Go For Broke National Education Center

’s traveling exhibition “Courage and Compassion” is open at through August 30! Generations of the Kimura family visited and snapped photos by the Army dress shirt worn by Staff Sergeant Kimura T. Herbert (442nd RCT, Company D). His story, and those of other 442nd servicemen from Florida, are highlighted alongside the exhibition.

Don’t miss your chance to experience the stories of Japanese Americans during and immediately after WWII, alongside community stories of bravery and integrity by American citizens who supported Japanese Americans during the time of crisis.

The Go For Broke Monument was presented to the City of Los Angeles on June 5, 1999 as a dedication to the legacy of the more than 33,000 Japanese American men and women who bravely served during World War II. Later this year, our founding veterans’ vision of an education center adjacent to the Monument will come to fruition with the Go For Broke Plaza, which will include a permanent home for Go For Broke National Education Center, as well as legacy businesses like Suehiro Cafe and 248 affordable housing units.

Honor our Nisei veterans as a Monument Anniversary sponsor, or make a veteran floral tribute or “Honor a Veteran” digital tribute (due Friday, May 29) at goforbroke.org. Watch the virtual tribute on Sunday, June 7 at 2 p.m. PDT at youtube.com/.

📷 Tracy Kumono

In remembrance each Memorial Day, and through support from our generous donors, we honor the American WWII soldiers who were killed in action while serving their country in the segregated units and interred in cemeteries abroad. The placing of flowers is a small gesture to pay tribute to the ultimate sacrifice by these soldiers and their fight against facism on the war front and prejudice at home.

Tributes go to sites in Epinal, Florence, Lorraine, Nettuno, Sicily, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, as well as the Manila ABMC cemetery. These photos are from our tribute to American KIA WWII soldiers at the Sicily Rome Cemetery.

On Memorial Day, we honor all who gave their lives in service to this country — including the American soldiers of Japanese ancestry who fought for the freedoms and liberties for all Americans and for future generations. Their sacrifice was immeasurable. Their loyalty was unquestionable.

Join us as we remember and honor their legacy. To learn more about the history of the Nisei soldiers and GFBNEC, visit goforbroke.org.

📷 National Archives and Records Administration. E Company, 2nd Battalion of the 442 Infantry Regiment Nisei soldiers snapped in formation. 5/13/1943. Camp Shelby, Mississippi.

2026 Torchbearer Sara C. on the Spring Convening:
“When we all gathered together in front of the Go For Broke Monument to lay flowers and offer our respects, I felt a profound sense of unity and fellowship with my fellow Torchbearers. In our complete silence we were all spiritually in tune with one another — guided by the presence of these American heroes by our sides, putting hands on our shoulders and placing their batons in our palms.”

2026 Torchbearer Nicole S. on the Spring Convening:
“As an academic, I’ve been implicitly and explicitly told to be an objective observer in my research on the Japanese internment. This has created some dissonance, as my identity as a Japanese American is somewhat suppressed in my career, despite it being centered on my community’s history. The program has given me the first steps on how to integrate those two roles, and also encouraged me to update my understanding of what it means to be Japanese American and honor the legacies of those who came before me.”

2026 Torchbearer Nick C. on the Spring Convening:
“I learned so much and it really shook me out of my civic and interpersonal autopilots. I never really saw myself as a steward of the living history of the Japanese Americans during WWII; now, I cannot see myself any other way. The future is bright!”

We’re a Blue Star Museum! From now through Labor Day, active-duty military and up to 5 family members get free admission to our “Defining Courage” exhibition in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles.

Admission is free year round for veterans, active-duty military, GFBNEC members, and children 5 and under. General admission is $10 and $5 for seniors and students. We are open Friday–Sunday and located just across from the Little Tokyo/Arts District metro station in downtown Los Angeles. Visit goforbroke.org for details.

Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of War, and museums across America to offer free admission to the nation’s active duty military personnel including National Guard and Reserve and their families each summer.

Siblings Frances and Frank Iritani answered the call to serve during World War II while incarcerated at Poston.

Serving in the Women’s Army Corps at Tyndall Field in Florida, Frances performed critical non-combat roles such as clerical work, telephone operations, and administrative support to free men for combat duty. She underwent rigorous military training, including drills, physical fitness, gas mask instruction, and self-defense. Frances engaged with people from all walks of life, believing that each interaction could challenge stereotypes and help future generations understand Japanese Americans as full citizens.

Frank Iritani joined the Military Intelligence Service as a Japanese language linguist. After the war, Frank became active in the Redress Movement, helping mobilize Japanese Americans into the political process. He and his wife Joanne Iritani worked to preserve the history of wartime incarceration through education and community organizing and wrote Ten Visits, a travel guide documenting ten former War Relocation Authority camps.

Learn more about the Iritani Siblings at Go For Broke National Education Center’s traveling exhibition “Courage and Compassion” opening at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens today!

Image courtesy of the National Park Service