GARDEN GROVE — The Kazuo Masuda Memorial VFW Post 3670 was founded in 1957 by Nisei veterans of foreign wars from Orange County. Now, sons of two of the original founders of Post 3670 are creating a new website (http://vfwpost3670.com/) to honor and memorialize the 64 founders and the hundreds of post members and their families.
The new website’s initial goal is to provide profiles of each of the 64 charter members. Daryl Sadakane and Brad Yamauchi, whose fathers Mamoru Sadakane and Seiji Yamauchi were founders, are seeking the assistance of families and friends to provide information and photographs about the military and internment camp experiences of these original veterans to help the website tell their stories. The charter members are listed on the website.
Post 3670 Commander James Nakamura and past Commander Robert M. Wada, with the Veterans Memorial Court Alliance, collaborated with Sadakane and Yamauchi to fund and create the new website.
Sadakane, the website’s main designer, developer and researcher, said, “The post needs as much information on and photographs of Post 3670 veterans and their families as possible to make this an invaluable resource for current and future generations. This Post 3670 website is significant to all of the families of these incredible veterans and to our history as Japanese Americans.”
In future phases, the website will add information contributed by post members and their families on other officers and members, including historical information and photographs of significant post events, such as Annual Nisei VFW Reunions and Officer Installation Dinners, as well as profiles of members of the Auxiliary Post created by the wives of post members. The website will also provide information of current and planned post activities, including its VFW Youth Group Organization.
The VFW 3670 website was created to work in concert with other organizations established by Japanese Americans in the 1950s and 1960s, linking thousands in Orange County to a greater community. If you are interested in this project or have information to contribute, contact Daryl Sadakane at (714) 287-8798 or email darilio@earthlink.net.
The Kazuo Masuda Memorial VFW Post 3670 was mustered on Nov. 2, 1957 by 64 Japanese American veterans from Orange County in honor of Sgt. Kazuo Masuda, who was born in Westminster in 1918 and was a graduate of Huntington Beach High School.
He answered the call to serve our country during World War II, one of an estimated 33,000 Japanese Americans who did so. As a member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Sgt. Masuda served in the European Theater, and, for his gallant action in battle, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest decoration the United States offers. The heroic Sgt. Masuda was later killed in action in Italy in 1944. His full story is on the Post 3670 website (http://vfwpost3670.com/).
VFW Post 3670 has served the youth and community of Orange County for over 60 years. Military service during WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Panama, Grenada, Desert Storm and other operations and service outside the continental U.S. during these periods qualifies a person for membership. Call James Nakamura at (714) 350-7356 for more information and an application.