Sacramento Nisei VFW Post 8985 Resolution

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Sacramento Nisei VFW Post 8985 Resolution

Re: JACL's Previously Approved Resolution on Draft Resisters

WHEREAS, the delegates at the National Japanese American Citizens League's (JACL) Biennium Convention held in Monterey, California in July year 200 had adopted a resolution to forgive, honor, and formally apologize to the Draft Resisters (aka Resisters of Conscience) of the World War II period, and

WHEREAS, during the World War period, the Draft Resisters not only harassed, but on occasion physically attacked the then wartime JACL leaders, and additionally antagonized other Japanese Americans who advocated and supported patriotic service in the Armed Forces of the United States, and

WHEREAS, in consonance with the Draft Resisters we agree that the United States government erroneously abrogated our Constitutional rights as American citizens by the internment of all Japanese Americans residing along the West Coast throughout World War II. However, it is our carefully studied judgment that it was a critical period in our history where a negative demonstration on our part would have had negative results and that the better course of action at the time was to comply with the Executive mandate and to display our patriotism through honorable service in the United States Armed Forces, and

WHEREAS, through the wisdom, leadership and vision of the JACL board members of World War II who encouraged all patriotic Japanese Americans to embrace the JACL credo, and thus to demonstrate our patriotism and loyalty beyond a shadow of a doubt, and with the conviction that these records of loyalty will be a matter of pride as well as honor for Japanese Americans for future generations to come, and

WHEREAS, following the then JACL credo, more than 30,000 Japanese Americans served in the United States Armed Forces with honor, bravery, and great distinction during World War II, most noteworthy being the achievements of the famous 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team in Europe, and the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) in the Pacific, and

WHEREAS, in recognition of these exemplary military services by the Nisei veterans, the grateful nation has in the ensuing decades seen fit to award deserved presidential, congressional and military honors to the Japanese American soldiers, culminating in an "Apology and Redress" to the evacuees and a pardon for the "Draft Resisters" by the president of the United States, all of which have elevated the social standing of all Japanese Americans to a high plateau in American post war society, and

WHEREAS, if the wartime JACL leadership had instead adopted the negative stance of the Draft Resisters, in the darkened atmosphere of public anger and widespread fear, the Japanese American participation in, and accomplishments during World War II, would not have been recorded and recognized, and would have been replaced by the probability of many thousands of additional Nisei being confined in the federal penitentiary, leaving a legacy which would have required untold generations of Japanese Americans to overcome, and

WHEREAS, while the Nisei veterans do recognize the legitimacy of the right of the Draft Resisters to take their position of refusal to enter the United States military service in World War II on moral grounds, and suffering the consequences of their actions (as did all those who resisted the draft); now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Sacramento Nisei Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8985 be on record that: We vigorously oppose JACL's extension of an official apology to the Nisei Draft Resisters of World War II, which would be tantamount to disclaiming the Supreme Sacrifices of the 830 Japanese Americans "Killed in Action" and the accomplishments of the Nisei World War II veterans; and be it further

RESOLVED, that this Resolution be forwarded to other Nisei VFW Posts of California and other Nisei veterans organizations throughout the United States requesting their concurrence and support.

This resolution was discussed and approved by the members of the Sacramento Nisei VFW Post 8985 at their meeting of Friday, June 8, 2001.

Tom Kashiwabara, Commander, Sacramento Nisei VFW Post 8985;
Loren Ishii, Commander-Elect, Sacramento Nisei VFW Post 8985

Co-signers of Sacramento Nisei VFW Post 8985 Resolution which opposes the National JACL Resolution #2 (Apology to the Japanese American Draft Resisters of World War II)

Sacramento Nisei VFW Post 8985, Cmdr. Loren Ishii;

Club 100, So. Cal, Pres. Sam Fujikawa;

Monterey Peninsula Nisei Post 1629, Cmdr. Jim Suzuki;

100th/442nd Veterans Association, Pres. Wayne Fujita;

Sierra Nisei VFW Post 8499, Cmdr. Donald Wakita;

MIS SoCal, Pres. Hitoshi Sameshima;

Gardena Nisei Post 1961, Cmdr. Akio Sawada;

Asian Pacific Post 4851, Comdr. Raymond Wegrzyn, Adj. William Vetter;

San Jose Nisei Post 9970, Cmdr. Henry Wadahara;

Nisei Liberty VFW Post 5869, Cmdr. Bobby Box;

Golden Gate Nisei Memorial Post 9879, Comdr. Mike Iwahashi, Acting Comdr. Robert M. Yoshioka

Updated: February 7, 2002