Groundbreaking Held for War Memorial
By GWEN MURANAKA
RAFU ENGLISH EDITOR IN CHIEF
Saturday, Jan. 27, 2007

New memorial to honor JA soldiers killed in Iraq, Grenada and Battle of Maine.

GWEN MURANAKA/Rafu Shimpo
From left, Min Tonai, Frank Takeyama, Victor Muraoka, Ken Hayashi, Bob Hayamizu, Paul T.
Ono, Tohoru Isobe, Thomi Yamamoto, Yoshio Nishimoto and Bacon Sakatani break ground
on the new war memorial Wednesday at the JACCC Plaza in Little Tokyo.

The sacrifice of Japanese American soldiers from the Iraq War, Grenada and the battle of the USS Maine during the Spanish American War will be honored with a new war memorial currently under construction at the JACCC Plaza in Little Tokyo. A simple groundbreaking ceremony was held on Wednesday morning as workers began to prepare the site for the black granite panel which will be inscribed with the names of soldiers killed in action.

Members of the Japanese American Korean War Veterans, Americans of Japanese Ancestry World War II Memorial Alliance and the JA Vietnam Veterans attended the ceremony.

The memorial is an addition to the Japanese American National War Memorial Court , which already contains the names of soldiers killed during World War II, Korean and Vietnam wars. According to Yoshio Nishimoto, architect on the project, the memorial will be made of Chinese black granite and stand 3 1/2 feet wide by 5 feet 9 inches tall.

“It is important that we include the names of all Japanese Americans who gave their lives for the U.S.,” said Thomi Yamamoto, chair of the monument committee.

The additions will include some of the first Japanese American soldiers killed in combat as well as the most recent casualties from the war in Iraq. The names of seven Japanese Americans, who perished when the USS Maine was sunk on Feb. 15, 1898 will be added to the monument. Mark Yamane, an Army ranger who died during the U.S. invasion of Grenada on Oct. 25, 1985 is the sole JA casualty from that campaign. For the Iraq War, the names of Deyson Ken Cariaga, Michael T. Sonoda Jr., Steve M. Sakoda, Paul T. Nakamura and Daniel A. Tsue will be chronologically listed.
Nishimoto said he hopes it is finished by the end of next month. A service paying tribute to the fallen soldiers will be held at the Memorial Court during the All Veterans Reunion Feb. 16-18 in Little Tokyo. For  more information, call Sam Shimoguchi (310) 822-6688, e-mail samkuni@verizon.net.

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