JAVA Advocate--April 2008
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Japanese American Veterans Association JAVA ADVOCATE April 2008 Volume XVI—Issue 1 Inside this issue: High Participation for Cherry Blossom President’s Message 2 JAVA Leadership Freedom Walk, Co-sponsored by JAVA JAVA Appoints New VP By Barbara Nekoba, JAVA Member on Freedom Walk Committee New Hampshire Diversity 3 tween Madison and Jefferson Drives. Council Honors Nisei The National Japanese American Me- JAVA TV Interview morial Foundation and JAVA cele- The purpose of this year's Freedom Teachers Workshop on 4 brated their 10th anniversary of the an- Walk was to affirm Asia Pacific Ameri- Nisei Experience nual Cherry Blossom Freedom Walk on can resolve as citizens to work with Saturday, April 5. It was a beautiful JA National Museum 5 their nation's political and civic leaders spring day, with cherry blossoms in Conference in July in upholding civil rights. bloom and fluttering to the ground in Smithsonian to Honor 6 the gentle breeze. Over 200 people par- Ben Kuroki ticipated in this event, marking the JAVA participated in the opening cere- Donations for Memorial mony, with Day Floral Wreaths highest turn- out yet. The Beth Fujishige NVC of Seattle Reopens 7 4K noncom- as the mistress Memorial Hall petitive walk of ceremonies. 442d Hawaii Reunion 8 began at the Former U.S. MIS Vets into Hall of Fame National Transportation Secretary Nor- News from Other Veterans 9 Japanese Organizations American Me- man Mineta morial to Pa- and Japanese Leadership of JA Veterans 10 triotism, at D Ambassador to Organizations Street and the United States Ryozo Meet the Generals and Flag 11 New Jersey Officers Avenue, NW, Kato kicked-off and encircled the Walk. Tuskegee Airman Visits 12 Above Left: Former Secretary of Transportation Norman With FFNV a portion of Mineta. Right: Professor Gary Okihiro. Photos by Eileen [continued on JAVA Annual Lunch Recap The Mall be- Roulier. page 5] Texas Historical Marker 13 Honors JA Farmers Nancy Pelosi Supports Nisei Stamp Campaign Go For Broke Book 14 JA Speakers at High Schools In a letter dated January 24, 2008, to would be fitting that this group of vet- the Citizens Stamp Advisory Commit- erans’ heroism and sacrifice be pre- Scholarship News 15 tee, U.S. Congresswoman and Speaker served in history.” Cherry Blossom Festival of the House Nancy Pelosi wrote her Taps: Shizuya Hayashi 16 support of the grassroots campaign to According to the Nisei Stamp Cam- JAVA Volunteers Needed establish a commemorative postage paign website at www.niseistamp.org, Welcome New Members stamp to honor the WW II Nisei veter- organizers “believe that the patriotic ans. “Having the Nisei World War II From the Editor 17 sacrifice and outstanding accomplish- Membership Application Veterans be commemorated as a stamp ments of the Japanese American sol- honors the veterans that have helped diers of World War II are worthy of a JAVA Contact Information 18 Upcoming Events protect and defend our nation. .It U.S. postage stamp.” PAGE 2 JAVA ADVOCATE APRIL 2008 sei WW II experience. Next President’s Message month they are doing the same in northern Virginia The crocus were schools. I believe that ad- beautiful, the for- dressing the middle and sythias are great, high school students, who but now is the time are our future leaders, is for the cherry blos- one of the best ways to en- soms to grace Wash- sure that the WW II intern- ington, DC. JAVA’s ment experience is not re- activities for the past peated to any minority three months have equaled the Spring group. flowers—vibrant and beautiful. Thanks to referrals from We have had excellent responses to National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism GFBNEC, JAVA members our announcements for our four schol- with Cherry Blossoms in full bloom in Washington, D.C. were invited by the New Photo by Gerald Yamada. arships which will be awarded at next Hampshire Diversity month’s quarterly luncheon. Scholar- Awareness Council in Manchester, New rial Day Program with JACL at ship Chair Calvin Ninomiya and Se- Hampshire, to speak at the Martin Lu- Arlington Cemetery, the National lection Committee Chair Dr. Jim Fu- ther King Dinner on January 20th. Then Memorial Day Parade down Consti- rukawa are making this happen. on February 13th two JAVA members tution Avenue, Smithsonian Air were invited to Philadelphia for inter- and Space Museum showing of Ben Our education project has been tested view by Seeking Solutions with Suzanne Kuroki’s life, The Most Honorable and is now in an expansion phase. In for broadcast on CNN Headline News in Son, the invitation to the White partnership with the National Japa- the near future. When the broadcast House for the Asia Pacific Ameri- nese American Memorial Foundation date is known we will advise you via can Heritage Month program, and (NJAMF) and the Go For Broke Na- Grant Ichikawa’s round robin. JAVA Scholarship awards, among others. tional Education Center (GFBNEC), a speakers carried the Japanese American successful teachers’ training program message and also expanded JAVA’s Have a great Spring season. was conducted for area history teach- name recognition. ers. JAVA and NJAMF teams have since visited Maryland high schools to Officers We are preparing for several big events speak to students concerning the Ni- Robert Nakamoto, President in the next quarter: the National Memo- LTC Martin Herbert, USA (Ret), Vice President JAVA Appoints New Vice President MAJ Kim Luoma, USAFR, Secretary LTC Earl Takeguchi, USA (Ret), JAVA’s Executive Council ap- both Afghanistan and Iraq. Treasurer proved the appointment of LTC Herbert was also commended Martin Herbert, USA (Ret), to for actions in the Pentagon on Executive Council the position of Vice President. September 11, 2001, and Above Officers plus: served as Crisis Action Officer Grant Ichikawa Herbert, currently a consultant in the Pentagon National COL Sunao Phil Ishio, USAR (Ret) with Booz, Allen, Hamilton, re- Military Command Center BG Bert Mizusawa, USAR ceived his Bachelors degree in after it was attacked. Calvin Ninomiya Economics from the University of Louisville and his Masters in Hu- Some of Herbert’s Booz Allen clients Terry Shima, Executive Director man Resource Development from include Office of the Secretary of De- MAJ Kay Wakatake, USA Webster University. fense, Defense Logistics Agency, and the Lt Col Michael Yaguchi, USAF (Ret), Unified Combatant Commands. He cur- Deputy Executive Director He served 20 years in the Army as an rently leads the Army Materiel Com- Gerald Yamada, General Counsel Infantry and multi-functional Logisti- mand Lessons Learned team providing cal Officer. He specialized in tactical observations, insights, and lessons on a Honorary Chairs operations, supply distribution, direct wide variety of issues for the 4-star Senator Daniel K. Akaka, U.S. Senate support maintenance, transportation, Commanding General of the Army Ma- Senator Daniel K. Inouye, U.S. Senate and medical support. He also has teriel Command. COL Sunao Phil Ishio, USA (Ret) Joint Chiefs of Staff (National Mili- tary Command Center) experience Cal Shintani regretfully resigned due to The Honorable Norman Y. Mineta and has served as Aide de-Camp to added professional responsibilities; the Chief of Staff, Army. He brings JAVA thanks Cal for his superb service JAVA ADVOCATE with him recent combat experience as during his tenure as vice president. Akio Konoshima, Editor Emeritus a Logistics Task Force Commander in MAJ Kay Wakatake, USA, Editor PAGE 3 JAVA ADVOCATE APRIL 2008 2000 by Mr. Jennings, is a nonprofit volunteer NH Diversity Council Honors JA Vets organization dedicated to bringing together The New Hampshire Cultural people of diverse ethnic backgrounds to work Diversity Awareness Council’s on various cultural issues facing the nation (NHCDAC) recognized the today. efforts of Senator Daniel Inouye and JAVA in promot- Ichiuji and Shima, both World War II veter- ing diversity on January 21, ans of the 442nd RCT and JAVA members, 2008 at Radisson Hotel in accepted the award on behalf of JAVA. Sena- Manchester, New Hampshire, tor Inouye, who was unable to attend the Din- attended by 250 people. The ner, will receive the award in Washington, occasion was the 7th Annual D.C. during the Asian Pacific American Heri- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. L-R. Joe Ichiuji, Wayne Jennings, Terry Shima. tage Month in May. Other Japanese American “Keeping the Dream Alive” Photo courtesy of Wayne Jennings. guests who were invited to the dinner were Dinner. The Council made Dr. Susumu Ito, 442nd RCT veteran and Pro- presentations in a tribute to the Japanese American veter- fessor Emeritus, Harvard University, and his wife, ans and their families confined to internment camps during Minnie; Tetsuo Takayanagi, Military Intelligence Service World War II. (MIS) veteran, and his wife Mae; Dorothy Yamashita, wife of the late Dr. Kanshi Stanley Yamashita, MIS veteran, of The granite award (left), in the shape of the Lebanon, New Hampshire, and her daughter Mari Demoya; state of New Hampshire, was inscribed, and Grey S. Emmons, a student at Tuck Business School at “Presented to The Japanese American Vet- Dartmouth University and nephew of Terry Shima. erans Association. In recognition of your great leadership at promoting diversity and U.S. Senator John E. Sununu, Special Guest Speaker, dis- the values which are adherent to our coun- cussed highlights of developments in the US Congress, his try and the dreams of Dr. Martin Luther close fraternal relationship with Senator Inouye, and the King, Jr.” In presenting the award, Wayne Nisei experiences during WW II. He applauded the efforts D. Jennings, Chairman of NHCDAC, said of various Japanese American organizations to educate the “We are honored to have Joe Ichiuji and Terry Shima speak American public on their internment experience so no eth- at our dinner.