The National Park Service plans to feature an exhibit of photographs of Japanese Americans who served in the U.S. military during World War II to commemorate the 80th anniversaries of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s issuance of Executive Order 9066 and the opening of the Manzanar Relocation Center in March 1942.
Executive order 9066 led to the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans during the war, while Manzanar, located in California, was one of 10 locations in the United States Japanese Americans were held, according to the NPS website.
“The haunting images and accompanying essays are emotional and powerful," Manzanar Acting Superintendent, Brenda Ling, said in a statement." “These veterans served their country with honor and distinction, while their families were incarcerated behind barbed wire.”
Part of the "Go for Broke” photo exhibit by photographer Shane Sato, will be displayed Feb. 19 during Manzanar’s Day of Remembrance event at Manzanar National Historic Site, the release stated.
Sato's exhibit features nine "larger-than-life portraits" of the veterans along with short biographies and photos of them serving during the war, according to the NPS.
“I want people to remember what they did when they had everything against them,” Sato said, in the release.
Another event scheduled for Feb. 18 will feature Sato and WWII veteran Yoshio “Yosh” Nakamura, the release stated.
“[We] were highly motivated and disciplined, and so [we] had a mission more than just taking care of the enemy," Nakamura said in a 2016 interview. "We were just as good Americans as any others.”
Nakamura served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the most highly decorated unit in U.S. military history for its size and length of service, according to the release.
Manzanar National Historic Site is located at 5001 Highway 395, six miles south of Independence and nine miles north of Lone Pine.
The NPS plans to stream the event on the Zoom platform for anyone who can’t attend in person, the release stated. To get the Zoom meeting information, email Gena@ESIAonline.org.
