Nisei vets reopen memorial hall

(Editor's Note: This story has been changed since it was first published to correct the amount of money raised by supporters of the Nisei memorial. They have raised $2.5 million.)

After years of questioning what would become of their legacy, Seattle Japanese-Americans who served during World War II can finally put those fears to rest.

The newly renovated Nisei Veterans Committee Memorial Hall opened in the International District this weekend, with a crowd of 350 people turning out to applaud the aging veterans.

Their loyalty to the country once doubted, the soldiers served in the highly decorated 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which saw combat in Europe, or the military intelligence service, which fought the Japanese in the Pacific.

"It's a great tribute," said Seattle resident George Morihiro, 83, who was a staff sergeant in the 442nd during World War II and later served in the Korean War.

"My biggest concern is to carry on our legacy," he said.

At the Saturday event, the veterans, many of whom are octogenarians, stood at attention, saluting as an honor guard walked by with the U.S. flag. Among those in attendance were Gov. Chris Gregoire and Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash.

For decades, the hall served as a community center -- hosting barbecues, holiday festivals, basketball games and karaoke nights. The new, expanded hall features a conference room and a wall with photos and biographies to commemorate those killed in action.

During the reopening ceremony, Seattle resident Julia Hatten, 13, recalled how her grandfather, Richard Narasaki, served in the 442nd.

He died when she was much younger, she said, so participating in the group's historical and social activities helps her "stay connected to him."

In 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, a year after the attack on Pearl Harbor. That order led to the internment of Japanese and Japanese-Americans along the West Coast.

But from behind the barbed wire of those camps, Japanese-American men, including Morihiro, left to join the U.S. military.

They are referred to as Nisei, the children of Japanese-born immigrants to the United States. The 442nd, which had about 3,500 members, became the most highly decorated military outfit for its size and length of service, veterans said.

In at least one battle, only about 15 members of the 442nd survived out of a group of 100 soldiers, they said.

Other Japanese-American men used their language skills in the military intelligence service, where they translated enemy radio transmissions and cracked codes in the Pacific.

"These guys felt they had to prove their loyalty in blood," said Stan Shikuma of Seattle, a 53-year-old member of the group's foundation.

After the war, the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars shunned them. So they bought the hall on South King Street for $1,000 and started their own group, said Yuzo Tokita, the current commander.

"They spent a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get it to be their memorial hall," said Tokita, 68, who flew fighter planes during the Vietnam War.

For years, some members were reluctant to talk with their families about the pain of being interned during World War II. But over the decades, that outlook slowly changed.

"A lot of it was the older generation was getting older and they were facing their mortality," said Dale Watanabe, 53, of Redmond, a former group commander.

"They said, 'If we don't tell people what happened, they're never going to know,' " he said.

The plan to renovate the building started about eight years ago. At the time, members and their families had to decide: Would they sell the building? Would they move elsewhere?

In some U.S. cities, Tokita said, Japanese-American veterans groups ceased to exist because they lacked support.

But in Seattle, they wound up raising about $2.5 million, with $945,000 coming from government grants.

On Saturday, members of the American Legion and VFW joined the ceremony. One of them was Bainbridge Island resident Jim Walkowski, a member of American Legion Post 172.

Walkowski, 63, said the shunning of Japanese-American soldiers left emotional scars. "It was hard to render acceptance" back then, he said. "It's a different time now, and there's a different acceptance level. We ... go on."

FOR MORE INFO

The Nisei Veterans Committee Memorial Hall is at 1212 S. King St., Seattle. Visit seattlenvc.org to learn about the group.