 12 years old, he and his family were incarcerated in the Poston, Arizona Japanese internment camp during World War II. Hiro’s mother sadly passed away during their imprisonment. His older sister, Amy, stepped up to care for her 4 brothers. His older brother, Kaz, eventually joined the war, serving in the 442nd Infantry and would later receive a Congressional Medal of Honor.
Hiro would go on to serve as a corporal in the U.S. Army in the Korean War, earning a Bronze Star for his service. Upon returning to Los Angeles after the war, he worked as a foreman in a plastics manufacturing plant until his retirement.
Hiro helped support his family financially and emotionally throughout his lifetime. Among those he helped was the Furumoto family, including Tak, Maggie, and other family members when they returned from Hiroshima, Japan in May 1956.
Hiro married Mary Katsumi Furumoto in 1956, raising 3 children together. He continued with his love of fishing and sports and found a new hobby – gambling at the casinos – in the 1990s. He also developed a love for cars and was proud of his 1957 Chevy Bel Air. Hiro’s legacy and joy were spending time with his five grandchildren, and he had looked forward to getting to know his great-grandson. He passed away in California on February 4, 2023, at the age of 97. He claimed that the secret to a long life was “eating all the meat and junk food you want”, including sweets for breakfast daily.
Tak Furumoto is grateful to his brother-in-law, Hiro Hami, for “allowing us to be educated so we can dream the American Dream. We dared (to dream) and accomplished our objectives because of him. Hiro was truly our hero.”
