Americans of Japanese Ancestry WWII gold medal to visit Hawaii

In 2011, a Congressional Gold Medal was awarded to Americans of Japanese ancestry (AJA) — many from throughout the Hawaiian Islands — who served in the U.S. military during World War II.

In January, the medal will be sent on a tour to seven American cities, including Honolulu, by the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History and the National Veterans Network.

The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service has partnered with the veterans organization to share the inspiring story of these men who fought with bravery and valor on the battlefields of Europe and Asia, even while many of their family members were held in American internment camps back in the U.S.

The medal pays tribute to the extraordinary accomplishments of these Nisei, or second-generation AJA, men born in the U.S. to parents who had immigrated to America from Japan to seek a better life.

The planned tour will bring the Nisei Congressional Gold Medal to some of the top museums in the country, as scheduled:

— National World War II Museum, New Orleans, Jan. 12-Feb. 17;

— Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Honolulu, March 9-April 14;

— Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles, May 4-June 9;

— De Young Museum, San Francisco, June 29-Aug. 4;

— Oregon History Museum, Portland, Ore., Aug. 24-Sept. 29;

— Chicago History Museum, Chicago, Oct. 19-Dec. 8, and the

— Holocaust Museum, Houston, Dec. 26, 2013-Jan. 24, 2014.

At the conclusion of the tour, the Congressional Gold Medal will be on permanent display in “The Price of Freedom” exhibition at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

The medal will be accompanied by an educational package with an iPad application, social-learning website and curriculum developed by the National Veterans Network in partnership with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program.

Centered on the character values associated with Japanese American veterans — courage, respect, humility, perseverance, compassion and citizenship — these materials will provide users with a constantly growing, social-learning community.

The Congressional Gold Medal was awarded to the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Military Intelligence Service veterans by Congress on Nov. 2, in recognition of their exceptional service, sacrifice and loyalty to America. The Gold Medal represents Congress’s highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions. A complete list of recipients is available at www.House.gov.

Commonly known as the “Go For Broke” regiment, the 100th/442nd is one of the most highly decorated units in U.S. military history, having earned more than 4,000 Purple Hearts, 560 Silver Stars, seven Presidential Unit Citations and 21 Medals of Honor.

The MIS, whose highly specialized contributions helped hasten the end of the war, was honored with a Presidential Unit Citation in 2000. More than 19,000 Japanese American soldiers served in these units during World War II.

The national tour of the Nisei Congressional Gold Medal is made possible by the support of AARP, Comcast/NBC Universal, Cole Chemical, Southwest Airlines and Pritzker Military Library.

The National Veterans Network is a coalition of Japanese American veteran and civic organizations representing eight regions in the United States that advocates on a national level to educate and enlighten the public about the experience and legacy of the Japanese American World War II soldiers.

Founded in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum and research complex, consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park, nine research centers and numerous educational and cultural programs. To learn more about the collaborating Smithsonian offices involved in this project, visit www.sites.si.edu, www.americanhistory.si.edu and www.apa.si.edu.