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Barbara Watanabe
808-585-8484
barbaraw@goforbroke.org
VETERANS GATHERED AT GO FOR BROKE MONUMENT TO COMMEMORATE 5TH ANNIVERSARY
Retired Army General David A. Bramlett And Medal of Honor Recipient George Sakato Featured at Free Event Attended by 500 Veterans, Family, Friends
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TORRANCE, Calif. (June 5, 2004) – In a week that featured a remembrance of World War II with the National Monument dedication in Washington and on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, downtown Los Angeles celebrated its World War II veterans at the 5th anniversary of the Go For Broke Monument in Little Tokyo. With Ted Chen, KNBC-TV reporter serving as master of ceremonies, the Go For Broke Educational Foundation hosted “Honoring Our Heroes,” at the Go For Broke Monument in remembrance of the heroics and patriotism of the Japanese American soldiers from World War II.
“This event was truly a success,” said Christine Yamazaki, executive director and president, Go For Broke Educational Foundation. “Though we gather each year to pay tribute to the Japanese American veterans of WWII – those who did not make it back as well as those who lived to share their stories – it is important that their selfless sacrifices and gallantry to make America a better place for us all must be remembered everyday. The Go For Broke Monument is a fitting icon to pay tribute to them and to the notion that America is a country that has learned from past actions to ensure its ideals of equality live in all of us.
The Go For Broke Monument, which was dedicated five years to the day (June 5, 1999), is a 40-feet-wide, nine-feet-high gleaming granite sphere engraved with the names of the 16,126 Japanese American soldiers from the segregated units: the 100th Infantry Division, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Military Intelligence Service, 522nd Field Artillery Battalion, 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion, and 232nd Combat Engineer Company, their officers and Nisei women who served in the U.S. Military during World War II.
The monument anniversary, which was attended by more than 500 veterans, family members, friends and community, paid tribute this year to the 21 Japanese American Medal of Honor recipients, 20 of whom received the medal 55 years later in June 2000 by President Clinton. Denver resident and 442nd veteran George T. “Geo” Sakato, one of the four living Medal of Honor recipients, provided a gripping account of his extraordinary heroism that led to the U.S. Army’s highest decoration.
This year’s keynote address was given by retired Army General David A. Bramlett. Bramlett, who spoke about the significant contributions of the Nisei soldiers to the war efforts during WWII, is a decorated veteran with and an extensive list of command and staff positions during his more than 34? years of active commissioned service.
The Educational Foundation awarded the 2004 Go For Broke Award to Los Angeles City Councilmember Jan Perry. Perry spent many years supporting the veterans efforts to build the Go For Broke Monument as chief-of-staff to Rita Walters and currently in her position as Councilmember for Los Angeles’ 9th District. She was presented with the award at the anniversary event.
As a representative of today’s young generation of Americans seeking to understand the Nisei WWII veteran story was 14-year-old Tracy Empson of Lake Elsinore, Calif. She is the 2003 National History Day first place award winner for her self-produced documentary, “Decision of Conscience,” which garnered her the U.S. Department of Education’s top history prize. Her film featured some of the Nisei WWII veteran docents of the Go For Broke Monument.
The Go For Broke Educational Foundation institutes educational programs focused on the heroism and history of the Japanese American soldiers of World War II, as well as the forced evacuation and incarceration of Japanese Americans and civil liberties issues raised by those events. Currently the Educational Foundation’s programs include An American Story Teacher Training Program, Hanashi Oral History Program, www.GoForBroke.org educational Web site, and Resource Center. For information visit the Web site or email esoldier@goforbroke.org.
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