Daniel Akaka: “I rise to pay tribute to the 27th Infantry Regiment "Wolfhounds" for their 50 year relationship with the children of…”

“I rise to pay tribute to the 27th Infantry Regiment "Wolfhounds" for their 50 year relationship with the children of Holy Family Home of Osaka, Japan. This relationship is a symbol of the friendship and cooperation we have with the Japanese people. It has played an integral part in our lasting relationship with Japan and is a story that deserves to be told. Fifty years ago, Catholic nuns from the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul stood hopeless in the streets of a battered, war-torn Osaka, Japan, selling buttons and trinkets to the incoming occupation force soldiers in exchange for food. They were trying to keep orphaned children, who were living in abandoned, shabby, cold barracks, alive during most difficult conditions. Several Wolfhound regiment soldiers, including my friend Sergeant Hugh O'Reilly, saw the sisters' dedication and dilemma and took the news back to their headquarters. The men quickly organized to provide relief for the children.”