The Masashi Goto monument in the Uinta Mountains of Utah (Photos: Courtesy of Floyd Mori)
Three Utah JACL chapters participate in the memorial ceremony.
By Floyd Mori
It was a beautiful day in the mountains to celebrate and remember a courageous Japanese aviator with a big dream. Three Utah chapters of the JACL — Mount Olympus, Salt Lake City and Wasatch Front North —participated recently in the rededication ceremony of a monument for Masashi Goto. The event took place in the Uinta Mountains of Utah, where Goto died after his plane crashed in a thunderstorm on July 4, 1929.
Goto was born in Oita, Kyushu, Japan, on March 12, 1896. He then moved to Los Angeles, where he built a plane with the help of his friend, Takeo Watanabe. Goto was the first Japanese citizen to obtain a pilot’s license in the United States.
As a pilot, Goto wanted to become one of the first aviators to fly around the world. With a planned flight map, he started out from Los Angeles and made a stop in Salt Lake City, where he was greeted by the area’s Japanese community. He then left Salt Lake City on July 4, 1929, to resume his journey. Unfortunately, Goto encountered a severe thunderstorm and crashed in the Uinta Mountains of Utah.
A memorial was placed near the crash site, and over the years, it was rededicated. But after being vandalized, an upgrade was spearheaded by the Utah State Historical Preservation Office, and storyboards were added to tell Goto’s life story.
The most-recent rededication program was held at the memorial site on July 20. Participating in the program were leaders from within the community and the state of Utah. A welcome address was given by Daniel Jauregui, district ranger of the Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest. Bishop Steve Swasey of the Dai Ichi Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offered a prayer.
Speakers at the program included Sophia DiCaro, executive director of the Office of Planning and Budget of the Utah Governor’s Office; Larry Grant, local JACL leader; Christopher Merritt, state historic preservation officer; Floyd Mori, former national executive director of the JACL; and Yuki Zaitsu, vice consul of the Consulate of Japan in Denver.
Those in attendance then enjoyed a picnic lunch following the conclusion of the program. Special appreciation to Metra Barton of the JACL Salt Lake City chapter and others who worked hard to make the event a success.
A photo courtesy of the Utah historical society of aviator Masashi Goto in 1929