Vol. 7, No. 94, November 4, 2025
In This Issue…
- President’s Message
- Government Shutdown resources
- Former JAVA president receives Foreign Minister’s Commendation
- Go For Broke’s Evening of Aloha Event Reflection
- Upcoming Elections
- JAVA & NJAMF’s Annual Veterans Day Event – Join us Nov 11!
- Honoring Oregon Nisei Soldiers on Veterans Day
- Upcoming JAVA Events
Presidents Message
Washington, D.C.
JAVA Members & Friends,
As we enter November, many of us naturally start thinking about service, sacrifice, and gratitude. Veterans Day and Thanksgiving arrive just days apart. Together, they remind us that the freedoms we enjoy did not simply appear. They were protected by men and women who raised their right hand and chose to serve.
During World War II, Nisei soldiers put on the uniform of a nation that often doubted them. They did not know how history would remember them. They only knew they had to do what they believed was right, and they wanted to prove that they were fully American.
JAVA wants to make sure their story isn’t lost. This is an American story, not only a Japanese American one. Our veterans, their families, and their communities helped shape a better United States. Their example continues to guide today’s Japanese American and AANHPI service members.
I want to thank each of you personally. To our veteran members, thank you for your service and for the example you continue to set. To spouses, children, and grandchildren, thank you for standing beside your loved ones and for sharing their stories with us. To our donors, volunteers, and partners, thank you for the time, resources, and encouragement you give so that JAVA can continue its mission.
This year, JAVA has continued to honor the past while investing in the future. Through our educational programs, public events, and outreach, we are helping more people across the country learn about the Nisei story and the larger Japanese American role in our nation’s defense. We are also working to give younger generations chances to connect with this history and to discover their own way to serve.
As we look ahead, our mission is simple. The story must not end with us. Each of us is a caretaker of this legacy. The photos in our albums, the documents in our files, and the memories in our hearts are all part of something bigger. If we hold on to them alone, they may fade away. If we share them, they can inspire others for a long time to come.
So, I have a small request. Please introduce JAVA to one new person. Please share our website, a newsletter article, or a recording of one of our programs. Tell them why this history matters to you. That simple act helps carry the story forward.
I wish you a meaningful Veterans Day and a Thanksgiving filled with peace, gratitude, and connection. Thank you for walking alongside JAVA in this vital work. Together, we are helping ensure that the courage, loyalty, and achievements of our veterans will be remembered and honored for generations to come.
Warm regards,
Howard High
Resources for those affected by the government shutdown
JAVA editorial board
Washington, D.C.
As the government shutdown approaches the longest in U.S. history, JAVA remains committed to providing support to our members, friends and families impacted by sharing key information on access to resources during this difficult time. Here are a few links to assist families who are facing challenges:
Government Shutdown: Essential Resources for Feds,
Shutdown Resources | National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
Military Family Food Assistance | Military OneSource
JAVA urges members, friends, and families to reach out for any other assistance required
Former JAVA president receives Foreign Minister’s Commendation from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
Written By: Kay Izumihara
Washington, D.C.
On October 31, friends, family and esteemed guests joined four deserving recipients to celebrate the conferring of Japan’s Foreign Minister’s Commendation at the Residence of the Ambassador of Japan.
Among the distinguished recipients was Mr. Gerald H. Yamada, former JAVA president. Mr. Yamada was recognized by the Ambassador for his outstanding contributions to promoting mutual understanding between Japan and the United States. “This commendation is very meaningful to me because Japanese Americans share a common heritage with the Japanese people. We have shared value in honoring those who put themselves in harm’s way to protect their homeland and a mutual interest in improving US-Japan relations.” During his nine-year tenure as the JAVA president, Mr. Yamada tirelessly worked to preserve the legacy of the Nisei experience. “It is important to me that the whole story be preserved to educate future generations of Americans and be understood by the Japanese people so that the bond between us is strengthened.”
Mr. Yamada expressed his thanks to Ambassador Yamada, Embassy officials, and the Japanese Foreign Ministry for this auspicious recognition. He thanked JAVA governing council and members for supporting the JAVA mission under his leadership. He also thanked his wife, Nancy, and oldest daughter, Nicole, who has been helping her father on many projects since she was five years old. The Foreign Minister’s Commendations are awarded to individuals and groups with outstanding achievements in international fields, in order to acknowledge their contributions to the promotion of friendship between Japan and other countries and areas. The Commendations also aim to promote the understanding and support of the Japanese public for the activities of the recipients.
Japanese American Korean War Veterans Remembered
at Go For Broke’s Evening of Aloha event in Los Angeles
JAVA’s Norio Uyematsu Sponsors Korean War Veterans Table
| Written by: Patti Hirahara Los Angeles, CA Since Norio Uyematsu spoke at JAVA’s Veterans Day observance in Washington DC last year, the 94-year-old continues to be honored for his service as a member of the U.S. Army’s 521st Military Intelligence Service, whose unit was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services in support of combat operations in Korea from 1951 – 1952. Corporal Uyematsu was an interrogator of Prisoners of War. This year he was honored by the Anaheim City Council, had an in-person meeting with Congresswoman Young Kim at her Anaheim Hills office, spoke at Newport Harbor American Legion Post 291’s Veterans Coffee Talk, and continues to preserve the legacy of the Japanese American Korean War veterans by offering new items he receives for his Post-Korean War memorabilia collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. |
With this year being the 75th Anniversary of the commemoration of the beginning of the Korean War on June 25, 1950, JAVA member Norio Uyematsu wanted to do something special at the Go for Broke Evening of Aloha event this year to honor Japanese American Korean War veterans who served and fought in the Korean War. This “Forgotten War” is seldom mentioned, and he invited two fellow Korean War veterans John Kunioka and Tsuneto Maki to join him as well as Martin Choi, president of the Association of Republic of Korea Army U.S. Chapter. Tsuneto Maki is the uncle of Go for Broke National Education Center President and CEO, Dr. Mitch Maki and for Martin Choi, this was the first time for him to attend a Japanese American veteran’s group event. Choi and Uyematsu have worked together to promote the Japanese American Korean War veterans’ story through the Korean press and at Korean War veterans’ events in the Korean community.
Uyematsu also bought a digital ad to honor the Japanese American Korean War veterans. What many seem to forget is the Korean War veterans are also Japanese American Nisei soldiers who were incarcerated behind barbed wire during WWII but were too young to serve. Once they became of age, they enlisted and wanted to follow in the footsteps of the 442nd RCT and 100th Battalion soldiers and proudly serve in the U.S. military in honor of the men and women, who came before them. 247 Japanese American soldiers died during their service in the Korean War.
Many are passing away but for Norio, he is amazed that when he goes out each day, someone thanks him for his service which makes him smile.
This Veterans Day, Norio Uyematsu will be attending the Veterans Day observance at the Masuda Middle School in Fountain Valley, California which was opened 50 years ago and will be speaking at the Anaheim Hills Rotary Club’s Flags of Honor Remembrance Ceremony on November 8, 2025, in Anaheim Hills, California.
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 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
Japanese American Veterans Association (JAVA) & National Japanese American Memorial Foundation’s (NJAMF) Annual Veterans Day Program
Join us on Nov 11, 2025
Honoring Oregon Nisei Soldiers on Veterans Day
Hood River, OR
Written by: Hood River American Legion Post 22
American Legion Post 22’s annual Veterans Day ceremony, at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, will
join with Japanese American veterans’ families at a state-sponsored event and historical marker
dedication on Highway 35. The Oregon Nisei Veterans Historical Marker dedication will honor the Nisei
(second generation Japanese American) contribution to a shared history. It will officially commemorate
Highway 35 as the Oregon Nisei Veterans World War II Memorial Highway.
The program will also honor 16 Nisei soldiers whose names were removed in 1944 from the Hood River
community military honor roll that was displayed on the outside wall of the former county courthouse.
Event co-organizer, author and historian Linda Tamura, a Sansei (third generation Japanese American),
said the stretch of roadway from Hood River to Government Camp was originally dedicated on March 7,
2022, during a ceremony and onsite. This marker dedication completes the project.
“The highway commemorates all Oregon Japanese American soldiers who served in World War II even as many of their families were incarcerated in camps on American soil,” she said. “We’re very pleased that the history of Nisei service in World War II will be told by fourth and fifth generation Japanese American descendants, and by former Gov. Ted Kulongoski, a US Marine Corps veteran.
“This day and event serve to recognize all veterans and their honorable service.”
Six descendants of Oregon Nisei soldiers will introduce the six images on the highway marker with their
own stories and family connections. Two presenters include a father and daughter, Eric and Mia Ballinger.
The one-hour ceremony will be held at the River of Life Assembly Church, 979 Tucker Road. It will
include the posting of colors, the national anthem, comments from Post 22 members, several guest
comments and readings, and the ringing of the peace bell. Senior legislative leaders also will attend.
Refreshments will follow the service. The onsite public unveiling of the historical marker will follow the
service at about 1 p.m. on Highway 35 at the first viewpoint area where the WWII Nisei Veterans
Highway sign is located.
Due to limited seating, registration is required by emailing Lesley Tamura; [email protected].
Overflow attendance will be directed to view a live stream of the event at Anderson Tribute Center at
their Hood River location or watch it on their Facebook page.
Upcoming JAVA Events
Thursday, November 6. Spark Matsunaga Elementary School Veterans Day Concert. Northwest High School, 13501 Richter Farm Road Germantown, MD 20874
Tuesday, November 11. Veterans Day Program, National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II, Washington DC.
Correction from October e-Advocate. The article titled “JAVA Gives a Heartfelt Farewell to Minister Sato” contained an error. The name, “John Kiyosaki”, was misspelled. It should have read “John Kiyonaga”. We sincerely apologize and encourage friends and members to notify us if you notice errors in our content.