thedrifter
07-05-03, 09:52 AM
Japanese-Americans Remember WW II Camps
July 4, 2003 09:12 PM EDT
BILLINGS, Mont. - Armed guards and barbed wire fence confined thousands of Japanese-Americans to the hard land of northern Wyoming during World War II.
But when the government wanted the people at Heart Mountain relocation camp to fight in the war, they did not hesitate, said Tets Asato, a WWII veteran who had been interned there.
"I was born and raised in the United States and my loyalties were to the U.S.," said Asato, now 78, who was drafted to the U.S. Army and served on the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. "America is the only country I know and I had no adverse feelings anyway."
Asato is among 799 veterans from the camp whose names were painted on scrap tiles during their internment to create an honor roll. A replica will be dedicated Saturday at the windswept site between Cody and Powell, Wyo., where U.S. Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta also was among the 11,000 internees.
An interpretive center and walking tour are planned later as part of an effort to ensure that Heart Mountain - and the people who stayed loyal to a country that appeared to forsake them - is never forgotten.
"Prejudice, war hysteria, lack of leadership - that's why what happened, happened," said David Reetz, president of the Heart Mountain, Wyoming Foundation, in reference to the findings of a 1980s congressional commission. "Their patriotism and incredible sacrifice really fits what's happening in America today."
More than 110,000 people - mostly American citizens of Japanese ancestry - were forced from their homes and scattered among 10 relocation camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. They were perceived as a national security risk by some government officials, said Alice Ito of the educational organization Densho.
About 25,000 Japanese-Americans either enlisted or were drafted during the war to such roles as translation, intelligence or combat, according to the Go For Broke Educational Foundation.
Among the segregated units in which they fought were the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd. National Guard soldiers from Hawaii formed the basis of the 100th, which saw major fighting in Europe. The 442nd was organized in 1943 with volunteers, according to the foundation named from the unit's battle cry.
The 442nd and 100th, which began fighting together in June 1944, became the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in battle, officials said.
"I was very proud of that," said Asato, whose brother Sei also had his name on the Heart Mountain honor roll. "It's hard to talk about what happened but we had a job to do."
While some Japanese-Americans resisted the draft, most were willing to fight to prove their loyalty or to try to get ill or elderly relatives out of the internment camps early, Ito said.
Over time, many detainees were allowed to leave to work, and most had been released by 1945, she said.
But starting over wasn't easy. Harumi Sakatani, whose family was forced off a farm in California, said the family struggled while his father worked on an Idaho potato farm. When work there ran out, the family moved back West.
"It took us until about 1952 before we were back to normal," said Sakatani, now 73 and of West Covina, Calif. "My parents lost 10 years of their life. And I'm still - I shouldn't say bitter - but upset my parents lost time."
Sakatani has visited Heart Mountain more than a dozen times and his brother Tomomi was among those named on the honor roll.
"In those days, we didn't have civil rights and all that stuff. Whatever the government said, you did it, whether it was right or wrong," he said. "I really value my American citizenship and don't take it for granted. It's a really wonderful thing to have, especially considering what we went through during World War II."
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
"Support Our Soldiers"
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
United We Stand
God Bless America
*****
Were it not for the brave,
there would be no Land of the Free!
Remember our POW/MIA's
I'll never forget!
Sempers,
Roger
:marine:
July 4, 2003 09:12 PM EDT
BILLINGS, Mont. - Armed guards and barbed wire fence confined thousands of Japanese-Americans to the hard land of northern Wyoming during World War II.
But when the government wanted the people at Heart Mountain relocation camp to fight in the war, they did not hesitate, said Tets Asato, a WWII veteran who had been interned there.
"I was born and raised in the United States and my loyalties were to the U.S.," said Asato, now 78, who was drafted to the U.S. Army and served on the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. "America is the only country I know and I had no adverse feelings anyway."
Asato is among 799 veterans from the camp whose names were painted on scrap tiles during their internment to create an honor roll. A replica will be dedicated Saturday at the windswept site between Cody and Powell, Wyo., where U.S. Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta also was among the 11,000 internees.
An interpretive center and walking tour are planned later as part of an effort to ensure that Heart Mountain - and the people who stayed loyal to a country that appeared to forsake them - is never forgotten.
"Prejudice, war hysteria, lack of leadership - that's why what happened, happened," said David Reetz, president of the Heart Mountain, Wyoming Foundation, in reference to the findings of a 1980s congressional commission. "Their patriotism and incredible sacrifice really fits what's happening in America today."
More than 110,000 people - mostly American citizens of Japanese ancestry - were forced from their homes and scattered among 10 relocation camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. They were perceived as a national security risk by some government officials, said Alice Ito of the educational organization Densho.
About 25,000 Japanese-Americans either enlisted or were drafted during the war to such roles as translation, intelligence or combat, according to the Go For Broke Educational Foundation.
Among the segregated units in which they fought were the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd. National Guard soldiers from Hawaii formed the basis of the 100th, which saw major fighting in Europe. The 442nd was organized in 1943 with volunteers, according to the foundation named from the unit's battle cry.
The 442nd and 100th, which began fighting together in June 1944, became the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in battle, officials said.
"I was very proud of that," said Asato, whose brother Sei also had his name on the Heart Mountain honor roll. "It's hard to talk about what happened but we had a job to do."
While some Japanese-Americans resisted the draft, most were willing to fight to prove their loyalty or to try to get ill or elderly relatives out of the internment camps early, Ito said.
Over time, many detainees were allowed to leave to work, and most had been released by 1945, she said.
But starting over wasn't easy. Harumi Sakatani, whose family was forced off a farm in California, said the family struggled while his father worked on an Idaho potato farm. When work there ran out, the family moved back West.
"It took us until about 1952 before we were back to normal," said Sakatani, now 73 and of West Covina, Calif. "My parents lost 10 years of their life. And I'm still - I shouldn't say bitter - but upset my parents lost time."
Sakatani has visited Heart Mountain more than a dozen times and his brother Tomomi was among those named on the honor roll.
"In those days, we didn't have civil rights and all that stuff. Whatever the government said, you did it, whether it was right or wrong," he said. "I really value my American citizenship and don't take it for granted. It's a really wonderful thing to have, especially considering what we went through during World War II."
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
"Support Our Soldiers"
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
United We Stand
God Bless America
*****
Were it not for the brave,
there would be no Land of the Free!
Remember our POW/MIA's
I'll never forget!
Sempers,
Roger
:marine: