Thursday, July 19, 2001

Minority WWII veterans to be honored

Ceremony to recognize overlooked soldiers

Tom Ichikawa of Owego is one the veterans to be honored Friday in Syracuse as part of "A Day of Honor," which pays tribute to World War II minority veterans. Ichikawa enlisted in the army on Dec. 8, 1941.

KATHRYN DEUEL / Press & Sun-Bulletin

Tom Ichikawa holds bolo ties embossed with his decorations, from left to right, 36th Texas Division, 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Purple Heart.

HONOREES FROM THE SOUTHERN TIER
* Tom Ichikawa of Owego

* Rev. Moses D. Cunningham of Binghamton

* Garland Hamlin of Binghamton

* Cornelius Oldwine of Binghamton

BY KELLY GRIFFITH
Press & Sun-Bulletin

American soldiers of many races and ethnic backgrounds fought to preserve freedom and democracy
during World War II. Many lost their lives. Many more were wounded. And those who survived say they
will never forget the value of freedom.

Yet many minority soldiers, who smile today when they say the United States is the greatest country on
Earth, were forced to serve separately and under conditions that have long since been condemned,
said Gordon Sclar, public affairs officer for Syracuse VA Medical Center.

That's why the central New York community will salute its living World War II minority veterans on Friday,
including four from Broome and Tioga counties, with a Day of Honor celebration at the Convention Center
at OnCenter in Syracuse, Sclar said. These veterans deserve a special day because they were never
allowed to receive the recognition they deserve, he said.

"They were separated during their service. Many were harassed and assigned menial jobs," Sclar said.
"After peace was declared, they were intentionally omitted from the history books."

Friday's program will honor black, Hispanic, American Indian and Asian American servicemen who
quickly became the forgotten veterans of World War II.

Although the celebration comes nearly 60 years after the war, Tom Ichikawa of Owego said the
recognition is not too late. He was one of more than 17,000 Japanese Americans who served during
World War II.

Ichikawa said he will accept Friday's honor as a tribute to all of the mothers who lost their sons in
Europe and Asia, and in the sea, air and on land.

"I feel humble," Ichikawa said of Friday's event. "I am just one man out of 6 million. I was lucky to come back."

Three other Southern Tier veterans will also be honored this week. They are the Rev. Moses D. Cunningham,
Cornelius Oldwine and Garland Hamlin, all of Binghamton.

Ichikawa enlisted in the U.S. Army on Dec. 8, 1941. The 25-year-old had recently graduated with a bachelor's
degree in mathematics from Whitman College, which was in his hometown of Walla Walla, Wash.

Ichikawa served as a battalion combat radio sergeant for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the most
decorated unit of its size and duration in U.S. Army history. Except for officers, the 442nd RCT was a
segregated unit of about 4,500 Japanese Americans called nisei -- native U.S. citizens born of immigrant
Japanese parents.

Like many minorities, soldiers of the 442nd battled more than one enemy. They fought to stop Nazism

IF YOU GO

Day of Honor will pay tribute to "living" World War II minority veterans of the 18-county Central New York
area. Friday's celebration is a result of a joint resolution that was passed unanimously last year by the
U.S. Congress. "More than 1,200,000 African Americans, more than 300,000 Hispanic Americans,
more than 50,000 Asian Americans, more than 20,000 Native Americans, more than 6,000 Native
Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders and more than 3,000 Native Alaskans" served in World War II,
according to the resolution.

The resolution asks communities across the country to hold their own Day of Honor to formally thank
their "living" World War II minority veterans, said Gordon Sclar, public affairs officer for the
Syracuse VA Medical Center.

It will be held at the Convention Center at OnCenter in Syracuse. A reception is scheduled for 5 p.m.
Dinner and a recognition program will begin at 6 p.m.

The public is welcome. The cost of the dinner and awards program is $23 per person. For tickets,
call the OnCenter box office at 315-435-2121.