Brigadier General Thomas S. Ito

February 13, 2025

Brig. Gen. Thomas S. Ito assumed duties as the Assistant Division Commander, 29^th Infantry Brigade, Hawaii Army National Guard, in 1976. On a full-time basis, he was the Deputy Adjutant General, Department of Defense, State of Hawaii.

Ito was commissioned a 2^nd Lieutenant, Field Artillery, through the University of Hawaii’s ROTC program on June 1, 1952. He served in various command and staff positions. Command positions included Battery Commander for 483^rd Field Artillery Battalion and 298^th Missile Battalion (Nike Hercules), and Battalion Commander, 487^th Field Artillery Battalion. Staff positions were Assistant Chief of Staff, G4 and U.S. Property and Fiscal Officer for Hawaii.

EDUCATION

1952 University of Hawaii, Bachelor of Science, Education, Honolulu, Hawaii
1956 Battery Officers Course, Fort Bliss, Texas
1959 Air Defense Officers Course, Fort Bliss, Texas
1967 Command and General Staff Course, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
1973 Army Logistic Management Center, Fort Lee, Va.
1979 Defense Strategy Seminar, Fort Lesley J McNair, Washington D.C.

ASSIGNMENTS

21 June 1951 – 30 November 1954 Executive Officer, Battery B 483^rd Field Artillery Battalion
1 December 1954 – 4 October 1955 Headquarters Commander, 483^rd Field Artillery Battalion
5 October 1955 – 14 January 1959 Commander, Battery B, 158^th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion
15 January 1959 – 30 November 1962 Executive Officer, 2^nd Missile Battalion, 298^th Artillery (Nike Hercules)
1 December 1962 – 30 November 1966 Air Defense Staff officer, National Guard Bureau
1 December 1966 – 15 January 1970 Assistant Chief of Staff, G4 Hawaii National Guard
16 January 1970 – 19 September 1971 Battalion Commander, 487^th Field Artillery Battalion
20 September – 1 May 1973 Deputy Commander, 298^th Field Depot
2 May 1973 – 31 August 1976 U.S. Property and Fiscal Officer for Hawaii
1 September 1976 – 10 July 1980 Assistant Division Commander/Deputy Adjutant General Officer for Hawaii (full-time DAG, Department of Defense, State of Hawaii).
11 July 1980 – 31 October 1988 U.S. Property and Fiscal Officer for Hawaii

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Army Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit (with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster)
Meritorious Service Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Army Achievement Medal
Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal
National Defense Service Medal (with Bronze Star)
Humanitarian Service Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal
Army Service Ribbon
Hawaii National Guard Medal of Merit
Hawaii National Guard Commendation Medal
Hawaii National Guard Service Medal
Guam National Guard Distinguished Service Medal

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS

National Guard Association of the U.S. (Life Member)
Japanese American Veterans Association (Life Member)
Military Officers Association of America (Life Member)

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

Distinguished Service Medal, National Guard Association of the U.S.

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Second Lieutenant 1 June 1951
First Lieutenant 18 September 1954
Captain 1 October 1956
Major 13 March 1962
Lieutenant Colonel 30 August 1967
Colonel 20 March 1972
Brigadier General (Of The Line) 4 February 1977

Last updated February 2014

Legion of Merit 1967
1974
Promotion 1976
Promotion 1977
1988
Retirement 1988

MAJOR THOMAS S. ITO AWARDED LEGION OF MERIT

MAJOR THOMAS S. ITO (center) is congratulated by Major General Frcrncis S. Greenlief, Deputy Chief of the National Guard Bureau, after presenting him with the Legion of Merit Medal during ceremonies at the Pentagon as Mrs. Ito looks on.

(Picture from the 1967 Fall The Hawaii Guardsman)

In November 1962, Major Thomas S. Ito was selected by the National Guard Bureau for the position of Air Defense Staff Officer, Air Defense Branch, Army Organization and Training Division, the National Guard Bureau.

Those in the 2d Missile Battalion, 298th Artillery, of which Major Ito was the full-time supervisor, wished him good luck and a fond aloha as he departed for his new assignment. We knew he would do a good job. But Major Ito didn’t do just a good job; he did an outstanding job. His hard work did not go unnoticed.

On 9 June 1967, the President of the United States awarded the Legion of Merit, the Nation’s fifth highest award, to Major Ito for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services. His award reads in part:

“Major Thomas S. Ito, Artillery, distinguished himself by eminently meritorious service to the Government in positions of great responsibility during the period December 1962 to November 1966. Particularly noteworthy among his many singular accomplishments was his outstanding role in the planning for the implementation of the highly successful and unprecedented program for the integration of the Army National Guard missile units into the active air defense of the Continental United States, under operational control of the Army Air Defense Command.

“Much of the success of this program was due to the broad foresight, sound judgment, administrative excellence and overall professional ability displayed by Major Ito in coordinating and supervising the many related functions with interested agencies and the seventeen States involved.

“Major Ito’s thorough understanding of the objectives of the Army National Guard Air Defense Program, his keen appreciation of the possible implications of actions involved, and his faithful devotion to duty at considerable personal inconvenience has earned the high regard and admiration of all associated with him and reflects great credit upon himself, the Army National Guard, the National Guard Bureau and the United States Army.”

Major Ito is currently assigned as the G4, HARNG.

Aloha and mahalo, Major Ito, for a job very well done.
– 1967 Fall The Hawaii Guardsman pp. 5

NEW DUTIES - Col. Thomas S. Ito is the new U.S. Property and Fiscal Officer. He assumed his new duties in April. Col. Ito is married to the former Doris Kinoshita. The couple have three children. — NEW DUTIES – Col. Thomas S. Ito is the new U.S. Property and Fiscal Officer. He assumed his new duties in April. Col. Ito is married to the former Doris Kinoshita. The couple have three children.

Yoshimasu to Retire Sept. 1

Col. Ito Promoted to Deputy AG

By Sascha Saromines

PAO, Editor

Col. Thomas Ito

(Picture from the 1976 July Pūpūkahi)

Col. Thomas Ito, currently on active duty as the United States property and fiscal officer (USPFO) for the State, will be elevated to deputy adjutant general Sept. 1, Maj. Gen. Valentine Seifermann announced this month.

Ito will replace Brig. Gen. Edward M. Yoshimasu, who will retire this fall after 37 years of service.

Yoshimasu, 59, was appointed deputy adjutant general (DAG) July 16, 1974.

Since joining the Guard 25 years ago, Ito has held positions at every level of command, including a four-year tour at the Pentagon as Air Defense Staff Officer for the National Guard Bureau.

When asked how he feels about his new job, Ito replied: “I’m looking forward to the challenge of the job and contributing as much as I can to the efficiency and professionalism of the department.” . . .
– 1976 July Pūpūkahi pp. 1-2

Ito Promoted to Brigadier General

By 1st Lt. Gail Warok, Editor

Mrs. Doris Ito and Maj. Gen. Valentine A. Siefermann do the honors with the pinning of Brig. Gen. Thomas S. Ito.

(Picture from the 1977 March Pūpūkahi)

It was not the typical staff meeting that aloha Friday, as staff members gathered in the adjutant general’s office. They were there to congratulate HARNG’s newest general, just about to be pinned.

Brig. Gen. Thomas S. Ito, deputy adjutant general, was the last to enter the room, and did not expect to find his wife there, nor the cameras and reporters.

A momentous occasion for Ito, he had his stars pinned on him by his wife Doris and by Maj. Gen. Valentine A. Siefermann, adjutant general.

Ito now is the fourth general officer in the U.S. military service who is of Japanese-American ancestry. The others are Francis S. Takemoto and Edward M. Yoshimasu (Army National Guard, retired), and Theodore Kanamine (Army).

On Sept. 1, 1976, Ito became the deputy adjutant general for the State Department of Defense. His promotion to brigadier general was official on Feb. 4.

In expressing his feelings about his promotion, Ito said: “I am reminded of a quote from Gov. Ariyoshi’s 1974 inaugural address—‘No man is an island, yet we are an island of men.’ This would all not be possible if it were not for the help of so many people in the Guard.”
– 1977 March Pūpūkahi pp. 1

Ida Replaces Ito as USPFO

Col. Thomas S. Ito

(Picture from the 1988 July – September Pūpūkahi)

There’s a new man in charge of all the departmental federal assets in Hawaii.

Col. Melvin M. Ida became the United States Property and Fiscal Officer as of Sept. 12, replacing Col. Thomas S. Ito.

. . .

Ito served on active duty at the National Guard Bureau, Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as an air defense staff officer and later as logistics officer for the USPFO-Hawaii. He served as drill status headquarters, acting chief of staff, and field artillery commander.

In September 1976, Ito was appointed the deputy adjutant general, Department of Defense, State of Hawaii. He was promoted to brigadier general in February 1977.

The general served as deputy until his appointment as USPFO-Hawaii in July 1980. He reverted back to colonel for his active-duty position until his retirement in October 1988.

Ito was a teacher with the Department of Education and Diamond Head School for children with hearing defects before working full time for HIARNG in the air defense program. He drilled at artillery and missile units as battery commander, battalion adjutant, operations and training officer, and executive officer.

Before starting his military career, Ito graduated from Mid-Pacific Institute in 1946 and completed college, receiving his commission, science degree, and Professional Teacher’s Certificate. He joined the Hawaii Army National Guard in June 1951.

During his 20-year military career, he received numerous awards and medals, including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster.

Ito is married to the former Doris Y. Kinoshita, and they have two daughters, Merrie and Alison, and a son, Wendell.

Ito will become retired Brig. Gen. Ito and plans to enjoy life.

By Stephen M. Lum

HIPAO

MILITARY FAREWELL TO BRIG. GEN. THOMASS. ITO- Hawaii's Army and Air National Guard bid Aloha to retiring Gen. Ito at ceremonies held Nov. 6, at Diamond Head Crater. Ito was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by Maj. Gen. Alexis T. Lum, state adjutant general. Ito served as the department's deputy adjutant general from September 1976 to June 1980 and as U.S. Property & Fiscal Officer from July 1980 till his retirement in October 1988. — MILITARY FAREWELL TO BRIG. GEN. THOMASS. ITO- Hawaii’s Army and Air National Guard bid Aloha to retiring Gen. Ito at ceremonies held Nov. 6, at Diamond Head Crater. Ito was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by Maj. Gen. Alexis T. Lum, state adjutant general. Ito served as the department’s deputy adjutant general from September 1976 to June 1980 and as U.S. Property & Fiscal Officer from July 1980 till his retirement in October 1988.

Brig. Gen. Thomas S. Ito received the Distinguished Service Medal during a military farewell/retirement ceremony, Nov. 6, 1988.