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Winner Gives Bronze Sculpture To 442nd Veteran
Auburn Attorney Mark A. Berg Honors Frank Kageta

A single ticket drawn by Placer County Supervisor Jennifer Montgomery at the Auburn Veterans Day Luncheon led to a dramatic and surprising gift. That ticket entitled the winner, Auburn Attorney Mark Berg, to a signed and numbered bronze miniature of the large bronze monument, “Rescue of the Lost Battalion,” that is being constructed to honor Americans of Japanese ancestry who served our country in World War II.

A few days later the chairman of the Placer County JACL Monument Project, E. Ken Tokutomi, delivered the sculpture to Mr. Berg at his office near the historic Auburn Courthouse. Berg was impressed by the artistry of the work, and he proudly placed the piece in a prominent position on his desk.

As the two men spoke about what the sculpture represented, Berg proposed a question. “Is there a veteran of the 442nd who lives nearby? I would really like to give this beautiful artwork to him and his family.”

Ken suggested Frank Kageta, one of the Placer County residents who served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and who was recently honored with a Congressional Gold Medal in Washington DC. In the 1970s Frank helped lead the effort for formal redress of the injustice committed by our government when they rounded up Japanese American families in the western states and send them to internment camps. Frank and a small group of other local veterans of WW II were honored in December, 2009, at the dedication of  the Placer County WW II Memorial site in Roseville. His son Stuart Kageta was also a speaker at the dedication.

On December 5, Berg and Tokutomi visited Frank at his home in Rocklin, where Mark presented the sculpture to him. Frank was emotional and humble, commenting that surely someone else deserved this more than he did. Tokutomi told him this would be a memento that Frank’s four children would hold dear, acknowledging Frank’s bravery in combat and his loyal service to America.

Designed by local artist France Borka, the monument represents a member of the helping a wounded soldier of the 36th Texas Division after a grueling battle that lasted many days. The 442nd, a unit made up of Japanese American soldiers, is the most decorated unit for its size in American military history. The full size bronze will be installed at the Memorial to WW II Era Americans of Japanese Ancestry that is being completed at the Bill Santucci Justice Center in Roseville. Northern California chapters of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) have been raising funds through donations and events to complete the sculpture and interpretive displays.

These bronze models (maquettes) are limited to no more than 36. This number recalls the 36th Texas Division, known as "The Lost Batallion" - who were rescued by the 442nd in a historic World War II battle in France, October 1944. The 442nd is the most decorated unit for its size in U.S. military history.

Congress Honors These WW II Veterans

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Our Progress to date:  Over $141,000 in donations!

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Project Status

The foam enlargement of the maquette is complete, and Ronnie Frostad, the foundry owner, has been detailing the sculpture in clay prior to preparing the molds for casting this 7' tall sculpture in bronze.

Three surviving veterans of the 442nd (photo on left: Frank Kageta, Shig Yokote, and Norman Kamada) recently visited the foundry to see the project in progress. Project Chairman E. Ken Tokutomi and Ronnie Frostad are in the lower photo with the three veterans.

See Placer County WW II Roster

JACL chapters in Sacramento, Florin and Placer County are raising funds to complete a large bronze statue commemorating the “Rescue of the Lost Battalion”, showing a soldier of the 442nd helping a wounded soldier from the 36th Texas Battalion off the battlefield. We also plan to provide an educational component exploring the significance that period in our history.

Thanks to Our Generous Contributors (Donor List)

Special thanks to the City of Roseville for awarding this project a grant of $14,625

E. Ken Tokutomi receives the check from the Grants Committee (July 12, 2011)

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Memorial to 442nd Dedicated in Placer County

Click here for more dedication photos and articles    See Placer County WW II Roster

Roseville, CA – A memorial to the soldiers of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team was dedicated on December 16, 2009, as a tribute to the bravery, patriotism and dedication of local Japanese American residents who served in one of the U.S. Army’s most-decorated units during World War II.

The ceremony honored county residents who served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and veterans Frank Kageta, Shig Yokote, Al Nitta, and Norman Kamada were among the dignitaries present at the dedication. The memorial is located on Justice Center Drive near the Placer County Superior Court building. Placer County also has named a roadway at the Santucci Center “Go for Broke Road” to commemorate the unit’s motto.

“While the story of the 442nd began with its share of injustice and discrimination in the end it became a story of patience and fortitude, of unparalleled sacrifice, and of forgiveness. And ultimately it is a testimony to the resilience of the human spirit,” said Placer County Supervisor Jim Holmes.

Holmes recognized Howard Nakae as an example of Nisei soldiers who returned to the area after the war to rebuild their lives.

“Begin anew they did, without showing signs of malice or resentment, they opened shops, worked on ranches, began landscaping businesses and nurseries, they became leaders in agriculture, business, education, government, and yes, even law enforcement,” said Holmes.

For the first phase of the memorial, Placer County created a 36-foot wide concrete compass and framed an open space to the south with two large granite boulders that represent the struggles soldiers endured coming out of the Vosges Mountains in France. One boulder has an inlaid bronze plaque with a dedication message from the Board of Supervisors, and the other boulder has a bronze plaque that describes the history of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

“Placer County and the Placer County Japanese American Citizens League want to make sure the public never forgets the patriotism and dedication of the more than 100 soldiers from our county who served in the 442nd,” said Chairman F.C. “Rocky” Rockholm of the Board of Supervisors.

“The unit’s battlefield successes and dedication to our country are one of the most remarkable, heart-warming stories of World War II. The memorial will help ensure that the story of the 442nd and its soldiers will endure.”

In phase two, the Placer County, Sacramento and Florin chapters of the Japanese American Citizens League plan to add a larger than life size bronze monument, designed by France Borka, depicting a Japanese American soldier of the 100th Battalion/442nd RCT helping rescue a wounded soldier of the 36th Texas Division, who were trapped by Nazi troops for days and became known as the “Lost Battalion. Placer County also plans to include inscribed names of every Placer County resident who served in the unit.

This permanent monument to these heroes will be funded entirely through donations.

By creating this monument we honor all those who served from Northern California in the 442nd RCT/ 100th Battalion and the Military Intelligence Service. Our goal is to raise $160,000 to complete the memorial and develop educational materials.

A group of individuals and businesses has generated over $141,000 so far in our fundraising effort. Organizations committed to this project include the Placer Buddhist Church, the JACL Northern California/Western Nevada/Pacific (NCWNP) District, Nisei Post 8985 VFW in Sacramento, the Japanese American Veterans Association (JAVA), and the Go for Broke National Education Center in Torrance.

Please help us erect this memorial to the heroic Japanese Americans who sacrificed so much in World War II. Your contribution to Placer County JACL is tax-deductible.

Donate online (button above, at right), or make checks payable to Placer JACL and mail to:

Thank you for your support!

Join Facebook Group: Honor Japanese American WW II Heroes with a Memorial

Listen: NPR story broadcast Veterans Day 2009 from PRI's "The World"

View: photos of the interview participants

Read: A Nisei World War II Veteran’s Journey Into History

News: Congress Authorizes construction funds for "Go For Broke" National Education Center

Watch: Video from KABC (Los Angeles) - The 442nd Regimental Combat Team's famous rescue of the lost Texas battalion in France during World War II

Related News:

JACL Honors Japanese American Veterans

The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) paid tribute to the Japanese American veterans who served in the armed forces during World War II and the Korean War.

In the organization’s 3rd Annual Gala Awards Dinner held September 15 in Washington D.C., the JACL bestowed their appreciation to veterans of all conflicts and persons who are currently serving in the military, and particularly veterans of the 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team, the Military Intelligence Service (MIS), and others who served in regular units during World War II, and veterans of the Korean War.