141st veteran Al Tortalano thanks the 442nd for his rescue in France and his life

The Japanese Crane Monument at the Memorial

Commerce Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, a former internee, leads the ribbon-cutting at the Memorial (November 9, 2000)

President Reagan signing Civil Liberties Act of 1988 (August 10, 1988)

Attorney General Janet Reno speaks at the Memorial's dedication (November 9, 2000)

News of decision to intern Japanese Americans spread quickly on the West Coast in 1942

Japanese Americans were forced to live in close quarters, without privacy, in rude tarpaper barracks

A typical sign at an internment camp perimeter marked the line between incarceration and freedom

Public signs literally displayed the racism faced by Japanese Americans during WWII

Japanese American Children at an internment camp

Help us tell our story and educate Americans.

NJAMF is unique in that it has representation on the board of the congressionally-chartered National Conference on Citizenship through Foundation board member Eric Federing. NCOC focuses on ways to enhance history and civic education, encourage national and community service, and promote greater participation in the political process.

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2010 Cherry Blossom Freedom Walk

The Cherry Blossom Freedom Walk, an official event of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, was held on April 3, 2010. Read more...

2009 NJAMF Annual Gala

L-R, George Sakato and Hershey Miyamura, Congressional Medal of Honor recipients standing with senior cadets and midshipmen from the military academies (Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.) At the far right is Miyamura’s granddaughter, a senior cadet at the Air Force Academy at The Capital Hilton in Washington, DC on April 17, 2009.

Watch our April Reception honoring the Navajo Code Talkers on C-Span online. Click here.

NAVAJO CODE TALKERS HONORED BY NJAMF

April 26, 2010

On Monday, April 26, T he National Japanese American Memorial Foundation (NJAMF) honored Navajo Code Talkers from World War II at Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. Navajo Code Talkers and Japanese Americans are similar in that both, despite injustices, valiantly served their country during a time of international crisis.

The Navajo Code Talkers – who served in all six Marine Divisions from 1942-45 – have been credited with saving countless lives and hastening the end of World War II. Their primary job was to transmit vital military information in their native language, which was understood by fewer than thirty non-Navajos at the time. The language, being unfamiliar to the Axis Powers, was nearly impossible to decode, enabling the Allies to securely convey troop movements and needs.

If not for the Navajo Code Talkers, the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima. All the Code Talkers received the U.S. Congressional Silver Medallion for their service as USMC Navajo Code Talkers.

“One of the goals of NJAMF is to continue to spread the word about injustices in our history, so we can learn from them,” said NJAMF Executive Director Craig Uchida. “The preservation and expansion of freedom is our principal mission, and we were honored to have such distinguished veterans with us who fought so hard for our nation despite losing freedoms of their own.”

Three Code Talkers honored:

Keith Little served at Saipan and Okinawa with the 4th Marine Division. He was discharged as a Private First Class and awarded the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, the Victory Medal of World War II, the USMC Good Conduct Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. He is currently President of the Navajo Code Talkers Association.
Samuel Tso served in Iwo Jima with the 5th Marine Division. He was discharged as a Private First Class and was awarded the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, the Victory Medal of World War II, the USMC Good Conduct Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. He is the current Vice-President of the Navajo Code Talkers Association.
Peter MacDonald, Sr. served in the South Pacific and North China. He was discharged as a Corporal and was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal, the USMC Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the China Service Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, the Victory Medal of World War II, the World War II Occupation Medal, and the World War II China War Memorial Medal.

Traveling with the Navajo Code Talkers was retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant PJ James, a former POW/MIA of the Vietnam War, and the first Navajo to become a Marine Drill Instructor. A descendant of Navajo Code Talkers, Gunnery Sergeant James is a life-time honorary member of the Navajo Code Talkers Association. Some of the “Gunny’s” military awards include the Navy/Marine Corps Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, the POW Medal, and numerous unit and campaign medals and ribbons.

TEXANS REUNITED AFTER 65 YEARS

TRIBUTE IN HOUSTON HONORS WWII VETERANS

November 1, 2010

"'Their courage, valor, dedication are values we hold dear as a country — and to do this in what clearly was one of our darkest hours,' Mullen said, referencing that many of the 442nd's members had families who were held in internment camps by the U.S. government while they served in the military."

As featured in:

(click the logo to read the full article)

"The aging veterans, many in their late 80s and 90s, flew in from all over the country this weekend for a possible last meeting between the "Lost Battalion" and their saviors - men in the now legendary 442nd, made up of Asian-Americans, mostly of Japanese descent."

As featured in the

(Click the logo to continue reading)

The rescue of “The Lost Battalion," the 141st infantry regiment
by the 442nd regimental combat team during WWII

The National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II

Dedicated to Japanese American patriotism, military service,
heroism and perseverance over injustice during World War II.
Dedicated to these stories. Dedicated to the American people.
Dedicated to the rights and responsibilities of every American.

For the United States, the Second World War began when the Empire of Japan attacked American armed forces at Pearl Harbor in what was then the Territory of Hawaii on Sunday, December 7, 1941. A little more than two months later – in what was eventually described as acts born of wartime hysteria, racism, and weak political leadership - President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. The Order resulted in the internment of 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry into 10 relocation camps scattered through more desolate regions of the western United States.

Most of those interned were American citizens. But despite these injustices, thousands of Japanese Americans voluntarily joined the U.S. armed services forces to help win the war in Europe and the war in the Pacific. More than four decades later, the United States Government – in the historic Civil Liberties Act of 1988 approved by Congress and the President -- formally apologized for the personal justice denied by the mass internment.

Soon thereafter, Japanese American veterans of the War led an effort to create a national memorial in the Nation’s Capital to honor the military and civilian patriotism of these individuals and the communities in which they struggled. An ultimate quest was to lift the unjust stigma of shame placed upon the backs of these loyal Americans. The National Japanese American Memorial was dedicated in Washington, DC on Federal land on November 9, 2000.

The Memorial honors the heroism and sacrifice of Japanese Americans who fought and died for their country. The Memorial tells the story of Japanese Americans who supported their nation on the home front. But the Memorial does not tell merely a Japanese American story. It tells an American story of patriotism, perseverance and posterity. It is a story about the rights of every American. It is a story of triumph over tragedy.

Throughout our presentation, we'll be mindful of the purpose of the Memorial and our mission. You'll have an opportunity to learn more about how the Memorial was conceived, designed and constructed. You’ll meet the people whose dedication and effort brought it into being, and hear some of the many stories of those Japanese American patriots to whom it is dedicated. But most importantly, you'll be provided the important opportunity to participate in the Foundation’s ongoing efforts to share our story…and your rights.

Here we admit a wrong. Here we affirm our committment as a nation to equal justice under the law.