Go For Broke Bulletin, December 2009
The Go For Broke Bulletin is a quarterly publication of the 442nd Veterans Club. Here is the latest publication: October-December 2009
The Go For Broke Bulletin is a quarterly publication of the 442nd Veterans Club. Here is the latest publication: October-December 2009
The Go For Broke Bulletin is a quarterly publication of the 442nd Veterans Club. Here is the latest publication: Volume 62 Number 2: January – March 2010
The Go For Broke Bulletin is a quarterly publication of the 442nd Veterans Club. Here is the latest publication: Vol. 62, Number 3, April – June 2010
Aloha Members,
The Registration Packet for the 442nd RCT 82nd Anniversary Banquet is available here. Please read it carefully for deadlines. We look forward to seeing you there.
DATE: Saturday, March 29, 2025
TIME: 10am-1:30pm
PLACE: Hale Ikena, Fort Shafter
THEME: The War Is Over!
COST: $50 per ticket
DEADLINE: Check the attached Registration Packet
Feel free to share this with any of your ‘ohana or friends who may be interested in attending.
The 81st Anniversary Banquet was held at Hale `Ikena at Fort Shafter on Saturday, March 23, 2024. The event, themed “Vive la France,” was emceed by Micah Benavitz, high school social studies teacher at Mililani High School. A Guidon Processional was followed by a traditional Hawaiian oli, the colors and the Pledge of Allegiance. After a welcome by Wayne Kuwata and opening remarks by Karl Okemura several veterans and spouses were recognized: Roy Fujii, B Battery, 522nd Field Artillery Battalion, B Battery; Royce Higa, 522nd Field Artillery Battalion, A Battery; Cynthia Doi (Antitank Co.); Marian Kubota (L Co./MIS); and Laura Miho (522nd FAB, B Bty.) The highlight of the luncheon was the Presentation of La Légion d’honneur by Honorary Consul of France, Guillaume Maman, assisted by Jeffrey...
Continue ReadingFoundation Focuses Support on 442nd Archives & Learning Center
The 442nd Archives and Learning Center (Archives) was established to collect, preserve and interpret items related to the history of the 442nd RCT. Its collection consists of artifacts, photographs, publications and documents from World War II and includes postwar memorabilia relating to the 442nd Veterans Club. (more…)
Christine Sato-Yamazaki, Chairperson of the National Veterans Network writes: First and foremost, the National Veterans Network (NVN) extends it warmest congratulations to all 100th, 442nd and MIS veterans on the passage of the Congressional Gold Medal bill that recognizes your extraordinary accomplishments with the nation’s highest honor. With the passage of this bill, NVN will work in collaboration with all 22 organizations nationwide to begin the planning of the awards presentation in Washington DC. On behalf of NVN, I am pleased to provide you with our first planning update. The National Veterans Network (NVN) has launched its new web site – www.nationalveteransnetwork.com. This web site was designed to provide background and planning updates on the Congressional Gold Medal congressional ceremony that will take place in...
Continue ReadingRian of Seattle writes: I am Rian Ebesugawa and I live in Seattle although I grew up in Honolulu (McKinley grad Class of 1976). I am helping out with a small museum we are putting together at the Nisei Veterans Committee Hall here in Seattle. As part of the museum, we are getting a bazooka or M1A1 rocket launcher. As part of the display, we want to include a picture of Pvt. Henry Nakamura. Yank magazine published the photo in August of 1945. However, I think they spelled his name wrong and had is as Nakamora. From my research, there was no one by the name of Nakamora at all from Hawaii or the mainland. What I am interested in is any other information about...
Continue ReadingServices were held on Saturday, October 23, 2010, for retired U.S. Army Colonel Bert Nishimura at the Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin Temple in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The Go For Broke Bulletin is a quarterly publication of the 442nd Veterans Club. Here is the latest publication: Volume 62, Number 4, July-September 2010
The design process with the US Mint has officially begun. NVN with Christine as its official representative will serve as the authorized entity that will work with the US Mint on the design of the Congressional Gold Medal. The US Mint will commission several designers to come up with 3-4 designs to represent the contributions made by the 100th, 442nd and MIS.
December 23, 2010 Christine Sato-Yamazaki, Chairperson of the National Veterans Network writes: Dear Friends, 2010 was truly an exciting year for the 100th, 442nd and MIS who will receive the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal. We now look forward to a year of celebration in 2011. Here is the latest on the Congressional Gold Medal planning: National Veterans Registry Thanks to many of your efforts, NVN continues to receive a steady flow of registrant each week. Over the past month, our numbers have more than doubled. As of today, we now have 1,600 people who are interested in attending the celebration in Washington DC next year. The breakdown is as follows: 201 Veterans 61 Widows 13 Next of Kin of those deceased...
Continue ReadingThe following article was originally published in the Go For Broke Bulletin, Vol. XLVIII, No. 3, July-September, 1997. Under M Company’s “Mike Memoirs”, its contributors were Shiro Aoki, Mikers, Grace and Hiroshi Yamashiro, Dick Tochihara, and Yori and Shige Inouye. Meet Barney Hajiro For the heroic actions taken in the Vosges mountain in France, Barney Hajiro was recommended for the Medal of Honor. Like every other such recommendation the 100th/442nd had submitted it was downgraded to a DSC (Distinguish Service Cross). Now more than fifty years later, it is with high hopes that his DSC award will be upgraded to the Congressional Medal of Honor. To get better acquainted with Barney and some of his heroic deeds, excerpts from various publications are complied and reprinted...
Continue ReadingOn January 19th, Senator Inouye stopped by the 442nd Veteran’s Clubhouse in Honolulu to present to the veterans a copy of Senate Bill 1055, which awards the Congressional Gold Medal to the men of the 100th, 442nd, and MIS. A small reception was held in honor of the occasion, as veterans and family members showed up to greet the Senator.
The framed replica, along with one of the actual pens used in the signing of the bill, is on display at the 442 Clubhouse. Photos of the event compliments of Wayne Iha.
From the Go For Broke Bulletin Archives (1992), Mike Memories’ Reporter, Yori Inouye reminisces about M Co members. It starts with a beautiful and evocative poem by Pvt. Satoru Onodera.
Eileen Sakai reports on the “Face of the Enemy, Japanese Americans Struggle to Prove their Loyalty” exhibit that is now on display at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. MIS veteran, James Tanabe and his wife Yoshie are outspoken advocates for the accurate public portrayal of Japanese Americans. They arranged for the Exhibit Committee to meet with National Park Service officials to work out an agreement and design a small exhibit for the Pearl Harbor Visitors Center, focusing on the impact to Hawaii’s citizens of Japanese ancestry immediately following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In addition to construction of the new visitor center, the USS Arizona Memorial became a World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, under a new federal program. The new visitor...
Continue ReadingServices for Barney Hajiro was held on February 12, 2011 at 4:00 p.m. at Hosoi Mortuary. Burial with full military honors provided by the Army Reserve’s 100th Battalion/442nd Infantry was on February 14 at 11:30 a.m. at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. He passed away on January 21, 2011 at the age 94. He was a member of 442nd M Company and I Company and the recipient of the Medal of Honor. He was a retired Pearl Harbor Naval Base Security Guard. He is survived by wife Esther Y., son Glenn F., brothers Tokuro Hajiro and Umeo Hashiro, sister Pearl Yoshikawa and a grandchild.
The Go For Broke Bulletin is a quarterly publication of the 442nd Veterans Club. Here is the latest publication: Volume 63, Number 1, October-December 2010
The following tribute is in memory the veterans of the 100th/442nd RCT who have left us in 2010. It is with honor and gratitude that we dedicate our ongoing efforts to promote their legacy and all they stood for.
February 28, 2011 Christine Sato-Yamazaki, Chairperson of the National Veterans Network writes: Here is the latest on the Congressional Gold Medal planning: Speaker meeting: We finally secured a meeting with Speaker Boehner’s staff on March 22nd. We will be meeting with the Speaker’s Director of Scheduling and Special Events to begin discussion on the ceremony date, venue and attendee requirements. Since the U.S. Mint will not complete the minting of the Congressional Gold Medal until September (if all goes well), we are planning to push for an October ceremony date. We will also advocate for a large venue that accommodates 1,000 people, in the hopes that the Speaker will allow all registered living veterans, widows, next of kin of KIA and next of kin of...
Continue ReadingMarch 28, 2011 A press conference was held today on the grounds of Iolani Palace, Honolulu, Hawaii. Retired Major General Robert Lee provided an update on the Congressional Gold Medal Award events planned for both Washington DC and Hawaii. The press conference officially kicks off a fund-raising campaign for a gold medal celebration to be held at the Hawaii Convention Center on December 17, 2011. The event will include a parade through Waikiki, luncheon at the convention center, a video showing of the DC ceremony, and presentation of CGM replicas to all attending veterans. A number of veterans attended today’s press conference. March 28th is a special date. 68 years ago, over 10,000 people gathered at Iolani Palace to bid farewell to the men of...
Continue ReadingFrom the Go For Broke Bulletin Archives, here is an article on a tour of Italy and France taken in 2004 to see former battlefields and remember the the challenges that were faced and honor the memories of the fallen.
The Italian Phase of the Tour:
I could not resist the K Co sponsored tour – May 18 – June 3 – because I had promised myself I would one day make the pilgrimage to honor our buddies who fell along the way.
The 442nd RCT Foundation continues to focus its financial resources to supporting the 442nd Veterans Club Archives. Especially in light of the declining contributions in recent years, the Foundation’s board of directors has consciuosly established the 442 Archives and the collection efforts of the 442nd-related documents from the National Archives & Records Administration (NARA) by the Japanese American Veterans Association (JAVA) as its top funding priorities.
The National Veterans Network (NVN) has begun a fundraising campaign to support a two-day celebration event in Washington, DC in late fall 2011. The celebration commemorates and takes place around the awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal to the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and Military Intelligence Service members from World War II (WWII), three groups composed entirely of Japanese American soldiers. The funds raised during this campaign will. help to underwrite the expenses for both the veterans and the events that will recognize their service at a memorial service and a national gala dinner.
The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii held their 26th Annual Military Recognition Luncheon on May 19th at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. The program included a tribute to 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 100th Infantry Battalion. Five veterans from the 442nd and five from the 100th were among those honored at this luncheon. Representing the 442nd were Bill Thompson, Robert Uyeda, Joe Oshiro, Ed Yamasaki, and Takashi Shirakata. General David Bramlett, US Army (Ret.), spoke about the 100th/442nd and introduced each veteran.
Additional photos from the event can be found on the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii Facebook page.
The Go For Broke Bulletin is a quarterly publication of the 442nd Veterans Club. Here is the latest publication: Volume 63, Number 2, January – March 2011
Technical Sergeant Shinyei Rocky Matayoshi, 442nd RCT, Company G, was awarded today the Army’s Distinguished Service Cross at the Hall of Heroes, Pentagon. This is the 29th DSC awarded to the 100th Battalion/442nd RCT.
In addition to the DSC, Matayoshi’s awards include the Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, the Purple Heart Medal, the Distinguished Unit Citation and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.
The Washington Post recently printed images of the design finalists, with the final design to be determined later this summer by the US Mint.
On Sunday, June 26, 2011, the Kona Japanese Civic Association held its annual general membership meeting in Kealakekua, Kona. The all day affair featured various cultural exhibits as well as lots of food to eat. Over 400 gathered for this festive event. This year, the KJCA paid tribute to the World War II veterans living in Kona. The exhibits included a display regarding the Congressional Gold Medal Award. Several of the veterans participated in the event.
Here are the names of the remaining WWII veterans living in Kona:
Here is an article by Charley Ijima from the Go For Broke Bulletin Archives (Vol. XLVIII No.4) October – December 1997.
What was the 232nd Engineers role in World War II?
The 232nd Engineer company was a very unique outfit. This company was the only company in the 442 Regimental Combat Team that was comprised of 100% Nisei members. All the other companies had white officers in command positions.
Our company commander told us that he was given permission by the commander of the 442nd that he could pick and choose whoever he wanted from the Regiment’s roster to form this company.
The Go For Broke Bulletin is a quarterly publication of the 442nd Veterans Club. Here is the latest publication: April – June 2011
The Go For Broke Bulletin is a quarterly publication of the 442nd Veterans Club. Here is the latest publication: July – September 2011
The 442nd Veterans Club held it’s December Board of Directors meeting on Monday, December 5, 2011. The lunch meeting was held at the Maple Gardens Restaurant in Honolulu. In addition to normal business matters, the meeting also recognized the incoming officers for 2012. President Bill Thompson has elected to step down from his position after five years of superb leardership and representation of the Club. A job well done. Everyone at the luncheon expressed much appreciation for his efforts.
The new officers of the Club were sworn into their respective offices by George Nakasato, Chairman of the 442nd RCT Foundation. The officers for 2012 are:
Ron Oba: President
Wes Deguchi: 1st Vice President
Joe Oshiro: 2nd Vice President
Wade Wasano: 3rd Vice President
Takashi Shirakata: Treasurer
Esther Umeda: Secretary
(Photograph by Wayne Iha)
A short video was created by the Congressional Gold Medal Hawaii Committee to honor the veterans of the 100th, 442nd, and MIS in receiving the Nation’s highest civilian award. The video was presented as part of the CGM Hawaii luncheon held on December 17, 2011, to an audience of more than 3,000. The CGM Tribute was produced by Oz Go, director/writer of 1001 Stories.
The following tribute is in memory the veterans of the 100th/442nd RCT who have left us in 2011. It is with honor and gratitude that we dedicate our ongoing efforts to promote their legacy and all they stood for.
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The Go For Broke Bulletin is a quarterly publication of the 442nd Veterans Club. Here is the latest publication: Volume 64, Number 1, October – December 2011
A Tribute to the San Diego Japanese American Veterans of the 100th/442nd/MIS , “A Letter to Dad” video presented at the San Diego Congressional Gold Medal luncheon held on March 11, 2012.
Produced and directed by Robert P. Ito. Co-directed and narrated by Lane Nishikawa.
The Go For Broke Bulletin is a quarterly publication of the 442nd Veterans Club. Here is the latest publication: Volume 64, No. 2, January – March 2012.
Here is an article by Edgar Hamasu reflecting on the recent Congressional Gold Medal events. It was published in the Hawaii Pacific Press. Mitsuo “Ted” Hamasu, 100th Infantry Battalion Veteran, standing before his unit’s photo at the 100th Club House with brother Edgar Hamasu (on the right), Korean War Veteran and past President of Military Intelligence Veterans of Hawaii. Article courtesy of the Hawaii Pacific Press (January 15, 2012). Photo courtesy of Edgar Hamasu. SOME THOUGHTS ON THE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDALBy Edgar A. Hamasu, PresidentMIS Veterans Club of Hawaii Introductory Remarks. When the publisher of Hawaii Pacific Press asked me to write about the December 17th celebration, I quickly replied that I was not a WW II veteran. I served in Military Intelligence Service, but it...
Continue ReadingThe Go For Broke Bulletin is a quarterly publication of the 442nd Veterans Club. Here is the latest publication: : Volume 64, No. 3, April – June 2012.
The Go For Broke Bulletin is a quarterly publication of the 442nd. Here is the current publication: Volume 64, No. 4, July – September 2012
The Go For Broke Bulletin is a quarterly publication of the 442nd. Here is the current publication: Volume 65, No. 1, October – December 2012
The following tribute is in memory the veterans of the 100th/442nd RCT who have left us in 2012. It is with honor and gratitude that we dedicate our ongoing efforts to promote their legacy and all they stood for. (more…)
The Go For Broke Bulletin is a quarterly publication of the 442nd. Here is the current publication: Volume 65, No. 2, January – March 2013.
The Go For Broke Bulletin is a quarterly publication of the 442nd Veterans Club. Here is the latest publication: Volume 65, No. 3, April – June 2013.
Art Ishimoto San Francisco- November 11, 2013. The MIS Historic Learning Center held its opening day ceremonies after 25 years in the making. It began operations as the first MIS language school in 1941, a month before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Many dignitaries, veterans, and family members attended the ceremony. Maj. Gen. Arthur Ishimoto (Ret), a MIS veteran, delivered the following keynote speech: Building 640, The Presidio, San Francisco, California I was a member of the Military Intelligence Service during World War II. This building has a connection to all of us who served in the MIS. We began our long journey from here to prove we’re Americans. But first, let me remind you of our shameful and ugly history so that you can fully understand why so...
Continue ReadingLos Angeles – November 10, 2013. The Japanese American Museum in Los Angeles celebrated to opening of a new exhibit entitled, “Go For Broke: Japanese American Soldiers Fighting on Two Fronts.” The exhibit is part of an extensive collection held by writer and military historian, Eric Saul.
Saul was present at the ceremony and delivered the following speech:
Go For Broke:
Japanese American Soldiers Fighting on Two Fronts
I think we all felt that we had an obligation to do the best we could and make a good record. So that when we came back we can come back with our heads high and say, ‘Look, we did as much as anybody else for this country and we proved our loyalty; and now we would like to take our place in the community just like anybody else and not as a segregated group of people.’ And I think it worked.
– Nisei solder, Camp Shelby, Mississippi
Hawaii is our home; the United States our country… We know but one loyalty and that is to the Stars and Stripes.
We are gathered here today to talk about a group of men. Men who fought for their country and for their community. They were fighting two wars: a war against prejudice and racism at home and a war to literally save the world from tyranny. It has now been more than 70 years since the first Nisei committed themselves to the fight for democracy.
Many of these Nisei have passed from this world and are no longer here with us to tell us their story. Some of you Nisei are in the audience today, and I will be addressing my remarks today to you.
You were among the 1,550 brave young men who, in the words of President Harry S. Truman, “fought not only the enemy, but fought prejudice, and won.”
Who were you? First of all, you were Americans. You happened to be of Japanese Ancestry. You were called Nisei. You were second generation, born in the United States. Most were born in the 1920s.
Where were you from? You were from Hawaii, Ohau, Maui, Kawai. You were also from California, Oregon and Washington. You grew up on Honolulu, Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, the Paloma District, Fresno, Seattle, Portland and in hundreds of small farming towns in the Western United States. You lived in the Little Tokyos and Nihonmachis of the big cities on the West Coast. In Hawaii, you grew up on plantations, where you toiled in the hot sun, helping to harvest and process the sugar cane.
You went to schools like McKinley, Garfield, and Roosevelt High School, named after the great presidents.
You were raised to be Americans. As American as apple pie and hot dogs. You studied the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and American history. Every day, you pledged allegiance to the flag. You learned and were taught that you could aspire to anything that you dreamed. You were proud to call yourselves Americans. And you were proud to call yourselves Americans of Japanese Ancestry.
After school, you most often reluctantly attended Japanese language school. You resented having to sit in a classroom rather than playing baseball, football or basketball.
But from your parents and these schools, you learned some special values. you learned of giri and on…having a sense of duty and a debt of gratitude. You learned gamman…quiet endurance. Gambari…to persevere. you learned oyakoko…love of the family. You were taught kodomo no tame ni…the obligation for the family. You were taught enryo…humility. A sense of kansha…gratitude. Meiyo…honor. Hokori…to have pride. And haji…not to bring shame on the family.
They were values that even today we can aspire to.
As you grew up, you watched your parents slowly succeed in the small businesses, farms, fruit orchards and nurseries. You saw your parents make a foothold in America. Your parents were Issei, who came to Hawaii and the mainland in the years before World War I.
As Nisei, you witnessed the relentless prejudice of racism that you and your parents had to endure. You were aware that you were different, and that it would be harder for you to succeed than for your neighbors of European ancestry.
As you Nisei entered your teen years, you were acutely aware of the laws that prevented your families from enjoying the full fruits of American democracy. You were aware that your parents could never become citizens. Couldn’t vote. Couldn’t own land. And couldn’t live where they wanted. You young Nisei were aware of the suspicion, the rumors, and the innuendoes made against you. It hurt you and made you feel unrightfully ashamed of your ancestry.
This prejudice and racism was, unfortunately, not unique in American history and culture. Other minorities had suffered the blows and indignities of xenophobia. Native Americans, African Americans, the Chinese, Italians, the Irish, Germans in World War II, and members of the Hispanic community, among others.
Despite the racism, your Nisei generation kept its head held high, with the pride of being an American of Japanese Ancestry.
In the early 1940s, you Nisei were coming of age, graduating high school and getting ready to go to college. At the moment when you should have looked forward to a bright and improved future, disaster struck.
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was a brutal blow. You were soon reminded that your faces were not like other Americans—you had the face of the enemy and all that it represented.
Hundreds of you Nisei, from Hawaii and the mainland, raced to the recruiting offices. Your blood boiled with anger that the land of your parents would attack the United States. You knew that you could prove your loyalty by joining the fight.
But your country had unjustly lost faith in you. To your surprise and horror, you were told that your services were not wanted or needed. You were classified: 4C – enemy alien. When you heard “enemy alien,” you were discouraged, but you did not lose faith in a country that turned its back on you.
There were forces in the United States that would deal you and your families the cruelest blow ever. There was talk that you were disloyal, and that you even contributed to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. You were accused of being spies and saboteurs, secretly waiting to spring up and attack your own country.
Soon, there were people calling for the removal and imprisonment of the Japanese community in Hawaii and on the mainland. Those groups included the growers’ associations in the Imperial Valley and the Central Valley in California. They were chambers of commerce, city and state governments. They were the Elks Club, the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Native Sons and Daughters of the Golden West, and many other organizations.
You had few friends and advocates, and even less political power. Who would stand up to these ever-louder cries of “The Japanese Must Go!”
These voices of intolerance and bigotry were heard in the halls of Congress. Who could have imagined that the entire Congressional delegation of the West Coast could have overwhelmingly demanded your imprisonment. Soon, the Army and even the President of the United States fell victim to the irrational and unjust cries for removal of Japanese Americans from the West Coast.
The worst fears of the Japanese American community were realized on February 19, 1942, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. It was promulgated ostensibly to protect the West Coast under the false argument of “military necessity.” It didn’t specifically name Japanese Americans, but all those who wrote it, justified it, and implemented it knew it was targeted against Japanese Americans.
Soon, 110,000 Americans, many who had lived in the country for more than 60 years, were forcibly removed from their lands and businesses and homes. There were scarcely more than a few days to prepare. The economic loss was in the tens of millions of dollars. The loss to the Constitution and democracy was even greater. At a time when the laws protecting the rights of all citizens should have been the strongest, they buckled under the pressure of wartime hysteria, economic jealousy, greed, and expediency.
The wholesale removal of Americans from their property was a direct violation of every American tradition of law and justice.
The nation had turned its back on Japanese Americans. But Japanese Americans did not turn their back on their country.
Who would uphold the honor of the Japanese American community? Who would defend the principles of democracy and justice?
You, the young Nisei, many of you teenagers and in your early 20s.
It was you Nisei, yourselves, with your few friends in government and in the military, who petitioned for their right to serve in the Armed Forces. Many military officers felt that Japanese Americans could not be trusted bearing arms for the United States.
But cooler heads eventually prevailed and you Nisei were given the chance to defend democracy and fight the dual enemies of prejudice at home and the wartime enemies of democracy overseas. In 1942 through early 1943, after much soul searching, the Army lifted the ban and allowed the creation of first the 100th Infantry Battalion, from Hawaii, and later the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
You Nisei volunteered from Hawaii and even the very internment camps in the United States.
As you volunteered, your fathers advised you that this is your country, your loyalty must be to the United States. They told you: fight if you must and die if you must, but remember, don’t bring shame to your family, to the community, or to your country.
Thirty-three thousand of you Nisei served this country, with incredible honor and distinction, unmatched in the military history annals of the United States. You Nisei knew that much was at stake and that you were to fight with all of your resources, to once and for all prove, to those who doubted, the loyalty of your families and your community.
The 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team were segregated units. You fought in eight majors campaigns in Italy and France: Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno, Southern France, the Rhineland, North Apennines, Central Europe and the Po Valley. You liberated numerous towns and villages throughout Europe, including the Italian port city of Leghorn, and the strategic town of Bruyères, France.
You Nisei of the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team fought the toughest troops the Nazis could throw against you. They were battle-hardened troops from the Afrika Korps. SS troops, Panzer brigades, and soldiers from the Hermann Goering Division. You brave Nisei soldiers fought with the great divisions of the Fifth Army and the Seventh Army, including the 34th, 36th and 92nd Divisions. You fought courageously alongside the 10th Mountain Division and the 45th and 91st Divisions.
You Nisei soldiers earned about 4,000 Purple Hearts. 719 Nisei men made the ultimate sacrifice and were killed in action. The 100th/442nd suffered the highest combat casualty rate of any unit in World War II. There was a replacement rate of 314%. Ironically, many of those who were killed or wounded had volunteered from American concentration camps. You Nisei were awarded 18,143 individual decorations for bravery, including: 21 Congressional Medals of Honor, 52 Distinguished Service Crosses; 1 Distinguished Service Medal; 588 Silver Stars; 22 Legion of Merit medals; 19 Soldier’s Medals; 5,200 Bronze Stars and 14 Croix de Guerre, among many other decorations.
Incredibly, it became the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in the 238 year history of the United States Army. That record remains today. The 100/442 received an unprecedented eight Presidential Unit Citations.
The “Go For Broke” exploits of the Nisei 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team have been well publicized and recognized, and rightfully so, as the unsurpassed combat record of Japanese Americans who fought as an integral military unit in Italy and France. The Military Intelligence Service story, on the other hand, is one of numerous small units of Nisei soldiers who operated in teams of ten to twenty men assigned to every combat division, Army corps and every campaign in the war against Japan. You Nisei were on detached service to the U.S. Navy, Marines and Army Air Corps. You were assigned to the British, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, Chinese and Indian combat units.
It is also the story of much larger groups of Nisei who served at intelligence centers at army and area headquarters level. Three main intelligence centers were operated, in the Southwest Pacific Area under General Douglas MacArthur, the Central Pacific Ocean Area under Admiral Chester Nimitz, and the China-Burma-India Area (CBI) under General “Vinegar Joe” Stilwell.
Through it all, as indispensable translators of captured enemy documents, interrogators of enemy POWs and persuaders of enemy surrender, you Nisei were superbly effective. You also worked laboriously over tons of enemy documents—maps, battle plans, diaries, letters, records, manuals—at area headquarters, producing voluminous intelligence of all sorts that affected Allied strategy and operations.
From the frozen tundra of Attu, to the coral atolls of the Pacific, the jungles of New Guinea, the Philippines and Burma, the lava terrain of Iwo Jima and the bloodied escarpments of Okinawa, you Nisei were everywhere, obtaining intelligence from enemy documents, POWs and enemy communications, and calling upon the enemy to surrender. When needed, you operated behind enemy lines and parachuted on assignments without real parachute training. In Burma and elsewhere, you crept to within hearing distance of enemy troops to learn their movements, at times tapping and listening to the enemy’s telephone communications.
Major General Charles Willoughby, G-2, intelligence chief of MacArthur’s command, is credited with stating that you Nisei shortened the Pacific war by two years and saved a million American lives.
You might aptly use the words of Winston Churchill and state that “never had so many owed so much to so few.”
When the war ended in August of 1945, the work was not over for you Nisei, for now you were needed to bridge the language and cultural gap in the Allied Occupation of Japan. You did, performing again an indispensable role.
The U.S. occupation of Japan was one of the most benevolent and benign in world history. You Japanese Americans helped write new laws and create new institutions. You helped in the institution of the modern Japanese constitution. You helped institute progressive land reforms and civil rights for Japanese women. One of the reasons Japan is the modern nation that it is today is due to the role of you Japanese Americans in facilitating the transition from a military state to a democratic one. More than 5,000 Japanese Americans worked in Japan during the occupation, from 1945 to 1952.
For you Nisei of MIS, further, there was a certain compassionate dilemma to be resolved in your hearts and minds. Being Japanese by blood, whose parents had come from Japan, you would literally be fighting your kin, but your loyalty to country had to be upheld. You had been taught at home, “To thy parents be truly respectful and to thy country be utterly loyal.”
I had, myself, the honor to interview a number of you Nisei soldiers. I asked you, “Why did you volunteer for the Army?” Over and over again, you told me “It was so that my parents, my family, and my children could have a better life than I had.” You did it so that the racism that existed so prominently on Hawaii and the West Coast would be ended. You fought and sacrificed so that you would never have your loyalty questioned again.
You Niseis not only helped win the war overseas, but also helped win the war at home against prejudice, intolerance and misunderstanding.
Indeed, your children and all of us are the beneficiaries of this incredible wartime military history.
Because of the wartime service of you Nisei soldiers, the 500 laws in California and Hawaii that stood against Asians were struck down. You Nisei saw your parents become citizens in 1954. You saw your parents vote for the first time and actually own their own land. You saw your children succeed in business and the professions. You saw your comrade soldiers become legislators and political leaders, advancing the cause of civil rights for other minorities and groups in America.
You might say you Nisei were the greatest generation within the greatest generation.
When you Nisei came home from the war, you didn’t tell your wives, your families, or your children of your wartime experiences. The reasons were many. Because of the painful loss of your friends, the trauma of war, and because of your value of enryo—humility.
In 1988, after a long period of soul-searching, America apologized to the Japanese American community for its failures during the war. The very act that promulgated this reconciliation with democracy was named House Resolution 442, after the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
In 2000, 20 long-overdue Medals of Honor were awarded to Nisei in a ceremony at the White House.
One of the most remarkable legacies came after September 11, 2001. I remember clearly watching the news when President George Bush, standing alongside his Secretary of Transportation, Norman Mineta, assuaged the fears of Arab Americans by saying that we were not going to repeat the mistakes of the past and that Arab Americans had nothing to fear from their country.
In 2011, the Congress of the United States ordered its highest award, the Congressional Gold Medal, to you Nisei soldiers of World War II.
As former Army Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki said, “We stand on the shoulders of giants.”
A few years ago, I remember speaking to one of my K Company friends, Tosh Okamoto, and he said to me, “You know, the awarding of the Medals of Honor to our boys is sort of the icing on the cake. I’ve sort of been angry for a long time at my country and what happened to us during the internment. Getting redress and the apology, and having the country recognize my buddies, lifted a cloud from my head. I now really feel like I’m truly American, and it was all worth it.”
Let us all remember and learn from these great men, the 33,000 Nisei who fought their precious war 70 years ago and won their place in history.
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Sgt Masa Sakamoto was from Northern California. He was killed in Sospel. I was told to go up and get his body and bring it down. We had a little service in the cave there and it was my duty as the Chaplain to search his pockets in order to get everything home that can be sent home. I found a letter…all of his brothers were in the army in Japan…some vandals in California had burned down his father’s home and barn in the name of patriotism. And yet this young man had volunteered for every patrol that he could go on. You know, you can’t give a medal high enough for a man like that. We don’t realize how much these boys in California had to go through…to find a letter like that and his going out on a patrol and being killed.
– Chaplain Hiro Higuchi, 2nd Battalion 442nd RCT
We were one well-trained unit. We knew exactly what these guys are gonna do. We knew they not gonna bug out on you, they gonna protect you. So that’s why we don’t have any outstanding heroes. We never leave a guy out there by himself. We’ll be all together. We fought as a unit. We would never leave a guy out there flat by himself and come back. We would fight together till we get everybody out or take our objective. As simple as that. A lot of times if you have an organization where you leave a guy out there by himself, the rest of the guys pull away, you gonna have a problem. You have trouble later on. But we never did that. We always stayed together and fought as a team.
Los Angeles – November 25, 2013. Scott Fujita, recently retired from the National Football League, after playing 11 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, The New Orleans Saints, the Dallas Cowboys and the Cleveland Browns. He is the adopted son of Rodney and Helen Fujita of California. His grandfather, Nagao Fujita, was a member of the 442nd RCT.
Scott was at the Go For Broke Monument where a Japanese TV station was doing a story about him. Also there were veterans Hiro Nishikubo and Don Seki, Tracey Matsuyama, Dickie Wilson and Takanori Nishi.
The Go For Broke Bulletin is a quarterly publication of the 442nd Veterans Club. Here is the latest publication: Volume 65, No. 4, July – September 2013.
The Go For Broke Bulletin is a quarterly publication of the 442nd Veterans Club. Here is the latest publication: Volume 66, No. 1, October – December 2013.
The Go For Broke Bulletin is a quarterly publication of the 442nd Veterans Club.
June Morimatsu and Milton Kaneshiro THE GENERAL’S MESSENGER Written by June Morimatsu Daughter of 442nd RCT veteran, Ralph Tomei of M Company We graduated from Farrington High School in 1971, during the era of the war in Vietnam. For some of the boys in our graduating class the future held the very real prospect of being drafted into the military. When my friend, Milton Kaneshiro, was faced with the dilemma of a low lottery number and waiting for the inevitable draft notice, or, enlisting and choosing where he would be stationed, Milton chose to enlist and was guaranteed eighteen months at the Army base in Stuttgart, Germany. As the center for the European high command, Stuttgart Army Base had more than twenty generals. Now, this...
Continue ReadingThe Go For Broke Bulletin is a quarterly publication of the 442nd Veterans Club. Here is the latest publication: Volume 66, No. 3, April – June 2014.
January 14, 15, 16, 2015 – Hawaii
France honors veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd RCT in three separate ceremonies held on the Big Island, Maui and Oahu. Some 57 veterans received the French Legion of Honor decree, the highest decoration bestowed by France, in recognition of those who risked their lives during World War II to liberate France.
The Bruyeres, Vallons des Vosges Community of Communes The Bruyeres Vallons des Vosges Office of tourisme and the Peace and Freedom Trail Association- Go for Broke French Club are delighted to present to you a new website dedicated to the Camp’US project:
Please see this page for more information.
Representative Tulsi Gabbard meets 100/442nd RCT veteran Noboru Kawamoto.
ILWU Local 142 informed the 442nd Sons & Daughters on 4 April that they are adding their support for passing HB600, a Bill submitted to the Hawaii State Legislature 15 months ago. This Bill will fix the current law that has the unintended, but real, effect of denying the right of a married/civil union couple to live together in the same Community Care Foster Family Home. Couples that have their costs paid by taxpayers through the Medicaid program are not affected by the current wording of the law. But couples who cannot qualify for taxpayer-funded Medicaid support are denied the right to live together, until they become so poor they need taxpayer support. Fixing this injustice to our elderly Kupuna is the target of HB600....
Continue ReadingJoint Statement by the State of Hawaii and Counsel for Plantiffs Noboru and Elaine Kawamoto HONOLULU, HAWAII (September 6, 2016) – As a result of meetings and discussions between Plaintiffs’ counsel, Jeffrey S. Portnoy and John P. Duchemin, and Defendants’ counsel, Deputy Attorneys General, Andrew L. Salenger, Dana A. Barbata and Caron M. Inagaki, Plaintiffs Noboru Kawamoto and Elaine Kawamoto have been reunited in his nursing care home pending determination by the Court of the constitutionality of certain Hawaii state statutes and administrative rules applicable to community care foster family homes. Plaintiff Noboru Kawamoto is 95, a World War II veteran and member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and his wife, Plaintiff Elaine Kawamoto, is 89. This temporary accommodation is limited to these Plaintiffs...
Continue ReadingPhoto of 442 veterans R. Kishinami, K. Ego and R. Nomura 2016 Sons and Daughters Family Christmas Party. The annual 442nd Sons & Daughters Family Christmas Party was held on Saturday, December 10, 2016 at the 100th Infantry Battalion Clubhouse with the attendance of a little over 100 individuals. It was an event filled with merriment and memories for all. We were honored by the presence of three 442nd RCT veterans – Kenji Ego, Robert Kishinami, and Richard Nomura. Ann Kabasawa continues to amaze everyone with her organizational skills in chairing this event for the past few decades. Her dedication and commitment to the organization should be applauded by us all. Lunch included an array of dishes such as tossed salad, fruit salad, a variety...
Continue ReadingPlans for 75th Anniversary Tour of France, July 2019 Brian Yamamoto of Alaska will be leading and organizing stops on a 75th Anniversary Tour of France in July 2019. Brian and his wife Leslie were on the 2009 tour with Lawson Sakai of the 442nd RCT and Friends and Family of Nisei Veterans. Brian led a 2013 tour to Italy with 43 people and a 442nd veteran and also led a 2014 France tour with 65 people and two 442nd veterans. He is working with Nora Di Bievre on planning the 2019 trip. Nora was one of the guides for the 2014 France tour and also led the study group a year later with Stuart Hirai’s group. Details for the 2019 tour are currently being...
Continue ReadingThe Way Ahead for the Sons & Daughters Part II and Supporting the Legacy of the 442nd RCT By S&D officers, July 2017 In the March 2017 issue of the E-Newsletter we informed our members of the relationship of our chapter to our parent 442nd Veterans Club and the decision to form a non-profit Sons & Daughters organization in the event the Veterans Club was to fold and the chapter would also cease as an organization. This is a short summary of some key events since March. First, after communications sent to all S&D members via email; two telephone conferences; and discussions at the April and May monthly meetings, the S&D chapter formed a separate, non-profit organization with the same name (only with the addition...
Continue ReadingThe next time you visit Maui, please take a few minutes to visit the Education Center at the Maui Nisei Veterans Memorial Center. It is at One Go For Broke Road, which is accessed from Kahului Beach Road as you head from Kahului towards Wailuku along Kahului harbor. Look for the building complex on the hill on the left side. The Education Center is the first building on the left as you approach the complex. Visitor parking is available just in front of the building. Admission is free.
Hawaii History Day State Fair competition Sixth-grader Victoria (Tori) Yamashita and her panel display on the 442nd RCT, titled ‘Go for Broke’.” (from Byrnes Yamashita) The legacy of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team is alive and well as represented by several entries in the State Finals of the Hawaii History Day State Fair, held on April 15, 2017 at the Windward Community College on Oahu. Sons and Daughters members Grace Fujii, Byrnes Yamashita and Jonathan Ego attended the Hawaii History Day State Fair finals at Windward Community College campus and enjoyed the competition and awards ceremony. Jonathan’s father, Kenji Ego, a 442nd RCT veteran, was also in attendance. Angelee Marshall, a 7th grade student from Kahuku Intermediate and High School, came in second for her...
Continue ReadingSupport the How Hawaii Changed America project Aloha S&D members: In our monthly meeting of 4 May, the members voted to support the work of Tom Coffman to publish a new book on the Hawaii AJA experience in WW2. Tom is the acclaimed author of deeply researched and powerfully written books on AJA history, particularly focused on pre- and post-WW2 Hawaii. This includes Catch a Wave (required reading in many high school and college courses), I Respectfully Dissent, a biography of Edward H. Nakamura, and How Hawaii Changed America, The Movement for Racial Equality 1939-1942. Photo courtesy of Tom Coffman This latter book was intended as Volume 1, with Volume 2 to cover 1942 thru 1945. However, Duke University Press wants the new book to...
Continue Reading522nd Field Artillery Battery Display at Sergeant Rodney J. Yano Library, Schofield Barracks Hawaii (on till May 20, 2017) The 522nd of the 442nd RCT was their artillery unit known for speed and accuracy during the war. After the Po Valley campaign and the breaking of the German Gothic Line, the 522nd was ordered to separate from the rest of the 442nd and to enter Germany. The 522nd advanced with speed and were in front of U.S. infantry units, which is something as usually the artillery unit brings up the rear. This is how the 522nd came across the Jewish prisoners at Dachau subcamps and others who were part of the death march away from the camps. Members of the Sons & Daughters of the...
Continue ReadingThe S&D has initiated a volunteer project with Hamilton Library at the University of Hawai’I at Manoa to digitize archival material that was previously given to the Library by the 442nd Veterans Club. Much of the material is only accessible currently by visiting the Manuscripts and Archives Department in person. S&D members have volunteered to digitize the material, which will allow Hamilton Library to provide the information online to provide access to many more who may be interested in the 442nd RCT.
An exhibit highlighting the Japanese-American experience in Hawaii from the initial waves of immigration through World War II and the post-war period with photographs and narrative text in English and Japanese opened in Yokohama this past June. Included are photos of Nisei soldiers from the 100th, 442nd, 1399th and MIS who fought in World War II to prove their loyalty to the United States.
Aloha Hawaii 442nd RCT Veterans, Families, and Supporters The U.S. Army plans to open a new National Museum of the U.S. Army (NMUSA) near Washington D.C. in 2019. NMUSA will include sections recognizing the WWII Nisei Soldiers of the 442nd RCT, 100th Infantry Battalion and Military Intelligence Service. It is seeking individual Nisei Soldier stories, as well as objects and artifacts that will be made part of the exhibit. See the NMUSA website at: thenmusa.org. The Sons & Daughters Chapter is working with the National Veterans Network to coordinate the submission of 442nd Soldier stories for consideration for use in the museum. S&D member Lynn Heirakuji is the point of contact for this project and is providing detailed information on how interested parties can submit...
Continue ReadingVisiting the Japanese American Museum of San Jose I visited the Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMsj) in May of this year with my wife and my wife’s aunt, who lives in San Jose and is a member of the museum. I am very glad that we went, because I humbly submit that the visit helped to increase my understanding of the world. I have not yet visited the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles or other Japanese American museums in San Francisco, Seattle and other cities. I have been to the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii (Honolulu) a number of times, thank you. There is a portion of the JAMsj that features the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team....
Continue ReadingA Look Back at the 442nd RCT In Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Establishment of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, we offer these selected facts and resources, many perhaps well known to you already with others less so, related to the brave and honorable men of the 442nd. Any errors are inadvertent and the responsibility of the E-/web editor. ◊ U.S. Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall approves formation of Nisei combat team on January 1, 1943. The combat team is formally authorized by President Roosevelt on Feb. 1. ◊ The call for volunteers is issued on January 28, 1943 by the War Department, with a proclamation in Hawaii and by posters, press and other means on the U.S. mainland and...
Continue ReadingIn 2018, this exhibit is planned to be shown around the State of Hawaii jointly by the Nisei Veterans Legacy (NVL) and the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu as part of the 150th anniversary celebration of initial Japanese immigration to Hawaii. The immigrants who arrived in 1868 to Hawaii were called “gannenmono” because they arrived in the first year, or gannen, of the Meiji era. The first venue will be at the Honolulu Festival being held in March (exhibit showing on Mar 10 and 11 from 1000 am – 300 pm at the Hawaii Convention Center).
Dedication of A Memorial Monument Inspired by the 442nd RCT Contributed by S&D member Laura Hirayama On March 16¸ 2018 the Sons & Daughters of the 442nd RCT held a ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl (Oahu) to dedicate a memorial monument for their fathers, uncles and friends of the 442nd RCT and all men and women who served our country in World War II. A bronze plaque affixed onto a black granite stone was installed along the Memorial Walkway at the Cemetery with words that were inspired by the 442nd RCT: “With gratitude and pride we honor your courage and service in holding high the torch of freedom. Your enduring legacy lights the path for future generations.” The 442nd...
Continue ReadingSince August of last year, a dedicated group of Sons & Daughters members have been giving their time and effort each week for a volunteer project at Hamilton Library of the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
To All 442nd RCT Veterans’ Families (updated 4 May 2019) S&D member Jeff Morita of Mililani is generously assisting any surviving veteran of the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd RCT who served in France prior to May 8, 1945 to apply for the Legion of Honor, France’s highest military & civil decoration. Jeff’s public service applies to not only Hawaii, but to any surviving World War II AJA veteran located on the US Mainland, Alaska, overseas, and those who may have served with the same France criteria in other military units as well. The decoration is presented to those still living, although once the application has been received by the French government and French Knighthood is approved the decoration may be presented to the veteran’s...
Continue ReadingHelping People Interested in 442nd RCT Veterans through our S&D website Contributed by S&D Secretary Juanita Wright Allen Our S&D website is located at 442sd.org. Not only does it have a wealth of information for members and the general public, everything from our activities to a full roster of 442nd soldiers to interesting articles, it also serves as a portal through which those interested in the 442nd and those with specific questions can contact us. The variety of queries is astonishing. The following are my Top 5 interesting queries – in descending order: 5. About McKinley High School. Jordan, an Eagle Scout in Honolulu, asked if we have a list of all McKinley (high school on Oahu) graduates who served in the 442nd in WWII....
Continue ReadingFriends, family and the community celebrated the life of Mr. Ted Tsukiyama on March 23, 2019. He was born in Honolulu on December 13, 1920, then went with his mother and sister to his mother’s home of Kagawa, Japan at the age of 4 or 5, returning to Kaimuki about a year later.
A new app that shows a virtual tour of Fort DeRussy is available in the Apple App Store. Designed by LCDR Bradshaw, the app shows various landmarks within Fort DeRussy in Waikiki, including the Brothers in Valor Memorial.
John Egelhof sent in a letter written by his father, PFC Joe Egelhof, while recovering from frozen feet in a field hospital during the Battle of the Bulge. PFC Egelhof was a BAR rifleman and paratrooper with Co. D, 517th Parachute Infantry Regimental Combat Team. In it, he speaks highly of the 442nd RCT. We present it here in abridged form. Thank you, John, for sending it in! France, Jan. 29, 1945 Dear Win: Just a short letter as I am all “written out” from that book I wrote you last nite. Ate one breakfast, two dinners and two suppers today. I certainly have a lot of fun swapping stories with the other boys here at the hospital. They are from armored, mechanized cavalry, line...
Continue ReadingAs we bid farewell to 2019 and look to what lies ahead in 2020, we’d like to take a moment to look back at what we accomplished in the past year. In the Spring, the Sons & Daughters of the 442nd awarded our first-ever Okaga Sama De Award to Army JROTC students at the following high schools: Farrington, Kahuku, Kaimuki, Leilehua, McKinley, Mililani, Nanakuli, Punahou, Roosevelt, St. Louis, Waianae, and Waipahu. The Commanding Officer of each of these programs chose a student who best represented the values of the Nisei soldiers of WWII, such as Sense of Duty, Responsibility, Sacrifice, Honor, Loyalty, Persistence, Quiet Endurance, Pride, and Sense of Shame. Each of the award recipients was given a certificate and a medal. Speaking of medals,...
Continue ReadingAloha!! Everyone, Yes, we are having another George Company and Friends Reunion for 2020. We will be having a luncheon buffet at the HAPPA RESTAURANT in Gardena, California (1641 W Redondo Beach Blvd #8, Gardena, CA 90247 )…adjacent to the New Gardena Hotel. Our luncheon will start at 11:00AM. The delicious buffet costs $50.00. If you would like to relax and stay overnight at the New Gardena Hotel, a non-smoking single room is $99.00 and a non-smoking double is $108 plus 11.39% tax. Parking is free and a breakfast buffet is included in the cost. If you would like me to make your hotel reservations, please let me know and I will be glad to do that. You will get to meet other sons and...
Continue ReadingSeveral months ago, a young man named Matteo Mengoni reached out to our organization with a fascinating photo and story. Matteo is a student at the University of Florence, Italy, and is from Mantignano-Ugnano, at the confluence of the rivers Arno and Greve.
As is the case with most public gatherings at the moment, several Nisei-related events are cancelled or postponed. Among them: Our monthly meetings have gone virtual but remain on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30pm HST. All current members will receive an email link a few days before providing information on how to login and join by telephone or video. The 77th Anniversary of the 442nd RCT Annual Banquet is postponed until 30 October 2021. Click here for more details. Lastly, reposting a message from the National Veterans Association: “Dear Friends,The National Veterans Network along with its Advisory Board is closely monitoring the changing situation and global effect of COVID-19. We hope our Veterans, veteran families, supporters and friends continue to stay safe...
Continue ReadingFrom time to time, we receive photos with unknown soldiers in them. If you recognize any of these people, please let us know and we can attach the photos with their bios.
2020 was certainly a memorable year for a number of reasons. Although several of our usual in-person events were canceled, postponed or held virtually, we as an organization still managed to accomplish so much this past year. Here are some of the highlights: We designed and ordered cloth face masks with the 442nd torch logo, then began offering them for sale via word of mouth and email announcement. We provided free masks to 25 veterans, wives and widows. We added new features to the website, including: Online store to allow people to purchase logo items directly through our website in addition to mail order, which previously was the only purchase option. Remembrances page which offers links to obituaries for recently passed veterans, as well...
Continue ReadingFrom time to time we receive submissions of photos from members and other people interested in the history of the 442nd. This page features some of those photos.
The United States Postal Service, USPS, issued the “Go For Broke” Nisei Soldiers Commemorative Stamp honoring the legacy of Nisei Soldiers of World War II on Thursday, June 3, 2021 – the First Date of Issue (FDOI). The City of Los Angeles is the First City of Issue. It has been a long journey for the Stamp Our Story Founders and their supporters, but the stamp is finally a reality! Stamp Our Story was founded in 2005 by three Nisei women, all of whom were incarcerated during the war. They are Californians, Fusa Takahashi, 93, Aiko O. King, 93, and the late Chizuko Ohira. Mrs. Takahashi’s husband, Kazuo, served in the Military Intelligence Service (MIS). Mrs. Ohira’s husband, Ted, served with the 442nd Regimental Combat...
Continue ReadingSome images from the 2022 memorial day ceremony in Honolulu honoring our veterans.
Mornings are not emotion-choked events for me, but today was different. It began as usual, chowing down on breakfast while clicking away at the spam that piled into my email inbox overnight — delete, delete, delete.
Suddenly my finger paused and asked me to look again. An email to the Sons & Daughters of the 442nd RCT was in my spam inbox. Something about the sender’s address and the subject line tripped a breaker in my head.
So I paused and looked again, and decided this was not spam. It told a short story and invited me to click on a link to view a video.