HMWF Executive Director Aura Sunada Newlin with Lindsey Taylor Groves, state regent of the Wyoming DAR.
POWELL, Wyo. — The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) has given two grants worth $11,636 to the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation to restore the historic honor roll containing the names of incarcerated Japanese Americans who served in the military during World War II.
HMYF Executive Director Aura Sunada Newlin accepted partial payment at the state conference of Wyoming’s DAR society in Casper on May 16. She spoke about the commitment to historic preservation, education, and patriotism that both organizations share.
The first honor roll was built in 1944 and located adjacent to the barracks that made up the Heart Mountain Relocation Center. The restoration will make the panels with the names more resilient and able to withstand the rugged Wyoming weather.
“We are grateful to the local, state, and national DAR societies for helping us celebrate the courage and sacrifices of Heart Mountain’s patriots,” Newlin said “We look forward to an ongoing friendship between our organizations.”
The honor roll restoration is another HMWF project marking the military service of Japanese Americans during World War II. On Thursday, July 23, HMWF will present “Defining Courage,” a multimedia production with live music and narration that marks the service of Japanese American soldiers during the war. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Wynona Thompson Auditorium in Cody. Details for purchasing tickets can be found at www.heartmountain.org.
The Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation, a Smithsonian affiliate, preserves the site where some 14,000 Japanese Americans were unjustly incarcerated in Wyoming from 1942 through 1945. Their stories are told within the foundation’s museum, Heart Mountain Interpretive Center, located between Cody and Powell. For more information, call the center at (307) 754-8000 or email info@heartmountain.org.