SAN JOSE — Tom Graves, author of “Twice Heroes: America’s Nisei Veterans of WWII and Korea, will speak on Saturday, Aug. 3, at 1 p.m. at the Japanese American Museum of San Jose, 535 N. 5th St. in Japantown.
At first denigrated and mistrusted, America’s Nisei veterans, now in their 80s and 90s, earned the praise of a nation, and ultimately, a Congressional Gold Medal, America’s highest civilian honor.
Writer and photographer Graves shares the stories of Japanese American veterans before, during, and after World War II. He spent a decade collecting the veterans’ stories. During this period, interviewed scores of veterans around the country and then translated the results into individual stories of the human spirit.
In “Twice Heroes,” each black-and-white portrait (there are 98 in the oversize book) introduces us to a veteran. The corresponding interview reveals a story of growing up in a racist America, fighting for the same country against foreign enemies as young men at war, and looking back as old men with the wisdom of their years.
“Tom Graves’ work adds a rich dimension to an extraordinary story — that of the Nisei veteran in World War II and Korea,” said Gen. David Bramlett, U.S. Army (retired). “Through his portraits and their words, he provides memorable insights into the Nisei record and legacy of loyalty and courage. A worthy tribute to these remarkable men.”
Graves is a member of the JACL, the USMC Combat Correspondents Association, and the USS San Francisco CA-38 Memorial Foundation, as well as the board of the 99th Infantry Battalion Educational Foundation.
His book is available at the Japanese American Museum of San Jose (www.jamsj.org) and at www.TwiceHeroes.com.
Museum admission is $5 for non-members, $3 for students and seniors, free for JAMsj members and children under 12.
For more information, email PublicPrograms@jamsj.org or call (408) 294-3138.