JAVA e-Advocate July 2024

Vol. 6, No. 75, July 2, 2024

In This Issue…

President’s Message
JAVA Launches New Website
Wish of a Lifetime
JAVA General Counsel Member Needed
Honoring Heroes Singing Their Praises
OpenAI appoints Retired U.S. Army General Paul M. Nakasone to Board of Directors
Day of Affirmation
A Happy Birthday Haiku to the United States Army
Most Honorable Son: A Forgotten Hero’s Fight Against Fascism And Hate During World War II
Scholarship Award Ceremony
Upcoming JAVA Events
Donations

President’s Message

In October, the towns of Bruyères and Biffontaine in France will celebrate the 80th anniversary of their liberation by the 100/442 Regimental Combat Team. LTC Rod Azama, USA (Ret), and I plan to attend the ceremonies to represent JAVA. While we don’t have all the details yet, if you are interested in joining us in France, please reach out through our website’s “Contact Us” page.

Call for Volunteers: JAVA is expanding our volunteer staff positions to support our growth and activities nationally. We are looking for volunteers in marketing, audio/visual operations, copywriting, and more! If you are interested in contributing to JAVA in any of these capacities, please let us know.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to JAVA. Together, we honor the legacy of Japanese American veterans and ensure their stories and contributions are remembered and celebrated

JAVA Launches New Website

A project spanning over 10 months, JAVA has updated its website design to something more sleek and modern. We are all excited about this new change. And while we are still working on updating everything to perfection, you can see the change for yourself!

As of today, everyone can access the new website via our original URL: java-us.org. The WildApricot version of our website will no longer be accessible and javadc.org will also be shutting down within the next month. With this new website, we have transferred the contents/databases of both websites into one to hopefully bring everyone a better experience.

With this new change, we hope that everyone takes this time to update their membership contact information. If you would like to make a request to change your contact information, please use the button below. You can also find a link to submit a membership update request under “Contact Us” on our new website as well.

And a special thanks to RapidTek Solutions in Hawai’i for redesigning our website and taking the time to answer all our questions and concerns. We would not have been able to it without you.

Wish of a Lifetime

To All Veterans: An Opportunity to get a “Wish of a Lifetime”

Message from JAVA’s Vice President, COL (Ret) Danielle Ngo

Recently this wonderful, charitable organization came across our path. It grants wishes, especially for the older generations to show respect and honor for their importance and continuing contributions to our lives.

Christy Hiura, an advocate for veterans and with ties to the Japanese community, reached out to us to explain the program, which is available to all veterans 65 or older to apply.

Please read the attached flier and her message below and apply for an opportunity to get a wish you only ever dreamed about. Share with others who you know could benefit from this. Thank you for all you do!
——————————————————————————————————–

Hello to all JAVA veterans! My name is Christy Hiura and I am a volunteer with Wish of a Lifetime from AARP. As a Wish nominator, my deepest desire is to nominate you veterans, for I firmly believe your service and sacrifices must be continuously championed lest our fellow Americans forget the immense cost of the freedoms they enjoy.

Wish of a Lifetime is a non-profit organization that celebrates the accomplishments and sacrifices of our older generations by embracing aging and honoring the inherent wisdom that comes with it. Wishes are granted to persons 65 or older with special stories of service and achievements. We want to fulfill wishes that hold deep meaning to the wish recipient to give them a sense of hope, wonder, and triumph.

I have been honored to work with several veterans organizations including the Go for Broke Foundation in Los Angeles. Thanks to their efforts, I recently had the honor of nominating a 442d veteran for his Wish to have his art displayed at the Smithsonian Museum. I’m excited to share that Wish of a Lifetime’s board has already approved his Wish and is in the process of working with the Smithsonian to fulfill it. The Veterans of Foreign Wars and local veterans centers have also been tremendous resources for connecting with veterans, some of whom have granted me the privilege of nominating them for a Wish of a Lifetime. One nominee had his Wish to return to the Air Force Academy granted in September, 2023, while another will have his Wish for a family reunion fulfilled this summer!

I encourage you to look at Wish of a Lifetime’s website at https://wishofalifetime.org/ as well as the two pages attached to this introduction letter (a Wish of a Lifetime flier and a mail-in application pamphlet).

This is my opportunity to serve you, so my hope is that many of you will consider giving me the honor of nominating you for a Wish of a Lifetime. By doing so, you will also continue your life of service by inspiring others both young and old, to live life to the fullest no matter their age!

With deep gratitude,
Christy Hiura

JAVA General Counsel Member Needed!

Dawn Eilenberger has diligently served as JAVA’s General Counsel for the past 6 years. With a heavy heart, she has decided to step down from the position next month in July. Although she will still be an active member of JAVA, we will miss her dearly for all the work she has done for JAVA until now. We are currently looking for new General Counsel members. The JAVA General Counsel is a key member of the JAVA leadership team. The applicant must be a JD and be an active member of any state bar. Here are the lists of tasks/responsibilities that would be expected of the General Counsel: Actively participates in quarterly JAVA Executive Committee meetings to ensure compliance with the JAVA by-laws, including Roberts Rules of Order and the requirements for approval of the use of JAVA funds. Periodically reviews the by-laws and proposes changes necessary to comply with new legal and regulatory requirements to maintain JAVA’s nonprofit and veterans organization tax status. The General Counsel works with JAVA officers, the Executive Committee, and the executive officer on matters that may involve legal issues, including contracts and communications to members. Works with the executive officer to manage the election process for JAVA officers consistent with the by-laws.

If you have any questions about the position please contact javapotomac@gmail.com.

Honoring Heroes by Singing Their Praises

Growing up in Gardena, Harold Payne became very familiar with three Japanese American men who were well-known and respected in his neighborhood. Harry’s Texaco was where his family brought their cars for servicing, enjoying the confidence that he would keep their rides road-ready. Harold recalled that Harry Komatsu was a jovial and colorful guy, a fun person to be around. This is also where Payne met Hiroshi “Horse” Tadakuma, a mechanic you didn’t want to distract when concentrating on diagnosing a car’s issues, stating, “He was like a surgeon.” The third man was Frank Fukuzawa, a teacher who, along with his wife Nami, Harold described, “were the nicest unconditionally helpful people.” Even though these men were very well known to him, he was unaware of a secret from their past, which went undiscovered until he was in his late teens or early 20s.

One day Harold went to Harry’s Texaco station. Noting he hadn’t seen Harry in a while, he asked where he had been. Mr. Komatsu told him he had just returned from a trip to France, where they had just held a parade for him and his friends. Curious to hear more, Harold asked what the parade was for. Harry explained that while in the army, his regiment liberated the town of Bruyeres, which celebrates that event annually. They even named a street honoring them, ”Rue du 442eme Regiment Americain D’Infanterie” or ”Rue de 442nd Regimental Combat Team.” Now the secret was out!

The history he was never taught in school was now being told to him because the timing was right, and Harold wanted to hear more. He had never heard about the segregated 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat, let alone the fact that many of his neighbors were forced to leave behind belongings that they couldn’t carry and were among the 120,000 people of Japanese heritage forced into America’s concentration camps. Two-thirds of them were American-born citizens, just like him, and the remainder weren’t allowed to become naturalized citizens by law, despite having lived in the U.S.A. for 20-plus years, and even those who were U.S. army veterans of WWI.

Imagine Harold’s surprise hearing this story of strife and perseverance about the people he already held in such high regard, referring to them as “role models.” Now, he had even more reason to respect them for the way in which they carried themselves. Seeing how they not only looked forward, to re-establish their lives but strived to build better lives for their children impressed Harold. To learn more, he read and heard firsthand accounts about the 100th/442nd’s accomplishments as the most decorated unit of its size and length of service in U.S. military history, and that other Japanese Americans (JA) served in the Pacific Theatre as interpreters and interrogators in the Military Intelligence Service. Having learned this history Harold marveled, “So while their families were put in “internment camps” they volunteered to serve, despite that, to prove their loyalty.” This not only impressed Harold but these memories would later inspire him to write the words and music to honor these veterans, Quiet Heroes.

Though originally written and performed in 1997, Quiet Heroes has recently been featured in two high-profile events. The Harry Manaka-produced Sansei Rocker concert at the Aratani Theatre featured Harold singing Quiet Heroes as a member of the nine-member band, and he performed a solo for the Veterans Memorial Court Alliance Joint Memorial Day Service in Little Tokyo at which Actor Tamlyn Tomita provided the Keynote message.Thinking over the words he wrote Harold said, “I had the honor to write and perform a song and dedicate it to the three guys on my block who were part of the 442nd, Harry Komatsu, Hiroshi “Horse” Tadakuma & Frank Fukuzawa.”To see Harold’s Quiet Heroes music video homage to these American heroes, link to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsfs5HXWKE0

By Robert M. Horsting

OpenAI appoints Retired U.S. Army General Paul M. Nakasone to Board of Directors

Retired U.S. Army General Paul M. Nakasone has joined OpenAI’s Safety and Security Committee Board of Directors. OpenAI sought out General Nakasone as a leading expert in cybersecurity in the company’s commitment to safety and security as the impact of AI technology continues to grow. His work as the longest-serving leader of USCYBERCOM and his role in leading the National Security Agency lends to his expertise.

The Safety and Security Committee is responsible for making recommendations to the full Board on critical safety and security decisions for all OpenAI projects and operations.

General Nakasone shared his perspective on joining the Board, stating, “OpenAI’s dedication to its mission aligns closely with my own values and experience in public service. I look forward to contributing to OpenAI’s efforts to ensure artificial general intelligence is safe and beneficial to people around the world.”

[Ed Note: This article was published by OpenAI. To read the full article, please click here.]

Day of Affirmation Ceremony

Gerald Yamada (former JAVA president) delivering the 2023 Day of Affirmation speech.

Japanese American Veterans Association (JAVA) Commemorates the 78th Anniversary of the 100th Infantry Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team’s Return from Europe

Washington, D.C. – June 15, 2024 – The Japanese American Veterans Association (JAVA) is deeply honored to announce a momentous commemoration event, marking the 78th anniversary of the 100th Infantry Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team’s return from Europe. This significant event, scheduled for July 15, 2024, at noon, is a poignant reflection of the historic moment when President Harry S. Truman welcomed the unit back to Washington, D.C., at the Ellipse, the outer south lawn of the White House, on July 15, 1946.

On that rainy day in 1946, President Truman bestowed the 100th Infantry Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team with its seventh Presidential Unit Citation, a testament to the exceptional bravery and unwavering dedication of this segregated, Japanese American unit, which had been activated in 1943. In his address to the soldiers, President Truman’s words echoed their valor, ‘You fought not only the enemy, but you fought prejudice – and you have won. Keep up that fight, and we will continue to win – to make this great Republic stand for just what the Constitution says it stands for: the welfare of all the people all the time.’

Their bravery on the battlefield in Europe and contributions in the Pacific were unparalleled, significantly impacting the war’s outcome and the future of Japanese Americans in the United States. President Truman’s affirmation highlighted the importance of the Nisei soldiers’ decision to fight for their country and against prejudice, a battle that continues to this day. The legacy of these soldiers has been a cornerstone in the fight against discrimination and a foundation for the benefits Japanese Americans continue to receive.

To commemorate this historic event, JAVA will lay a wreath at the Price of Freedom Wall, National World War II Memorial, at noon (East Coast time) on July 15, 2024, honoring the 33,000 Japanese American men and women who served in World War II.

The “Day of Affirmation” ceremony will be live-streamed via Facebook on July 15, 2024, at noon (EST). To watch, please visit the JAVA Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/JapaneseAmericanVeteransAssociation/ or the JAVA website at https://www.java-us.org/.

A Happy Birthday Haiku to the United States Army

Two Four Nine Years Old
Keeping America Strong
Freedom Is Not Free

Army Leads the Way
Always Humble to the Core
America First

Many sacrificed
Blood and Tears, Families Lost
Remember the Past

Written by: CPT Wade Ishimoto, USA (Ret)

[EdNote: Thank you CPT Ishimoto for sharing your poems with us.]

Most Honorable Son: A Forgotten Hero’s Fight Against Fascism And Hate During World War II

Link to Amazon

Scholarship Award Ceremony

Meet our 2024 Scholarship Winners!

A total of $26,000 will be awarded to 15 exemplary students on Saturday, June 27th at 3PM PT/12 PM PT/ 9AM HST. .

A Google Meets Invitation will be sent out two weeks before the ceremony.

Each scholarship was funded by our members to support the future generation in their education, goals, and aspirations. Join us and let us congratulate them together.

Upcoming JAVA Events

Monday, July 15th. Day of Affirmation, 12PM EDT National World War II Memorial

Saturday, July 27th. Scholarship Award Ceremony. 3PM EDT Google Meets.

Monday, November 11th. Veterans Day Program, National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II, Washington DC.