By KELSEY IKEMOTO

On May 18, members of the Yonsei 30 team volunteered at the Veterans Memorial Court Alliance’s Spit and Polish event. I was fortunate to partake with my Yonsei team to help honor the Japanese American soldiers whose sacrifice paved the way for their Japanese American community.

At the start, we were handed out various biographies of soldiers whose names were on the wall, because they had died in combat fighting for the United States. These biographies helped us to understand their life story and and their impact in their service in World War II, the Vietnam War, Korean War, and other modern wars.

I first received the biography of the Ajitomi brothers, Matsuei and Tokio, who were born in Lahaina, Hawaii and served America during World War II in the 100th Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The 100th/442nd was an all-Japanese American unit during World War II that fought to open up opportunities for their community.

After absorbing the stories of the two brothers, I learned that Matsuei Ajitomi died from a bullet to the head during the battle at Alife, Italy. After Matsuei’s death, Tokio Ajitomi struggled with the grief but persisted in serving, knowing a part of him was missing. Tokio courageously continued to fight in the war with resilience and bravery.

However, Tokio, while fighting in northeastern France, became a casualty of German machine gun artillery. I am fortunate to have learned about the Ajitomi brothers’ story because it showed the importance of family through rigorous times, such as war. I also have siblings so to hear about their emotional story really connected me to their legacy.

After connecting with the various soldiers’ stories, our group was given the task of honoring those who passed by helping to clean the memorial. These monuments have names engraved of all of the past Japanese American veterans who will be honored for their service and sacrifice.

We first power-washed the monuments and then wiped them clean with miniature towels. Once completed, we went up to the classroom in the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center to listen to learn about the key events of different veterans’ times in service.

In the beginning, Linda Taira, the niece of Masaru Taira, shared her journey to Italy in search of what happened at Hill 140 leading up to Masaru’s passing away. She came in contact with the local Italians, who were intrigued with the 100th/442nd and their accomplishments against racial bias.

In her presentation, she explained how in the beginning, Masaru was determined to join his brother, Wilfred Taira, in the 3rd Battalion’s 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Masaru volunteered to fight in World War II, where he was the message runner because of his young age. Wilfred’s path varied from Masaru as he became a 442nd medic that took care of the wounds of numerous fighters.

The 442nd’s goal was to push out the German armies from Rome to the Arno River (northern Rome). The crucial Battle of Hill 140 at Castellina Marittima, a small city in Italy, would impact the 442nd’s success, making it easier to achieve their goal.

Despite the success of their combat, Masaru, now 19 years old, was shot in a chaotic barrage. Wilfred saw Masaru injured and rushed to try and save him. No matter how hard Wilfred tried to save his brother, Masaru died in his brother’s arms.

After Linda’s journey of searching for her family’s story and finding more about her uncle’s passing, she was gifted dirt from the hill, omiyage or gifts from Italy, and a plaque honoring the 100th/442nd and all the Nisei that served, and most importantly in honor of Masaru Taira.

I connected with the true dedication shared amongst both the battalion and regiment, because of the first-hand cost of war and sacrifice for his community, family, and country. The death of Masaru opened my eyes, as he was not much older than I am, 16 years old, and to the fear of drafting at such a young age, as you are constantly risking your life every day in fear of when, not what.

As we moved on through the day, all the veterans shared their stories of grief, discrimination, and struggle. Two stories that impacted me greatly were those of David Miyoshi and Sam Fujinami.

David Miyoshi is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Captain veteran who shared his stories about his experience and constant struggle against discrimination. Prior to his enlistment, Miyoshi requested to complete his last year of college. Once accomplished, he enlisted to go to the Officer Candidate School (OCS), which resulted in his assignment to the Marines in the Vietnam War.

During his training, he faced discrimination as Lt. Hayes forced Miyoshi to “become the enemy.” The lieutenant tasked him to get on his knees and start growling at all of his associates. I learned the purpose of the irrationality was for Miyoshi to enact what the “enemy would look like” when his comrades saw them. I listened to those words in shock. I was unable to fathom the humiliation and anger as a result of social inequities in everyday discrimination.

Despite the humiliation, Miyoshi pushed himself past his limits after that incident to climb the ranks, resulting in his first assignment on a ship set to sea. Miyoshi was an inspiration because he constantly faced an uphill climb but persisted to work hard to earn the honor of becoming a Marine Corps captain.

After the veterans shared their personal stories, I asked Sam, a Vietnam War veteran who tragically lost a beloved M.I.A. friend: “What was the most important thing taken away from your time in service?”

Sam responded by saying he respected the various stories that each of his comrades shared. He mentioned how “everyone is from such different backgrounds since they come from anywhere in the world,” which shows the cohesiveness of the diverse soldiers who served their country. Sam discovered respect for his colleagues through the stories about individual sacrifices in various parts of their lives for the same purpose.

I would like to especially thank Ken Hayashi, the Veterans Memorial Court Alliance’s president, for providing Yonsei 30 the opportunity to help give back to our veterans who fought for the future we now have.

All of the veterans shared that they felt as if the title of “hero” was not deserved. However, I know their sacrifice and diligence was for the welfare of our nation, but more importantly, our Japanese American community.

All of the veterans had respect for the 442nd soldiers who paved the way for our community with such impact. From their sacrifice came our ability to “buy houses, get jobs, and live with rights.” Because of them, our community has flourished into a magnificent community.

Our purpose as listeners, especially Japanese Americans, is to keep these stories alive. So we know why the path is already paved for us. So that we know how these warriors sacrificed everything for a future they knew they might not see. So that we ensure respect amongst one another and strengthen our community.

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