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THE ISSAQUAH PRESS WEDNESDAY~ NOVEMBER 9, 2011 • A3
Medal
FROM PAGE A1
come home alive," he said.
Inui could enter the .infantry or
attend language school for the
Military Intelligence Service. The
intelligence unit needed fluent
Japanese speakers to serve as
interpreters, so Inui opted for lan-
guage school.
Japanese-American soldiers
trained to fight the enemy for the
United States, but prejudice and
suspicion lingered.
"The people that we were in con-
tact with knew where we were head-
ed. I don't think we were discrimi-
hated against or anything," he said.
"You know how they treat recruits in
the Army. They talked to us like we
were a bunch of dumbbells."
Concern on the homefront
Overall, about 33,000 Japanese-
American service members served
in World War II. Some enlisted, but
the government drafted others
from internment camps.
Inui landed in the Philippines as
the intelligence unit prepared to
relocate to Tokyo after the war
ended. Thoughts about families
held at internment centers did not
diminish, despite the distance
between the Pacific theater and the
United States.
"We were concerned about the
welfare of our families, but being
in the service, there was nothing
we could do about it anyway," Inui
said. "We knew as long as they
were in these internment centers
-- although not a desirable lifestyle
-- they did have a roof over their
head and three meals a day."
U.S. forces dropped atomic
bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
in August 1945, leading Japan to
surrender. In the aftermath, lnui
served in the occupation force in
Japan
Through the impoverished island
nation, sickness and starvation
continued long after the bombs
stopped. The suffering left a lifelong
impression on the young [nui.
"After all, we're all humans. The
war was over," he said. "You hate
to see people live under those con-
ditions."
Devastation In Japan
BY GREG FARRAR
Roy Inurs medal (above), for the Nisei soldiers of World War II, honors three
units, the 100~ Infantry Battalion (left), the 442nd Regimental CombatTeam
(right), and Inui's unit, the Military Intelligence Service (top). Below, Inui serves at
Nagano, Japan, in a 1946 photo at the beginning of the American occupation.
WHAT ISTHE CONGRESSIONAL
GOLD MEDAL?
Congress bestows the
Congressional Gold Medal on mil-
itary heroes, plus leaders in the
arts. athletics, diplomacy, medi-
cine, public service, science,
space exploration and more.
The medal, alongside the
Presidential Meda of Freedom, is
considered the highest civilian
honor in the United States.
Past recipients include George
Washington, Walt Disney and
Rosa Parks.
Tokyo," he said. "The only things
that were standing were brick
fences and concrete smokestacks."
Stationed in Nagano, a city about
100 miles northwest from Tokyo,
lnui served as the interpreter for a
medical officer in the U.S. occupa-
tion force. (Nagano attracted inter-
national attention as the host for
the 1998 Winter Olympics.)
Most Japanese citizens accepted
the Nisei or children of
Japanese immigrants soldiers,
after some initial confusion.
"At first, they couldn't figure out
what we were or who we were. We
could hear people talking who
Refugees made homes in were standing on the street cor-
shanties and makeshift structures, ners and they would be lookingat
Inui landed in Yokohama, a port us, sizing us up," he said. "They
city leveled in air raids, and board- would be saying, 'He looks
ed a train for Tokyo. Japanese hut he's in an American
"Everything was just burnt to the uniform.' They were bewildered,
ground between Yokohama and but the wora got .around very
CONTRIBUTED
quickly that there were Japanese-
Americans in the U.S. Army."
[nui returned to the United
States in 1946 and enrolled at the
University of Washington to study
foreign trade.
Japan needed raw materials to
rebuild industry and infrastructure
in the postwar years. Inui joined a
successful import-export business,
and sere lumber, iron and steel
materials from the Pacific
Northwest to Japan.
Roy married Bette and raised a
family in Seattle before retiring to
Hawaii. The couple relocated to
Sammamish in the late 1980s and
then settled in Issaquah during the
past decade.
President Barack Obama signed
legislation last year to honor the
442nd Regimental Combat Team
and the 100th Infantry Battalion,
plus Inui and other Japanese-
LOCAL CONGRESSIONAL
GOLD MEDAL RECIPIENTS
Japanese-American World War
II veterans from Issaquah and
more than 30 others from
Washington received the
Congressional Gold Medal -
highest civilian honor in the
nation at a U.S. Capitol cere-
mony Nov. 3.
The ceremony at the Capitol
honored Issaquah recipients Roy
H. Inui and FrankT. Matsuda
Matsuda served in the storied
442nd Regimental CombatTeam
- the most-decorated regiment in
U.S. military history. Japanese-
American soldiers made up most
of a substantial portion of the unit.
The motto for the regiment -
"Go for broke" - offered a glimpse
at the tenacity the soldiers
brought to the fight in Europe.
Inui served as a Japanese
interpreter in the Military
Intelligence Service.
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell joined
the ceremony to honor Inui,
Matsuda and other veterans.
"In the face of grave injustice
dudng WWlI, the Nisei veterans
fought to preserve America's free
democracy/' shesaid in a state-
ment. "In fact, they went on to
become one of the most highly
decorated groups of veterans in
United States military history.
These soldiers fought for what
this country could be~, even while
their families lived in internment
camps. In the process, they
paved the way to victory in WWll
and a brighter future for all."
American soldiers in the Military
Intelligence Service.
lnul planned to attend the even-
tual Congressional Gold Medal cer-
emony. The celebration included
police escorts and honor guards for
the veterans. Speaker of the House
John Boehner and other congres-
sional leaders presented medals to
representatives from the units.
(Inui and other honorees received
bronze replicas.)
"It was mind-boggling for a little
old man in a retirement home," he
said.
Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or
wkagarise@isspress, com. Comment at
www. issaquahpress, com.
Find up-to-date election
information, results online
The latest information and
results from the Nov. 8 election is
available from The Issaquah Press
at www.issaquahpress.corn, on
Facebook at
www.facebook, com/issaquahpress
and on Twitter at
www. twitter, com/issaquahpress.
King County Elections plans to
release updated results at 4:30
p.m. weekdays until every ballot is
counted. Local voters cast ballots behind-the-scenes look at ballot ing last year's general election, to
in City Council, Issaquah School processing activities, watch our ballot opening process,"
Board and Port of Seattle See streaming video at Elections Director Sherril Huff said
Commission races, and for www.kingcountg.gov/elections/
statewide ballot initiatives, aboutus/webcarn.aspx. The cam-
The results remain unofficial eras display activities in the sort-
until the county Canvassing Board ing, opening and scanning areas of
meets Nov. 29 to certify the elec- elections headquarters in Renton.
tion. The certified results should Officials plan to broadcast the
then be posted to the elections activities until the election is certi-
website, www.kingcounty.gov/ fled.
elections. "Local voters and people from all
In the meantime, King County over the world used our first web-
F.lections is offering voters a cam, which was put in place dur-
in a statement. "I'm very happy to
announce our decision to expand
this system to include some addi-
tional views of our ballol process-
ing area."
King County is the largest county
in the United States to conduct
elections entirely by mail. The elec-
tions office expects to process more
than 500,000 ballots for the Nov. 8
election.
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King County Metro Transit bus
riders should prepare for
reduced service in upcoming
weeks, starting Nov. 11, Veterans
Day.
The transit agency operates on
a reduced weekday schedule on
several holidays through January
-- including a full week of
reduced service at the end of
December.
WHAI10 KNOW
Call the King County Metro
Transit Customer Information
Office at 206-553-3000 or go to
Metro Online, http://metro.king-
county.gov, to learn more about
holiday schedule changes.
The planned reductions arrive
during a slow period, because Thanksgiving
Metro Transit usually serves 20 , Sunday, Dec. 25 Christmas
percent to 40 percent fewer week- * Monday, Dec. 26 Christmas,
day riders. The mass transit observed
agency uses a Sunday schedule ~ Sunday, Jan. 1 New Year's
for several of the upcoming holi- Day
days. * Monday, Jan. 2 -- New Year's
The reduced weekday schedule Day, observed
and regular fares take effect for: For reduced weekday sched-
Friday, Nov. 11 Veterafis ules, some commuter and school-
Day oriented routes do not operate,
Friday, Nov. 25 the day after and Metro Transit cancels some
Thanksgiving trips on other routes.
Tuesday through Friday, Dec. The reduced weekday schedule
27-30 winter holiday period features more bus service than
Monday, Jan. 16 -- Martinon weekends, but less service
Luther King Jr. Day than on regular weekdays.
Expect Sunday schedules and Officials estimate the limited
fares on the following holidays: schedule saves Metro Transit
Thursday, Nov. 24 about $1 million per year.
Deadline looms to remove campaign signs
Relief ~s in sight for local around Issaquah. The usual
motorists and residents tired of hotspots included the. cluttered
seeing signs for City Council. intersections at either end of
Issaquah School Board and other Northwes! Gilman Boulevard:
political candidates. Front Street North and state
Though the ballot count contin- Route 900.
ues, Election Day is done, and the Illegal signs can limit drivers'
deadline to yank political signs sight distance and litter the road-
from along state highways and
city streets looms.
Under state law, property own-
ers must remove temporary polit-
ical signs visible from state high-
ways by Nov. 18or 10 days
after the election.
Issaquah rules call for cam-
paign signs to be removed by
Nov. 15, or within a week after
Election Day. City Code
Compliance Officer Michele
Forkner starts to round up rogue
side.
Only signs used for traffic con-
trol can be used inside the state
right of way. Utility poles can typ-
ically be found inside the right of
way, so no signs can be added
between the pole and the state
highway. Many locations also
have a fence line separating the
right of way from private proper-
ty, so no signs can be added
between the fence and the state
highway.
signs after the deadline passes. Tossing the signs poses a
Besides council arid school challenge, too. Manufacturers
board candidates/cor/tenders for claihV ~c~'/'ti~td(i~~l~~16'~fii~h
the. Port of Seattle Commission material is recyclable, although
and even Sammamish City no local hau]ers accept' the
Council hopefuls planted signs material.
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80 Front Street S. lssaquah • 425,392.5371