Colorado Governor Welcomes Japanese-Americans: Colorado County Life Magazine

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These = men board a bus at the Granada train station. '- (continued from page 17) ment for the Japanese in southeastern Colorado returned. The labor shortage in the state was at its highest level since the start of the war. The antagonism that developed was directed prima- rily toward the Japanese, despite their willing- ness to help the farmers of Prowers County. Old - time Klansmen literally "suited up" again and prepared to march. Farmers were warned of the "yellow peril" that would take over their farms and, by the war's end, the land, jobs and the community. The problem of racism. became so great that the Colorado Legislature considered an amend- ment to the law that would essentially forbid the ments, maps, battle plans, diaries, letters and various publications. They interrogated Japanese prisoners, intercepted enemy communications and even made staged propaganda broadcasts to the enemy. There are countless individual stories of brav- ery and heroism among these patriotic citizens, once overlooked. Many were killed in the line of duty, not unlike other U.S. soldiers. However, because of their race, many Japanese - Americans were mistaken as the enemy and killed by their own troops. Charles Willoughby, chief of staff for General Douglas.MacArthur, said the volunteer services of the Japanese - Americans "... shortened In 1943, many imprisoned at Amache were allowed to join the US Armed Forces during WWII. A staged photo from Amache Relocation Camp makes the forced life in camp look pleasant for these Japanese - Americans torn from their homes. Japanese to own Colorado land. In a landslide, the measure was defeated, due in part to a three - to -one vote. by the soldiers, who by now were fighting sie by side with these Japanese - American citizens. By mid -1943 nearly 1,000 of the Japanese who lived at Amache had joined the armed services. Forty -five of these volun- teers had been killed in action. The dedication, adaptation and patriotism these people showed did not go without notice across America. In February of 1943, Captain William S. Fairchild arrived at the Amache Relocation Camp. He addressed the nearly 10,000 inhabitants in a glowing speech com- mending their determination and obvious patri- otism. Because of these qualities, the United Armed Forces also realized it could use the adept abili- ties of these people. Captain Fairchild announced that men between the ages of 18 and 38 could volunteer for special defense work. Thousands volunteered and served in the European Theater. Many Japanese - Americans lost their lives defending their homeland, the United States of America, One of the best kept secrets of World War 11 was the use of some 6,000 Japanese - Americans as "the eyes and ears" of the Allied Forces fighting the Japanese in the Pacific. President Harry S. Truman called them "our human secret weapon" All volunteers, the Japanese - Americans translated captured Japanese docu- 18 • CULURAOU COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE • JUNE 1999 the war against Japan by two years, while thou- sands of American lives were saved by these courageous men." The Amache Relocation. Camp was officially closed on October 15, 1945, following the end of World War II. The land was eventually sold and the buildings dismantled for the lumber. Within a year, Amache became a ghost town. Today, there are few signs of Amache. A few concrete foundations remain among the sage and wind -blown grassland. A county dump sits less than half mile north of the site. A small cemetery with approximately 125 graves gives somber tribute to the inhabitants just a half mile south of the site. . An impressive memorial was erected at the site in 1983, 42 years after the war. It is in honor of those who, gave their lives, both as civilians and in the military, to World War 11 and the American cause. It is such a simple monument, yet the words speak volumes about a people, their dedication and their duty. r& This is Linda Wommaek's second feature for Colorado Country Life. Linda has published several books about Colorado's history: Colorado Gambling': A History of the Early Days, Cripple Creek Tailings, Colorado History for Kids and From the Grave, A Roadside Guide to Colorado's Pioneer Cemeteries,