Congressional Gold Medal: Roy Matsumoto, Shige Imai

Japanese-American World War II Nisei Soldiers of the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and the Military Intelligence Service were recently celebrated in Portland, Oregon. This tribute included bringing together the honored veterans from Oregon and Washington, the Congressional Gold Medal, screenings of "Honor and Sacrifice: The Roy Matsumoto Story" and "Searchlight Serenade", and the Minidoka Swing Band.

This podcast features:

• An audio postcard from the Congressional Gold Medal celebration.
• Medal recipients Shige Imai and Roy Matsumoto explain their very different roles as Japanese-American soldiers in the US military during WWII.

The companion podcast features:

• Amy Uyeki's documentary "Searchlight Serenade: Big Bands in the WWII Japanese American Incarceration Camps" explores how music was used to restore a sense of normalcy to the internees.
• Former camp singer Chickie Ishihara White relates her family's internment era experiences.

Many thanks to event organizers, the Oregon Nikkei Endowment and the Oregon History Museum. Interviewed and produced by Andrew Yeh and Anna Preble.