Monument Honoring WWII Japanese-American Soldiers Defaced

South California NBC 4 ^

[Dbdaily]

Monument Honoring WWII Japanese-American Soldiers Defaced Police Not Sure If Vandalism Is Hate Crime

POSTED: 2:27 pm PST March 23, 2004 UPDATED: 7:43 pm PST March 23, 2004

LOS ANGELES -- Police are trying to find those responsible for defacing a monument to Japanese-Americans who fought during World War II even as their loved ones were held in internment camps at home.

About 20 star-like symbols, each surrounded by a circle, were carved into the Little Tokyo monument at Temple and Alameda streets, said Diane Tanaka of the Go For Broke Educational Foundation.

The vandalism, discovered last Friday, occurred some time between March 14 and last Thursday, Tanaka said.

The monument tells the story of U.S. veterans of Japanese ancestry who fought during World War II to serve the United States.

Tanaka said police have not determined if it was a hate crime or if the crime was committed by a specific group.

[adam_az]

I hope they catch the scumbag(s) responsible.

[Mr. Mojo]

Tanaka said police have not determined if it was a hate crime or if the crime was committed by a specific group.

It's difficult to keep up with all the PC nonsense these days, but can't "specific groups" commit "hate crimes" as well?

[IYAS9YAS]

I wonder if those "star like symbols surrounded by a circle" were actually attempts at the anarchy symbol?

[IYAS9YAS]

I do too. My son's great-grandfather (wife's side) was part of these troops. Good man, made the best of his life and I hope he lives long enough to be able to talk with my son (he's only 5 months). Unfortunately his father never trusted his adopted country again. His mother was much more forgiving. They were all interned, along with his brothers and sisters, at Heart Mountain in Wyoming.

[Captain Rhino]

About 20 star-like symbols, each surrounded by a circle

Satanic symbols?

[weegee]

My take is that it is probably more anti"war" activity than anti-Japanese activity.

This falls on the heels of a major global antiwar protest.

[Kirkwood]

Hard to tell if this is anti-US, anti-military, anti-capitalism, anti- Japanese, or something else entirely. It does sound like anarchy symbols, and I'm guessing this was most likely anti-US.

[weegee]

My son's great-grandfather (wife's side) was part of these troops. Good man, made the best of his life and I hope he lives long enough to be able to talk with my son (he's only 5 months). Unfortunately his father never trusted his adopted country again. His mother was much more forgiving. They were all interned, along with his brothers and sisters, at Heart Mountain in Wyoming.

He can talk "to" your son about such matters even if he can't talk "with" him. You can videotape him sharing his account and his views or get him to write down such things.

History is all made up of personal accounts of events.

[weegee]

If people recall, last year there was a graveyard and monument in France that honored American and British troops that was desecrated with all sorts of anti"Iraq war" graffitti.

I don't think that this vandalism reflects any more on the contributions made by these men in WWII than the modern French vandalism reflected against the contributions made in WWII.

[reagandemocrat]

Anarchists. Probably the ANSWER bunch thinking they were defacing WWII veterans' memorial not thinking about the internment issue. Idiots.

I have nothing but respect for the Go For Broke guys. (BTW, my mother-in-law's family was at Manzanar, while my dad hit Iwo with the 5th Marines).

RD

[ibbryn]

Yep, buncha kids dressed in black too stupid to know what monument they were defacing. Probably not even directed against Japanese.

[ErnBatavia]

My take is that it is probably more anti"war" activity than anti-Japanese activity.

My take, going by the location of L.A.'s Little Tokyo, is that it was simple vandalism....skanky part of town with the usual gang stuff in the vicinity.

[yankeedame]

It's difficult to keep up with all the PC nonsense these days, but can't "specific groups" commit "hate crimes" as well?

Well, you see there are "specific groups", and then there are (ahem) "specific groups".

[IYAS9YAS]

True. My wife never got much out of him. He didn't talk much about it. The first time I went and visited his home (they live in CA, we're in ID) after becoming engaged to his granddaughter, he opened up quite a bit. He claims he was "only a cook", but my take is that he just wants to downplay the whole deal. My wife was stunned that he opened up to me about it. I'll see about video of some sort.

[Cultural Jihad]

Here you go ...

[weegee]

Only 2 lines away from this "star and circle"