PAY TRIBUTE TO THE VETERANS AT THE GO FOR BROKE MONUMENT 7TH ANNIVERSARY – JUNE 3, 2006
On Saturday June 3, from 10-11 a.m. the Go For Broke Educational Foundation will commemorate the 7th anniversary of the Go For Broke Monument located in Little Tokyo at Temple and Alameda streets. The ceremony, which is free and open to the public, will pay tribute to the veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT), Military Intelligence Service (MIS), and others. Keynote speaker will be Vice Admiral Robert Kihune (Ret.) of Hawaii. Mistress of Ceremonies will be actor Tamlyn Tomita, and this year's Go For Broke Award is being awarded posthumously to Col. Young Oak Kim, the Educational Foundation's founding chairman. A special Visionary Award is being presented to Los Angeles City Councilmember 9th District, the Honorable Jan Perry.
As the 7th anniversary of the Monument approaches, family members, friends, and the community should feel a sense of pride knowing that our veterans served our country despite the terrible circumstances they faced during World War II. "We couldn't just sit back and do nothing for our country," recalled Ken Akune, a Military Intelligence Service (MIS) veteran and docent at the Monument. "I was in an American concentration camp and was not permitted to serve our country," said Akune. "I was a young, American when our country was attacked. I wanted to fight along with my Caucasian friends but was not allowed. When we were finally allowed to volunteer it made me proud to be an American again."
The Go For Broke Monument is more than a dedication to the Japanese Americans who served their country at a time in American history marred by civil rights injustice. It is an impressive black, nine-foot-high, 40-foot-wide granite representation that ensures future generations not forget the "go for broke" values of honor and sacrifice during WWII, which provided for a more tolerant world. More than 16,000 names of Japanese American WWII veterans who served overseas are listed.
"The Monument was built to remind everyone what happened to a group of Americans and what they did to overcome prejudice," said Akune. "We don't ever want this to happen to any group of people in America again. If it [civil injustice] happened to us, it could happen to others if we aren't careful, especially if you happen to look like the enemy. We see a bit of it now after 9/11, but it's not like it was then."
This year, a special floral dedication is being held. Family and friends can purchase a special potted tuberous begonia plant for $10 in honor or memory of a special veteran(s) in their lives. The plant will be displayed around the Go For Broke Monument during the program and can be taken home after it. The name of the veteran(s) and person(s) honoring or remembering them will be listed in the program booklet.
For more information about the anniversary or to "honor a veteran" with a special tuberose begonia plant, please call Julia Tominaga at 310-222-5710 or email her at .
PAY TRIBUTE TO THE VETERANS AT THE