Vol. 116, No. 13, April 2, 1993. 8 pages. View this issue
The 50th anniversary of the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team filled much of this eight-page issue. Nearly 3,000 veterans gathered in Honolulu for a parade, and editor emeritus Harry K. Honda wrote three pieces on the units’ history, from the Vosges Forest and the rescue of the Lost Texas Battalion to the Gothic Line, where Sadao Munemori and Daniel Inouye were remembered. Bill Marutani’s column told the story of the all-Nisei 522nd Field Artillery Battalion at the Dachau camps. The paper also continued its report on the JACL national board meeting, covering the National Youth Council, a discussion of JACL’s direction after redress funding ends, and an update from Grayce Uyehara on the Legacy Fund nearing $4 million.
Elsewhere are Ken Kashiwahara’s speech at the Detroit chapter installation, George Nakano’s run for the California State Senate, Kristi Yamaguchi’s decision to skip the 1994 Olympics, a Bill Hosokawa column, and reader letters on scholarships and gays in the military.
What’s in this issue
JACL
- National Board Meeting Reviews Youth Council Activities, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL National Youth Council reported on expanding district representation and a new recruitment brochure distributed to chapters and conference attendees. The council also reviewed a proposal to appoint youth representatives to national standing committees.’
- National Board Brainstorms Future Direction of JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National Director Dennis Hayashi told the board that after redress funding concludes, JACL must focus on emerging issues like health reform, education policy, and affirmative action. Board members debated whether the definition of civil rights is changing and how the organization should adapt.’
- Legacy Fund Nears $4 Million but Contributions Slowing, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Legacy Fund Chairwoman Grayce Uyehara reported the fund reached the $4 million mark by January 1993 but that donations have recently slowed due to economic conditions. The fund aims to raise $10 million over five years, with 20 percent of current JACL members having contributed so far.
- Education Committee Advances Curriculum Guide, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Eastern District Council Governor Teresa Maebori updated the JACL national board on the Education Committee’s progress developing a curriculum guide, which chapters have reviewed and commented on. The guide is scheduled to be presented at a tri-district meeting in Cleveland in August 1993, with printing planned by that time.
Military & Veterans
- 100th/442nd Veterans March in Honolulu 50th Anniversary Celebration, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nearly 3,000 World War II veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team gathered in Honolulu for a parade marking the unit’s 50th anniversary. The event honored the historic contributions and sacrifices of the Nisei soldiers.
- Lest We Forget: Nearly 3,000 Vets Gather for 442nd 50th Anniversary, by Harry K. Honda, page 3. Editor emeritus Harry K. Honda recounts the formation and combat history of the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team, including tensions between Hawaii-born ‘Buddhaheads’ and mainland ‘Kotonks.’ The piece profiles veterans including Bert Nishimura, Ernest Uno, and Ronald Oba and their wartime experiences.
- 442nd Veterans Recall Vosges Forest Battle and Rescue of Lost Battalion, by Harry K. Honda, page 7. The article continues coverage of the 442nd’s history, detailing the harrowing rescue of the ‘Lost Texas Battalion’ in the Vosges Mountains of France, where dense forests and tree bursts made combat especially deadly. Engineer Shig Kawamoto described how exploding shells turned trees into lethal shrapnel.
- Cracking the Gothic Line: Munemori’s Medal of Honor and Inouye’s Sacrifice, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. The article details the 442nd’s 1945 campaign to break the Gothic Line in Italy, including Pfc. Sadao Munemori’s posthumous Medal of Honor for smothering a grenade to save his comrades, and Lt. Daniel Inouye’s loss of his arm while continuing to lead his platoon’s assault. The unit ended the war as the most decorated in U.S. military history for its size.
Arts & Entertainment
- Kristi Yamaguchi Skips 1994 Olympics for Professional Tour, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi announced she would forgo training for the 1994 Winter Olympics in favor of touring professionally. Her father, Dr. Jim Yamaguchi of the Fremont JACL Chapter, said she is enjoying professional skating and finds it both fun and financially rewarding.
Community
- ABC Newsman Ken Kashiwahara Calls for Fair Reporting of Minorities, by Julie Sasaki, page 1. Speaking at the Detroit JACL installation dinner, ABC News correspondent Ken Kashiwahara discussed the media’s responsibility to portray Asian Americans accurately and avoid reinforcing stereotypes. He cited his own reporting experience and called on organizations to push for more Asian American representation in broadcast news.
- Detroit Chapter JACL Board Offers Diverse Leadership Experience, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 1993 Detroit Chapter JACL board includes members with backgrounds in corporate America, independent business, and community service, many from the automotive industry. Officers include President Frank Watanabe, Vice President John Takemoto, and other officers handling scholarships, civil rights, and membership.
- Detroit Chapter Installation Dinner Draws Community Support, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Following Ken Kashiwahara’s keynote address, Detroit City Council President Maryann Mahaffey presented him a city spirit award for his journalism work. Chapter President Ernie Otani also presented special awards to attorneys and community members for redress efforts and chapter service.
National
- George Nakano Runs for California State Senate, by Gwen Muranaka, page 4. Torrance City Councilman George Nakano is running for the 28th District California State Senate seat, citing the lack of Asian Pacific American representation in the legislature. Nakano discussed key issues including jobs, defense industry conversion, and hate crimes affecting the Asian Pacific American community.
Commentary
- Computers Do the Writing, Too, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Columnist Bill Hosokawa reflects on his own limited use of computer word processing and describes new software that can generate sports stories from statistics without a writer. He muses that similar technology could someday be applied to reporting on repetitive patterns of activity within the Japanese American community.
- The 522nd Field Artillery Battalion and the Liberation of Dachau Camps, by Bill Marutani, page 6. Columnist Bill Marutani details the little-known story of the all-Nisei 522nd Field Artillery Battalion’s role in liberating inmates from Dachau satellite camps in 1945. He describes how the soldiers shared food with starving prisoners and were remembered as ‘the gentle soldiers,’ with the battalion’s colors now part of the Holocaust Museum’s collection.
- Appreciates Help in Sentencing of Murderer, by Yosh and Jack Kaneko, Monterey, Calif., page 6. The family of murder victim Chiyoko Kono thanks JACL leaders including Dennis Hayashi, Robert Ishikawa, and Elisa Kamimoto for their support during the sentencing of her killer. They credit community mobilization and Pacific Citizen coverage with helping achieve a 25-year sentence for the perpetrator.
- Still a Japanese American Organization, page 6. A letter writer responds to a prior op-ed calling JACL’s scholarship policy racist, arguing it is reasonable for scholarships to prioritize JACL members’ children and Japanese Americans. The writer suggests extending eligibility to children of JACL supporters as a compromise but notes JACL’s name still reflects its Japanese American identity.
- Supports Rights of Gays in Military, page 6. A letter writer, president of the Diablo Valley Chapter JACL, argues that JACL’s civil rights mission extends to protecting gay servicemembers from discrimination in the military. The writer draws a parallel to the Japanese American incarceration, warning against using labels to deny individuals their constitutional rights.
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