Loved Ones Still Paying the Price of War : Observance: Sgt. Masuda died in WWII, but today his family, like others, will feel a loss all over again.
As is their tradition on Memorial Day, the brother and sister of Army Staff Sgt. Kazuo Masuda will attend a graveside ceremony in Westminster to honor Japanese-Americans from Orange County who died fighting for the United States in World War II.
In 1944, Masuda earned the Distinguished Service Cross after volunteering for a dangerous night patrol that cost him his life. His family learned of his heroism while they were imprisoned by the U.S. government in an internment camp in Arizona.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. May 31, 1991 For the Record
Los Angeles Times Friday May 31, 1991 Orange County Edition Part A Page 3 Column 5 Metro Desk 1 inches; 28 words Type of Material: Correction
Memorial Day--A Page 1 caption Monday misidentified the late former husband of Theresa Miles, who was visiting his gravesite in Brea. Jeffrey Miles, a Navy veteran, died of natural causes this year.
“I get kind of sad” at the Memorial Day service, said June Goto, 69, Masuda’s sister and a Fountain Valley resident. “I get kind of emotional with the whole thing.”
While stationed in Italy in 1944, Masuda, 24, wrote to his niece at the Arizona camp to tell her that he longed to be back home in Santa Ana.
“I sure do hope the war will end soon so I can see you and all the people I used to know,” he wrote. “When I come back, I will tell you about my experiences. Goodby, and write again soon. Sincerely, Uncle Kaz.”
He was killed less than a month later.
A member of the Army’s 442nd Regimental Combat team, Masuda was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross--second only to the Medal of Honor among U.S. decorations--for volunteering for a dangerous night patrol across the Arno River and fighting alone against a group of German soldiers.
Memorial Day is a time for recalling the contributions of those who died in the service of their country, Goto said, and the importance of the occasion cannot be overstated.
“The people who came back went to school, maybe (USC), but people like my brother didn’t even get to get married or go to school. He didn’t have the opportunity to do anything,” she said.
Goto said she celebrates Memorial Day “not just for my brother . . . (or) Japanese-Americans. It’s (for) colored and white.”
Masuda’s brother, Masao, 74, also a Fountain Valley resident, agreed about the importance of recognizing the contributions of those who fought for the benefit of others.
“You soon forget about how well we get to live now,” said Masao Masuda, who also served in World War II. “You have to give credit to the people who sacrificed their lives.”
Clearly, Kazuo Masuda, who was born in Westminster in 1918 and graduated from Huntington Beach Union High School, has not been forgotten. A Fountain Valley junior high school bears his name, and a shrine and Japanese garden there commemorate his life.
Above a trophy case that contains his memorabilia, including the letter he sent to his niece, a 4-foot-tall portrait of Masuda in uniform leans against the wall. Every day, hundreds of students pass the certificates and medals awarded to him, including two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star.
School secretary Susan Grantham said Masuda’s presence there “gives more meaning to the holiday. (Students) talk about him really all the time.”
Local historian Jim Sleeper said Memorial Day was established in 1866 to honor the dead from the Civil War, although the holiday has since included military personnel killed in other U.S. wars. Memorial Day has been observed in Orange County since 1881, eight years before the county’s incorporation.
“Memorial Day was always a hot button around here,” Sleeper said. “We’ve always had a patriotic bent.”
However, some believe that Memorial Day has lost much of its intended meaning.
“Memorial Day is generally the opening of the summer holiday to everyone,” said Sam Randall, general manager of the Orange County Cemetery District, “the season for beaches and lakes and fishing and everything.
“Over time, we’ve lost the impact. (It’s) the one day each year that a grateful nation honors the people who died to preserve liberty and freedom.”
The reaction to the Gulf War has changed things, he added.
“Because of this new-found patriotism and pride,” he said, “I think that Memorial Day will have a much greater significance than in years past. We had men and women killed in action just recently. We’ve seen the flag-draped caskets come back.”