Essay Contest winners attended the POW reunion

Two winners of the 2nd essay contest held by US-Japan Dialogue on POWs, Inc.,  Miss Jessica Goad (Carleton College) and Mr. Sho Sugiura (University of Tokyo), attended the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor 2007 Convention held in Washington DC from April 13 to 16. They were welcomed by many former POWs and their family members and recognized during the banquette which was attended by more than 300 people. 

 

Sho with Bataan Death March survivor Dr. Lester Tenney and his wife Betty
(standing: POW researcher Nori Nagasawa, Kinue Tokudome, Yuka Ibuki) 

 

Jessica, her grand mother Mrs. Lois Goad, Ms. Nancy Kragh and Sho
with Bataan Death March survivor Mr. Jim Murphy and his wife Nancy
(Mrs. Goad's late husband, Dr. Lloyd H. Goad, was a POW of the Japanese)




          
   with Corregidor(4th Marine) POW Mr. Don Versaw          Death March survivor Mr. Abie Abraham
                                                                                                                              

A high school student from Washington State, Anthony Zendejas, also attended the Convention. Anthony performed his one-person play on the POW history for former POWs and their family members.   (More on Anthony's play)  
 

  
                Jessica, Sho,  Kinue,  Anthony, Yuka              with Death March survivor, Mr. Malcolm Amos

 

                            
  Death March survivor Mr. Bob Brown            past ADBC commander Ed Jackfert and Mrs. Jackfert

 

            
      with Death March survivor Mr. Richard Francies               with POW descendant Mr. John Lewis

                
     with ADBC commander Mr. Everett Reamer      with Corregidor POW Mr. Bill Overmier and his wife

On April 16, Jessica and Sho visited Mrs. Annette Lantos, wife of Congressman Tom Lantos.  Congressman Lantos and Mrs. Lantos are both Holocaust survivors and strong supporters of educating young people about historical injustices.
 

Mrs. Lantos read Jessica and Sho's essays and praised their effort to learn the POW history






Yuka, Jessica, Sho, Mrs. Annette Lantos and Kinue

Their thoughts after the Convention

Jessica Goad

I was honored to be invited to attend to 2007 convention of the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor along with Sho Siguira. When I traveled to the Philippines and Japan last summer, I spent much of my time reading the diaries, journals, and stories of these men who were our country's heroes.  But it was truly something else to be able to meet them and hear their stories first hand.  Not only are the former POWs insightful and heroic, but they have quite the sense of humor!  I felt very welcomed the entire time.  I have realized that not only do these soldiers make the backbone of American history, they make the backbone of my own history, that of a young American.  

Because of this experience, I am more patriotic than ever before, and I hope that others in my generation will learn from the lessons of the past.
 

Sho Sugiura

It was a wonderful experience for me to attend the ADBC Convention this year. Although I had been told how kind-hearted the former POWs were, I felt I was welcomed  even more warmly than I had expected. This made me feel frustrated that I was unable to express freely what I wanted to say to them. All the while, I kept repeating like a parrot, "I will tell your stories to Japanese."

Returning to Japan, I realize the weight of these words of mine increases day by day. It is  because I was changed through this precious experience of meeting the former POWs. When stories are told from the aggressors' side, there consequently exist the stories who suffered the aggression. Three months ago, I wasn't aware of this simple fact. By sharing my experiences, I am sure the warmth of the former POWs will bring positive changes to a lot of friends of mine.

Lastly I would like to say thank you to everyone who made this invitation to the ADBC Convention possible. I pray for the health and happiness of the former POWs. Although it may sound cliché I also pray for peace in the world.

Jessica and Sho's winning essays on POWs of the Japanese

This Essay Contest was made possible by the generous support from Dorothy and Clay Perkins of Rancho Santa Fe, CA.