In honor of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, the Los Angeles County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs premiered a new documentary on Veterans Day featuring the stories of local veteran service members who served during the war.
The documentary, “Unsung Heroes of the Greatest Generation,” highlights the accomplishments and contributions of servicemen and women who may have previously gone unheralded due to racial and gender prejudices common in that era.
One such story features Yoshio Nakamura, who served in the legendary 442nd Regimental Combat Team—one of the most decorated combat units in U.S. military history—after volunteering for military service from the Gila River Japanese internment camp. Nakamura tells of his time in Italy, where his unit was ordered to take a fortified enemy position atop Mount Folgorito that had stymied allied forces for six months. Silently scaling the mountain, the 442nd successfully took the outpost, providing a key victory for allied forces in Italy.
Overall, the film recounts 10 different stories of Los Angeles veterans who fought or served against the Axis Powers.
“This film is dedicated to the men and women who served so valiantly in World War II that may have gone unnoticed until now. Typifying the greatest diversity of our nation, our brothers and sisters proved that when we fight for one common goal that we can achieve anything,” said Ruth Wong, a retired brigadier general and current director of the Los Angeles County MVA, in the film.
The documentary is free to watch on Vimeo and will also be airing on LA County Channel (36) until the end of the year.
The Los Angeles County MVA offers assistance for obtaining VA benefits, including services related to education, employment, healthcare.
Author: Christian Southards
Coming from a family with a proud military background and wanting to contribute his writing skills to a worthy cause, Christian began writing for the California American Legion in August of 2020. His father is a 25-year Army Veteran and his grandfather served in the Navy during Vietnam.