Hawaii’s World
FIFTY-FOUR years ago today, World War II ended with a surrender signing on the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. The Japanese enemy at last was vanquished! Monument to AJA
war veteransOn June 5 this year, grandsons of Japan who fought to help America conquer were honored with the dedication of a giant black granite monument to them in the heart of Los Angeles.
"Go For Broke" is its title. "An American Story" is its significant subtitle, meant to place the World War II struggle of Japan's American grandsons in context with battles against tyranny dating back to Bunker Hill, Washington's crossing the Delaware, through Lincoln's enunciation of the American creed at Gettysburg in the Civil War.
The words engraved large on the Los Angeles monument are those of a soldier son of Hawaii, Ben H. Tamashiro, chosen from many submissions. It was Tamashiro who urged the subtitle, "An American Story," to underline the historical connection.
The words say: "Rising to the defense of their country...by the thousands they came -- these young Japanese-American soldiers...from Hawaii, the states, America's concentration camps...to fight in Europe and the Pacific during World War II.
"Looked upon with suspicion...set apart and deprived of their constitutional rights...they nevertheless remained steadfast and served with indomitable spirit and uncommon valor...for theirs was a fight to prove loyalty.
"This legacy will serve as a sobering reminder that never again shall any group be denied liberty nor the rights of citizenship."
Around the base of the monument are 16,000 AJA soldiers' names. Below Tamashiro's words are short quotes from President Truman, President Reagan, Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Maj. Gen. Charles Willoughby, MacArthur's intelligence chief.
Tamashiro's selection moved him to tears when his minister at Manoa Valley Church underlined it with a selection of patriotic songs instead of hymns for the July 4 service: "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" and "America, the Beautiful." He first saw "purple mountains across the fruited plain" in June 1942, on a troop train passing through the tunnels and peaks of the Rockies, his first trip away from home.
WITH the 100th Infantry Battalion he saw fierce combat in Italy. Later he became a chronicler of the tales of his fellow soldiers. These have been published in the veterans' club newsletter, "Puka Puka Parade." They merit long-term enshrinement along with the writings of the famous World War II front-line correspondent Ernie Pyle, now buried at Punchbowl.
"Go For Broke" was the motto of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which the L. A. monument honors along with the Japanese-American veterans of the Military Intelligence Service, the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion, the 232nd Construction Engineer Combat Battalion and the 1399th Engineer Labor Battalion.
The cry "Go for Broke" -- often sounded in combat -- takes Tamashiro back to "small kid days" when in moments of exuberant play it wasn't uncommon to challenge each other by calling out, in the pidgin of the day, "No scared 'em. Go for broke."
Yes, America's AJAs did something very special in World War II. They amassed combat decorations in record numbers and served honorably away from combat.
But Tamashiro wants them to be remembered as just a part of the long American Story...blending together people from many races and many countries into a democracy great enough to bring him to tears when he reflects on its glories.
A.A. Smyser is the contributing editor
and former editor of the the Star-Bulletin
His column runs Tuesday and Thursday.