CHAPTER TWO

INTEGRITY

INTEGRITY

Integrity is always number one. Put all of the other character traits in any order you want, but they all come after integrity.

—Chris Widener

Webster defines integrity as the quality or state of being of sound moral principle: uprightness, honesty, and sincerity. People associate integrity with values above reproach and the quality of being correct in judgment or procedure. The Japanese translation for gi is justice and moral righteousness.

Inherent in the hearts of all is a sense of morality: right and wrong. Integrity is doing the right thing because it is both just and proper. Doing the right thing keeps one on the straight and narrow, or on the path of moral righteousness. For the samurai, there were no deviations or bends in the road. When you add integrity to courage, you have an indomitable force for good!

The samurai did not compromise concerning doing what was right—no matter the cost, even to forfeiting one’s life. Integrity is the moral compass the samurai used to navigate the narrow path traveled. It is considered so important, that stories illustrating the concept of death before dishonor became popularized worldwide. Perhaps the most familiar to Westerners recounts the true story of how a band of leaderless samurai retainers honored their commitment and avenged the senseless death of their lord. Having achieved their objective, these warriors willingly gave up their own lives as the cost of fulfilling their commitment. These are the famous 47 ronin, and they are honored as an example of integrity and the samurai ideals. Even today, they are considered cultural heroes in Japan.

Each moment of every day, you are faced with choices. The ability to choose has its consequences. By choosing integrity’s narrow path, you are creating good for all. Your choices touch your life, others’ lives, and the lives of future generations. The samurai acted on moral correctness, knowing his decisions affected himself, his family, society, and the future of his lord and country.

The emphasis on one’s integrity came to America with the first Japanese immigrants, the issei. This was an important part of the bushido principles that provided the moral and ethical bulwark that allowed them to survive in an often hostile environment. These principles were passed on to their offspring, the nisei, as a way of defining their Japanese heritage. These principles served the nisei well as they fought the prejudice of the World War II era.

These wounds were still fresh when my generation, the sansei, were born. Subtly, these principles of bushido became a way for us to regain the trust and respect of a nation. Our parents emphasized that our behavior extended beyond ourselves. We represented our own family, the Tsugawa clan, and even the Japanese American community. This was deeply ingrained in me and I seriously took it to heart. In the time period shortly after World War II, people were watching us. Suspicion, animosity, and prejudice were still evident, and we had to prove that we were good citizens. The time in the camps during the war was still a fresh part of my parents’ memories. Since their integrity was questioned, this brought great shame to honorable people who committed no crimes.

Your character has both a public and private face. It is in times when no one is observing that your true character is displayed. Did you ever get caught with your hand in the cookie jar? That may have moved you from the fear of being caught to the decision to do what is right. As you mature, your conscience is developed, and you do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.

The samurai did the right thing because of his adherence to the bushido code. He detested unjust behavior and dealings that were underhanded. When the precise shogunate laws were disobeyed, it could lead to severe punishment or even death. A strict adherence to shogunate rules created peace and harmony in Japanese society; it made it easier for the samurai to carry out his duty and focus on the task at hand.

In the biblical story, Joseph had the ability to interpret dreams, and he was his father Jacob’s favorite son. Jealous of Joseph’s status, his brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt. His dream–interpretation abilities afforded him access to the Pharaoh. He rose in status and was made viceroy. Famine drove Joseph’s brothers to Egypt in search for food. Joseph had the power to deny his brothers’ request for food, yet he acted in integrity, forgave his brothers, and saved his family. Joseph was tested, and the integrity of his character prevailed because of his faith in God.

Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. He is quoted as saying, “I never, in my life, felt more certain that I was doing right, than I do in signing this paper.” Lincoln faced significant opposition regarding this action, yet the conviction of his moral principles led him to do what he knew to be just and right. His doing the right thing turned the tide and forever changed the United States of America.

In this chapter, we will discuss the life of Michi Nishiura Weglyn, who left a very successful career as a fashion designer to research the subject of the Japanese American incarceration during World War II. She knew what had been done was wrong, and so endeavored to expose this wrong and restore the dignity of her people, regardless of her own personal cost. Her pioneering book to rectify the injustice inflicted upon her and 120,000 people of Japanese descent helped to lead the way for the Redress Movement of the 1980s.

To the samurai, integrity was a measure of trustworthiness and spoke volumes about someone’s character. With absolute adherence to your vision, or tenet, you are laser-focused like the samurai warrior. The samurai committed to his profession because his life depended on it. Together with other positive traits of the samurai, such as courage, honesty, and loyalty, you can experience greater accomplishments because you are at peace with yourself. You need not worry about being a chameleon because there is only one you! If your purpose is to leave the world a better place, then make integrity your intention. Intention is more than a wish, it is a commitment: a determination to uphold your principles regardless of the circumstances. It means doing what you know is right even when it’s not popular or convenient—even when no one is watching.

It doesn’t mean it will be easy. The world looks for someone who rises above the crowd’s mediocrity, who honors his commitments and makes no excuses when he falls short. Such people take responsibility for their words and actions because they own them.

Say what you mean, mean what you say, and then do it. As you put your stake in the ground, you are making a commitment and laying claim to what you believe. Just as the samurai did, you can also make a difference.

Do what is right because it is right, and leave it alone.

_______

Chiune Sugihara

Michi Nishiura Weglyn

Raised as a farmer’s daughter in Brentwood, California, Michi Nishiura Weglyn endured and overcame hardships to devote her life to making atonement for injustice. She was the elder daughter born to Tomojiro and Misao Nishiura on November 29, 1925.

Tomojiro and Misao Nishiura emigrated from Japan and worked as tenant farmers in Brentwood. The family leased land to raise fruits and vegetables. Michi’s job was to tend to the farm animals, which she treated as her pets.

After the U.S. entered World War II in December 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942. This order uprooted and forcibly removed some 120,000 people of Japanese descent living on the West Coast from their homes to an unknown future. The Nishiura family was among those affected as well as both of my parents and their families.

The Nishiuras eventually arrived at Gila River War Relocation Center in Arizona after riding on a crowded train for several days. The blinds were drawn so that they did not know where they were going. The living quarters were poorly constructed and surrounded by barbed wire fences 12 feet high. Guard towers held watchmen with guns aimed at them. Anyone who tried to escape was shot.

The family was assigned to a room in Block 66, Barrack 12. They shared the Gila River War Relocation Center with over 13,000 other detained Japanese and Japanese Americans. Life was not easy for the Nishiuras, and privacy was a thing of the past. For the next three years, a single room (approximately 500 square feet) would be their home. Michi remembers using an umbrella for protection from the harsh, hot, and windy conditions, and she often awoke in the morning covered with sand.

Michi was a high achiever and an outstanding student who participated in numerous activities. She applied for and won a scholarship to attend the prestigious Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. The full scholarship for commendable students was awarded by the National Japanese American Student Relocation Council and headed by the Quakers. She was a biology major, and she was also gifted in drawing. While attending college, she became fascinated with stage productions, and this began her interest in costume design.

In December 1945, Michi contracted tuberculosis and was forced to withdraw from college. She recovered at Glen Gardner Sanitarium in New Jersey, but did not graduate from college. She suffered a lifetime of frail health aggravated in part by the harsh weather conditions at the incarceration camp in Gila River, Arizona.

Michi continued her education at Barnard College and the Fashion Academy in New York City, but during that time, she was again treated for tuberculosis and spent time at Mt. Kipp Sanitarium in upstate New York.

While a student, Michi met her future husband, Walter Matthys Weglyn, who arrived from Holland following the end of World War II. Walter was of German Jewish descent and survived the Holocaust. In 1939, at the age of 12, his parents sent him and his brother to Holland via Kindertransport, where he was sheltered and went into hiding. He was protected and hidden at 12 different locations to save his life. During that time, Walter’s parents were at the Theresienstadt concentration camp in what is now the Czech Republic. Miraculously, the parents survived the ordeal, and the family was reunited in New York after World War II. During the time Walter went into hiding to save his life in Europe, Michi was incarcerated in Arizona.

Walter and Michi married on March 5, 1950. Initially, their parents opposed the interracial marriage. However, she recalled overhearing her mother brag to an issei friend that her son-in-law was more Japanese than a Japanese. That told Michi that Walter was accepted into the family. They enjoyed a devoted, supportive, and loving relationship throughout their life together.

Michi became a recognized costume designer in the 1960s, designing costumes for the Roxy Theatre, Perry Como, Bob Hope, and Ginger Rogers. Even though she enjoyed success and fame, she was an unassuming person with a humble beginning.

The mid to latter 1960s was a time of turmoil in the United States due to the Vietnam War and civil rights unrest. There was speculation that the U.S. government might place those protesting the war in concentration camps as a means to control the protest.

That is why in 1968, when Michi received an honorary degree from California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, she questioned Attorney General Ramsey Clark’s comment regarding the issue of detaining the Vietnam War protesters. Clark had said on television we never had, we do not now have, and will not ever have a concentration camp. She knew Attorney General Clark’s comment was not true and believed the record regarding her people needed to be rectified.

That same year, Michi discovered the book While Six Million Died, written by Arthur D. Morse. The author wrote about the indifference and callousness of the American government regarding the killing of the Jews in Europe. Ironically, at the same time Jews were annihilated in the Nazi death camps in Europe, Japanese Americans were incarcerated in the United States. Both were unwanted people in their own country. She wondered if the apathy toward the Jews could have contributed to the incarceration of Japanese Americans.

Do not follow the crowd when it does what is wrong; and don’t allow popular view to sway you into offering testimony for any cause if the effect will be to pervert justice.

_______

Exodus 23:2

Not one to be complacent, Michi embarked on a journey that continued for the rest of her life. She resolved an injustice and worked toward removing the guilt and shame of, the Japanese Americans. Her curiosity regarding this incident led her to investigate the truth behind the Japanese American incarceration even though over twenty years had lapsed since leaving the incarceration camp in Arizona.

For seven years, Michi diligently researched the primary documents of the Japanese American incarceration. She made countless trips to the National Archives in Washington D.C., New York City Library, and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library in New York. She would arrive early in the morning, eat a sandwich for lunch, and then continue her research until closing. She was not funded by grants, but personally bore the expense of travel and time during the entire project. She was unwavering in her quest to uncover the truth. She needed to find answers, and in so doing, set the records straight in order to rectify the injustice she knew was committed.

One can only imagine the volumes of documents, files, and papers involved in the research and writing for her book. This laborious work was accomplished without computers!

Being a Holocaust survivor, Walter Weglyn was supportive and sympathetic of his wife’s efforts. He encouraged Michi to write the truth even if it was unpopular or unpalatable. He also was an editor and critic of her work, and understood her quest to discover the truth. In the acknowledgments of her book, Michi expressed appreciation to Walter for his encouragement and contribution; the project might have been abandoned were it not for his support. So affected were they by the trauma of their childhoods, they remained childless throughout their marriage.

Never apologize for being correct, or for being years ahead of your time. If you’re right and you know it, speak your mind.

Even if you are a minority or one, the truth is still the truth.

_______

Gandhi

As Michi stated, it was one thing to read about documents, but it was another thing to actually read the documents face to face. For her, it was a poignant experience to uncover the truth, blaze a trail, and obtain justice for over 80,000 Japanese Americans who were still alive at that time. According to Michi:

It would involve a 180 degree turn on my part from designing to detective work to clear in some possible way my own people; my own self of that stain of dishonor and disgrace.

Before World War II, the winds of war were escalating, and the loyalty of the Japanese Americans was in question. The State Department’s investigator, Curtis B. Munson, was commissioned to examine and report on the Japanese American loyalty to the United States. The Munson Report included over ten years of research by the FBI and Navy Intelligence. The report’s conclusion did not corroborate the military necessity espoused by the U.S. government for incarceration. No evidence of disloyalty was reported with the Japanese Americans living in the United States in the event of war. The Munson Report was a well-kept secret that Michi discovered through her extensive research. In spite of its findings, in 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, forcibly removing some 120,000 Japanese Americans (over 70% were U.S. citizens) into American incarceration camps.

In early 1943, to add insult to injury, the Loyalty Questionnaire was submitted to the Japanese Americans detained at the 10 incarceration camps. This included both citizens and non-citizens 17 years of age and older. Many of those incarcerated were non-citizens because they were issei, first-generation immigrants who had been denied citizenship on the basis of their race. Questions 27 and 28 of the questionnaire were particularly confusing and brought feelings of frustration and resentment. They read:

Question #27: Are you willing to serve in the armed forces of the United States on combat duty wherever ordered?

Question #28: Will you swear unqualified allegiance to the United States of America and faithfully defend the United States from any or all attack by foreign or domestic forces, and forswear any form of allegiance or obedience to the Japanese emperor, or any other foreign government, power, or organization?

The majority of the detainees answered “yes” to both questions, but it was disturbing and confusing for the women, both elderly and young, to agree to go to battle. There were others who refused to sign and answer yes because they felt it was unjust to fight for a country that detained them and their families behind barbed wire. This act violated their Constitutional rights as U.S. citizens.

Those who refused to sign were considered disloyal and further segregated at the Tule Lake Segregation Center (renamed in 1943) in Northern California. They were referred to as the no-no boys. These men exercised their constitutional right by refusing to fight in the U.S. Army. Most were ostracized by other Japanese Americans for their actions. Regardless of how the questions were answered, each responder answered the questions based on the integrity of his or her conviction and was willing to live with the consequences. For the no-no boys, the price of acting on their convictions was further incarceration in a federal prison. Their integrity was measured by willingness to face the consequences of their convictions: how would you have answered Questions #27 and #28 if you were in their situation?

In the summer of 2009, my cousin, Pam Oja, and I went on a pilgrimage to Tule Lake in northern California where our mothers were incarcerated during World War II. Although they had not responded no to Questions #27 and #28, they were at Tule Lake during the first part of World War II. My mother was not physically able to attend and it was probably for the best, as she rarely spoke about her experience in the camp.

Tule Lake detained some 18,000 (at its peak) Japanese American citizens and non-citizens. The first year, there was no plumbing for indoor lavatories. Tule Lake had three sets of barbed wire 12 feet high. Tanks patrolled the perimeters. The detainees’ only crime was their Japanese heritage, and it brought shame, humiliation, and confusion to those who had broken no law. Like the samurai, they faced their situation with courage and integrity, and emerged stronger.

We were guided through the “prison within the prison” by Jimi Yamaichi, who helped to construct prison housing for the no-no boys. It was ironic and almost seemed unreal to tour the prison within the prison reserved for those who answered “no” to the loyalty questions. It is interesting to note here that this took place around 75 years ago.

My thoughts and feelings were mixed: heartbreak, anger, disbelief, dishonor, and sadness. It was difficult to view and hear about the subhuman conditions that my parents unjustly and illegally experienced. They never spoke of the injustices or the shame they must have endured. I often wonder if I would have faced their situation with their same grace.

After much persuasion, my husband and I convinced my parents to attend the Minidoka Pilgrimage in 2008. Dad remarked that the barracks looked more like the Hilton than what he remembered! Below is how he recounted this period in his life:

In February 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which stated that the military could remove all people of Japanese descent who lived within 200 miles of the west coast. By April, our family was to be interned at the Portland Expo Center and was given number #15030, which meant we were the fifteen thousand thirtieth family to receive a number. Each of us was allowed one suitcase; our family was allowed one duffle bag. A Caucasian friend drove us to the livestock pavilion.

At this point, Hank (my elder brother) had been drafted into the U.S. Army and was stationed at the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) language school in Minnesota. He served in the MIS overseas. My younger brother, Akira, was inducted into the U.S. Army shortly after we arrived at Minidoka. He served in the MIS stateside.

The summer of 1942 was hot. The pavilion had housed cattle before it was cleared for us. The floors had been hosed down, but, of course, when the water went down, the smell of manure came up. It was bad. The food was bad. Everybody had diarrhea.

We moved out in September. They loaded us on trains. We were in the dark for three days with all the blinds pulled down, so we wouldn’t know where we were going. I don’t remember what we did when we needed to use the bathroom! Finally, the train stopped, and we looked out at thousands of acres of sagebrush as far as the eyes could see. Army trucks took us to “camp.” We were greeted by machine guns pointed toward us in the gun towers; they probably thought the worst of us. It was frightening and gave me a sense of hopelessness. I thought, “This is our fate?”

Living quarters were arranged in a “block” with the mess hall, recreation room, and bathrooms located in the center, surrounded by barracks. Our room was about 20’ x 20’ with a light bulb and a potbellied stove fueled by coal. We had no running water in our room, and used a “communal” shower and initially “outhouses” for our bathroom. No privacy. We were interned at Minidoka near Twin Falls, Idaho.

Over 9,000 people of Japanese descent lived within the confines of Minidoka; we were assigned to Block 30 near other Portland Japanese people. In the camps, they wanted everybody to do something. My job was to cut the bottoms out of tin cans, and I was paid $14.00 per month. The metals were needed for the war effort. I worked with three other “buddies,” and we managed to have a good time as we performed our duties. After a while, the guards began to trust us and realize that we were peaceful people.

In October 1943, there was an emergency; Mom was dying. We had one doctor for all the 9,000 people in camp. By the time Mom got to a doctor and was diagnosed with terminal cancer, there was nothing they could do for her. We were given special permission to leave Minidoka and move to Boise so Mom could get the best care available. The Reverend Harold Johnson provided a lovely home for us at 1410 Sherman Street; there are some nice people in this world.

Mom was released from the hospital to spend her last days with family. In Boise, we saw signs that read, “No Japs Allowed” in restaurants and stores; but in the fourlock area of East Avenue where we lived, people treated my youngest brother, Jim, like family. He played football and baseball with the neighborhood children. Only one kid said to him, “Don’t come around the house, Jim, because my dad won’t like it.”

After World War II ended, the Japanese and Japanese Americans were released, and many had nowhere to go. Homes, properties, and businesses were confiscated, stolen, or “lost” because of unpaid taxes. We could not pay taxes because our bank accounts were frozen. We scattered over different areas of the United States, and we were no longer in our ethnic areas. I think it was good that other Americans got to know us and realize that we were good citizens.

Remarkably, Dad harbors no ill feelings regarding his experience, and willingly shares his story with his friends and relatives, the public, and local students.

In spite of their hardship, the issei, and their children, the nisei, made the most of their situation. The Japanese word gaman, means to endure the unbearable with dignity and patience. Art, furniture, tools, woodcarvings, paintings, toys, and everyday objects were created with found materials such as wood, shells, paper, and fabric. The Japanese attention to beauty and detail was remarkable, and their indomitable and persevering spirit is evident in their work.

“The Art of Gaman” was a traveling exhibit that showcased more than 120 artifacts crafted by Japanese Americans during their incarceration in camps in World War II. Author Delphine Hirasuna organized and curated the exhibit which began in Washington, D.C., on March 2010, at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Renwick Gallery. In the summer of 2014, the exhibit traveled to the Bellevue Arts Museum in Washington. The exhibit was well received, and attendees marveled at the indomitable spirit of the Japanese Americans displayed in the artifacts.

The definition of integrity embraces the concepts of uprightness, honesty, and having values above reproach. These words describe the efforts and personality of Michi Nishiura Weglyn. Her desire that the truth about the wartime incarceration of innocent Japanese immigrants and Japanese American citizens be brought to light would require no less.

Michi’s book is supported by photos of children, people, and life in the incarceration camps. She included these heart-rending photos because a picture is worth a thousand words. Photocopies of government documents and newspaper articles clearly validate the message of the book. She worked diligently, and because of her book’s integrity, historical events were corrected, and a maligned people was exonerated.

With her research completed, Michi diligently sought a publisher for her book, Years of Infamy: The Untold Story of America’s Concentration Camps. William Morrow finally published the book in 1976. James Michener wrote the introduction and expressed that Michi shared a story about our national history that deserved telling.

Michi’s book helped propel the movement for the restitution of civil rights, apology, and monetary compensation that became known as the Redress Movement of the 1980s. The movement culminated in the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which compensated those living Japanese Americans who were detained unjustly during World War II. In the beginning, activist Edison Uno cited her work in his appeal. Other nisei would follow. The Japanese American Citizen League (JACL) also became involved in redress to assist the Japanese Americans.

To set the record straight regarding the wartime experiences of the West Coast Japanese population, the JACL published a brochure correcting common euphemisms used to explain the action of the U.S. government. The table below lists the common euphemisms on the left with a more accurate description on the right.

SUMMARY TABLE OF ACCURATE TERMS

The table below, constructed from Ishizuka’s list (Ishizuka, 2006, p. 72, Lost and Found: Reclaiming the Japanese American Incarceration. Urbana & Chicago: University of Illinois Press), summarizes the various euphemistic terms and their more accurate counterparts:

1

EUPHEMISM	ACCURATE TERM
Evacuation	Exclusion, or forced removal.
Relocation	Incarceration in camps; also used after release from camp.
Non-aliens	U.S. citizens of Japanese ancestry.
Civilian exclusion orders	Detention orders.
Any or all persons	Primarily people of Japanese ancestry.
May be excluded	Forcibly evicted from one’s home.
Native American aliens	Renunciants, or citizens who, under pressure, renounced U.S. citizenship.
Assembly center	Temporary detention facility.
Relocation center	American concentration camp, incarceration camp, illegal detention center. Inmates held here were referred to as incarcerees.
Internment center	Reserve for DOJ or Army camp holding alien enemies under Alien Enemies Act 1798.

In 1988, the Civil Liberties Act was signed into law by then President Reagan. The law allowed approximately 80,000 ex-internees alive at that time to receive $20,000 per person. The formal payment and apology would begin to bring about reparation and healing for formerly incarcerated Japanese Americans. For Michi, her work to bring justice continued. She supported railroad workers fired from their jobs and draft resisters who did not sign the loyalty questionnaire and were excluded in the redress. One wonders how many countries would attempt to right such a wrong?

Michi Nishiura Weglyn’s life exemplifies the bushido code in her determination to do what she could to right a wrong; this is the very embodiment of the meaning of integrity. It was important to her to rectify the injustice inflicted upon herself, Japanese Americans, and Japanese who were incarcerated during World War II. She dedicated most of her adult life to this cause through her lengthy research in writing her book, speaking, and being an advocate for those who could not speak up for themselves. Michi said what she meant, meant what she said, and then did it.

Walter Weglyn passed away in 1995. Michi continued her work, even though her health was declining. She generously shared her time and research through letters and telephone calls to colleagues and friends.

Michi Nishiura Weglyn died of cancer on April 25, 1999, in New York. She did not want a memorial, although she will always be remembered, honored, and loved by many.

In the words of Phil Tajitsu Nash, personal friend and later her literary executor, the reasons he admired and loved Michi were:

• She was always herself

• She lived art

• She savored life

• She aimed high

• She never gave up

• She lived life with purpose

• She told the truth

• She shared her gifts

• She never forgot

• She lived the future

Michi Nishiura Weglyn was a lovely woman with a beautiful heart, full of integrity. She did the right thing by rectifying a grave injustice.

It is my sincere hope that this story of what happened only a generation ago may serve as a sobering reminder to us all that even Constitutions are not worth the parchment they are printed on unless vitalized by a sound and uncorrupted public opinion, and a leadership of integrity and compassion.

_______

Michi Nishiura Weglyn

Michi’s words are echoed in a quote from the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community (BIJAC) of Bainbridge Island, Washington:

Nidoto Nai Yoni; “Let it not happen again.”

This is the motto and mission of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial. The Bainbridge Island Japanese American community was the first to experience Executive Order 9066. They were forcibly removed from their homes by U.S. soldiers carrying rifles with fixed bayonets, as they boarded a ferry to Seattle, to an unknown future.

Senator Daniel K. Inouye

Inouye Family Kamon

Medal of Honor

As a leader, you have to not only do the right thing, but be perceived to be doing the right thing. A consequence of seeking a leadership position is being put under intense public scrutiny, being held to high standards, and enhancing a reputation that is constantly under threat.

—Jeffery Sonnenfeld and Andrew Ward

The late U.S. senator from Hawaii, Daniel K. Inouye, is known and respected as the highest-ranking Asian American politician in U.S. history. Before his career as a politician, Inouye demonstrated during World War II the integrity of his character to lead by example. Not content to simply give orders, he earned the respect and admiration of his fellow soldiers through his unselfish acts on the battlefields of Europe. Born in 1924 as the son of Japanese immigrant plantation workers, Inouye encountered prejudice and discrimination and, as a result, dedicated his life to the cause of helping his fellow man.

Inouye wanted to become a doctor after having orthopedic surgery as a result of a wrestling injury. Following his passion, he became a pre-med student, aid station worker, and a Red Cross volunteer. When the United States entered World War II in 1941, his destiny took an entirely different course.

Like other Japanese Americans from Hawaii, Inouye wanted to prove his loyalty to America and serve his country. He left college and volunteered to join the all-nisei 442^nd Regimental Combat Team.

Inouye was a platoon leader in the Vosges Mountains in France in 1944. The regiment was engaged for two weeks in an effort to relieve the American Lost Battalion that was surrounded by German forces. While leading an attack, a shot struck Inouye in the chest, but he was saved by two silver dollars in his pocket. These same two silver dollars were carried in his pocket for good luck until they were later lost. He was promoted to second lieutenant for his bravery and leadership.

In the northern Italy campaign, Inouye bravely and skillfully directed his platoon through enemy fire that brought his men within 40 yards of a hostile force near Tuscany. The Gothic Line was a strongpoint along the German fortification, and it was considered the last and most unyielding line of German defense in Italy. During an encounter, he led his platoon within five yards of a machine gun and destroyed this emplacement by personally hurling two grenades into the enemy position. Under fire from a second machine gun, he stood up to continue the assault. He was wounded by a sniper’s bullet while an exploding grenade shattered his right arm. Inouye was in intense pain, yet he refused treatment and directed his platoon until his men advanced through the difficult resistance. He displayed true leadership by considering the safety of his platoon before himself. Inouye continued fighting until he was wounded in the leg, tumbled down a ridge, and collapsed from blood loss.

The men from his platoon were concerned about Inouye’s condition. However, after regaining consciousness, he instructed them to return to their position, and stated, “Nobody called off the war!” He was not concerned about his personal condition because he was focused on the greater need of victory for all. He was taken to a field hospital where the doctors grew dubious about his condition and were unsure what to do. Inouye convinced them to operate, and his right arm was amputated, saving his life but ending his dream of becoming a doctor. In 1947, he was honorably discharged as a captain.

For his service in the U.S. Army, Inouye was the recipient of the following awards:

• Two Purple Hearts

• Bronze Star Medal

• Distinguished Service Cross, which was upgraded to Medal of Honor by President Clinton in 2000

• Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded posthumously in 2013

As related in Lost & Found: Reclaiming the Japanese American Incarceration, three noncombat-related incidents changed Inouye’s life forever as stated on March 9, 1998, at a meeting with New York Jewish and Japanese American leaders:

First, after the nation of Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, he and all nisei were reclassified 4-C, which designated them enemy aliens, an accusation that gravely insulted him then and now.2

Inouye wondered how he could have been considered an enemy alien when he was an upright American citizen born and raised in Hawaii. Being of Japanese heritage, this proved to be extremely insulting to him.

Second, after having volunteered for the segregated, all-Japanese American 442^nd Regimental Combat Team, he and other nisei soldiers visited Rohwer, one of the ten American concentration camps.³

After Inouye and the other nisei soldiers from Hawaii had visited Rohwer, the ride back to the barracks was silent and sobering. They had a better understanding of the discrimination that the mainland niseis faced. He wondered if he would have volunteered if he were in their place.

Third, while in the hospital in Atlantic City in June 1945, recuperating from his battlefield wounds, he met a fellow Japanese American soldier who served in the 522^nd Field Artillery Battalion, which liberated one of the satellite camps of Dachau. This soldier told Inouye firsthand of the horrors he encountered there.⁴

The conversation had a profound effect on Inouye. As a senator, he introduced a bill to repeal Title II of the Emergency Detention Act of 1950 some 20 years later. The act had the authority to construct domestic camps for suspect individuals as a threat to national security; unfortunately, this was the fate of Japanese Americans during World War II.

The senator ended his comments by saying that we—Japanese Americans and American Jews—should be working together, and that together we could prevent the question of who might be next from ever arising.⁵

For many, the misfortune of shattered dreams would have been a debilitating setback. Not for Inouye. His life’s goal was always to be of service to others. The loss of his arm was merely an obstacle to overcome, not an excuse to abandon his dream. He returned to college under the G.I. Bill, and graduated from George Washington University Law School. He soon started his political career. This fulfilled his vision of serving his fellow man, simply in a different capacity.

In his 58 years as a public servant, the late Senator Daniel K. Inouye was never defeated as an elected official. He became president pro tempore of the Senate—third in the presidential line of succession and the second-longest-serving U.S. senator in American history, behind only Robert Byrd. During Inouye’s distinguished career, he was dedicated to serving his fellow constituents, particularly in the cause of equal rights for all Americans, having experienced discrimination himself.

Daniel K. Inouye was a true American hero who served his country until the moment he passed away on December 17, 2012. He was honored and laid in state at the United States Capitol Rotunda, the 31^st person and the first Asian American to be given this honor. Inouye’s example of integrity under trying conditions is an inspiration to Americans and all who cherish freedom. Daniel K. Inouye, a true American hero, in his last moments befittingly penned “Aloha.”

The late Senator Daniel K. Inouye was a true warrior who demonstrated the samurai traits of courage, honor, and integrity, and by serving and protecting. Is there a greater honor? In the midst of your battle, will you face challenges and obstacles with the same spirit as Inouye? If you let honor be your trademark and integrity your calling card, the world will be a better place because of you.

Your reputation and integrity are everything. Follow through on what you say you’re going to do. Your credibility can only be built over time, and it is built from the history of your word and actions.

_______

Jeffery Sonnenfeld and Andrew Ward

Foot Notes

1. National JACL Power of Words II Committee. Power of Words Handbook: Euphemisms and Preferred Terminology. Japanese American Citizens League, (April 2013) 14.

2. Ishizuka, Karen L. Lost&Found: Reclaiming the Japanese American Incarceration, (Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 2006) 164.

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid.

5. Ibid., 165.