Push for Nisei WWII Veterans Stamp Heading Into Last Stretch
The Stamp Advisory Committee may be meeting any day now. A grassroots campaign supporting the stamp proposal wants to ensure their voices are heard.
It's down to crunch time.
In the next couple of weeks - maybe even the next several days - the U.S. Postal Service's Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee will meet to decide the fate of a Nisei World War II veterans stamp proposal.
With time closing in, members of a national grassroots campaign supporting the commemorative stamp are working to ensure their voices are heard, loud and clear.
"It's time we get this stamp created ... 2010 is the next opportunity," said Wayne Osako, a Nisei WWII Veterans Stamp Campaign organizer.
Although the idea of a Nisei veterans stamp has been in the works for years now, the grassroots campaign has amplified its efforts during the past several weeks. On Sept. 24, Osako received a letter that the Nisei stamp proposal would finally be taken up by the Stamp Committee.
Volunteers have been hitting the pavement in full force collecting over 8,000 letters of support and they have recently taken their campaign into cyberspace, launching an online petition. Celebrities like George Takei and a number of politicians, including U.S. Rep. Mike Honda, have also added clout to the campaign.
For everyone the goal is the same: to honor the heroic Nisei veterans of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the 100th Infantry Battalion, and the Military Intelligence Service.
Campaign supporters hope their tireless efforts will pay off with a positive announcement from the Stamp Committee. But for now, all they can do is wait.
"This is a critical time for us. We need to keep campaigning until we get an official announcement. It could happen any time this month," said Osako.
A No-Brainer
The accomplishments of the Nisei WWII veterans are staggering. The 442nd/100th Regimental Combat Team is the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in U.S. history. Among the numerous awards, there are 9,000 Purple Hearts and 21 Medals of Honor. Many of these men volunteered even though their families were being held in internment camps.
For those who support the campaign to get a Nisei veterans stamp, the issue is a no-brainer.
"I was too young during World War II to realize what we were doing to these people. That was a sad, unfortunate time in U.S. history. I truly hope they are honored with a U.S. postage stamp," wrote Mary Beth McLean of Fruitland, Idaho on the online petition.
Like McLean, the Nisei stamp campaign hasn't been relegated to just the Japanese American community. All walks of people - Latinos, African Americans, and Caucasians - have added their support to the campaign.
And many of those who are lending their support are the descendants of the 211 men of the "Lost Battalion" who were rescued by the Nisei soldiers during WWII.
"My dad was one of the 211 36th 'Texans' rescued that day, so I am somewhat prejudiced here, but the record of the 100th/442nd stands on its own. They deserve a commemorative stamp," wrote James J. Tortolano.
So far the grassroots campaign's efforts have been paying off, exponentially.
In addition to the thousands of petition supporters, the city of Monterey Park, Calif. became the first city to pass a resolution of support. Soon after the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Independent Cities Association followed suit.
"Despite President Franklin Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066, relegating their families, friends, and colleagues to internment camps, over 20,000 Japanese American served our country proudly during World War II," said Supervisor Mike Antonovich.
Now Rep. Honda's office has started circulating a congressional letter of support calling on members of congress to add their signatures to the campaign. In August, the national JACL unanimously voted to support the campaign and is currently working to gather letters of support from its members.
"What is more fitting than to recognize the patriotic valor of this group of soldiers than to honor them with a commemorative stamp," said Floyd Mori, JACL national director.
The Big Decision
Although the stamps for the 2008-2009 cycle have already been chosen by the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee, members of the grassroots campaign hope the Nisei stamp will be among the 2010 selections.
Although the Stamp Committee will be meeting to discuss the various stamp proposals any day now, an exact date of the meeting has not been disclosed.
The stamp committee - comprised of volunteers - makes direct recommendations to the United States Postal Service and can either reject a stamp proposal, recommend it, or continue to keep the proposal under consideration.
Many stamp proposals never see the front side of an envelope.
To date, there has never been a stamp honoring the heroic JA WWII soldiers although a stamp honoring Latino soldiers was issued in 1984 and there was also a "Buffalo Soldiers" stamp honoring African Americans in 1994.
Many hope a Nisei veterans stamp will finally become a reality.
"We have to do something. The veterans are in their 80s and 90s," said Osako. "Their patriotic service through some of World War II's darkest days and darkest places has helped remind our nation since World War II that loyalty to America is not dependent on one's ancestry."
He added: "We're going to keep going until we hear from the Postmaster General that we have a stamp."
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