Born in Truk under Japanese rule in 1927, Kimiuo's compassion for Japanese navy and army men during the war years later led him to revere the underwater graveyards and the souls entombed within the sunken ships. Hundreds of visiting divers reveled in hearing Kimiuo "talk story" about Operation Hailstone.
His hospitality and caring nature endeared him to strangers who felt they were not just tourists, they had become a part of his extended family. Despite hosting the diving world's greatest celebrities, Kimiuo always remained a humble man.
When Kimiuo died in 2001 at the age of 73, he left a diving legacy unmatched anywhere else in the world.