Capitol Hill in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II
[Panel 1 of the historical narrative at memorial entrance]:
On February 19, 1942, 73 days after the United States entered World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 which resulted in the removal of 120,000 Japanese American men, women, and children from their homes in the western states and Hawaii.
Allowed only what they could carry, families were forced to abandon homes, friends, farms and businesses to live in ten remote relocation centers guarded by armed troops and surrounded by barbed wire fences. Some remained in the relocation centers until March 1946.
[Panel 2 of the historical narrative at memorial entrance]:
In addition, 4,500 were arrested by the Justice Department and held in internment camps such as at Santa Fe, New Mexico; 2,500 were also held at the family camp in Crystal City, Texas.
Answering the call to duty, young Japanese Americans entered into military service, joining many pre-war draftees. The 100th Infantry Battalion an 442nd Regimental Combat Team, fighting in Europe, became the most highly decorated Army unit for its size and length of service in American military history. Japanese Americans in the Military Intelligence Service used their bilingual skills to help shorten the war in the Pacific and thus saved countless American lives. The 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion helped fortify the infrastructure essential for victory.
[Panel 3 of the historical narrative at memorial entrance]:
In 1983, almost forty years after the war ended, the federal Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians found that there had been no military necessity for the mass imprisonment of Japanese Americans and that a grave injustice had been done.
In 1988, President Ronald W. Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act which made an apology for the injustice, provided minimal compensation, and reaffirmed the nation's commitment to equal justice under the law for all Americans.
Erected 2000 by National Japanese American Memorial Foundation.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Asian Americans • Civil Rights • Heroes • War, World II. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #40 Ronald Reagan series list. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1966.
Location. 38° 53.672′ N, 77° 0.629′ W. Marker is in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in Capitol Hill. Marker is on Louisiana Avenue Northwest just east of New Jersey Avenue Northwest, on the left when traveling north. The National Japanese American Memorial marker is located just north of the Capitol on a triangular plot bounded by Louisiana Avenue, New Jersey Avenue and D Street NW. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 25 Louisiana Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20001, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Acacia Life Insurance Building – 1936 (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Here were the lots acquired on October 3, 1798 (about 600 feet away); Robert A Taft (about 700 feet away); Workers Memorial Day (approx. 0.2 miles away); U.S. Reservation 196 (approx. 0.2 miles away); “The President’s Trees” (approx. 0.2 miles away); Capitol Square, NW (approx. 0.2 miles away); Famine-Genocide in Ukraine (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Northwest Washington.
Also see . . .
1. 442nd Regimental Combat Team. (Submitted on June 8, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
2. Japanese American Internment. (Submitted on June 8, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
Additional keywords. Nisei
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 7, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 4,285 times since then and 22 times this year. Last updated on February 26, 2011, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 7, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 5. submitted on June 8, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. submitted on June 7, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.