American Valor Quarterly Issue 2 - Spring 2008 | Page 21
“Shoot you?” I said. “I don’t have the bullets to waste on you.
But I do have a sword. You can commit Hara-kiri and
demonstrate how it is done before the enlisted men.” And I left.
When I came back, he said to me, “Mr. Interpretor, I have had a
change of thought. Please get me out of here.” From that point,
he became much more cooperative.
Terry Shima: On July 15, 1946, President Harry Truman reviewed
the 442 nd RCT on the Ellipse after they marched down
Constitution Avenue. This was the first time in history that the
U.S. President reviewed a unit as small as a regiment. He told the
Nisei soldiers, “You fought the enemy abroad and you fought
prejudice at home—and you won.”
The members of the Japanese American veterans panel at the 10th
Annual Conference meet with high school students following their
presentation. Afterward, the veterans met with the students individually
to be interviewed for their school projects.
loyal Japanese soldier fighting for your country. If you were to
cut our veins, the same blood would flow. But don’t you call me
a traitor.”
AVQ
American Veterans Center
Well, he called me a traitor again, and I had him placed in the
center of the stockade. When I arrived, he pulled me aside and
said, “Mr. Interpretor, I’d like to die.” I asked how he would like
to die, and he said that he wanted me to shoot him.
The Nisei who served on the European and Pacific fronts in
World War II solved, once and for all, the question of loyalty.
Discrimination and prejudice were no longer an issue. Positions
in all branches of the service began opening up, and by the time
of the Vietnam War, Japanese Americans served in the most
sensitive war planning positions. There have been 35 Japanese
Americans promoted to the rank of general and admiral since
Vietnam—a remarkable record when compared to World War
II when the highest rank held by a Japanese American was that
of major. This demonstrates the greatness of America—a nation
that recognized it had made mistakes, corrected them, and moved
on to become a stronger country. And we are proud to defend
the freedoms and ideals that this country represents.
You’ve Read Their Stories, Now Hear Them First Hand!
As you know, the mission of the American Veterans Center is to preserve and
promote the legacy of America’s uniformed men and women from the Greatest
Generation to the latest generation. For the last decade, the AVC, the World
War II Veterans Committee, and the National Vietnam Veterans Committee
have had the panels from each of the annual conferences recorded to share
with the public, and with future generations.
Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, co-pilot of Jimmy
Doolittle on the legendary raid on Japan in 1942,
speaks at the American Veterans Center’s conference.
Now, you are able to watch video of the conference panels from the comfort
of your own home! The AVC has posted video from the conference, as well as
its many other events, on our webpage at www.americanveteranscenter.org. If
you are not able to attend the conference yourself, this is your opportunity to
learn about American military history from the men and women who made it.
Panels Include:
The Doolittle Raiders - The Band of Brothers - We Were Soldiers: The Battle of Ia Drang - Valor: The Medal of Honor - The Heroes of Today
AND MUCH MORE!!!
To watch video of America’s greatest heroes telling their stories, visit:
www.americanveteranscenter.org/avcvideos
American Valor Quarterly - Spring 2008 - 21