From humble beginnings, Ben Kodama has risen to become a true ambassador for the orchid industry in Hawai'i. As an orchid breeder, judge and owner of a successful orchid nursery, Kodama has risen to the top of the orchid world.

Benjamin Kodama was born in Hilo in 1925. His father, Takami Kodama, was one of the orchid pioneers in Hawai'i and founded the Kodama Orchid Nursery. As a teenager, Ben Kodama's job was to pull weeds and clean pots for a whopping 10 cents an hour.

In 1941, Kodama began working for the U.S. Engineering Department and enlisted to serve in the highly decorated 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 88th Division in Italy; he was discharged in 1946.

After the passing of his father, Ben Kodama took over the family's orchid business, working at the nursery part time while earning his degree at the University of Hawai'i.

In 1947, Kodama became involved with several orchid institutions: the American Orchid Society, Orchid Digest and the Honolulu Orchid Society. He later became president of the Honolulu society and served five terms.

Over the years, he had received all of the major awards bestowed by the society and became an honorary judge. Under his leadership, the membership of the Honolulu Orchid Society rose to 1,200 members.

With Kodama leading the way as show chairman, Hawai'i played host to the second World Orchid conference in 1957. More than 20,000 people from around the world attended. His vanda Waipuna "Kodama" won the best-in-show award. To this date, it has been the only Hawai'i-bred orchid to receive this prestigious award.

Throughout the years, Kodama has been kept busy by registering more than 500 orchid hybrids. Most notably, years before the invasion of foreign-bred orchids, Kodama had the foresight to develop a branding method to recognize orchids bred in Hawai'i. Many of his hybrids contain the name "Hawaiian," so that people know that the orchid is a high-quality product that was created in Hawai'i.

In 1976, Kodama achieved the highest status for judging, judge emeritus for the American Orchid Society.

In 1990, Kodama was honored by the American society with the Silver Medal Award, and in 1996, the Benjamin Kodama Dendrobium Alliance Award was established. This award is given to the most outstanding dendrobium orchid chosen each year by the American Orchid Society.

The Orchid Digest also recognized Kodama by awarding him its highest award, the Award of Recognition. Later, the International Phalaenopsis Alliance made him a charter member and bestowed on him an Award of Distinction.

Most recently, on May 5 in Arlington, Texas, the American Orchid Society upgraded Kodama's previous Silver Medal Award to the Gold Medal of Achievement.

Tomorrow at 1 p.m., at the Kaimuki Orchid Show, Kodama will be presented with his newest award. Please come and join the commemoration and meet this pioneer.

Along with its orchid display, the Kaimuki Orchid Society will have a special display of Kodama's orchid awards.

Other activities include free repotting help, lectures, drawings, and of course, a plant sale.

Scot Mitamura will lecture on orchid culture at 2 p.m. tomorrow. He is an orchid horticulturalist for the Honolulu botanical gardens. Reach him at hbg@honolulu.org.