On Nov. 8, in collaboration with their next-gen Torchbearers volunteer group, Go For Broke National Education Center (GFBNEC) coordinated a Veterans Day and pre-Evening of Aloha clean-up at the historic Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles.
It was the second clean-up this year at the site where more than 40 World War II Nisei veterans are buried, most of whom were killed in action while serving overseas in Europe. This event marked the beginning of a week dedicated to the Nisei WWII veterans, as GFBNEC prepares for its 19th annual Evening of Aloha Virtual Gala on Nov. 14.
Socially distanced and masked, the GFBNEC Torchbearers and staff worked through the cool morning to pull weeds, edge and clean each headstone and landscape the area around Munemori’s monument. Many of the soldiers buried there lost their lives in the rescue of the Lost Battalion in the fall of 1944, a campaign in which the 442nd Regimental Combat Team suffered some of their highest casualties. Among the heroes buried at Evergreen are Ted Tanouye, Stanley Hayami, George Saito, Calvin Saito and Medal of Honor recipient Sadao Munemori.
The Torchbearers serve a critical role within GFBNEC to help engage with its younger, more diverse audiences. The clean-up is an opportunity for younger generations to identify with the story of the Nisei veterans and learn the enduring value of its lessons.
At the end of the clean-up, floral tributes that were originally meant for the Go for Broke Monument 21st Anniversary Tribute this past June were brought to the cemetery and placed at the head of each veteran’s resting place, beautifying the grounds in which these American heroes lie at rest.
Join GFBNEC in honoring the legacy of the Nisei veterans and their impact on future generations by tuning into the virtual gala on Saturday, starting at 3:45 p.m. Pacific Time. The livestream broadcast can be viewed on GFBNEC’s Facebook, YouTube, and at goforbroke.org.
Photos courtesy of GFBNEC