USMC Combat Correspondents
Summer 2009 Issue
March Meeting Features Tom Graves’ Production
Joe Rosenthal Chapter USMC Combat Correspondents Association–Bay Area Marine Corps Reporter
An American Story – a documentary about California World War II veterans of Japanese ancestry was shown to attendees at the Chapter March 18 meeting and was termed “well written and produced” by viewers.
Tom Graves, the documentary writer and producer, worked on the DVD for the past 18 months before showing it to the CCs (Combat Correspondents).
The story portrays the bravery of the veterans in war where they earned seven Presidential Unit Citations and 9,000 Purple Hearts for battle wounds while serving with the 442nd “Go For Broke” Regimental Combat Team or as linguist with the Military Intelligence Service (MIS).
Upon return from war, they faced discrimination when they attempted to join veterans groups. They eventually formed their own units with the help of sympathetic vets appalled at their treatment. Japanese American veterans now have a documentary DV telling their story to hand down to their following generations.
Norbert J. Malecki