Ernest Isao Murai

When Pearl Harbor was attacked and war declared, Murai stepped up to become the chairman of the territory's Emergency Services Committee (ESC).

In 1942, Murai and his wife Hazel volunteered to escort 132 Japanese nationals from Hawaii across a potentially hostile US mainland to North Carolina to be repatriated to Japan.

[4] Murai's leadership status in these organizations led to a lifelong friendship with the future, thrice elected Governor of the State of Hawaii John A.

[6] Earlier In 1951, Burns and his group pushed to have Murai appointed to the police commission and several years later he was elected to the Democratic National committeeman seat.

[7][8] Because of his role on the Democratic National Committee and his support for the election of John Kennedy, Murai was appointed as the US Collector of Customs for Hawaii in 1961, a post he held for 12 years.

This a picture of Hawaii Governor John Burns with his wife Beatrice with Hazel and Ernest Murai.
After working together during World War II, the Murais and Burns maintained their friendship during Burns' governorship.