Members of the 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans thanked Gov. Linda Lingle yesterday for releasing two grants in support of Hawai'i's veterans, as well as for her continued support for Hawai'i's troops.

Robert Arakaki, 85, and Kenneth Otagaki, 91, presented the governor with a medallion engraved with the 100th Infantry Battalion's emblem at the State Capitol Executive Chambers. A limited number of medallions were presented to war veterans last year to commemorate the unit's 65th anniversary.

"We wanted to drop by to show our appreciation for what she has done for our veterans organization," said Arakaki, president of the group.

"World War II didn't much affect her but we are touched that she still remembers the veterans," he said. "She has participated in a lot of our events and she's doing a good job."

In April last year, the governor released $1 million to fund internal operations at the 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans clubhouse, soon to include a multimedia learning center.

A month later, the governor released a separate grant of $500,000 for the development of an apartment project adjacent to the clubhouse on 520 Kamoku St. The apartment project will provide affordable housing for veterans and others in the community.

According to project director Mimi Nakano, the learning center will include books and oral histories from veterans of the famed 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry, the most highly decorated combat unit in U.S. Army history.

"It will be a place where students, researchers and the community can come together to learn about the service of the nisei," said Nakano, whose father was a veteran.

The money will "enable more global interaction by allowing us to answer inquiries about the 100th that we get from around the world," she said.

Fewer than 400 veterans from the 100th Infantry Battalion are still alive, according to Amanda Stevens, certified grants specialist for the 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans. Most of the remaining veterans are well into their 90s, she said.

More than 1,400 soldiers constituted the 100th Infantry Battalion, predominately comprised of second-generation, Hawai'i-born Japanese-Americans. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team, eventually combined with the 100th Infantry Battalion, was also comprised of Japanese-Americans, from both Hawai'i and the Mainland.

Despite enduring racial discrimination in the United States, the soldiers gained a reputation for their bravery, determination and willingness to serve their country.

The unit earned the nickname "the Purple Heart Battalion" after suffering heavy casualties in Italy and France.

"We are the ones who should be thanking you," said Lingle, who called the 100th Infantry veterans a "very special group of veterans" with great significance to the nation and state.

Deputy Adjutant General Brig. Gen. Gary Ishikawa of the Army National Guard also thanked the veterans for their service.

"In my eyes these veterans are real heroes. They are not only the most decorated unit but they are very humble and appreciative," he said. "We owe them a lot of aloha and mahalo."