Go For Broke National Education Center's work has never been more vital. Our Torchbearers are expanding from coast to coast, bringing young leaders from new regions like Idaho to our National Torchbearer Program. Students across the nation are connecting the veterans' stories to today's challenges as seen through our Go For Broke Journalism Institute and Go For Broke Legacy Scholarships. In May, our “Courage and Compassion” traveling exhibition is heading to Delray Beach, Florida, for its 14th venue.

At a time when history faces erasure and constitutional values are under threat, the stories of the 33,000 Japanese American men and women who served during World War II are needed more than ever to help our nation find common ground.

Your partnership makes this work possible. With the Go For Broke Plaza opening in late 2026, we are preparing for expanded programming and new initiatives. The opportunities to deepen our impact have never been greater.

We need your support to meet this moment. Your gift today directly impacts our work to ensure that this important American story is not forgotten and that our evolving programming continues to educate and inspire future generations. The Nisei soldiers fought for a more just future. Help us honor their vision — donate today to keep their story accessible to all.

Read on for recent highlights of our work from the Los Angeles Torchbearers’ Evergreen Cemetery cleanup to a first-person perspective from Nisei veteran Yosh Nakamura.

Image credit: The 100th Infantry Battalion receiving grenade training in 1943. Courtesy of the U.S. Army.

LA Torchbearers Day of Service

Evergreen Cemetery Annual Spring Cleanup

Volunteers at Evergreen Cemetery for the Go For Broke Day cleanup

To commemorate National Go For Broke Day on April 5, the Los Angeles Torchbearers held their annual spring day of community service on Saturday, April 4, at Evergreen Cemetery in East Los Angeles. Since 2021, the Torchbearers have organized these annual cemetery cleanup days throughout the year as a way to pay tribute to the American WWII soldiers of Japanese ancestry. 

In total, a dedicated group of nine Torchbearers and two Go For Broke Journalism high school students — plus their parents — gathered to pull weeds, wash down the grave markers, and place an American flag and potted plant for each veteran. “It is always so inspiring to see our young supporters take time out of their Saturday to ensure our veterans are respectfully honored,” said GFBNEC President and CEO Dr. Mitch Maki. “I am also moved by the sense of community we have been able to build through this service activity with those who come from different backgrounds and regions.”

The event had a special addition with new Torchbearer Cory Suzuki, who took honoring the Nisei WWII veterans to a new level with his detailed work on their grave markers at the cleanup. Cory learned from his mom, who taught him to care for the headstone of his grandfather who served in the Korean War — his other grandfather served in WWII.

Thank you to the San Gabriel Nursery & Florist for their continued in-kind donation of the potted plants, and thanks to Don Tahara for always welcoming us at Far Bar for our post-cleanup lunch.

From the Hanashi Oral History Collection

A Personal Reflection From Nisei Veteran Yosh Nakamura

The Hanashi Oral History Collection is an unparalleled archive of first-person voices of the Nisei WWII veterans and their contemporaries about their experiences before, during, and after the war, often shedding light on why they chose to serve their country and their hopes for future generations. We share with you video clips from Yosh Nakamura about the personal circumstances that shaped his service in the 442nd RCT: the tense nighttime climb up Monte Folgorito to break the Gothic Line, when a fellow soldier carrying a 50-pound baseplate fell off the trail in complete darkness, and an unexpected measles outbreak at Camp Blanding, Florida, that may have saved his life.

These are the voices we work to preserve to ensure the stories are never forgotten.

“Courage and Compassion” Traveling Exhibition

Exploring the Florida WWII Experience

From May 9 through August 30, 2026, our “Courage and Compassion: Our Shared Story of the Japanese American World War II Experience" traveling exhibition will be on display at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, Florida. 

Through first-person oral histories, community stories, archival images, and artifacts, visitors will discover the legacy of the Japanese American soldiers of WWII, the origins of Florida's Japanese American communities, and the story of Camp Blanding, a major WWII infantry training center where many Japanese American soldiers trained before their deployment to Europe. 

In conjunction with the exhibition, GFBNEC President and CEO Dr. Mitch Maki will be at the Morikami Museum on Saturday, May 30, for a special public program, and on May 29, he will be speaking at the Broward County and Palm Beach County libraries. For more information, visit morikami.org.

Community Corner

DC Film Screening & LA Book Club

Save the date for “Third Act,” a film by the Japanese American National Museum, at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, May 2 at 2:00 p.m. Bring your friends and family for a special run of this film that was an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

Get your tickets here!

"One Book, One Coast" is a collaborative program uniting a wide network of West Coast library jurisdictions in a shared celebration of literacy, learning, community, and civil discourse. From April 1 through June 6, all participating libraries are reading and discussing actor/author/activist George Takei’s “They Called Us Enemy,” a graphic memoir recounting his childhood imprisoned within American concentration camps during World War II.

Visit the Los Angeles Public Library for more information.

Go For Broke Store

New Exclusive Merchandise

Our popular zippered canvas tote is now available in charcoal gray. This versatile bag has two outer pockets, perfect for your water bottle and other personal items. Purchase your tote today and check out our other exclusive store items.

Every purchase provides direct support for our vital work to preserve and share the Go For Broke spirit and legacy of the Nisei soldiers as an important American story.