Vol. 7, No. 95, December 3, 2025
In This Issue…
- President’s Message
- Japanese American Veterans Association (JAVA) & National Japanese American Memorial Foundation (NJAMF) Annual Veterans Day Recap
- Upcoming Elections
- Robert Kim – Victory in Shanghai: A Korean American Family’s Journey in CIA and Army Special Forces
- Upcoming JAVA Events
Presidents Message
Washington, D.C.
Dear Members and Friends of JAVA,
As we close the chapter on 2025, I want to say something accurate and straightforward. This year, the Japanese American Veterans Association did not just stay active. We stayed faithful to our mission. We honored service. We protected memory. We corrected the record. We lifted the next generation. We strengthened friendships across communities and across oceans.
First, we told the story the right way. In 2025, JAVA produced a powerful V-E Day Special Edition series that brought forward voices, scholarship, and testimony that reminded America what Japanese American soldiers did in the European theater and what their families endured at home. We also marked V-J Day by inviting our community to reflect on the extraordinary service of the Military Intelligence Service and on how Nisei linguists helped turn wartime enmity into a lasting U.S.-Japan alliance through language skills, cultural fluency, and quiet diplomacy.
And we did more than publish. We advanced history on the ground, in the places where history happened. This year, we helped support the Heroes of the Vosges Museum project forward in Bruyères, France, supporting the creation of a permanent space that will preserve the “Rescue of the Lost Battalion” and liberation of Bruyères and Biffontaine, as well as the sacrifices of the 100th and 442nd for generations to come.
We also stood where the world must never forget. On May 2, 2025, JAVA was present near Waakirchen, Germany, for a ceremony honoring the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion and the concentration camp prisoners they helped liberate from the Dachau death march. The ceremony included prayers, the placement of a new plaque, and wreath-laying to honor the 522nd’s role in rescuing the survivors. That same day, we represented JAVA at the inauguration of a new monument recognizing the Nisei soldiers of the 522nd who helped bring that march to an end. JAVA also played a key role in drafting the enduring inscription on that memorial, because words, when chosen carefully, can become a lasting act of respect.
At home, we strengthened remembrance through national presence and national dignity. JAVA participated in the National Memorial Day Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, standing in the company of the nation to honor those who laid down their lives. Then, in July, we hosted our Day of Affirmation at the National World War II Memorial, reaffirming President Truman’s timeless truth that our Nisei soldiers fought not only the enemy, but prejudice, and won. We were honored to welcome Medal of Honor recipient Colonel (Ret.) Paris Davis as our keynote speaker, reminding us that courage is not an artifact. It is a living standard.
We invested in the future in a way that directly fulfills our purpose. In 2025, JAVA awarded 14 scholarships to outstanding students. Fourteen lives encouraged. Fourteen families supported. We also expanded the community by launching a new digital discussion platform for Members and Friends, creating space for respectful conversation, collaboration, and connection. And we formed a History Research Committee to uncover and correct historical inaccuracies about WWII Nisei soldiers, because when the record is corrected, dignity is restored.
We also honored legacy in a way that reached hearts, not just minds. In 2025, the musical tribute “One Puka Puka Leads the Way” was shared and embraced by the 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans organization, paired with a moving montage created by Club 100.
None of this happened by accident. It happened because volunteers showed up. Committee members did the quiet work. Donors gave consistently, and because partners trusted JAVA to do hard things the right way.
Today, I am making three commitments on behalf of JAVA.
First, we will protect the truth. We will continue to correct the record, preserve artifacts, and ensure that our community’s service is represented accurately and with honor.
Second, we will expand the legacy. We will keep investing in scholarships, education, and programs that turn remembrance into growth.
Third, we will keep showing up. At national ceremonies. At community events. In policy conversations. In the lives of veterans and families who need support and connection.
To everyone who played a role in JAVA’s accomplishments in 2025, thank you. You did not simply support an organization. You guarded a legacy. You strengthened the nation’s memory. You honored the fallen by serving the living.
In unity and remembrance,
Howard High
President, Japanese American Veterans Association (JAVA)
Honoring the Legacy: Recapping the JAVA and NJAMF 2025 Veterans Day Ceremony
Washington, D.C.
Written by: COL Danielle Ngo Robinett, JAVA Vice President
The Japanese American Veterans Association (JAVA), in partnership with the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation (NJAMF), hosted its annual Veterans Day program on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at the
Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During WWII in Washington, D.C. This hybrid event, accommodating both in-person attendees and a virtual audience via livestream, served as a poignant tribute designed to honor the service and sacrifice of Japanese American veterans across all conflicts, from World War II to the present day. The location itself is deeply symbolic, a monument that commemorates the patriotism of the over 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry unjustly incarcerated during the war, as well as the more than 33,000 who served in the U.S. military.
The program featured U.S. Army Vietnam War Veteran and Bronze Star recipient Takeshi “Tak” Furumoto as the esteemed keynote speaker. Furumoto’s remarks underscored the importance of recognizing all who answered the call to serve, especially those who returned home to a nation that was slow to acknowledge their contributions and faced continued prejudice. His personal narrative connected the historical struggles of the Nisei (second-generation Japanese Americans) soldiers, who fought valiantly in segregated units like the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, to the experiences of later generations of Japanese American veterans. The 442nd, which became the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in U.S. military history, serves as a powerful symbol of loyalty in the face of injustice.
The ceremony’s central message emphasized the “Go For Broke” spirit, to give one’s all, which continues to inspire future generations through selfless sacrifice and unwavering courage. The memorial itself reinforces these themes with inspirational artistic elements, such as Nina Akamu’s bronze sculpture of two cranes entangled in barbed wire, symbolizing the struggle for freedom and equality amidst restriction and prejudice. This annual gathering is a vital part of JAVA’s mission to educate the American public about this complex chapter of American history and advocate for equal justice under the law. The event helps carry forward the story of these “Quiet Heroes,” ensuring their achievements and loyalty are integrated into the broader American narrative. As part of a nationwide effort to remember this legacy, a related event in Hood River, Oregon, saw a local American Legion Post dedicate a historical marker to correct a past injustice where Nisei names were removed from an honor roll, illustrating a national movement toward reconciliation and remembrance. The JAVA Veteran’s Day ceremony is ultimately an affirmation of the Japanese American soldiers’ victory over both the enemy overseas and prejudice at home, a powerful reminder that the fight for a more perfect union is ongoing.
For those interested in learning more about the history of Japanese American veterans, resources are available through the Go For Broke National Education Center and the Japanese American Veterans Association website.
2026 JAVA Biennial Elections
In accordance with JAVA’s By-laws, the Nominations Committee is preparing to nominate JAVA members for each of the four elected Offices: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary.
Should you desire to be considered for one of those positions, please submit your name, photo and a short summary (no more than one page) of your qualifications and desire to run for any of the elected offices. The deadline for submission is Friday, December 5, 2025. These Officers will serve a two-year term beginning in February 2026. Your submissions should be sent to Nominations Committee Member Jason Kuroiwa at [email protected].
Election Timeline:
- Slate of Candidates will be presented to the membership by January 5, 2026.
- Email voting will take place from January 6 to 27, 2026.
- Proxy email voting will take place from January 6 to 25, 2026.
- Election results will be announced at the General Membership Meeting
Robert Kim – Victory in Shanghai: A Korean American Family’s Journey in CIA and Army Special Forces
Created by: AFIOVideos
In this episode, the author, Robert Kim, and two members of the Kim Brothers family, Art and Richard Kim, talk with AFIO’s James Hughes about “Victory in Shanghai: A Korean American Family’s Journey to the CIA and the Army Special Forces” This 2-part interview provides vignettes of US, Korean, Chinese history through eyes of five pre-WWII “undocumented” immigrant brothers who went on to bravely serve in US military and intelligence community. Shining light on decades of struggle, scant recognition, withheld awards, and long road to citizenship. Timely and inspiring.
| The original videos can also be found here: Part 1 and Part 2 on YouTube. The original videos were published by AFIOVideos, and all credit goes to the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) for putting together this incredible interview. You can find out more about their organization at https://www.afio.com. |
Upcoming JAVA Events
Saturday, Mar 28, 2026. Freedom Walk. Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II, Washington, D.C.
Saturday, July 19, 2026. Day of Affirmation. Washington, D.C.