Memorial joins Hawaii and Japan

Associated Press

HONOLULU — Japanese fishing students who survived their boat’s collision with a U.S. nuclear submarine gathered Saturday with family and government officials to remember the nine men and boys who died.

Gov. Ben Cayetano called a memorial to the nine a testament to the "heartfelt feelings of hope and sorrow" that the people of Hawaii have toward the victims.

Nine of 35 students, teachers and crew from the Uwajima Fisheries High School died aboard the Ehime Maru when the USS Greeneville surfaced beneath the trawler on Feb. 9, 2001, sinking it in 2,000 feet of water about nine miles south of Oahu.

Eight of the nine bodies were recovered.

The memorial is constructed of nine black granite blocks engraved with the outline of the ship; the Uwajima Fisheries High School emblem; the names, titles and ages of the victims; and a map showing the accident site, site of the Navy’s recovery effort, the ship’s final resting place and Aloha Tower.

An anchor from the Ehime Maru rests atop the granite blocks.

The U.S. Navy was represented at the ceremony by Rear Adm. Robert Willard, deputy commander in chief and chief of staff of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. He did not address the crowd of about 300 people, but did place a flower on the memorial.

Yuka Mizuguchi, whose son was among the four 17-year-old students who died, spoke on behalf of the victims’ families. The body of Takeshi Mizuguchi was never found.

"Although Japan and Hawaii have legal and cultural differences, let this memorial be a symbol of how we meet halfway," he said. "Hereafter, this memorial will become a beacon of our hearts."