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The Ol’ Pioneer The Magazine of the Grand Canyon Historical Society Volume 31 : Number 1 www.GrandCanyonHistory.org Winter 2020 In This Issue Why is a Japanese Name on the American Legion Memorial? ......................................... 3 George Dock’s 1905 and 1910 trips to Grand Canyon ............................................... 6 The Bulletin .................................................. 15 President’s Letter The Ol’ Pioneer The Magazine of the Grand Canyon Historical Society our Grand Canyon Historical Society is entering its 36th year! Our or- ganization is continuing to grow its membership as well as the quality Volume 31 : Number 1 and quantity of successful programs and projects. This letter high- Winter 2020 lightsY some of these programs and projects. u Our oral history program is adding more interviews with people about their The Historical Society was established experiences living, working, studying, or exploring at Grand Canyon. And in July 1984 as a non-profit corporation work is ongoing to digitize these amazing stories along with much of the GCHS to develop and promote appreciation, holdings at NAU’s Cline Library Special Collections. It will be great when we understanding and education of the can go online to read these accounts and access the collection’s letters, papers earlier history of the inhabitants and and photographs. important events of the Grand Canyon. Our programs & outings are going strong and I hope that our July 11th pic- The Ol’ Pioneer is published by the GRAND nic at Shoshone Point will be part of your summer plans. It is a rare opportunity CANYON HISTORICAL SOCIETY. to interact with other Grand Canyon history buffs, listen to all the different An integral part of the publication is an stories, and share memories about Grand Canyon. informational section, The Bulletin, that This coming October 15 -17, we are sponsoring the Colorado River Basin updates members on Society activities, programs, events, Board actions and History Symposium at the newly completed Kanab Center in Kanab, Utah. discussions. The Ol’ Pioneer is a benefit of More details about this gathering are in the Bulletin section of this issue. GCHS membership and is open to any person is partnering with organizations from the seven different states that are part of interested in the historical, educational, this river basin. Be sure to save the dates and make your fall plans to attend. and charitable purposes of the Society. If you haven’t spent much time on the North Rim side of the Grand Canyon I Membership is on an annual basis using the standard calendar; and dues of $25 are think you will greatly enjoy “the other side!” payable on the 1st of January each year, Our annual board meeting was held on January 12th; three new Board mem- and mailed to the GCHS Treasurer, PO Box bers and two others returning for second terms were seated. Nine highly quali- 1667, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023-1667. The fied candidates were on the ballot and the membership’s votes determined the Ol’ Pioneer magazine is copyrighted by the top five. One of the current board members has resigned due to a family emer- Grand Canyon Historical Society, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication gency. Following our by-laws, the Board agreed unanimously to fill the vacant may be reproduced or used in any form seat with the sixth highest voted applicant. I am sharing this process with you without permission of the publisher. so those who voted know that their ballots gave a clear path for the Board. Thank you to all who took time to mail or email their ballots for this election. A Editor: Mary Williams report on the election results is in the Bulletin section of this issue. Submission deadlines: January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1. Submit photos Speaking of the Board of Directors, I’m very impressed with the talent, en- and stories to the editor of The Ol’ Pioneer ergy, and wisdom of the women and men who volunteered to serve. We have at: [email protected] Board members of many different educational and work backgrounds. Their Contact for mailing address (928) 606- interest in the Grand Canyon is just as varied. Some, like me, are retired but 9932. Please submit written articles and most are still working. Having a diversity of ages and experience is beneficial, photos electronically by email if possible. Submissions to The Bulletin should be sent making projects and planning rewarding for all. Added to this are the continu- to [email protected] ing volunteer contributions from members not on the Board. If I sound like a recruiter, then you are correct. Please contact me about ways GCHS Officers to participate. Email me with your questions or ideas. As president it continues Dave Mortenson, President to be a great joy to interact with people who are involved in so many different Dick Brown, Vice President Brian Blue, Treasurer ways with our Grand Canyon. Jack Pennington, Secretary Karen Greig, Membership & Bulletin Thanks, Haley Johnson/Wayne Ranney, Pioneer Award Chairs Dave Mortenson David Schaller/Tom Martin, Oral History Al Richmond, Hall of Fame [email protected] Margaret Hangan, Scholarship Chair Board of Directors Brian Blue Dave Mortenson Cover: Ledged calf, 8-29-10. photo: George Dock Dick Brown Jack Pennington Mari Carlos Helen Ranney Nikki Cooley John Reid Margaret Hangan David Schaller Jill Hough Rich Turner Haley Johnson Slim Woodruff 2 : Grand Canyon Historical Society Kristen Luetkemeier Why is a Japanese Name on the American Legion Memorial? by Kern Nutall Japanese servants became popular tend to do for a good worker. There among the wealthy in this country are few records to indicate what Go for Broke1 around the beginning of the twentieth happened to most of the bellboys The John Ivens Post 42 of the century. An example of this trend can during the war, although none of American Legion dedicated a be seen in a brief article published in them apparently continued at that memorial in the South Rim Cemetery the New York Times in 1900,4 “Japanese particular job. After the declaration of in Grand Canyon National Park House Servants, Superior in Many the exclusion zone in March of 1942, in 1948 to those from the Canyon Ways to the Average White Girl.” it became impossible for any to travel community who died serving in the Because the wages they commanded through the zone to return to family World Wars. It is one of the larger were typically higher, Japanese valets homes. monuments in the cemetery, roughly were often seen as status symbols. Thirty-one-year-old George Mura- midway on the broad gravel path Celebrities such as Charlie Chaplin5 kami enlisted in the Army at Fort towards the back fence, opposite the and Zane Grey6 had Japanese valets, Bliss, Texas, on March 13, 1942.9 He gate. On it there are eight names, three so presumably the Fred Harvey did not speak Japanese, something from World War I and five from World management figured the public that would have made him eligible War II. While all of them deserve to would see Japanese bellboys in a for a more desirable position with be remembered, the focus here is on similar light. military intelligence, so it was the Robert T. Kishi, number six on the December 7, 1941, the Japanese infantry for him.2 Murakami served list. This story tells how his name Empire attacked Pearl Harbor, with the 100th Infantry Battalion, came to be placed on the memorial, pulling the United States into World part of the 442nd Regimental Combat and it starts with another Japanese- War II. Fearing a Japanese invasion Team, units composed of Japanese- American, George Murakami. of the West Coast, President Franklin Americans. The 442nd unit motto Murakami came to the South Rim Roosevelt signed Executive Order “Go for Broke” reflected their need to to work as a bellboy in 1933, when he 9066 on February 19, 1942, allowing prove a lot, which they did, and the was 23.2 Born in Hawaii, he dove for the Secretary of War to designate unit became highly decorated during coins tossed from passenger liners in military zones which could be cleared the war. In Seravezza, Italy, on April Honolulu Harbor at 14. He went to of those who could potentially act 6, 1945, Staff Sergeant Murakami McKinley High School in Honolulu as spies or saboteurs. Although led men from his platoon on what but dropped out to take a job as a the Grand Canyon was outside the was described as a heavily fortified bellboy at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. West Coast exclusion zone which Wanting to see the world, he moved required relocation to internment to California to work as an elevator camps, Japanese-Americans became operator for the Los Angeles City unwelcome most places in the public Club. Later, he worked for the Matson eye, particularly in the western part Line on a cruise ship which took of the country.7 him to Australia. George eventually A hint about some attitudes at the heard about Victor Patrosso, the well- Canyon can be seen in a brief note known manager of the El Tovar Hotel in the Superintendent’s Monthly who liked to hire Japanese-Americans Report for December, 1941, dated as bellboys. January 7, 1942.8 “The discharge The Federal Census at the South of one alien employee of the Fred Rim shows that seven Japanese- Harvey Company was requested by Americans worked for Fred Harvey as the Service. He was transferred to one bellboys in 1940.3 All were American of the Operator’s hotels at Seligman, citizens, six born in Hawaii, one in Arizona.” Whether this referred to Oregon.