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“HONORING OUR HEROES” TRIBUTE
DRAWS 500 PEOPLE TO THE GO FOR BROKE MONUMENT ANNIVERSARY
Flag Day Event Honored WWII Japanese American
Veterans
LOS ANGELES - (June 18, 2003) - Flag Day, June
14, was an especially important and poignant day to the more than
500 WWII Nisei veterans, family, friends and community leaders
and elected officials who attended the Go For Broke Monument’s
4th anniversary tribute, “Honoring Our Heroes.” Among
the dignitaries in attendance were: State Board of Equalization
member John Chiang, California Assemblymember George Nakano, California
Assemblymember Fabian Nunez, California Assemblymember Carol Liu,
California Assemblymember Judy Chu, California Assemblymember
Gloria McLeod, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, Los Angeles
County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, Los Angeles City Council
President Alex Padilla, Los Angeles Councilmember Jan Perry and
Los Angeles Councilmember Bernard Parks, and Consul General of
Japan, Masaharu Kohno.
Keiko Agena, co-star of the WB Network series “Gilmore
Girls”, emceed this year’s anniversary program, which
was especially moving. Boy Scout Troop 442, comprised of non-Asian
boys established in honor of the 442 RCT, lead the color guard
ceremony and flag salute. Harold Payne sang a special song, “Quiet
Heroes,” which he wrote and composed especially for the
veterans. Moreover, the highlight of the tribute was civil rights
attorney Dale Minami’s keynote address that illuminated
the importance of the Nisei veterans’ uncommon valor and
contributions that helped to establish a voice for educating future
generations of this especially important American story. He talked
about his experience as a Sansei who found his calling through
civil rights legal work and recognized the significance redress
played in bringing the Nisei veterans of WWII and the Sansei generation
together to win the fight for reparations.
The Go For Broke Awards were given to three outstanding individuals
who went above and beyond to ensure the Go For Broke Monument
became a reality. Los Angeles City Mayor James Hahn is a recipient
of the award for his unwavering commitment and belief in the Go
For Broke Monument. Former Los Angeles City Administrative Officer
Keith Comrie, who insisted a redevelopment request for proposal
in the area include the Go For Broke Monument, is also receiving
an award. Developer Michael Barker of Barker Pacific Group was
the winning bid for the request for proposal to build the site.
He funded the Go For Broke Monument design competition and supported
the Monument’s early development.
Each year veterans and family members participate in a floral
tribute to pay homage to the Nisei units. Representatives this
year included: Douglas Tanaka and grandson Craig Tanaka for the
100th Infantry Battalion; Frank Fukuzawa and son Leigh Fukuzawa
for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team; Steve Yamamoto and son Ronald
Yamamoto for the Military Intelligence Service; Manabi Hirasaki
and Sachi Murase for the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion, Herb
Kimoto and his grandson Ross Yoshida for the 232nd Combat Engineer
Company; and Larry Yamada and Robyn Tofukuji for the 1399th Engineer
Construction Battalion.
Rafu Shimpo Editor-in-Chief and daughter of a 442nd RCT veteran
Ellen Endo unveiled the first 231 names engraved on footsteps
at the base of the Go For Broke Monument. The “In Our Heroes'
Footsteps” name-engraving program enables all direct descendants
of Nisei WWII veterans as well as children under 18 to have their
names engraved.
The Go For Broke Monument was dedicated in June 1999 and 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. It
is located at Alameda and Temple streets in Little Tokyo, where
Nisei veteran docents can take you on a tour Tuesday - Sunday
from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
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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