artmaking is patiently waiting for me as i learn how to let go and live with sanity that allows me to sleep 8 hours a night. in the midst of reprioritizing my life, i find myself planning for an upcoming trip to the east coast. what?!!! yes, yes, yes!!!
i am going to washington d.c. later this month, and then blessedly, onto visit my dear, sweet friend crystal neubauer in chicago for a few precious days, all because of my father.
{manabu hongo, my dad}
you see, during world war II dad was part of the historic 100th battalion infantry——a group of soliders of japanese american ancestry from hawaii——and the 442nd regimental combat team——made up of nisei, all american born sons of japanese immigrants. to fully understand the commitment of these soldiers and to see into their hearts, try to imagine the rampant racism at that time; the internment of family members, the loss of home, businesses, land, friendships and reputation, and then try to imagine that you are 19 years old, and are willing to die for the country that labels you a traitor. this was my father, and this was thousands of other young japanese american soldiers that trained in and fought alongside him in europe, during world war II.
without discussing it with his parents first, my dad enlisted when he was just 19 years old. when i asked him about it, dad said, “i didn't think twice about it. i heard an annoucement on the radio and decided right away to enlist.” he later told me that when he did go to his parents to tell them of his enlistment, they told him, “the important thing is not to come home alive; the important thing is to serve honorably and sacrifice your life for your country.”
in hawaii, a call came for volunteers to form a nisei (second generation) all japanese american regiment:
“On January 28, 1943 the War Department announced that it was forming an all-Nisei combat team and called for 1,500 volunteers from Hawaii. Ten thousand men volunteered, including men from the Varsity Victory Volunteers.”
{dad, in the years after the war, courting my mother in new york city}
dad went on to train in camp shelby, missisipi and fought in italy and across europe. he was the bazooka man, and was known as the company “chow hound” because of the amount of groceries he could tuck away in one sitting. he survived the war——though to this day, he continues to wrestle with the after affects of the war on his psyche. dad was awarded the purple heart and eventually married my mother and returned to hawaii to raise me and my two older sisters.
{dad, in the years after the war, courting my mother in new york city}
on november 2, 2011, the 100th battalion and the 442nd regimental combat team are being awarded the congressional medal of honor——the highest military award for valor given by the united states government. of the 442nd, history notes:
“The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was the most decorated unit for its size and length of service, in the entire history of the U.S. Military. The 4,000 men who initially came in April 1943 had to be replaced nearly 3.5 times. In total, about 14,000 men served, ultimately earning 9,486 Purple Hearts , 21 Medals of Honor and an unprecedented eight Presidential Unit Citations.”
dad is turning 87 this month and unfortunately, his health and age don’t allow him to travel to the east coast to recieve this honor in person. i wish more than anything that he could go to washington d.c. to attend this historic event...but he can’t. and, so, i am honored to go in his stead.
{dad today...}
i am bringing the well wishes of family and friends from hawaii along with me. i am bringing the love of friends who donated this trip by gifting me their frequent flyer miles so that i could attend. in return, i will bring home pictures and video, memories and hopefully, honor, in some small way. and God-willing, i will be bringing home a congressional medal of honor for my father.
i am so very proud of him, so very proud to be his daughter.
