Kendall J. Fielder

Brigadier General Kendall “Wooch” J. Fielder (August 1, 1893 – April 13, 1981) was an influential World War II veteran, who settled in Hawaii, and testified before Congress in favor of statehood. At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, then Lieutenant Colonel Fielder was the U.S. Army G-2 Chief of Intelligence and Security, under Col. Walter C. Phillips.

Fielder was a native of Cedartown, Georgia, and played football at Georgia Tech under coach John Heisman; graduating in 1916 with a degree in textile engineering. After graduation, Fielder was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

U.S. Army
In 1942, Colonel Kendall was involved in the formation of the Japanese-American Varsity Victory Volunteers, and flew to Washington, D.C. to persuade Gen. George C. Marshall to form the Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Kendall became known as the “Father of the 442nd”.

General Fielder asked Thomas Taro Higa to go to Okinawa during World War II to help convince the people of Okinawa to come out of the caves and surrender since Higa, was able to make a personal connection with them.

In December 1946, Colonel Fielder was elected as an honorary member of Club 100 (the 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans group).

According to Edgar Rice Burroughs, writing in Honolulu circa 1944, Fielder was an accomplished parlor magician, a member in good standing of the Society of American Magicians, and they occasionally played bridge.

Post Army
Retired Brig. Gen., Fielder served as a technical adviser for the 1953 film From Here to Eternity. In 1970, Bill Edwards played Colonel Fielder in the film Tora! Tora! Tora!.

From August 1, 1953 to August 10, 1954; Fielder served on the Honolulu Police Commission.