Japanese Americans Hold A Memorial Day Service In Utah

It is at the Salt Lake City Cemetery

There is a section for Asian American graves

An event to honor and remember Japanese American veterans is held each year at the upper section of the Salt Lake City Cemetery. The event this year will be on Sunday, May 29, 2022, at 8:30 AM Mountain time. All are invited with a special invitation to veterans and their families.

The service will be held at the monument which is dedicated to the Japanese American veterans from Utah who were lost during World War II. This event is a joint effort of the Salt Lake, Mount Olympus, and Wasatch Front North Chapters of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), and the three Japanese American churches in the Salt Lake City area, Japanese Church of Christ, Salt Lake Buddhist Temple, and the Dai Ichi Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

After the beginning of World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. This allowed the military to remove persons from their homes. There were 120,000 persons of Japanese heritage who were taken from their homes on the West Coast and placed in ten American concentration camps. Even those who were American citizens were considered as enemies and were not allowed to serve in the U.S. military. Later they were asked to join or were drafted during World War II.

The people living in Utah were not placed in the camps because they lived inland, but they were asked to join the U.S. Army, which many young men did. Those from Utah who died during their service have their names on the monument at the Salt Lake Cemetery.

During that time of extreme prejudice and racism, people of Asian backgrounds were not allowed to be buried in the main part of the Salt Lake City Cemetery. They were given a separate section, which at that time was an undesirable part of the cemetery. It is now a nice area.

The Japanese Americans who became part of the United States Army during World War II and served their country did so with honor and patriotism. They and all other veterans of the U.S. military are being honored for their service.

Some Japanese American groups have service projects before Memorial Day when they clean up the Japanese American section of the cemetery. Although some people of Japanese descent are now buried in the regular part of the cemetery, most seem to be in that Japanese American section. There is a part close by which has Chinese people buried there.

Although they faced extreme racism before, during, and after World War II, Japanese Americans have proven themselves to be patriotic and loyal citizens of the United States. The veterans are honored for their service to their country.

[Reference: The Japanese American Story as Told Through a Collection of Speeches and Articles, www.thejapaneseamericanstory.com]

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