The Rafu Shimpo - L.A. Japanese Daily News

Marching for Peace
By Joyce Tse
Rafu Staff Writer
Saturday, Feb. 10, 2007

Hundreds participate in a show of support for First Lt. Ehren Watada, two days before his court-martial.

MARIO G. REYES/Rafu Shimpo
Supporters of First Lt. Ehren Watada and Spc. Agustin Aguayo set out on their march, heading south down Second Street towards Japanese Village Plaza carrying picket signs and banners that said, “STOP THE ILLEGAL AND UNJUST WAR IN IRAQ, SUPPORT THE RESISTANCE OF OUR SOLDIERS.”

In a show of solidarity, anti-war protestors and supporters of the nation’s first Army officer to refuse deployment to Iraq, marched through Little Tokyo on Saturday, demanding justice for First Lt. Ehren Watada.

Chanting slogans printed in bold across their picket signs, participants in the march sponsored by Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress and the Asian American Vietnam Veterans Organization shouted “Bush and Cheney lied, thousands died,” as they paraded up and down First and Second streets, through the Japanese Village Plaza and down Central Avenue until they arrived at the Higashi Honganji Temple on Third Street.

It wasn’t just members of NCRR and the AAVVO who attended though.

Patty Nagano, 58, of Torrance came with her daughter and husband, Steve, 57, son of the Rev. Paul Nagano, director of the Council for Pacific Asian Theology, who was also in attendance.

“The war needs to end and the government needs to do the right thing for Ehren: Drop the charges,” she said. “Ehren’s absolutely doing the right thing. He’s standing up for justice and he’s doing it from his heart and soul and not just to try to make some kind of statement.”

Nodding in agreement, Nagano’s husband, Steve, added, “At some point, Watada will be remembered as one of the JA, or even just American, heroes for standing up for what is right. This is our contribution to ending the war sooner. We have to send a message, get more people out here and rally them to stand up,” he said.
Among the nearly 250 marchers were notable guests Carolyn Ho, Watada’s mother, who arrived after stops to Watada demonstrations in the Midwest and on the East coast; and Helga Aguayo, wife of Spc. Agustin Aguayo, a conscientious objector to the war, who went absent without leave on Sept. 1, 2006 after three years of trying to be recognized as a conscientious objector by the Army. He is currently being held in pre-trial confinement in Manheim Prison, Coleman Barracks, Germany.

While support for Watada’s actions is not ubiquitous, no counter-protestors showed up to argue their point of view.

This is because doing so would be counterproductive, according to Korean War veteran Robert Wada, founder of the Japanese American Korean War Veterans group.

“Doing so would just increase publicity for Watada. News media and TV would just eat that up to see a bunch of us (veterans) out there with signs. We’ll just let the court-martial decide Watada’s fate and we’ll accept their decision,” said Wada, who added that he and other veterans aren’t interested in continuing the controversy with Watada.

But the issue of Watada’s refusal to deploy has many JA veterans upset, according to Wada, because Watada “took an oath as an officer in the Army. He trained with his unit” and “let them down” when he refused to go to Iraq.

“A serviceman or woman doesn’t have the right to pick and choose assignments as to where they want to go. Refusing to go to Iraq with his unit was absolutely wrong,” said Wada.

“It’s not a matter of legality of war or civil rights,” he added. “He tries to bring that stuff in… It’s a matter of accepting a commission and fulfilling that responsibility as an officer in the U.S. Army.”

As supporters gathered in Higashi Honganji Temple’s downstairs social hall for a program that included guest speakers and performance artists Nobuko Miyamoto and Olmeca, Aguayo’s wife, flanked by her daughters, took center stage after others had spoken.

“We (the Aguayo women) saw you marching, and it touched us in a way that words can’t explain. Thank you,” she said, her voice wavering with emotion.

She was followed by Ho, who said, “There’s momentum growing in this country, and it will not stop. My son speaks out for other soldiers. There are those who fight because if they don’t, they won’t get paid or get medical support. They have families. So my son is saying, you must help them. Adopt this (the Aguayo) family and give them tangible (monetary) and emotional support.”

Monday was the first day of Watada’s court-martial at Fort Lewis, Wash. He faces a maximum of four years in prison for charges of conduct unbecoming an officer and for missing troop movement since he refused to deploy with his Stryker brigade last June.

A vigil for Watada was held last night near the Japanese American National Museum and attended by many who participated in Saturday’s march.