The last stop I made before reaching Union Station was the Memorial to Japanese-American Patriotism in World War II. I think this is one of the more impressive monuments in Washington.
Here’s a description of the monument:
The memorial consists of two Japanese cranes caught in barbed wire on top of a tall pedestal made of green Vermont marble. Standing amongst a landscaped plaza, a semi-circular granite wall curves around the sculpture. The wall features inscriptions of the names of World War II battles that Japanese Americans fought in, as well as the names of the ten internment camps where over 100,000 Japanese Americans were placed. There are also two panels that feature the names of Japanese Americans who died fighting in World War II and inscribed writings by Japanese American writers such as Bill Hosokawa.
A little more from the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation:
The Memorial honors those members of the 100th Battalion, 442nd RCT, MIS and other units who fought with conspicuous bravery and the names of those who made the ultimate sacrifice are engraved on several of the panels. In addition, the Memorial honors those who experienced dislocation and were held in the “relocation” camps during the period 1942-1945.
Several panels are devoted to quotations from patriotic Japanese Americans and others on the importance of the Japanese American struggle for equality and redress as well as honoring those who continue to seek justice and hold the Japanese American experience as an example of triumph over adversity and reminder of dark days which must never be repeated.
This is a truly moving memorial to visit. In spite of what was happening to Japanese Americans in this country they still fought to save it.
Last stop Union Station.
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