Keeping the Aloha Spirit Alive

Go for Broke National Education Center Holds Annual Gala.

By George Toshio Johnston, Senior Editor

Thanks to regulars like chef Roy Yamaguchi, namesake of Roy’s restaurants and GFBNEC board of directors member, and newer faces like that of Spencer Taira of King’s Hawaiian (grandson of its founder, Military Intelligence Service veteran Robert Taira), the aloha vibe and the spirit of gratitude were present and accounted for as the Go for Broke National Education Center held its 23rd annual Evening of Aloha Gala Dinner.

Related story: GFBNEC Rolls Dice on Its Future (Nov. 3, 2023)

Also present and accounted for: five centenarians — give or take — who served their nation during World War II. Lauded by the audience for their astounding longevity at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in downtown Los Angeles on Sept. 14 and participating in the onstage Roll Call were MIS veterans Edward Nakamura and Hachiro “Hutch” Mayewaki, 442nd Regimental 
Combat Team veterans Tokuji “Toke” Yoshihashi and Yoshio Nakamura and former Cadet Nurse Corps member Mary Tamura.

Upgraded to co-master of ceremonies was comedian-actress Sierra Katow who, with KABC Channel 7 newsman David Ono, introduced Kendyl Sayuri Yokoyama to sing the national anthem and, later in the program, “The Impossible Dream.”

Before Ono introduced George Henning, chair of the GFBNEC board of directors, he first prefaced a video message from Rep. Jill Tokuda (D–Hawaii), noting that she had two uncles — George Kakazu, who served in the 442nd RCT, and Ben Kakazu, who served in the 100th Battalion — and that prior to her career in politics had served as the executive director of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center on Maui.

When Tokuda’s video ended, Henning spoke and recalled attending an Evening of Aloha dinner from more than 20 years ago. He then acknowledged past GFBNEC Executive Director and President Don Nose for his efforts in moving the organization into Little Tokyo and laying the groundwork for its current home.

Ono then introduced Rep. Mark Takano (D–Calif.), who in addition to serving as chairman of the 
Veterans Affairs Committee, had three great uncles who served with the 442nd, “one of whom was killed in action five months before the end of the war.”

Takano, in an explanation to a Missing Soldier’s Table appreciation, recalled, “When I first came to Congress, I met with Gen. Eric Shinseki, who reminded me that I would not be here in Congress today if it were not for the sacrifice of Nisei soldiers.” After explaining the meanings behind the small round table with a white tablecloth, vase with a single red rose, empty chair and other items, he asked those in the audience to “raise a glass with me and toast in their honor for their ultimate sacrifice.”

In addition to Takano, other special guests present included California Assemblymember Albert Muratsuchi (D–Torrance), GFBNEC board member and City of Alhambra Councilmember Jeff Koji Maloney, Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles Kenko Sone and Kazuo Yakura, the first Japanese American Secret Service special agent.

Next in the program was a video tribute to veterans who had died in the year since the previous Evening of Aloha (see Nov. 3, 2023, Pacific Citizen), with live musical accompaniment by Daniel Ho, vocals for “Aloha ‘Oe” by Keali‘i Ceballos and interpretive dance by GFBNEC board of directors member Staci Kanani Toji of Hālau Hula Keali‘I o Nālani.

Afterward, Katow acknowledged that 2024 was the 25th anniversary of the Go for Broke Monument in Little Tokyo, an effort led by late 100th Battalion veteran Young Oak Kim, with “the construction expertise” of Bruce Kato. Noting that for a quarter century “this really beautiful monument sort of stood alone in the middle of a giant asphalt parking lot in downtown L.A.,” she segued to an event that happened earlier in the year, the groundbreaking of First Street North, which will transform not just that parking lot but also the surrounding area and become, among other things, the future home of GFBNEC (see April 26, 2024, Pacific Citizen).

With that came a video that provided backstory, context and plans for what should be completed by the end of 2026. Following the video, Katow made an appeal for audience members to make donations using the envelopes provided at each table to GFBNEC to help it reach the evening’s goal of $100,000.

The proceedings then took a break for dinner, with the first course prepared by the Westin Bonaventure’s chef Andreas Nieto, the second course (filet mignon and glazed Chilean sea bass) by Yamaguchi and the third course by King’s Hawaiian pastry chef Heather Campbell.

Katow returned to the stage to introduce a video from Platinum Sponsor King’s Hawaiian about its early days through its present-day success and growth, followed by Ono’s introduction of another video about the latest endeavor from Silver Sponsor Yamaguchi, who has been selected as the new executive director for the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at University of Hawaiʻi Kapiʻolani Community College in Honolulu.

Taira took to the stage to introduce the evening’s next video. “It gives me great pleasure to introduce the 2024 living Nisei veteran World War II photo tribute,” he said. “It includes 40 Nisei veterans from seven states. Eleven veterans are 99 years old, five veterans who are 100 years old, six veterans are 101 years old, four veterans are 102 years of age, one at 103 years of age and, finally, one veteran who is 104 years old. Absolutely incredible.”

Following the video, Ono reintroduced Yokoyama to sing “The Impossible Dream,” which she dedicated to the Nisei veterans in the audience, her grandfather (who was incarcerated at Jerome and Tule Lake), her great uncles who fought in the war and her author grandmother, who was present at the event.

Next to the stage were Kendra Motoyasu, national vice chair of GFBNEC’s Torchbearer program, and actor Thomas Winter to introduce a video highlighting GFBNEC’s activities of the past several months, including its five-day “Hidden Histories of World War II” teachers workshop in Hawaii and the latest in its “Courage and Compassion” program, which brought GFBNEC to Boise, Idaho, as well as its participation in Glendale, Calif.’s Dec. 8, 2023, dedication of Sadao S. Munemori Memorial Square, named after the city’s native son who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor as a member of the 442nd RCT (see Feb. 9, 2024, Pacific Citizen).

The video also updated both the GFBNEC’s Torchbearer program, aimed at educating the younger generations about the legacy of the Nisei veterans, and the third year of its Journalism Institute.

Katow then introduced a joshing video of 442nd vet Yosh Nakamura, welcoming her co-host, Ono, into the Nakamura family in appreciation for his years of reporting Nisei veterans’ stories to wider audiences. “Yosh, you’re adopting the oldest adoptee in the history of the world — but I’ll take it,” Ono quipped.

The evening’s final speaker was GFBNEC’s President and CEO Mitchell Maki. “Tonight, we’ve been talking a lot about dreams and promises. The Nisei dream for a fair and equitable nation, the Nisei soldiers dream for liberty and justice for all,” said Maki, adding, “It’s no secret that our nation is going through a tremendous time of turmoil, a tremendous time of self-examination. There is so much division in our nation right now — and we are at risk of losing all of these dreams.”

Using that as a springboard, Maki called on the audience to continue supporting GFBNEC’s programs that others that evening had already alluded to: the “Courage and Compassion” and Torchbearer programs, its Journalism Institute and its traveling exhibitions. “Thank you, not only for your support, but thank you for believing in the work that we do,” he said before introducing the evening’s final video, a rendition of “God Bless America” featuring musicians Daniel Ho, kotoist June Kuramoto and vocals by Nisei vets Ed Nakamura, Yosh Nakamura and Toke Yoshihashi.