Click here for updates on this story
HI (KITV) — September 27th is officially “Pigs From the Sea Day.”
Governor David Ige commemorated the efforts of seven Okinawans who helped raise money to buy and ship more than pigs aboard a ship from Oregon to Okinawa in back in 1948.
The commemoration honors Hawaii’s role in helping Okinawa recover from one of World War II’s bloodiest battles.
The war left civilians starving and fighting for their lives after farmlands were destroyed.
Jon Itomoura’s grandfather was one of the men hailed as a hero for helping in the recovery efforts.
“Maybe the next crisis will be here in Hawaii and Okinawa will be helping Hawaii. In the end it promotes peace, 70 years of peace,” Jon Itomura said.
The pigs helped get the pig farming industry back on its feet becoming a symbol of the strong relationship between Okinawa and Hawaii.
A statue commemorating the initial life saving shipment of the pigs from the sea was recently put up in Uruma City in Central Okinawa.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
