This Veterans Day, Watada Issue
Still a Lightning Rod for Controversy
As the JA community celebrates the accomplishments of its long heralded veterans, where does 1st Lt. Ehren Watada fit in?
On Nov. 11 as the clock strikes the 11th hour, heads across the nation will bow in a moment of silence in honor of our military men and women.
Sadly, for many these days, Veterans Day means little more than a day off from work. But for the Japanese American community, generations of families will take the time to visit a memorial or stand alongside a parade route - all to honor their heroes.
Amidst all the fanfare, one has to wonder, where exactly does 1st Lt. Ehren Watada fit in? It's a question many are wary of answering.
Celebrated as a hero by those who oppose the current Iraq War, yet vilified by those who feel his actions have left a black mark on the legacy of the heroic JA veterans, Watada's place in history is still being written.
For this 29-year-old Sansei, a personal decision to refuse deployment to Iraq because he believes the war is immoral and illegal, continues to divide the JA community.
"In the minds of most JAs, Lt. Watada probably doesn't have a place among the Nisei vets honored on Veterans Day," said John Tateishi, former JACL national director. "I think it's a measure of just how widely he's created a breach in the JA community between those who believe his course of action is dishonorable for a JA and those who believe he stands on a credible principle."
But, he noted: "What one individual does out of a deep moral belief or a belief in an issue has no bearing on the achievements of the Nisei vets. Nothing can tarnish that, and it's incomprehensible to me that JAs even equate or compare the two."
As of press time, a federal judge was weighing whether to move forward with Watada's second court-martial. His first trial in February was declared a mistrial and Watada's attorneys are objecting to retrying their client, arguing double jeopardy.
Whatever the decision, the outcome will likely play a large role in determining Watada's ultimate legacy in the JA community.
Celebrating Our Veterans
Each year, members of the Japanese American Veterans Association take part in Veterans Day celebrations at Arlington Cemetery, proudly displaying the flags of the heroic JA WWII vets - the 442nd Regiment, 100th Battalion, and the Military Intelligence Service.
Their legacy is a popular one, a story of overcoming prejudice to prove their patriotism and loyalty to their country.
Many of the WWII veterans feel it is this legacy that Watada is trampling on.
"What does Lt. Watada hope to achieve in his refusal to obey his military orders to lead and accompany his unit to Iraq after he voluntarily joined the Army and took an oath to serve his country?" writes MIS veteran Leo Hosoda in a letter to the Pacific Citizen.
"The 'True Heroes' are the members of the100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team. ... This unit's extraordinary performance completely reversed the public opinion regarding us Americans of Japanese ancestry."
Although Hosoda's sentiments have been echoed by a number of WWII JA veterans, JAVA president Robert Nakamoto believes Watada's actions have not tainted their legacy.
"No, we believe that the Watada issue does not in any way taint the JA veterans' legacy. Japanese Americans served in the U.S. military during World War II to prove that Japanese Americans were loyal and patriotic. They achieved this goal with their valor, lives, and blood.
"This legacy has been the foundation that have benefited all of us. We are not aware of any Japanese American who refused to serve in the U.S. military during World War II because he or she believed that the war against Germany or Japan was immoral or illegal."
The story of the JA veterans is memorialized at the Go For Broke monument in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo. Here, JA veterans volunteer their time explaining the monument and telling their WWII stories to tourists and residents alike.
"I know that many of the Nisei WWII veterans understandably have mixed reactions to Lt. Watada's decision not to deploy. Lt. Watada has made his decision, and must live with the consequences of that decision under military law," said Wayne Osako, who is currently leading a campaign to honor the Nisei WWII vets with a commemorative stamp.
He believes Veterans Day is a day for our heroic vets, especially our Nisei veterans.
"As a Sansei, I feel that we in the younger generations reap the benefits our Nisei elders' sacrifices to provide a good way of life for us, and we need to remember what they have done, especially on Veterans Day."
Watada's Supporters
For every anti-Watada stance there seems to be an equally strong voice of support.
Just a few blocks down from the Go for Broke Monument, supporters of the first lieutenant have held regular vigils calling for the dismissal of all charges - including missing troop movement and conduct unbecoming an officer - against Watada. He could face up to seven years in prison
Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress (NCRR) and the Asian American Vietnam Veterans Organization (AAVVO) are among Watada's strongest supporters.
"We in NCRR are proud of Lt. Watada's courage and principled stand. He continues the legacy in our community of people who have stood up against seemingly insurmountable odds to take a stand against injustice," said June Hibino.
"His actions are in the same vein as those who fought against the injustice of the concentration camps during World War II, those who fought for civil rights during the 1960s and those who fought against a similar war of aggression - the Vietnam War."
They note that supporting Watada does not diminish their pride for the accomplishments of the JA veterans.
"No one can take away from the Nisei vets who fought and sacrificed during World War II," said Hibino. "They fought both for democracy in the world and in the hopes their families in concentration camps would be granted their full civil rights. Likewise, Watada has taken a brave stand, fighting to uphold the Constitution and international law."
"We support 1st Lieutenant Ehren Watada's refusal to obey orders to deploy to Iraq, based on the war being illegal and immoral," said AAVO in a prepared statement. "To take such a stand on principle against the U.S. military and U.S. government, and to face the consequences of that stand takes tremendous courage."
A Legacy Still Undetermined
In August the national JACL board voted to strengthen its support for Watada, calling for a fair and impartial trial and reinforcing his right to be protected from double jeopardy.
Although some local JACL chapters have been vocal Watada supporters - including the Berkeley, Hawaii, and Watsonville-Santa Cruz chapters - the membership response to the national board's decision has been largely divisive.
Some have compared the board's decision to its controversial apology to the WWII Resisters of Conscience a few years back, threatening to revoke their membership. Others have exalted JACL's actions calling board members courageous in their stance.
This Veterans Day, Watada will not be welcomed by some but others see his story as a worthy part of the JA veterans legacy. It's an issue that will likely continue to be debated, with no likelihood for consensus.
"I believe that we all should put our differences aside and do our best to honor and remember what our Japanese American veterans have done through their service to our Nation, especially this Veterans Day," said Osako.
"Do I believe there's any way to reconcile the breach Watada's actions have caused among JAs? Perhaps in another generation there'll be more perspective and less emotion involved, and maybe then the community can reconcile the differences," said Tateishi.
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