JAVA is taking the opportunity to profile the sacrifices and contributions made by the men and women honored in our scholarship program. The next in our series of scholarship profiles is the Matsui Scholarship. The scholarship honors MIS veteran Victor Matsui, and his wife Teru, and is sponsored by their children. The Matsui Scholarship is one of many $1,500 JAVA Memorial Scholarships that will be awarded to a high school senior who will be entering either a two or four-year college or university in the fall. Application information can be found at the end of the article as well as on the JAVA website.
Vic and Teru Matsui
Victor Matsui was born on June 2, 1923, and raised in Southern California. His UCLA education was interrupted in 1942 when he and his family were evacuated and interned in Arkansas at the Rohwer War Relocation Center. He received an honorary degree from UCLA in 2011. Although an American by birth, he was classified as an alien in 1942 for military service. However, in January 1945, he was reclassified and conscripted into the Army and received basic training at Camp Blanding, Florida. He became a staff cadre. When the war in Europe ended, he
was transferred to the Pacific Theater, Camp Ritchie, to study Japanese tactics and strategies. After VJ day, he was transferred to the United States Army Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) and shipped to Japan in November 1945. He served as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces, Pacific, G-2 until June 1952.
He received his field commission as Chief Warrant Officer II in 1946 and did parachute training with the 11th Airborne Division in Sendai, Japan. Subsequently, Victor received the Legion of Merit Medal for his service during the Korean War. After an honorable discharge in July 1952, he joined the American diplomatic service where he served until 1985. After retiring from government service, Victor and his wife moved to Williamsburg, VA, and became involved with the Williamsburg chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America. Victor was also involved with the Japanese American Veterans Association. On November 2, 2011, he was one of many deserving recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal for his service with the Military Intelligence Service during the Second World War.
In 1955 Victor married Teru Kamikawa Matsui. Teru was born May 1, 1933, in Fresno, CA, to Toshiko and Kaoru Kamikawa. She spent her childhood in Fresno and Seabrook, New Jersey. During WWII, she along with the entire Kamikawa family were interned at the Jerome War Relocation Center and then transferred to Rohwer, both in Arkansas. Teru graduated from the New Jersey College for Women (now Mills College) and Johns Hopkins University where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. Teru accompanied Victor on his diplomatic assignments and served as the U.S. Embassy Clinic Nurse at these postings while raising the family. At the time of her retirement, she served as the Occupational Health Nurse at Camp Peary, Williamsburg, VA. Among her abiding interests were education, wood finishing, gardening, and the cultivation of orchids and roses.
JAVA Scholarship Eligibility and Applications
Eligibility:
- Descendants of those who served in the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the Military Intelligence Service, the 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion, and the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion; and descendants of Japanese American soldiers who served during World War II in other United States military units to include the Women’s Army Corps or Army Nurses Corps are eligible to apply for a JAVA Scholarship.
- Current members of JAVA whose membership began prior to April 1, 2023 are eligible to apply. Children of current JAVA members are also eligible to apply if the applicant’s parent or guardian was a member of JAVA prior to April 1, 2023.
- In addition, past or present members of the U.S. Army’s 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment are eligible and encouraged to apply for the U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye Memorial Scholarship. Also eligible are individuals enrolled in a college or university Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) or U.S. Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Course. Applicants should demonstrate their lifelong commitment to public and uniformed service leadership for the nation.
Applications:
- How to Apply for a JAVA Scholarship
- Applicants should first review published rules and forms. Applications and supporting documents must be electronically submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
- Applications are available online.
- Supporting documents should be sent to [email protected] with either “2025 Inouye Memorial Scholarship,” “2025 Ishio Founder’s Memorial Scholarship,” “2025 JAVA Legacy Scholarship,” or “2025 JAVA Memorial Scholarship” and the Applicant’s Name in the subject line.
- Applications not received by that date or that fail to meet the submission requirements will NOT be considered.
- Applicants will be notified of a decision in early June 2025.
- Awards will be presented at a JAVA scholarship awards virtual ceremony on Saturday, June 28, 2025.
- Questions about the 2025 JAVA Memorial Scholarship program can be directed to [email protected] or [email protected].
Please review: 2025 JAVA Memorial Scholarship Program Overview
2025 U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye Memorial Scholarship.
2025 JAVA Ishio Founder’s Scholarship.
