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Contact: Diane Tanaka
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GO FOR BROKE MONUMENT 4TH ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE "HONOR OUR HEROES" TO BE HELD JUNE 14

Free, Public Event To Feature Keynote Speaker Dale Minami

Torrance, Calif. (May 23, 2003) - While any day could be spent visiting the Japanese American veterans at the Go For Broke Monument, Saturday, June 14 is an especially important day. The Go For Broke Educational Foundation will host the Go For Broke Monument’s 4th Anniversary Tribute, “Honor Our Heroes,” to be held from 10 - 11 a.m. at the Monument, which is located at Temple and Alameda streets in Little Tokyo.

The anniversary is fittingly being held on our nation’s Flag Day, a day which we commemorate Old Glory, and reflect on the America’s symbol of patriotism and democracy. Another symbol of such patriotism are the Nisei veterans of WWII whose heroics and spirit carry on through the Go For Monument. The Monument is a gleaming nine-foot-high, 40 feet in diameter granite sphere that includes 16,126 names of Nisei veterans, their officers and Nisei women who served in the U.S. Military during World War II.

The Go For Broke Monument’s anniversary program will include keynote speaker Dale Minami’s address to an expected 500 attendees. Minami will address the importance of the Nisei veterans’ uncommon valor and contributions that helped to forge a more tolerant union for today’s Nikkei generations. He will also reflect upon the heroes of the day, the Nisei WWII veterans, whose record and participation helped to make redress a reality for the Nisei community.

Minami’s speech will also provide insight into his own experience as a Sansei attorney that lead the Coram Nobis case that vacated the U.S. Supreme Court’s conviction of Fred Korematsu. Korematsu, who tried to enlist in the military two times but was rejected, opposed the evacuation orders that were forced on Japanese Americans on the West Coast during World War II. “It is the responsibility of this generation to educate the public of the lessons that can be gleaned by the history of the Nisei WWII veterans to ensure civil liberties for all Americans are possible,” said Minami. Minami, a nephew of a 442nd RCT veteran, is a well-respected attorney and is partner at Minami, Lew & Tamaki of San Francisco.

Other program elements will include: Mistress of Ceremonies Keiko Agena, actress of the WB Network series “Gilmore Girls;” veterans and family members who will represent the various Nisei units of the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Military Intelligence Service, 522nd Field Artillery Battalion, 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion, and 232nd Combat Engineer Company. Harold Payne will sing a special song he wrote honoring the Nisei WWII veterans and Rafu Shimpo Editor-in-Chief and daughter of a 442nd RCT veteran Ellen Endo will participate in the unveiling of the “In Our Heroes Footsteps” name engraving program.

For more information, please contact the Go For Broke Educational Foundation at 310-328-0907 or email at esoldier@goforbroke.org.

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 American and civil liberties issues raised by those events. Currently the Educational Foundation’s programs include An American Story teacher training workshops and curriculum development, Hanashi Oral History Program, and select media projects. For more information, go to www.GoForBroke.org.

In 1989 Japanese American World War II veterans established the 100th/442nd/MIS WWII Memorial Foundation to build the Go For Broke Monument as an eternal tribute to the heroics of the segregated Japanese American units: 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, MIS (Military Intelligence Service) and the many other men and women who served overseas during World War II. The Monument is located in downtown Los Angeles at Temple and Alameda streets.

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