From left: Carina Sakimura, Anita Komatsu, Seia Watanabe, James Nakamura, Kazuo Masuda VFW Post commander; Wayne Osako; Nisei Week Queen Morgan Gee; Amy Kubo and Caitlyn Sasaki.
Nisei veterans stamp is still available through U.S. Postal Service.
By ROBERT M. HORSTING
Most people hearing the news that a singer dropped an album, a writer published a book, or a filmmaker wrapped a film will offer congratulations for a job well done. Any creative artist having accomplished one of these feats knows this is when the real work starts.
This was also the realization Fusa Takahashi, Aiko King, and Wayne Osako experienced upon completing the successful campaign to issue the Go For Broke: Japanese American Soldiers of WWII Forever stamp on June 3, 2021.
While getting the U.S. Postal Service stamp issued was an amazing accomplishment, there was a bigger challenge ahead of them. How do you convince people (especially those of other than Japanese heritage) of the significance of this 1”x1.5” piece of paper bearing the image of this Asian American soldier (inspired by a photo of Shiroku “Whitey” Yamamoto) and its ability to share and educate the world about the heroic WWII legacy it represents?
In an effort to raise awareness, Wayne worked alongside filmmakers Kaia Rose and Robert Horsting to produce the short documentary “Stamp Our Story,” which illustrated the WWII-era impacts on the Japanese American community, the military service of its young men and women, and the 15-year-long nationwide campaign to lobby for the stamp.
Osako attended public events where he was invited to speak about the history of the segregated 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team that inspired him to join Fusa Takahashi, Aiko King, and Chiz Ohira in their effort to honor these WWII heroes.
Serving with distinction in Italy and France, the 100th/442nd fought as all soldiers do, to protect the man to the right and left of you while defeating soldiers of the Nazi Third Reich. More importantly, they fought to prove their loyalty as Americans in the hope that it would improve conditions for their families facing prejudicial treatment back home and raise them from the status of second-class citizens.
To a degree, this was achieved as reports hit the domestic news presses, sharing the word of the 100th/442nd liberating towns and saving lives, including those of their fellow American soldiers of the “Lost Battalion” of the Alamo Regiment!
Gen. Douglas MacArthur would credit the efforts of the Americans of Japanese ancestry serving as linguists, interpreters, translators, and interrogators in the Military Intelligence Service with shortening the war in the Pacific Theater by two years, saving as much as one million combined casualties.
To continue sharing the backstory of this U.S. postal stamp, Wayne has been working with various organizations by designing commemorative cards that highlight their historical linkage to this stamp. The two-sided 5”x7” cards feature WWII-era photos, a corresponding story, and the actual Go For Broke stamp with a specially arranged U.S. Postal Service cancelation stamp, marking the event date.
Osako has designed these cards and attended events nationally, including the annual pilgrimages to the War Relocation Authority camps at Manzanar in California and Poston in Arizona. Currently, he is designing a card for the 80th-anniversary celebration in Bruyeres, France, marking their liberation by the 100th/442nd, which will take place this coming October.
Originally told that the Go For Broke stamp would be discontinued sometime in 2023 without notice, Osako is happy to announce that the stamp, first-day covers, and commemorative booklet are still available online at: https://store.usps.com/store/results?Ntt=go+for+broke
Please consider helping Wayne in his efforts by purchasing the stamps and sending these to him directly at:
VMCA (Veterans Memorial Court Alliance)
Attn: Wayne Osako
244 S. San Pedro St., Ste. 200A Los Angeles, CA 90012
Wayne, please keep following the example laid out for you by the Issei and Nisei and fight the good fight. Continue sharing the stories of this proud legacy!
Robert M. Horsting is an oral historian, author, and documentary filmmaker. He can be reached at [email protected].