Giving Credit to Vets

Go For Broke National Education Center presented “Restoring America’s Promise: The Impact of Nisei Veterans in the Fight for Redress” on April 1 at the Japanese American National Museum’s Tateuchi Democracy Forum in Little Tokyo. The speaker was GFBNEC President Mitchell Maki (right), co-author of “Achieving the Impossible Dream: How Japanese Americans Achieved Redress,” with GFBNEC Board Chair Stephen Kagawa (left) giving opening remarks. They are pictured with Noboru Don Seki, who served with Company L of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, losing an arm and earning the Purple Heart and other decorations. He and his wife Sumiko have worked to educate the public about the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans and the accomplishments of Nisei soldiers. In his talk, Maki said that many members of Congress were opposed to redress legislation or undecided, but were lobbied by Nisei vets and were impressed by their military record. H.R. 442, the House bill that ultimately became law, was named in their honor. (Photo by J.K. YAMAMOTO/Rafu Shimpo)