HONOLULU (KHON2) -- Four orphaned children from Osaka, Japan are set to arrive in Honolulu on Tuesday for a two-week visit to Hawaii, hosted by local military families as part of a long tradition.
An arrival ceremony was held at noon on Tuesday at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport to welcome the children: Misaki (age 11), Sakura (12), Hajime (11), and Keito (11).
This cultural exchange aims to foster international peace and understanding and is organized by 27th Infantry Regiment "The Wolfhounds" and Peace Bridge, a non-profit.
The program dates back to 1957 when Master Sgt. Hugh O'Reilly and Hawaii-based soldiers adopted the Osaka orphanage after World War II, establishing the longest military-civilian partnership in the history of the U.S. Army.