Greatest Generation: Frank Tanabe

Earlier this week, American Mishima featured the story of Frank Tanabe, A World War II Veteran of the MIS who cast his final vote in the 2012 Presidential Election. Though not famous, in his final days of life achieved world wide admiration as his photo of him in his hospital bed was circulated around the world making him an internet sensation to which he was "thrilled." Well, sadly the end has come just days after casting that final vote. In the dark days following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Frank Tanabe and his family was forced to relocate to Tule Lake and Minidoka camp in Idaho. It was there that he volunteered for the Military Intelligence Service of the US Army. Mr. Tanabe was quoted in a documentary as saying: "I wanted to do my part to prove that I was not an enemy alien, or that none of us were – that we were true Americans. And if we ever got the chance, we would do our best to serve our country. And we did." Mr. Tanabe died this morning of October 25th 2012 of inoperable liver cancer at the age of 93. We at American Mishima salute Mr. Tanabe for his service and thank the Tanabe Family for sharing their story with the world. Rest in Peace.

Greatest Generation: Dying Man Casts Final Vote

As the World War Two or Greatest Generation leaves us in ever greater numbers, We at American Mishima from time to time like to feature these old Warriors who make the news. As previously posted on CNN, seen here in the above photo lies Frank Tanabe of Honolulu Hawaii who in 2010 was among a group of Japanese-Americans who were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal as part of the Military Intelligence Service Unit during World War II. (Better late than never no?) As seen in the photo, Mr. Tanabe 93, cast his final mail in vote as he is in the final stages of inoperable liver cancer. Mr. Tanabe grew up in the Niesei community of Seattle and attended University of Washington when he was forced to drop out and abandon everything they owned in compliance with Executive Order 9066 to be put on trains and forced into the Interment Camps that imprisoned Japanese Americans following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor during one of America's darkest chapters of World War II.

Upon hearing that there was a need for interpreters, Mr. Tanabe volunteered for the US. Army while his family remained imprisoned. As previously posted on CNN: According to his daughters, Frank has never missed a presidential election, and wasn't about to let his illness deter him from voting this time around. Since this photo was taken and uploaded to the internet, Mr. Tanabe's story has been reposted and seen around the world including here on American Mishima. His daughter Barbara said that she has been telling her dad about all of the internet "buzz" and is sure he is "thrilled about it." "He is very patriotic, very proud," she said, adding that her father instilled a similar sense of appreciation to his children. "He always told us it was very important to vote, because he saw his comrades in arms fight and die for American rights," she said. Among those, she added, was the right to vote. As the Greatest Generation and in particular those MIS and Go For Broke Japanese Americans leave us there will be fewer opportunities to feature them, So here at American Mishima we would like to offer one final salute for his service and long standing patriotism. Thank you Mr. Tanabe!
ありがとうございます!