IN WHAT HE DUBBED HIS‘ LAST MAJOR EVENT,’ BEN KUROKI( RIGHT) WAS SALUTED AT THE HONORS IN 2010. A FEW YEARS EARLIER, BEN’ S STORY WAS THE SUBJECT OF A PUBLIC TELEVISION DOCUMENTARY, MOST HONORABLE SON.
Ben Kuroki never wavered from his determination to serve his country. Not when some tried to block him from serving, nor when he was grounded from flying, or even when he was stabbed by a drunken service member enraged by his Japanese background.
The AVC recognized Ben Kuroki at its awards program – The Honors – in 2010. I was particularly struck by his dignity and grace. It was largely Ben Kuroki’ s story – his remarkable story of service in World War II, along with his humble dignity – that inspired us to turn The
Honors into the‘ first awards show saluting our military heroes.’ Stories like Ben’ s – like so many American heroes – should be known by ALL Americans, and it is our duty to share them as widely as possible.
“ I have the face of a Japanese but my heart is American,” Ben Kuroki told The Omaha World-Herald when he learned he would be allowed to fly combat missions over Japan. Ben Kuroki’ s American heart was as big as any in our country’ s history, and we are all better for its having beat, strongly, for 98 years.
AVQ
YOU’ VE READ THEIR STORIES... NOW TELL US YOURS!
American Valor Quarterly is the only magazine dedicated to sharing veterans’ personal accounts, in their own words.
But beyond just this magazine, The American Veterans Center & World War II Veterans Committee has thousands of veterans’ personal and written histories, housed in our library and online at AmericanVeteransCenter. org.
If you are a veteran, and would like YOUR story preserved, there are three ways we can help!
1
Submit your story to be part of Home of the Brave, our Online Veterans Tribute. All stories are welcome, no matter how short or long. Family members of veterans are also invited to submit stories in their honor! You can submit your story at:
Tribute @ americanveteranscenter. org
2
Mail us your story to be housed permanently in our library and archives. Mail to:
American Veterans Center Attn: Library Submission 1100 N. Glebe Rd. Suite 910 Arlington, VA 22201
Donald Mates, Marine veteran of Iwo Jima, shares his story during a recent interview at the AVC studios in Arlington, Virginia.
3
If you will be in the Washington, DC area, veterans are invited to have their personal stories filmed, for posterity, in our state of the art television and video studios. Your interview will be recorded on HD cameras and professionally lit, with DVDs provided to you and your family and submitted to the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project- all free of charge!
To schedule your interview, call 703-302-1012 ext. 214
As all who have served can attest, your service left an impact on your life during a very formative time. Our mission is to help you record your own story, so that future generations can learn from your own example. And to all veterans, THANK YOU for your service.
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