19 February 1942 (1)

suitcase now at the Smithsonian Museum

As the greater Southeast Asia Co-Prosperity grew in dramatically record time and the typhoon of conquest spread outward into the Pacific, an air of defeat floated over Washington and London.  Out of fear, racism, political and commercial desires, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared the infamous Executive Order 9066 on this date – 19 February 1942.  The U.S. Secretary of War was given the power to remove any persons of suspicion away from the west coast and herded into camps that were immediately put into construction.

Japanese-American Internment Camps

There are many efforts being made to preserve survivors’ stories.  As the reader can see by the map, the amount of camps used to house the Japanese-Americans.  Seattle has the Densho Organization which holds over 600 histories can be located HERE!   The Japanese-American National Museum in the “Little Tokyo” area of Los Angeles, CA, now has over 300 memoirs and can be seen HERE.   The Remembrance Project does collect photos and stories on a web site, but this usually costs about $90 to download on.

Poston War Relocation Center – Arizona

The Nebraska Studies Organization contains information on what transpired in that state during this period.  They not only mention the camps, but they discuss the college situation at the time for the Nisei, their treatment in civilian life and the heroes who served.  They can be located HERE!.    [Once you enter the site, click on the box War Stories.]

Locally, I am privileged to live near the Morikami Museum.  Although there were no camps here in Florida, George Morikami, immigrants and Nisei were carefully monitored and required to receive written permission from the District Attorney before traveling outside the area.  The Yamato Colony here in So. Fla. will be featured more in depth in a post for a later date.  They have a WordPress site that can be found HERE.

Cody, Wyoming

The Japanese- American internment is one of the most embarrassing blots in US history.  It more or less followed in the footsteps of the Native American.  Congressman Robert Matsui has an interview online about the file the government has on him, although he was an infant at the camps.  He talks about his treatment after the war and how his parents refused to speak of it, even to him.

Rarely do you hear about Hawaii.  Shortly after the harbor was attacked, authorities arrested several hundred local Japanese on O’ahu, Maui, Hawai’i Island and Kaua’i.  Within hours, Buddhist priests, Japanese language school officials, newspaper editors, business and community leaders totaled over 2,000.  They, just as the mainland, were arrested, detained and interned – no charges ever being filed. To locate the Pacific parks click HERE.

Arkansas

George Takei, author and actor, has written his autobiography in “To The Stars” which includes his memories of the camp, and took part in the dedication ceremonies at the Japanese-American WWII Museum in McGenee, Arkansas.  Mr. Takei also participates with the Los Angeles museum.

Various sources I visited have listed the total number of Japanese and Japanese-American internees from 110,000 to 127,000 people.

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PLEASE NOTE THE VIDEO BELOW IN THE COMMENTS, KINDLY SENT FROM NORMA, ABOUT THE SIMILAR SITUATION IN AUSTRALIA.  ANN (GALLIVANTA) PUT IN A LINK FROM NEW ZEALAND FOR US, and most recently, Suchled contributed for us with this link___

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/ockhamsrazor/after-darkness-and-the-war-experience-for-enemy-aliens-at-home/5645902

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HuMoR – 

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Farewell Salutes – 

Joseph Brodie – Taranaki, NZ; RNZ Army # 120580, WWII

Donald Cook – Boynton Bch., FL; US Navy, Vietnam (3 tours), Cuban Missile Crisis

Thomas Hoke – Springfield, MO; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO

Patrick Macnee – UK & CA; Royal Navy, WWII, ETO, Motor Torpedo Boats, navigator (actor)

Richard Meraz (aka Four Winds) – San Gabriel, CA; USMC

Lloyd Oczkewicz – Everett, WA; US Army, WWII, ETO, Silver Star, Bronze Star

Lawrence Stankiewicz – Wichita, KS; US Air Force, MSgt., Vietnam

George Urban – Lake Worth, FL; US Army, WWII

John Vascovitch, Sr. – Brockton, MA; USMC, WWII, PTO

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