NVN Instrumental in Developing the Nisei Soldier Exhibit

WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 7, 2019) – The U.S. Army announced that the National Museum of the United States Army will open to the public on June 4, 2020.

The National Museum of the United States Army will be the first and only museum to tell the 244-year history of the U.S. Army in its entirety. Now under construction on a publicly accessible area of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, admission to the museum will be open to the public with free admission. The museum will tell the Army’s story through Soldier stories. The narrative begins with the earliest militias and continues to present day.

“This state-of-the art museum will engage visitors in the Army’s story – highlighting how the Army was at the birth of our nation over 240 years ago, and how it continues to influence our everyday lives,” said Ms. Tammy E. Call, the museum’s director. “The National Museum of the United States Army will be stunning, and we can’t wait to welcome visitors from around the world to see it.”

Included in the new Museum will be the Japanese American soldiers of WWII. The National Veteran’s Network (NVN) has been working closely with the National Museum of the U.S. Army to incorporate the service of the Nisei Soldiers of the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd RCT and Military Intelligence since 2017.

In 2017, NVN and the Museum leadership traveled to 8 cities nationwide to introduce the new Museum, and encouraging donations of rare Nisei Soldier artifacts into the U.S. Army’s collection.  From 2017-2019, NVN worked in collaboration with the Museum to lead the development of the historical content for the Nisei Soldier Special Exhibit which is dedicated to the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd RCT and Military Intelligence Service. This exhibit will display the Nisei Soldier Congressional Gold Medal, rare Nisei objects along with kiosks to engage visitors in the life stories of 9 soldiers and an interactive map of the European and Pacific campaigns.

In addition to the special exhibit, the following areas will include the service of the Japanese American WWII soldiers:

Army & Society Gallery

The 100th, 442nd and MIS will be presented in the Army & Society Gallery’s timeline exhibit where visitors will discover how the Army has responded to and impacted issues such as immigration, integration, racial and gender equity, educational opportunities, and shaping the national character.

Soldiers’ Stories Gallery

The Soldier Stories Gallery features stainless-steel pylons with an image of a Soldier’s face and accompanying biographical information. The Japanese American WWII Nisei Soldiers will be included in the digital pylons whose service reflects one or more of the seven Army Values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage.

Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the highest commendation awarded to U.S. military service members who have distinguished themselves by demonstrating profound courage and self-sacrifice under fire. The names of 21 Japanese American World War II soldiers who served valiantly on behalf of their country are engraved in the Medal of Honor Wall in the adjacent Medal of Honor Garden.

“The NVN gratefully thanks the National Museum of US Army for sharing the story of the Japanese American WWII Nisei Soldiers and all of the donors, sponsors, veteran families and community organizations nationwide who helped develop the Nisei Soldier special exhibit with us,” said Christine Sato-Yamazaki, executive director at NVN. “This has been a true labor of love for over three-years working closely with the National Museum of the U.S. Army to bring the Nisei Solder stories to life.”

The Army will own and operate the museum 364 days a year (closed December 25). Museum officials expect 750,000 visitors in the first year of operation. A timed-entry ticket will be required. Free timed-entry tickets will assist in managing anticipated crowds and will provide the optimum visitor experience. More information on ticketing will be available in early 2020.

For more information, see http://www.theNMUSA.org.

To view a video of the National Museum of the United States Army, see https://youtu.be/rG-jrw7kDLs.

About National Veterans Network (NVN)

NVN is an organization of national and community leaders dedicated to educating the nation on the Japanese American WWII Soldier experience. The network launched the campaign to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the first Asian American recipients in the 100th, 442nd and MIS units, and worked with the U.S. Mint to design the medal. In 2012, they partnered with the National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service for a seven-city tour to promote recognition of the Japanese American experience. In 2016, along with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, NVN launched an online Digital Exhibition to share the story of Japanese American soldiers of WWII (cgm.smithsonianapa.org). NVN’s mission is to preserve, inform, and advocate how the Nisei Soldiers’ Loyalty, Courage, and Patriotism embody American values and shape future decisions about justice and equality in a democracy.