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YN: Fortunately, a very wealthy person in Texas who is married to a Sansei, whose father was in the 442nd, and the man's name is Cole (of) Cole Industries. So we were very fortunate that he donated all the replica Bronze Stars to each of the (Vets) who came.

SY: You know, I hate to do this because I, but we're gonna skip over the 442nd... we went through it way too quickly, but since you have the Hanashi interview, maybe we'll just, I'd like to talk more about your life post --

YN: Okay, well, I would like to just say that since I received the Congressional Gold Medal different groups have commended me for being part of it, and at Rio Hondo College the trustees invited me, and there was a typo in the presentation and said, "And he served during World War I." [Laughs] When we were in Washington, D.C. before the ceremony, and it started out with our being on an Honor Flight to Washington Baltimore Airport, the crew and the passengers on the air flight applauded us in the plane. When we got out I had to get the wheelchair for Grace, and we came out. There was this group of volunteers from the Honor Flight from Maryland all standing with their placards and their yellow-green T-shirts on, saying, "Thank you," and, "Congratulations," and cheering us on. It was overwhelming. After the presentation of the Gold Medal, the information was circulated within Washington (through) newspapers and television, so everywhere we went, if people suspected we were with the 442nd they would come up and make sure that we were thanked, "Thank you for your service," that sort of thing.

SY: That's lovely.

YN: So it was really a once in a lifetime experience. It was really something. And then I mentioned that the Whittier City Council invited me to come to receive a commendation from them. Gee, that was really great. And at that time I told the council and the people who came to see this presentation that we Nisei soldiers had a very long journey, and that it's really something that here at the beginning of the war we were held with tremendous suspicion and classified as "enemy aliens." And now we have Senator Dan Inouye, who is a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, who is fourth in line to become President of the United States, so I'd say that it takes a great nation to apologize for wrongdoing and to recognize contributions. So let's say that at first we got credit for something we didn't have anything to do with and we wouldn't want to have anything to do with, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, to something we really did, which was to establish the best military record for its size in U.S. military history. I'd say that's very important.

SY: That's very important.

<End Segment 14> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.