Granada Pioneer, Vol. II, No. 26

              Page 2___________________PIONEER___________________February 2,   1944
	just
Incidentally
    by  Sueo Sako
   Undoubtedly    everyone
has heard the story of the
last -minute removal of
Nisei War Hero Tech. Sgt .
Kuroki from Ginny Simms'
radio program last week by
order of the War Department,
rescinding permission pre -
viously granted. To the
prospective thousands of
Joe Nisei it was a severe
blow, I know many of Sgt.
Kuroki's worshippers had
their ears glued to their
radio loudspeakers.
   I was indeed interested
in scrutinizing the Nation's
press releases for favor-
able or unfavorable comments
on this incident. There
were, as I anticipated,
straight headline stories,
but very few opinions ex-
pressed on the matter.
   Probably the most heart-
ening of all public re-
actions in letters to news-
paper editors, was the one
published in Sunday' s Rocky
Mountain News.
   J. H. Boutcher, writer
of  the   letter, really ex-
pressed    the nisei’s true
feelings.  He harshly
questioned the advisability
of War Department's sudden
action...and went on to
say…if a Japanese American
has the right or privilege
of fighting for this coun-
try why not permit him to
make an appearance and tell
of his service...is it that
intolerance has reached
such a degree that, not-
withstanding high merits,
petty prejudice will, be
allowed to cloud and obscure
greater  values?
   The writer continued...
this ill-advised move will
not only encourage prejudice,
but it is unfair and will
undoubtedly be resented by
those who fought side-by-
side with  Tech. Sgt.   Ben
Kuroki, and it cannot but
make those of his race feel
that no matter how great
their loyalty and how valu-
able their services to their
country, all such will be
discounted and perhaps even
ridiculed…
    No truer words were
written,when Boutcher said
...better citizens are not
made that way….
   When more   Joe   Nisei will
soon    be marching  to  Uncle
Sam's     training     camps---	
they will     not be  marching
just to be able to make a
radio appearance and tell
of their  heroic  deeds.
_________GRANADA    PIONEER__________
   Published Wednesdays and Saturdays by the WRA and
distributed free to each apartment.                  Editorial of-
fice: PIONEER building, Amache, Colo.     Telephone: 63.
Reports officer; Joe McClelland              Editor: Sueo Sako
   Staff: Allan Asakawa, John Tsuruta, Roy Yoshiba,
George Hamanoto, Jim Otsuka, Jim Otsuki, Dick Kuri-
hara, Amy Minabe, Ailene Hamamoto, Jack Kimura, James
Sakamoto, Yayeko Morita, George Morita, Bob Miyoshi,
Jack  Ito,   Toshiharu Matsumoto.
MARTINEZ  GROUP  PLEADS  FOR
NISEI  THROUGH  OPEN  LETTER
   A half dozen residents
of Martinez came to the de-
fense of Mrs. June Arrii
Terry, 22, nisei, wife of
Morton Terry, who was un-
justly forced to move from
her home by indignant neigh-
bors, in an open letter to
the people, according to
the Jan. 26 edition of the
San Francisco Chronicle.
   The six residents ex-
plained that Mrs. Terry's
brother, Esao Arrii, wa s
honored by the Martinez
American Legion as one of
the first American-Japanese
draftees of the US Army
and is now serving with a
combat unit overseas. The
letter   continued:
   "It is tragic when, as
the result of war hysteria,
Americans lose sight of the
American ideals and rights
we are trying to protect...
Mrs. Terry is an American
citizen, who has the right
to life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness, as
set down in the Constitu-
tion...If she is deprived
of these our part in World
War II is completely with-
out   justification."
   Meantime, the chamber
of commerce at Niles in
Alameda county voted a
resolution seeking to"pre-
vent the return of Japanese
to the Pacific Coast for
the duration and to en-
courage legislation which
would curtail their colon-
ization on the Pacific
Coast  after the  war."
IMPORTANT  MEETING
   An important Women's
Federation cabinet and rep-
resentative meeting is
slated for tomorrow morning,
10 o'clock, at the Hospi-
tality House.
59   JOE  NISEI
RECEIVE   AWARDS
   Fifty-nine members of
the 100th Infantry Battalion
were awarded the Order of
the Purple Heart for wounds
received in action recently
in the Sycilian theatre of
war, according to a WRA
press   release .
   Among  the  nisei  receiv-
ing     the  decoration  is 2nd
Lieut.   Edward  V.   Moran,     a
lone  Caucasian from Kansas
City,Kan.
ANNUAL  STORK  CLUB
DANCE  SCHEDULED
   The second annual stork
club dance will be held
Saturday evening, 7:30 o'-
clock,at the 12K mess hall.
Bids for the affair may be
obtained from the 12K mem
bers .
CA   DlVISION  LISTS
TWO JOB  OFFERS
   Listed below are two po-
sitions offered by the com-
munity activities division.
Anyone interested should
inquire immediately at the
8F office.
   Either a boy or girl to
recruit and organize a
drama club at the Little
Theater.
   A girl   to  assist  at
nisei talent shows and who
is also capable of teach-
ing  tap dancing,
	  VITAL
=====STATISTICS====
BIRTHS:
   To Mr. and  Mrs. Akira
Teshima, 8K-1E, a girl,
Jan.   28.
   To Mr. and Mrs. Yoshi-
chi Yamato, 11H-2B, a boy,
Jan.   29.
  To Mr. and Mrs. Sam Ku-
rihara, 11F-5F, a girl,
Jan.   30.