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FORMER U.S. ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF, GENERAL ERIC SHINSEKI (RET.) NAMED GO FOR BROKE'S NATIONAL SPOKESPERSON

(Click to enlarge)

(Torrance, Calif. – December 8, 2006) – The Go For Broke National Education Center is pleased to announce that General Eric K. Shinseki (U.S. Army, Retired), a Vietnam veteran who went on to serve as the 34th Chief of Staff, United States Army, has agreed to serve as the Go For Broke National Education Center's national spokesperson. In this capacity, General Shinseki will help to ensure that the significant, but little-known, contributions of Americans of Japanese Ancestry during World War II are understood and remembered.

"There is no other story in the history of the U.S. Army like this one, and given the conditions that gave rise to the extraordinary valor of Japanese American soldiers, there may never be another story like it again," Shinseki said, referring to the valor of the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT), whose prowess in battle resulted in the award of 21 Medals of Honor.

The 100th/442nd RCT was a segregated unit comprised primarily of Japanese Americans, many of whom volunteered from incarceration camps created following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Those camps housed 110,000 American citizens of Japanese ancestry who were forcibly "relocated," losing their homes and businesses in the process. The 442nd coined the phrase "go for broke," meaning "put it all on the line," as its motto. With these words, the 100th/442nd RCT became the most decorated unit in U.S. military history for its size and length of service. In doing so, the 100th Battalion, 442nd RCT, and the Military Intelligence Service, among others, demonstrated the unquestioned loyalty of all Japanese Americans.

Gen. Eric K. Shinseki (Ret.), Go For Broke national spokesperson with Christine Sato-Yamazaki, president, Go For Broke National Education Center (Click to enlarge)

"We are fortunate to have someone of General Shinseki's credentials, passion, and commitment as our national spokesperson," said Christine Sato-Yamazaki, president, Go For Broke National Education Center. "He is very dedicated to the Go For Broke mission to ensure the Japanese American WWII veterans' story is understood. His outreach will bring a broader base of nationwide supporters to continue our education and preservation initiatives."

Born in Lihue, Kaua'i, Hawai'i, Shinseki served in the Army for 38 years. Prior to assuming his duties as the 34th Chief of Staff, United States Army in 1999, he served simultaneously as Commanding General, U.S. Army, Europe; Commander, Allied Land Forces, Central Europe; and Commander, NATO Stabilization Force, Bosnia-Herzegovina. His service also included two combat tours with the 9th and 25th Infantry Divisions in the Republic of Vietnam.

The Go For Broke National Education Center's mission is to teach and preserve the history and legacy of American veterans of Japanese ancestry whose heroism and sacrifice during WWII triumphed over racism and intolerance. Its Hanashi Oral History Program houses the nation's largest oral history collection of its kind. Go For Broke's other programming includes teacher training, www.GoForBroke.org website, Resource Center, and the Go For Broke Monument, which is located in the Little Tokyo district of downtown Los Angeles.

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