Vol. 7, No. 86, June 3, 2025
JAVA sincerely appreciates all of the wonderful articles received for our special V-E Day e-Advocate. Due to the number of articles received, we were unable to publish all of them in a single e-Advocate. Therefore, we are going to publish five articles every week during June. We promise you an interesting read every week and all articles that we received will be published.
In This Issue…
- President’s Message
- Legacy of Courage, GEN (retired) Paul M. Nakasone
- V-E Day: Honoring Terry Shima’s lifelong legacy of service, LTG (retired) Thomas P. Bostick
- Terry Shima’s Reflection, Terry Shima
- Spotlight: Yoshio “Yosh” Nakamura
- The Legacy of the 100th Battalion & 442nd RCT is our National Treasure
- JAVA Upcoming Events
Presidents Message
Washington, D.C.
Thank you for opening this special issue of the e-Advocate. This edition is dedicated to remembering the end of World War II in Europe and honor the brave Nisei soldiers who helped bring that victory to life.
This isn’t just a history lesson. It’s a journey into the experiences of young Japanese American service members who stepped forward when their country needed them most—even when that country had turned its back on many of their families. Imagine the courage it took to fight for freedom abroad while some of their loved ones remained incarcerated behind barbed wire at home. This kind of patriotism doesn’t come from a textbook but from the heart.
You’ll find powerful stories in this issue. Some will inspire you, others may make you uncomfortable, and all deserve your time and reflection. Each article is part of a tapestry of sacrifice, loyalty, and the complicated beauty of being American.
So, I invite you to read every article. Let the legacy of Nisei soldiers remind us why we do what we do here at JAVA: to remember, honor, and ensure their stories continue to be told.
As I reflect on their journey, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of gratitude—and responsibility. We carry their legacy now. Let’s carry it well and share the stories with family and friends.
With heartfelt thanks,
HOWARD S. HIGH
President
Japanese American Veterans Association
Legacy of Courage: Why the 442nd and the 100th Still Matter Today
Washington, D.C.
Written by: General Paul M. Nakasone, U.S. Army (Retired), JAVA Honorary Chair
I often wonder what drove the men of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 100th Infantry Battalion to their heroic achievements during World War II. Given the wartime hysteria, the forced relocation of over 120,000 mainland Japanese Americans to desolate internment camps, and a segregated military, the odds were clearly stacked against them. Yet this all-Nisei force—second-generation Japanese Americans—forged an extraordinary record of bravery and achievement. Their valor under fire, despite facing discrimination at home, stands as a timeless lesson in loyalty, courage, and the enduring power of patriotism over prejudice.
The 100th Infantry Battalion was formed first, largely composed of Japanese Americans from Hawaii. After training on the mainland, they deployed to Europe, where senior commanders offered high praise of their bravery and combat performance. That success spurred the creation of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, composed primarily of Nisei volunteers from mainland internment camps. The 442nd adopted the motto “Go for Broke”—and lived it. Their combat record remains unmatched: 21 Medals of Honor, seven Presidential Unit Citations, over 4,000 Purple Hearts, and key roles in liberating Italian towns, rescuing the “Lost Battalion,” and breaching Germany’s Gothic Line. It remains the most decorated unit of its size and length of service in U.S. military history.
The 442nd and the 100th’s battlefield heroism was extraordinary—but their legacy off the battlefield is even more profound. These men fought not only against foreign enemies, but against the racism of their own country. They responded to hatred with honor, to suspicion with sacrifice, to exclusion with excellence. Their story reminds us that true patriotism is not passive acceptance—it is the active work of making America better, more inclusive, and more faithful to its ideals.
Today, their example is more relevant than ever. At a time when our nation again wrestles with identity, belonging, and loyalty, the 442nd and 100th remind us that being American is not about race, religion, or ancestry—but about service, sacrifice, and shared values. In challenging times, we would do well to follow their example: stand firm, serve with dignity, and never give up on the promise of America.
As a Japanese American who rose through the ranks of the U.S. military, I owe them a profound personal debt. Their courage opened doors for people like me. Their legacy gave me the confidence to lead, to speak, and to serve in a military that now embraces Americans of every background. I carry their example with me daily—especially when leadership demands clarity, conviction, and conscience.
We must ensure their story continues to be told—not as a relic of the past, but as a living call to action. The men of the 442nd and 100th showed us that patriotism is not defined by where you’re born or what you look like, but by what you’re willing to fight for. Their legacy is America at its best—and we must remember that now, more than ever.
[Ed Note: Paul M. Nakasone is a retired four-star general who served in the U.S. Army for nearly four decades. He is the son of a Military Intelligence Service veteran who served as a linguist during the Occupation of Japan.]
Terry Shima: A Lifelong Legacy of Service, Sacrifice, and Sharing
Washington, D.C.
Written by: Lieutenant General Thomas P. Bostick, U.S. Army (Retired)
A Japanese American WWII veteran, Terry Shima has spent much of his lifetime preserving the great legacy of the brave men of the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT), and the Military Intelligence Service, whose sacrifices for this country often remain unknown to many. As an example, in October 1944, the 442nd RCT, an all-Japanese American unit, fought valiantly to save the lives of American soldiers from the “Lost Battalion” who were encircled by German units. After several other U.S. units had failed to rescue the “Lost Battalion”, the 442nd was successful. This mission exemplified the Warrior Ethos: Never leave a fallen comrade.
Terry asked me to speak at a Memorial Day event at Arlington National Cemetery. My remarks were to recognize one of the survivors from the “Lost Battalion”, Astro Tortolano, and one of the men from the 442nd RCT, Minoru Nagaoka, as they came together at Arlington. Terry sent a powerful message about the importance of remembering this critical battle by bringing these two soldiers together. I was deeply honored. Reuniting these two soldiers is just one example of how Terry has worked diligently to help others remember the extreme sacrifices of the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd RCT, and the Military Intelligence Service.
Terry has kept the lessons alive with young men and women, whether elementary school, high school, or college students, and with communities throughout his travels across the country.
Terry is not just a historian telling the story of American heroes — he also lived it.
Born near Hilo, Hawaii, to parents working on a sugar plantation, Terry volunteered to serve in WWII and joined the 442nd RCT. He fought to uphold the ideals of a nation, which at the same time had turned its back on the Japanese American people. And after the war, Terry’s mission continued with the U.S. foreign service. He later served as Executive Director of the Japanese American Veterans Association (JAVA), an organization dedicated to preserving the service and sacrifices of the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd RCT, and the Military Intelligence Service.
When I was the Director of Personnel for the U.S. Army, Terry contacted me to support the effort to secure the Congressional Gold Medal recognition for the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd RCT, and the Military Intelligence Service. The Congressional Gold Medal was awarded in 2010. Terry also worked closely with me and the U.S. Army to ensure that Japanese American WWII veterans received the Bronze Star Medals they earned but were often denied due to prejudice. In 2011, the U.S. Army finally awarded the long-awaited medals. I am convinced these long-overdue recognitions decades after their service would not have happened without Terry’s leadership and persistence.
Terry and I have remained in close contact over the years. In 2023, I contacted Terry to request his review of my remarks at the 75th Anniversary of President Truman’s Executive Order 9981, which desegregated the U.S. Armed Forces on July 26, 1948. Terry offered his wisdom — his edits were always thoughtful and helpful. Terry asked me to send him a copy of my final remarks when I returned. Shortly afterward, Terry called and left a voicemail. In it, he began, as he often does, “General, I’m okay.” And then he said, “I’ve decided to shut my laptop down, but if you ever need me, just call.” In 2023, at 100 years old, he stopped working on his laptop.
Today, Terry is well into his 102nd year, and he has continued to serve, mentor, speak, and preserve the rich history of those who have served and sacrificed so much. Thank you, Terry, for all the history you shared, the justly earned awards and recognition you ensured were received, and the friendships you nurtured across many generations. Your remembrance and extraordinary work will help ensure the legacies of the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd RCT, and the Military Intelligence Service will never be forgotten.
Thank you, my friend.
LTG (Ret.) Thomas P. Bostick
[Ed Note: Thomas P. Bostick is a retired three-star general who served in the U.S. Army for nearly four decades. He served as the 53rd Chief of Engineers and Army G-1.]
[EdNote: “What should we remember today about the legacy of the 100th, 442nd, and the MIS?”. This is Terry’s response.]
Washington, D.C.
Written by: Terry Shima, 442nd Veteran
Following the Japanese attack against Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, ethnic Japanese in the US were branded by many Americans as spies and saboteurs for Imperial Japan. California Attorney General Earl Warren and influential journalists such as Walter Winchell and Westbrook Pegler agreed. Ethnic Japanese were barred from serving in the US armed forces. However, by the end of the war in 1945, no ethnic Japanese in the USA were convicted for collaborating with Japan.
120,000 ethnic Japanese, two-thirds of them US citizens, living in the Pacific coast states, were collected and placed in internment camps, guarded by US sentries on the ground and from machine gun towers. Washington also wanted ethnic Japanese in Hawai’i detained; however, the military governor for Hawai’i said there was no need to do so.
Japanese Americans volunteered for combat duty to prove their loyalty. When Hawai’i’s military governor recommended that the 1,432 Nisei in the Hawai’i Territorial Guard be sent to the mainland for training and subsequent assignment for combat in Europe, the War Department agreed. Designated the 100th Infantry Battalion, the Nisei were closely watched and tested for their loyalty. The 100th left New York on August 21, 1943, and arrived in Salerno, southern Italy, on September 26, 1943, for combat duty.
The War Department issued a call for volunteers in April 1943 to form the all Nisei 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT). Three thousand volunteers were accepted from Hawai’i and the mainland, including from internment camps. The 442nd was eventually formed into three infantry battalions, the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion, 232nd Combat Engineer Company, Anti-Tank Company, Cannon Company, 206th Ground Forces Band, Medical Detachment, and Service Company. Following training, the 442nd, minus the 1st Battalion, arrived at Civitavecchia, Italy, where it merged with the 100th Infantry Battalion.
About 31,000 Nisei served in the US Army, including about 20,00 who served in Europe and 3,000 linguists who served in the Asia Pacific theater and stateside. Japanese Americans were the only ethnic group that went into combat during WWII to prove their loyalty. No Nisei was court-martialed for desertion.
On July 15, 1946, President Harry Truman reviewed the 442nd RCT at the Ellipse, the outer south lawn of the White House. He told the Nisei, “You fought not only the enemy abroad, but you fought prejudice at home – and you have won. Keep up that fight and we will continue to win.” Through his remarks and personal review, Truman confirmed the Army’s validation of Nisei loyalty and removed from the table the stigma of ethnic Japanese disloyalty placed there when the war began. The first person known to the writer to make this observation was JAVA Vice President Colonel Vic Mukai, USA (Ret) around 2004.
When WWII ended, President Truman decided to reorganize the federal government “to equalize treatment and opportunities especially for African Americans” while also recognizing the special wartime contributions of minorities, such as the Tuskegee Airmen, Nisei, Navajo Code Talkers, Chinese American pilots who flew the Hump to deliver war material to China, Filipino soldiers who served under General MacArthur, and ethnic Koreans, who served individually in various branches of service.
These combined achievements served as the backdrop to Truman issuing Executive Order 9981 on July 26, 1948, two years after he reviewed the 442nd RCT. This landmark Executive Order, which desegregated the armed forces, said, “There shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed forces without regard to race, color, religion or national origin.” This order leveled the playing field equally for all.
Similarly, the civilian side would witness major breakthroughs. Discriminatory anti-Asian laws were repealed at the national, state, and local levels. On June 27, 1952, the Immigration and Nationality Act was enacted to allow our alien parents to gain US citizenship. In 1980, the Commission of Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, mandated by the U.S. Congress, concluded that internment was not necessary, that it was caused by war hysteria, racial prejudice, and the failure of political leadership. The Commission’s findings became the basis for the 1988 Civil Liberties Act, which called for a national apology and the payment of reparations to internees, who were still living. President Reagan’s official public apology for the internment is the centerpiece of the National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism, located on Capitol Hill near the US Congress. In 1959, the Hawai’i Statehood Bill was passed to make Hawai’i the 50th state of the USA.
In 2010, in recognition of Nisei service, the US Congress awarded to the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd RCT and Military Intelligence Service the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest medal the U.S. Congress can bestow.
On January 23, 2015, the Commonwealth of Virginia General Assembly in Richmond, VA, where Delegate Patrick Henry made his “give me liberty or give me death” speech, passed the Virginia House of Delegates Resolution to endorse Nisei loyalty and patriotism during WWII. Shortly thereafter, the Maryland House of Delegates at Annapolis, MD, where George Washington resigned his military commission, passed a resolution similar to the Virginia General Assembly. A JAVA attendee of the Maryland parliamentary session linked Nisei patriotism to the patriots who fought in the Revolutionary War – different time and participants, same cause. California, Hawai’i and other state legislatures also passed similar resolutions.
It is the writer’s humble judgement that, despite the high cost to the Nisei (some 830 Nisei left on the battlefields of Europe, Hawai’i, and Asia Pacific theaters) the challenge offered to the Nisei to prove their loyalty was fully met.
Spotlight: Yoshio “Yosh” Nakamura
Ontario, Canada.
Written by: Lieutenant Colonel Robert H. Vokac, U.S. Army (Retired), JAVA Executive Council and Chair, Awards Committee
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Yoshio “Yosh” Nakamura of Whittier, California. Yosh shared stories of his amazing life, one filled with service and dedication to his community, his students, and his nation.
Mr. Nakamura was born June 30, 1925, in Rosemead, California. His mother died when he was a young boy, and the family moved to El Monte, California, where they settled on a farm. He was well respected by his classmates, having been elected president of his high school’s honor club during his junior year.
On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, setting in motion a process under which all persons of Japanese ancestry were removed from the Pacific Coast. The Nakamura family received the dreaded notice in May 1942 and, like thousands of other Japanese American families, were uprooted from their homes, viewed with hostility by large portions of their former neighbors, and were put into internment camps simply due to their ancestry and perceived disloyalty.
Packing what they could carry, the Nakamura family boarded a train for an unknown location that turned out to be Tulare, California, nominally an assembly center. There, the family slept on cots in former horse stalls surrounded by soldiers, barbed wire, and searchlights. Later, the family was ordered to Arizona’s Gila River War Relocation Center where life settled into an unsatisfactory routine inside the barbed wire boundaries.
Mr. Nakamura graduated from high school in Gila River in 1943 and, shortly after his 18th birthday, he was ordered to fill out a loyalty questionnaire. There was a myriad of questions, but the one that caught his eye was “Would he be willing to join the U.S. military and go wherever ordered?” Yosh answered “yes,” largely to put to rest any doubts about his loyalty. Mr. Nakamura made it abundantly clear that he would make the same decision again today.
He initially served as a member of the “enlisted reserve,” prior to completing his training and deploying overseas as a replacement for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
Confined with measles at Fort Meade, Maryland, he and several other infected soldiers sat around one evening smoking and telling stories. A no nonsense nurse happened upon the gathering and ordered the soldiers back to bed under the threat of a courts martial. Yosh remembered that the “nurse ordered all of us to take off our pajama bottoms before getting back in bed so that they could be charged with “indecent exposure” if they ventured out again.”
Mr. Nakamura eventually deployed on what he recalled as a “small ship” from New York City to France in late 1944, which he remembered as “a slow voyage with episodes of sea sickness.” Upon reaching France, Yosh and his fellow soldiers “were met by the Red Cross and the USO with hot coffee creating a very positive opinion.”
Eventually boarding a “cattle car,” Mr. Nakamura made his way to southern France where he joined M Company, 3rd Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team under the cover of darkness. During this time, the 442nd was assigned to an area north and east of Nice along the Italian – Franco border. Yosh was assigned as a mortar ammunition carrier and spent a relatively relaxed time with the regiment during the winter of 1944 – 1945.
On March 17, 1945, the 442 was marched out to load ships for their return to Italy. Mr. Nakamura remembered that all unit insignia was removed from their clothing prior to embarkation as part of a larger OPSEC requirement.
One of Yosh’s indelible memories is the April 1945 attack designed to break the German’s Gothic Line. He remembered climbing Mt. Folgorito along a narrow path in total silence and darkness guided by anti-fascist Italians. Soldiers maintained contact with one another by touching the backpack of the man in front of them. The man in front of him tumbled off the path but was saved by the 50-pound mortar base plate on his back, which prevented him from falling further down the mountain. At daybreak, the 442nd eliminated the enemy observation posts, which ultimately allowed the advance up the Po Valley to continue.
Upon the end of hostilities in Italy, which occurred a few days before V-E Day, the 442nd was engaged in guarding large numbers of prisoners. Yosh ultimately ended up in the Florence area where, when not guarding prisoners, he was able to view magnificent pieces of art, which piqued his interest.
Mr. Nakamura left the Army in November 1946 as a Technical Sergeant. The Bronze Star and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge are but two of his many awards and decorations. He recalled that during the voyage home from Italy, “the troop ship lost power in the Mediterranean Sea and was towed to the Azores for repair. The happiest moment in my life was stepping ashore in New York City.”
While out-processing, Yosh took aptitude tests with the VA. The tests indicated that he would do OK as a teacher and as an artist. Using the GI Bill, he decided to do both. Mr. Nakamura attended the University of Southern California where he earned a bachelor’s degree with honors and a master’s degree in fine arts. Even with his stellar academic credentials, it was difficult to find employment due to lingering racism.
In 1948, Yosh met his future wife Grace, and they were married in 1950. Grace was a community activist, artist, and educator. They were married for almost 67 years before Grace passed away in 2017. Yosh and Grace raised three children, Joel, Daniel, and Linda.
Mr. Nakamura was hired as a teacher in 1952 at Whittier High School. In 1960 he was named the Whittier Women’s Club teacher of the year.
In 1963, Mr. Nakamura left Whittier High School to become the first professor at the newly opened Rio Hondo College. He spent nearly 30 years with the College serving as an art professor, dean, and vice president.
Since his retirement in 1992, Yosh has stayed active in the local arts community. He treasures the friendships with many of his former students. In recognition of his outstanding service to the community, the Whittier High School Fine Arts building was recently named in his honor.
Mr. Nakamura ended our conversation with the following words, “Never forget the work of the soldiers of the 100th Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. They established a splendid record. I am very proud of that achievement. The best thing is to treat people with respect, listen to them, and be kind.”
Mr. Nakamura has lived an amazing life. It was an honor to speak with him and to gain an appreciation for the extraordinary events that have shaped his life.
The Legacy of the 100th Battalion & 442nd RCT is our National Treasure
Washington, D.C.
Written by: Takeshi “Tak” Furumoto, Vietnam Veteran
My thoughts on this GO FOR BROKE unit going forward is to make sure the message of their Valor and Sacrifice is not forgotten and to preserve this history forever in the American Archives. Most recently, the current Administration tried to erase this from our archives.
For the last 80 years, our country led the rest of the world in diversity. Yet, despite this belief, Japanese Americans were incarcerated by the US government for the duration of WW2.
Half of the Camp survivors, including me, received an APOLOGY LETTER after the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 was passed during the Reagan Administration. I was born in the Tule Lake Segregation Camp in California.
I believe, the passing of the Civil Liberties Act was in part due to the valor and loyalty of the GO FOR BROKE Nisei soldiers who had volunteered and served in the United States Army to become the most famous and most decorated unit in the USA military history even though their families were incarcerated in the Camps due to the racial prejudice. They were initially rejected by the US government because of their Enemy Alien status. They had become the security blanket for the Japanese Americans who were released from the internment camps after WW2. Our family was one of them.
I also volunteered in the United States Army in February1968 and fought in Vietnam with valor. However, I came home with PTSD and I was exposed to Agent Orange, leaving me a disabled veteran. My decision to volunteer was influenced by the GO FOR BROKE legacy. They had paved the path for us and made my experience in the military a lot easier because of their legacy.
Today, I continue to lecture and preach the plight of the Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during WW2—I display the GO FOR BROKE BANNER whenever I can. Last week, I lectured at Manhattan Hunter’s College and next week at NJ’s Rutgers University.
Recently, I was interviewed and filmed by NHK World Documentary which is available worldwide on demand for a whole year which started March of this year—this covered Incarceration Camp; Aftermath of Atomic Bombing in Hiroshima; and my combat experience in Vietnam (commemorating 50 years after the end of the War) and coming home. At the outset of the documentary, the float is displaying prominently the GO FOR BROKE banner.
I believe the patriotism and the valor of Nisei and Kibei Nisei must be told—it is the symbol of what the American Constitution and Civil Liberties is all about.
Thank you for giving me an opportunity to share my story and my thoughts on the legacy of the 100th Battalion & 442nd RCT Unit.
Tak Furumoto
Camp Survivor & Vietnam Vet
Upcoming JAVA Events
Saturday, June 28, 3:00 PM ET. 17th Annual JAVA Memorial Scholarship Awards Ceremony. Facebook Live.
Tuesday, July 15, 9:00 AM ET. 6th Annual Day of Affirmation Ceremony, WWII Memorial, Washington, D.C. Luncheon to follow at The Army and Navy Club, 901 Seventeenth St, NW, Washington, D.C., 20006.