Vol. 56, No. 23, June 7, 1963. 4 pages. View this issue
Remembrance of Nisei military service filled this four-page issue. Commemorative services at Fort Myer Chapel near Arlington National Cemetery marked the 20th anniversary of Nisei service, and a Rocky Mountain Nisei War Memorial was dedicated in Denver, with Medal of Honor recipient Hershey Miyamura as guest of honor. Minoru Yasui reported from Denver, K. Patrick Okura spoke at Arlington, and Mike Masaoka wrote the Washington Newsletter. President Kennedy’s message to the services was printed, and a JACL delegation met him at the White House. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was a central subject throughout.
Other pages reported on the San Francisco JACL Olympics at Kezar Stadium, where Livingston-Merced JACL won the trophy and five records fell, and on the death of Rep. Francis E. Walter, co-author of the Walter-McCarran Act. Bill Hosokawa’s column profiled the Tajiri family, and chapter news covered the Detroit convention, a new Jr. JACL in Santa Barbara, and scholarships and graduate dinners.
What’s in this issue
Community
- Livingston-Merced JACL Wins San Francisco JACL Olympics; Five Records Set, page 1. Livingston-Merced JACL claimed the NC-WNDC track trophy at the San Francisco JACL Olympics held at Kezar Stadium. Five new records were set, including Livingston’s John Kajiwara in the 880 and San Jose’s John Kansys in the high jump.
- Cathay Post Unveils Rocky Mountain Nisei War Memorial, by Minoru Yasui, page 1. The Cathay Post American Legion dedicated a Nisei war dead memorial in Denver with about a thousand attendees, including Major General Joseph C. Mehalic. Organizers thanked contributors who exceeded the $20,000 fundraising goal.
- Washington, D.C. JACLers Decorate Nisei G.I. Graves, page 4. Washington, D.C. JACL members placed flowers on the graves of 21 Nisei war dead at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day. Photos show chapter members at the gravesites.
- Mile-Hi, Ft. Lupton JACL Welcome Miyamura, page 4. Medal of Honor winner Hershey Miyamura and Mr. and Mrs. K. Patrick Okura were guests at a joint Ft. Lupton and Mile-Hi JACL meeting in Denver on May 30. Okura spoke about national JACL programs and the Issei History project.
- Detroit Convention Public Relations Committee Report, by Kenneth Miyoshi, page 4. The Detroit convention public relations committee reports on planning for the 1964 JACL National Convention, including the queen contest and efforts to promote Detroit as a convention city. The article is written in a lighthearted tone.
- Santa Barbara JACL Organizes Jr. JACL Chapter, page 4. The Santa Barbara JACL appointed co-chairmen and committee members to organize a Jr. JACL chapter for youth. The group plans activities for local young people.
- Southwest L.A. JACL Presents Queentime Ball, page 4. The Southwest L.A. JACL announced its sixth annual Queentime Ball set for June 15 at the Hollywood Women’s Club with music by Manny Glass. The event includes a queen contest and dance.
- Idaho Falls JACL Honors Graduates, page 4. The Idaho Falls JACL honored 15 high school graduates at a dinner, with state Senator Tony Nagele advising them to accept responsibility and remain humble. Graduates were recognized with gifts from the chapter.
- Sacramento JACL Scholarship and Community Picnic, page 4. The Sacramento JACL announced its scholarship winners and planned a community picnic at Elk Grove Park. The picnic will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 442nd RCT.
Obituaries
- Rep. Walter, 69, Influential Co-Author of 1952 Act Which Granted Issei Naturalization, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Francis E. Walter, co-author of the Walter-McCarran Act that repealed Japanese exclusion and extended naturalization to Issei, died of leukemia at 69. The article recounts his long House career and legislative legacy.
Military & Veterans
- Rocky Mountain Nisei War Memorial Dedicated in Denver, by Minoru Yasui, page 1. Nearly a thousand people attended the May 30 dedication of the Nisei War Dead Memorial at Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, which honors 75 Nisei soldiers from the Rocky Mountain region. Medal of Honor recipient Hershey Miyamura was the guest of honor.
- Tribute to Nisei GIs Dramatic at Arlington, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese American veterans, Gold Star mothers, and officials gathered at Fort Myer Chapel for commemorative services marking the 20th anniversary of Nisei military service being reopened. Speakers including Senator Inouye and Congressman Matsunaga paid tribute to the 442nd RCT.
- Nisei Come Through, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Commemorative services honoring Japanese American military service in World War II were moved indoors to a Fort Myer chapel because of rain at Arlington National Cemetery. The editorial praises the loyalty of Japanese Americans and the 442nd RCT’s record.
- Sen. Fong Inserts Nisei WW2 Review in Congressional Record, page 2. Senator Hiram L. Fong inserted a fact sheet into the Congressional Record paying tribute to the Nisei military record of World War II. The review details the 442nd RCT and 100th Infantry Battalion’s combat history and decorations.
- Nisei Gls Did Not Die in Vain, page 3. This editorial reviews the history of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 100th Infantry Battalion, from Hawaii volunteers to their combat record in Italy and France. It emphasizes that Americanism is a matter of heart and mind, not race.
- Commemorative Services at Fort Myer Chapel, by Mike Masaoka, page 4. Mike Masaoka’s Washington Newsletter describes the Arlington commemorative services held indoors due to rain, including congressional attendance and wreath-laying. He also recounts the visits to the graves of 21 Nisei veterans.
- Hershey Miyamura Honored at Denver Memorial, page 4. Medal of Honor recipient Hershey Miyamura was honored at the Denver Nisei memorial dedication. The article covers his role as guest of honor and the monument’s inscription.
- Denver Ensign Lays JACL Wreath at Tomb of Unknowns, page 4. Ensign Ken Tagawa of Washington, D.C. placed the National JACL wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns on Memorial Day. The ceremony was one of about 25 civic and veterans organization tributes.
National
- President Kennedy’s Message Read at Rites, page 1. President Kennedy sent a telegram read at the Arlington commemorative services praising the military achievements of Japanese Americans in Europe and the Pacific. The message honored the 442nd Regimental Combat Team’s twentieth anniversary.
- President Kennedy Welcomes JACL Delegation to White House, by Special to the Pacific Citizen, page 1. President Kennedy met briefly with a JACL delegation including Mrs. Nawa Munemori, National JACL President Okura, and Congressman Matsunaga at the White House on June 3. The President praised the 442nd RCT and presented commemorative books were exchanged.
Incarceration & Redress
- Nisei Gls Did Not Die in Vain, by K. Patrick Okura, page 2. National JACL President K. Patrick Okura delivered remarks honoring Nisei war dead at Arlington, reflecting on how Japanese Americans evacuated and confined during the war later earned respect through military service. He emphasized the loyalty and sacrifice behind the nation’s acceptance of Japanese Americans.
In-Depth
- Larry Tajiri Pat Suzuki’s Coming Back, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa profiles the Tajiri family of Nisei achievers, including Shinkichi Tajiri’s visit from the Netherlands, and notes the careers of several siblings in journalism and art. The column also covers Nisei performers from Broadway’s Flower Drum Song.
Arts & Entertainment
- Pat Suzuki’s Coming Back, page 3. Singer Pat Suzuki returns to performing after several years away, with engagements in Vancouver and planned Las Vegas and Miami Beach dates. Her new album is praised as showing poise and performance.
Commentary
- Citizens Committee Thanks Voters for School Bond Proposition A, page 4. A paid political advertisement thanks Los Angeles voters for approving School Bond Proposition A and acknowledges the failure of Proposition B. The committee expresses gratitude to supporters.
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