Mahalo LARRY (SAKAMOTO, President of Maui County Veteran's Council) for the kind and generous introduction. I would also like to thank STANLEY IZUMIGAWA (President, 100th Infantry Veterans Club) for the invitation to speak to all of you today.
Aloha! I am honored and privileged to be here this morning with Mayor Linda Crockett Lingle to honor Maui's veterans, as well as the 4th Marine Division veterans who are on Maui for the dedication of a park in their honor. You have all served your country well, with the highest dignity and integrity.
On this last Monday in May, we set aside a special day to honor those individuals who gave of themselves, the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country. The peace, liberty, and prosperity with which we are blessed is much because of their great sacrifices, and on Memorial Day we remember each of them with solemn respect and gratitude.
Whether we observe Memorial Day through public ceremony or through private prayer, we we do this to preserve the memory of those we have lost. For many in the community, Memorial Day is as much a personal day of remembrance as we honor those who gave their lives in war for the freedom and security we all enjoy as Americans. A beloved son or daughter, a brother or sister, or a spouse, friend, or neighbor; each person remembered today had hopes and dreams not unlike our own. The loss of these Americans, indeed, the loss of any human life to war, should strengthen our resolve to work for peace.
Even though the Cold War is over, there are still reminders, past and present, that the price of peace can be very dear indeed. One reminder is right here: the Maui Veterans' Cemetery in Makawao. This cemetery honors the war heroes of Maui and I hope that this tribute can express the gratitude of our community as we remember those who rest here.
On this Memorial Day, it is fitting for this community to memorialize all those Americans who helped change the course of our history and helped preserve a world in which the ideals of freedom and individual rights could flourish. I speak of the Japanese Americans who comprised the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II.
The famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team performed extraordinary deeds in Europe and still has the unique distinction of being the most highly decorated unit of its size in American history. In fact, forty-seven individuals of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team received the Distinguished Service Cross, our country's second highest award for valor. However, only one Japanese American who served during World War II received the Congressional Medal of Honor; this award was given posthumously after the war only when concerns were raised that not one American of Japanese descent who served in World War II had received the medal.
I authored legislation, similar to that introduced for African-American soldiers, directing the review of the service records of Asian American and Native American Pacific Islanders who received the Distinguished Service Cross during World War II to determine whether any of thes individuals should have received the Congressional Medal of Honor. I am deeply concerned that Asian American and Native American Pacific Islanders may have also been discriminated against in the awarding of our country's highest military award.
I also speak of the Military Intelligence Service which was a secret Army organization that was established during World War II to provide Japanese language-based intelligence support to the combat units primarily in the Pacific theater. MIS linguists supported our troops in the field with vital interpretation, translation, interrogation, and other intelligence services in addition to being exposed to hostilities along with other soldiers. Eventually, there were to participate in every major battle and campaign in the Pacific.
The contributions of this secret, all-nisei service went relatively unknown for many years because MIS veterans were prohibited from talking about their activities. Unlike their 100th/442nd nisei counterparts in the European theater, the contributions of the MIS to the war effort had never received the attention they derserved until earlier this month. I am pleased that I had a role in making this possible, by writing legislation known as Section 523, that allowed MIS vetrans to apply for awards for services performed as early as 1940 by waiving all award application deadlines. I am also pleased tohave sponsored a number of MIS members for decorations under another provision of the law, Section 526, that allows veterans to be considered for awards as long as they receive the endorsement of a member of Congress.
I am also pleased to say that the process of reviewing the service records of Asian American and Native American Pacific Islanders who received the Distinguished Service Cross during World War II has begun. The review will ensure fairness for Asian Americans and Native American Pacific Islanders who so gallantly served our country in all the branches of service in our Armed Forces. I believe it is only fair and just that we undertake such an initiative.
In the face of discrimination and injustice at home these men set aside personal considerations to defend America on foreign battlefields. Through their conduct, they proved that being an American is more about what an individual chooses to be than about where he or she comes from.
To paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., they proved to a doubting nation that patriotism is not based on the color of one's skin but rather on the greatness of one's spirit and the quality of one's mind.
We pay tribute today to these Americans who fought and sacrificed so others might live in peace, free from the fear of tyranny and aggression; let us reflect on our Nation's enduring heritage of liberty under law and on the continuing expansion of democratic ideals around the globe.
Inspired by the selfless actions and by the noble legacy of those we honor today, let us rededicate ourselves to the unfinished work at hand. Let us renew our determination to promote respect for human rights and the rule of law, and let us pray for strength and insight as we go about the never-ending task.
Mahalo nui loa for allowing me to take part in your memorial service today.
