Watadas Tour in Support of Their Son
1st Lt. Ehren Watada could face a possible court martial in January for his decision to refuse deployment to Iraq.
Bob Watada can still remember the phone call that would change his son Ehren’s life forever.
In one breathless moment Ehren, 28, a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, announced to his father his life-altering decision to refuse deployment to Iraq because he believes the war is illegal and immoral.
“The moment he made his decision, it was like the weight of the world had come off his shoulders,” said Bob. “He felt good about his decision, even today. Even ten years from now he knows he did the right thing, even if he has to be punished.”
That punishment will be determined in a possible court martial with Ehren facing up to eight years in prison for several charges including: missing troop movement, conduct unbecoming an officer, and contempt towards officials.
With his son’s future now in the hands of the U.S. Army, Bob and his wife Rosa Sakanishi are currently touring the country hoping to raise awareness and support for Ehren who will likely face a court martial sometime early next year.
The retired couple are in the midst of speaking engagements in Southern California and will soon head to the Midwest and the East Coast before resting for a few days back home in Hawaii. Bob and Rosa’s hectic schedule has left little time for anything else but they too believe in what Ehren is fighting for.
“Ehren is doing this as a matter of conscience. We are proud of the position our son has taken,” said Bob at an Oct. 5 Los Angeles press conference sponsored by Korean Americans for Peace, Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress (NCRR), and the Asian American Vietnam Veterans Organization.
Bob explained how his son Ehren decided to join the U.S. Army shortly after 9/11 because he felt it was his patriotic duty. But after witnessing the treatment of innocent Iraqi men, women, and children at the hands of the United States, he began to see the war as immoral and illegal. As an officer, he could not in good conscience lead his men to fight in the Iraq war and believes all U.S. troops need to be brought home immediately.
“Ehren saw the Iraqi people as human beings. He saw how wrong it was to kill human beings for absolutely no reason,” said Bob. “That we are not fighting for our country but for oil and that’s why he has taken this position.”
Bob and Rosa both emphasized that their intentions are not to sway public opinion towards Ehren’s beliefs. What they want is for the American people to study the issues surrounding the Iraq war, come to their own conclusions, and take their own actions.
“We want to share Ehren’s story. He wants to let everyone know that he’s doing this based on his principles,” said Rosa, Ehren’s stepmother. “He’s standing up for each one of us. He’s standing up for the U.S. Constitution.”
The Watadas have been touched by the support they have received during their speaking tour, particularly in the Nikkei community. During their visit to Northern California several events were standing room only and many people vocally expressed their support
“It’s been very positive. We’ve had a really good response,” said Bob. “We keep going because we see so much support.”
But not all members of the Nikkei community have been supportive. Several Japanese American veterans groups — including Japanese American Korean War Veterans and Americans of Japanese Ancestry WWII Memorial Alliance — have openly criticized Ehren for his actions, calling him a disgrace to the legacy of the heroic World War II JA vets.
Bob has not been blind to the veterans’ criticisms directed at his son but wants them to know that Ehren has nothing but respect for the JA vets and their accomplishments.
“Ehren has said he is very proud of the vets. They fought for and died for the Constitution of the United States and he feels he is doing the same thing,” said Bob, who noted that Ehren’s uncle was killed while fighting in the Korean War.
Today, Ehren has been reassigned to an administrative position at Fort Lewis, Washington and is living off base. He is currently waiting to hear a final decision on his possible court martial.
“Mentally, emotionally he’s doing pretty good,” said Bob.
It has helped that many of his fellow soldiers have been supportive of his actions and sympathetic of his current plight, especially in light of the military charges he now faces.
“The soldiers support him and many soldiers are thanking him,” Bob continued, noting that he too has received a lot of positive e-mails.
As the JA community continues to debate Ehren’s decision, Bob and Rosa are making themselves available to answer questions regarding their son’s actions in the current war.
“He’s taken the most difficult road in opposing the war,” said Rosa. “But hopefully his sacrifice will not be in vain.”
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