New U.S. postal stamp ‘Go for Broke’ is first to honor Asian American soldier

The U.S. Postal Service and Gov. David Ige unveiled a commemorative “Go for Broke” postal stamp Friday that is the first to honor an Asian American soldier.

The stamp was displayed at the 100th Infantry Battalion Clubhouse at an event hosted by the Hawaii Stamp Organizing Committee. Ige also proclaimed Friday as Go for Broke Soldiers Day in the state.

“I really wanted to thank the U.S. Postal Service for honoring the legacy of the nisei soldiers,” Ige said. “Most importantly, I want to thank … the nisei soldiers, who gave it their all in their sacrifice to our state, our country and the world. Their legacy truly inspires all of us, each and every day.”

The unveiling followed the USPS’ virtual dedication ceremony Thursday, the stamp’s first day of issue, in Los Angeles, the stamp’s first city of issue.

“It is truly an honor for us to add the ‘Go for Broke’ stamp to the list of special stamps that have previously commemorated Hawaii’s history,” said Eileen Veach, Hawaii district manager of the USPS. Other special stamps related to Hawaii depict landmarks, historical figures and natural wonders, including Iolani Palace, Duke Kahanamoku and Halea­kala National Park.

The stamp’s design is based on a photograph of Shiroku “Whitey” Yamamoto, a member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and was designed by Antonio Alcala. Yamamoto was born in Ninole, a community on the Big Island, in 1923.

“The ‘Go for Broke’ stamp image of Shiroku ‘Whitey’ Yamamoto is symbolic of the 33,000 nisei soldiers of World War II,” nisei veteran Shinye Gima said. “To their folks at home, they were flesh and blood: a son, a sweetheart, a brother, a father, a husband, a teacher, a classmate.”

Even beyond the stamp’s imagery, the stamp is deeply connected to Hawaii, with the original 100th Infantry Battalion being composed completely of nisei, or second-generation Japanese American, soldiers from Hawaii, and many more Hawaii nisei soldiers going on to serve in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

“When the bombs fell on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and many people in our country questioned their loyalty, tens of thousands here in Hawaii, and across the country, volunteered for the opportunity to prove their loyalty to the country of their birth,” Ige said. “You fought not only the enemy, but you fought prejudice and you have won.”

The 442nd is the most highly decorated unit in U.S. military history for its size and length of service, having earned 21 Medals of Honor, several thousand Purple Hearts and an unprecedented seven unit presidential citations, Maj. Gen. Suzanne Vares-Lum said.

“The nisei veterans remind us that no matter who you are, regardless of your ethnicity, your background, your gender, you can achieve great things,” Vares- Lum said. “We are united by the values of liberty, equality and justice. Our generation and generations to come should not forget what our nisei veterans did.”

The stamp’s unveiling marks the completion of the “Stamp Our Story” campaign. Founded by three California nisei women who were incarcerated during World War II, it aimed to create a USPS stamp to perpetuate nisei soldiers.

According to Veach, a citizen stamp advisory committee, appointed by the U.S. postmaster general, evaluates the merits of all proposals for stamp depictions. The committee receives approximately 50,000 proposals each year.

“Anyone in the United States, from Manoa to Maine, from Aiea to Anchorage, can gain a better understanding of the wartime contributions and sacrifices of Japanese Americans by using this stamp,” Veach said.

The campaign received bipartisan endorsements at the local, state and congressional levels, as well as support from family, friends and others, including descendants of French soldiers who were liberated by the “Go for Broke” soldiers.

For Rachel Radona, a recent graduate of Kameha­meha Schools, the stamp carried personal meaning, as her grandfather served as a soldier in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

The nisei soldiers “paved the road for me and all Japanese Americans, and different races as well,” she said. “They fought and sacrificed for their country for equality and for better lives for their families and future generations. Their determination has taught me that to be successful in reaching one’s goals, you’ve got to give it everything you have. With my grandpa and his fellow soldiers as inspiration, I will give it my all I’ve got to accomplish my goals and live my dreams.”

The stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp, which is equivalent to the current first-class mail 1-ounce price. It can be purchased at post offices across the country or online at the USPS website.