Japanese-American veterans of World War II will get some additional recognition to go along with the Go for Broke Monument in the Little Tokyo district on the northeastern edge of Downtown if the U.S. Postal Service follows the advice of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
The five-member county board voted unanimously on April 14 to send the U.S. Postmaster General's office a request for a stamp in honor of the Japanese-American veterans. The veterans are often referred to as "Nisei," a term that means someone of Japanese descent who is born in another country.
The supervisors' request will be sent in advance of an upcoming meeting of the U.S. Postal Service Stamp Committee, which decides on what individuals, groups, or events will be memorialized on stamps issued by the agency. The request follows a proposal for a stamp by the Japanese Americans (Nisei) World War II Veterans Stamp Campaign, an organization of the veterans and their supporters.
The county officials took the step to support the campaign at the request of 5th District Supervisor Mike Antonovich.
The federal government rounded up thousands of Japanese-Americans in Los Angeles and other parts of the country during World War II over concerns that they would act to support Japan, an enemy of the U.S. in that conflict.
Japanese-American volunteers who served in the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team earned 21 Medals of Honor during World War II, recognition that came while many had family member in the internment camps. Various other honors for valor made the units the most decorated in U.S. military history, based on their size and length of service.
Many of the soldiers came from Hawaii, where the phrase "go for broke" was a common call to make every effort toward a goal. The name stuck, and the Go for Broke Monument now stands in their honor just north of 1st Street and Central Avenue in Little Tokyo.
Related article:
Educational Center on Japanese-American Vets' WWII Experience Gets $4 Million Boost
Sam Hassan is a writer for the L.A. Garment & Citizen.
Photos by L.A. Garment & Citizen
Leave a comment