Arlington commemoration for Nisei veterans, and civil rights in Congress

Vol. 56, No. 24, June 14, 1963. 4 pages. View this issue

Heavy rain fell on the June 2 services at Arlington National Cemetery, which marked 20 years of Japanese American military service in World War II. The National JACL laid a wreath, and about 300 people attended. Mike Masaoka wrote on the commemoration, Carol Tamura described the Washington chapter’s six months of planning, and Senator Hiram L. Fong placed a Nisei war record fact sheet in the Congressional Record. Masaoka also remembered Congressman Francis E. Walter, who died May 31.

Civil rights ran through the front page: JACL’s call for a permanent U.S. Civil Rights Commission, Hawaii’s new fair employment law, and setbacks for two California bills. Elsewhere are Bill Hosokawa’s column on an Air Force Academy graduation, the Bruyeres shrine, Nisei Week queen candidates, and scholarships from the Mile-Hi chapter.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Largest Japanese American Military Commemorative Services Held at Arlington National Cemetery, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The June 2 Arlington National Cemetery services commemorated the 20th anniversary of Japanese American military service in World War II, with the National JACL laying a wreath at the Battleship Maine monument. The ceremony was attended by numerous congressmen and drew wide press coverage despite heavy rain.
• Commemorative Services, by Mike Masaoka, page 1. Washington Newsletter column reflecting on the June 2 Arlington services honoring Nisei veterans and the Congressional tributes entered into the Record. Reprints of the Congressional Record remarks will be made available to JACL members.
• Sen. Fong Inserts Nisei WW2 Review in Congressional Record, by Sen. Hiram L. Fong, page 2. The final installment of a Fact Sheet on Nisei war records, inserted into the Congressional Record by Senator Hiram Fong, covers Military Intelligence Service contributions in the Pacific. It describes language training, combat intelligence work, and the sacrifices of Nisei soldiers.
• Devotion of JACLers on June 2 Commemorates Undaunted by Rain, by Carol Tamura, page 3. Members of the Washington D.C. JACL chapter organized the June 2 Arlington services over six months of planning. Despite heavy rain, some 300 persons attended the ceremony held in the Fort Myer North Chapel.

National

• Ernie Uno Accepts YMCA Position in Honolulu, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ernest Uno, formerly executive secretary of the Southwest YMCA in San Diego, accepted a program and membership secretary position with the Nuuanu YMCA in Honolulu. He had served the YMCA in Ventura, Tacoma and San Diego over ten years on the mainland.
• Move to Eliminate Literacy Test for Voters Fails in California, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Assemblyman Alfred Song’s constitutional amendment to remove the English literacy requirement for voters was referred to committee after failing to reach the two-thirds majority. Supporters argued the test was originally aimed at Mexican American voters.
• Hawaii FEPC Bill Signed by Governor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Governor Burns signed Hawaii’s fair employment practices bill on June 4, prohibiting discrimination by employers and unions based on age, race, sex, color or ancestry. The law takes effect January 1.
• Cal. Anti-Bias Bill on Real Estate Men Set Aside, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A bill to suspend licenses of real estate agents who discriminate by race, color or creed was set aside by a Senate committee. It had been considered a backstop to the Brown administration’s fair housing effort.
• U.S. Civil Rights Commission Urged by JACL Before Senate Group, by Mike Masaoka, page 1. JACL urged Congress to establish a permanent U.S. Civil Rights Commission before the current term expires November 30, 1963. The testimony emphasized lessons from wartime removal of Japanese Americans.

Obituaries

• Congressman Francis E. Walter, by Mike Masaoka, page 1. Congressman Francis E. Walter, who died May 31, was remembered as the most influential friend of Japanese Americans in Congress. His legislative achievements included the Walter-McCarran Immigration Act and evacuation claims legislation.
• Congressman Walter Remembered, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House eulogized Congressman Walter and the JACL telegrams of tribute were printed in the Congressional Record. Walter was honored for his leadership on immigration and naturalization reforms benefiting Japanese Americans.
• Kenzo Uyeno, 39, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Kenzo Uyeno, chief of the systems development division of the Army Material Command, died June 1 after a tonsil operation. A former national judo champion, he founded the Washington Judo Club.

Community

• Three Candidates Seek Nisei Week Queen Title, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kaye Takahashi, Maureen Okada and Jayne Tanimura were introduced as candidates for Miss Nisei Week 1963. The Coronation Ball will be held August 11 at the Palladium.
• Recommendations for National Jr. JACL Studied at Salt Lake, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. Youth representatives from three Jr. JACL district councils met in Salt Lake City to draft objectives, programs and organizational recommendations for a national Jr. JACL organization. Reports covered objectives, program, organization, finance and constitution.
• Chuman Musters L.A. Against Birmingham-Type Violence, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Frank Chuman, chairman of the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations, convened meetings to address racial tensions after NAACP leaders announced a planned citywide civil rights campaign. Proposed measures included fair housing laws and school integration.
• Mile-Hi JACL Scholarship Awards Announced, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Mile-Hi JACL honored Darryl Kaneko as the Harry H. Sakata memorial scholarship winner from more than 30 candidates. Other scholarship recipients were also recognized at the chapter’s annual dinner.
• Long Beach-Harbor JACL Miss Harbor Coronation Set, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Long Beach-Harbor JACL is preparing for its fifth annual Miss Harbor coronation dinner-dance on June 22 at the Lafayette Hotel. Five candidates will vie for the title, which carries representation in the Nisei Week contest.

Incarceration & Redress

• War-Scarred Shrine at Bruyeres Unchanged, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mayor Rene Drahon of Bruyeres, France attended the US Conference of Mayors in Honolulu. The town, liberated by the 442nd RCT in 1944, maintains its war-scarred memorial shrine by decree.

Commentary

• Youth and Jobs, by P.C. Staff, page 2. This editorial examines the growing problem of youth unemployment as large numbers of teenagers seek their first jobs. It urges students to pursue technical skills and training to meet the demands of the modern economy.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa describes attending the Air Force Academy graduation where his nephew Warren Nogaki was commissioned. He reflects on the pride of the family and the absence of Warren’s late father.

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