Ed Goto, 442nd RCT Veteran’s Club, Past President
People have different reasons for joining the Sons and Daughters (S&Ds). My wife, Genny, and I, started our journey by answering the call for help at the 50th Anniversary in 1993. S&Ds working together to make that entire event a success brought new friendships and a desire to continue working to preserve the legacy of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
There have been lots of S&D activities since that start. Anniversary banquets and memorial services, as well as Christmas parties, came up every year, of course, including Big Year anniversaries like the 55th, 60th and 65th.
But then there were also, among others: parade floats constructed (a personal “chicken skin” moment came when my dad rode on one), the VJ Day anniversary, marching in front of President Clinton, a reunion so big we held it at the Hawaii Convention Center, picnics on the DAV grounds at Keehi Lagoon, work to prepare an apartment to become the Archives and Learning Center, oral histories taken and assistance given to others doing the same, clubhouse and DAV building cleanups, displays built and put in place, a parade to honor our belated Medal of Honor recipients, Joint Memorial Services, seminars and community service activities, and lots and lots (and lots) of meetings.
There have been fun, exciting, and tiring times. There have been highs and lows, some very high, some very low. However, those of us who have been through it have formed close bonds, almost as close as those among our fathers. We also understand that our common purpose is to honor our dads and what they collectively did to ensure that we all had the opportunity to thrive as free citizens of our great country.
I hope you continue to visit our website and, eventually, to see you become an active participant in our efforts to serve our veteran fathers and to preserve, promote, and protect, their legacy.
